WRR 101.1 Focus on the Arts

In this podcast, WRR's Kurt Rongey spoke to Scott Yoo, conductor, violinist and TV host for the PBS classical music documentary series Now Hear This. They discuss how Anthony Bourdain influenced the show, the unexpected payoff that resulted from an awkward pre-concert lecture, and foraging for food in Iceland. Photo courtesy of Crossover Media

Every year, TACA (The Arts Community Alliance) recognizes two individuals for their outstanding volunteer leadership and contributions to the arts in North Texas with the Silver Cup Award. Past honorees include some of Dallas’ most illustrious arts champions, including Mrs. Eugene McDermott, Mrs. Nancy A. Nasher, former mayor Mike Rawlings, Mrs. Edward S. Marcus, and Mr. William Winspear. The 2026 honorees are Nancy Carlson and Andy Smith, who have been committed to volunteerism and arts leadership in Dallas for decades. They joined Maura Sheffler, TACA’s Donna Wilhelm Family President and Executive Director, for a conversation with WRR's Amy Bishop to share their personal journeys in the arts, and why the believe that a thriving creative community requires volunteerism. Note: The full conversation follows the five minute radio feature that aired on WRR101.

In a recent podcast conversation, WRR host Brooke Scholl speaks with Chamber Music Society of Fort Worth Artistic Director and violinist Gary Levinson about the ensemble’s May 9 season finale and the return of pianist Vadym Kholodenko to Fort Worth—an artist whose 2013 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition victory cemented his deep connection with the city’s musical community. Levinson offers insight into the collaborative spirit behind the program at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, which features a new trio by living composer Ed Green alongside cornerstone chamber works by Johannes Brahms and César Franck. Joining Kholodenko are violinists Levinson and Jennifer Betz, violist DJ Cheek, and cellist Allan Steele. The conversation also looks ahead, with Levinson previewing the ensemble’s ambitious 2026–27 season. Photo credit: Jean Baptiste Millot

Broadway legend Brian Stokes Mitchell is the recipient of SMU's 2026 Meadows Award , recognizing an artist of national or international renown who has soared to the utmost height of their profession. He'll perform with the Meadows School Orchestra and Choir at the Meadows at the Meyerson benefit concert March 31, 2026, then lead a master class at SMU the following day. Ahead of his visit, Stokes spoke with WRR's Amy Bishop about how it feels to be listed among the other illustrious award recipients, the satisfaction that teaching brings, and what's on the horizon with future projects.

North Texas audiences will travel back in time through the 1950s, 60s, and 70s with a groovy fundraiser for Bruce Wood Dance, then look forward to the company's big season finale in June 2026. In this interview, BWD Artistic Director Joy Bollinger joins Amy Bishop with details about each performance, including the specifics about the choreography and music. Plus, you'll get a sneak peek at BWD's 2026-27 season.

"People laugh, but I was in kindergarten when I chose to be a music teacher," says Pamela Jenkins, who did end up becoming a music teacher - and has been so for 35 years. Dallas Symphony Orchestra named Jenkins as the recipient of their 2026 Music Teacher of the Year, given to elementary school music teachers who demonstrate exceptional skills at connecting with students, while building their confidence through music education. In this feature, WRR's Amy Bishop visits with Jenkins and Jen Guzman, DSO's Director of Education, to learn what makes music education as rewarding for the teachers as it is for the students.

Fresh off his 2025 Cliburn Gold Medal win, pianist Aristo Sham returns to Texas to perform Brahms’ First Piano Concerto with the Waco Symphony Orchestra, led by Music Director Larry Loh, on Thursday, January 22nd. In this Focus on the Arts podcast, WRR host Brooke Scholl sits down with Aristo Sham to talk about life as a concertizing artist, the challenge and beauty of Brahms’ symphonic piano writing, and the realities of carrying vast repertoire while touring. The concert program also features Jessie Montgomery’s Starburst and Tchaikovsky’s 6th Symphony, promising a powerful and deeply expressive evening of music.

In an evening of classical Christmas carols performed by Dallas String Quartet, to a genre-crossing repertoire of more contemporary holiday tunes, Ion Zanca describes Christmas at the Winspear as a pop/rock holiday spectacular. The evening includes special guests Sons of Serendip (America's Got Talent) and Anja Nissen (The Voice Australia.) In this interview with Amy Bishop, Ion gives a sneak peek into the program that he hopes will be DFW's newest family friendly holiday tradition.

WRR weekend host Brooke Scholl sits down with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra's assistant conductor Shira Samuels-Shragg to unpack her remarkable, last-minute debut leading the Dallas Symphony Orchestra after Music Director Fabio Luisi had to pull out due to a family emergency. With only days to prepare, Shira stepped onto the Meyerson podium to conduct a vivid program spanning Beethoven’s Leonore Overture No. 3, Mozart’s Symphony No. 40, and not one but two world premieres: Jonathan Cziner’s powerful new Clarinet Concerto, written for DSO principal clarinetist Gregory Raden, and Jasmine Guo’s evocative The Sound of Where I Came From. We’ll hear how she navigated the intensity, the inspiration, and the whirlwind of bringing complex new music to life—while earning an ovation for her clarity, confidence, and artistry on a night that became newsworthy for all the right reasons.

Praised for her “impressive artistry” and “wonderful bowing technique” (San Francisco Classical Voice), French cellist Juliette Herlin has performed throughout the U.S., Europe, Asia, and South America. As a soloist, chamber musician, and recitalist, she has appeared in prestigious venues such as the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Alice Tully Hall in New York, the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées and the Musée du Louvre in Paris, as well as the Zhuhai and Chongqin Grand Theaters in China. Juliette is honored to have been named a Bärenreiter Jubilee Ambassador. Currently, she serves as Assistant Professor of Cello at Texas Christian University. In this podcast with WRR's Brooke Scholl, Herlin discusses her debut album, Dialogue: Debussy & Schumann, which includes pianist Kevin Ahfat.

From Mozart, to Steve Reich, to Chet Baker, Bruce Wood Dance's season opener should live up to its title: "Glow." In this conversation with WRR's Amy Bishop, BWD Artistic Director Joy Bollinger gives a sneak peek into the pieces on the program. They also discuss a wide range of other dance topics: What its like to work with a living choreographer to premiere their work? What are the differences of dancing to live music as opposed to recorded? How is dance choreography chronicled, so that it can be passed down generation from generation? If you love all things dance, you'll enjoy this conversation!

Dallas-based Chamber Music International presents three all-star musicians– violinist Cho-Liang Lin, cellist Clive Greensmith, and pianist Jon Kimura Parker – for an evening of works by Brahms and Tchaikovsky In this podcast, WRR's Amy Bishop chats with CMI’s Artistic Director Phil Lewis to get some insight into the pieces, and how these three musicians will bring them to life onstage. The conversation also takes a look at the remainder of CMI's milestone 40th season.

Arsentiy Kharitonov, a composer and pianist based here in North Texas, has just had his impressive and dramatic Concerto for Piano and Orchestra recorded with the Kandinsky Symphony Orchestra and released by the Sound Atlas label. WRR's Kurt Rongey spoke with Arsentiy about the genesis of the concerto, his musical development and how his studies and experiences here in Texas influenced his music-making.

Wilhelmina Smith is regarded as a cellist whose artistic mission embraces a conversation through music, one that enthusiastically encompasses the music of the present placed within the context of a living past. In this podcast with WRR's Brooke Scholl, she talks about her new album, "Sweetgrass," which features music by Indigenous composer/cellist Dawn Avery.

Hailed as the "Monet of the classical guitar" by Atlanta Journal, Sharon Isbin is a longtime fixture in the genre with multiple GRAMMY awards and an ever-growing list of accolades. WRR's Brooke Scholl recently sat down with Isbin to talk about the artist's latest release, "Romantico," featuring world premiere recordings of joyous Latin dance-inspired music for guitar by Karen LeFrak.

In November 1957, the Dallas Civic Opera (now The Dallas Opera) officially opened with a headlining concert starring Maria Callas at the State Fair Music Hall (now Music Hall at Fair Park). Audiences have a chance to see Maria Callas once again via a hologram concert at the Music Hall in Fair Park, featuring The Dallas Opera Orchestra on Friday, October 31st, 2025. The event commemorates the 100th anniversary of the venue and is co-presented by Broadway Dallas. Amy Bishop recently spoke with Ian Derrer, TDO's Kern Wildenthal General Director and CEO, about what to expect in this very unique event.

Cellist Matt Haimovitz has earned a reputation as a musical pioneer in today's classical music sphere. Two albums by the internationally renowned musician were recently nominated for GRAMMYs: "Schnittke Cello Concerto No.1" with the Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Dennis Russell Davies, and "Jacqueline," Luna Pearl Woolf's opera with soprano Marnie Breckenridge. In this interview with WRR's Brooke Scholl, Haimovitz discusses the joys of playing these works, his special friendship with the late Jaqueline du Pre, and more.

Trinidad-born trumpeter Etienne Charles fuses Caribbean melodies with jazz to create his own distinct sound. He'll bring his Creole Soul group to Windmills Craftworks in The Colony October 11-12, 2025. In this feature, WRR's Amy Bishop speaks with the venue's Kira Goidel about the unique concert and dinner experience.

Fort Worth Opera opens its 80th anniversary season with a rare stateside appearance by internationally acclaimed tenor Jonathan Tetelman. A Deutsche Grammophon recording artist and jet-setting leading man, Tetelman has captivated audiences with his warm, full-bodied tenor and ardent stage presence. On October 10, he takes the stage at Van Cliburn Concert Hall for a one-night-only event. Kurt Rongey spoke with Jonathan Tetelman about the early development of his voice, the challenges of opera singing and his links to Texas

Now in its fourth year, the Art Worth Festival has established itself as an annual arts and music destination for North Texas. In this conversation with the festival's founder Greg Belz, he talks about how Art Worth differs from the rest of the arts festivals in the region.

The Waco Symphony Orchestra opens their season with GRAMMY Award-winning violinist Anne Akiko Meyers, who will perform Barber's Violin Concerto in a program that also includes Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances and Dvorak's Carnival Overture. Ahead of Meyers' visit, she chatted with WRR's Brooke Scholl for a deeper dive into the music. Photo by Dina Douglass

The Plano Symphony will perform in the Meyerson with Bernadette Peters on August 30. Here's Kurt Rongey in conversation with the Broadway star to give you a preview. She discusses what it’s like to sing with a large orchestra, her experiences working with Jerry Herman and Stephen Sondheim, and more.

"Twenty five cellists all playing together is a really unusual, beautiful sound," says Joseph Kuipers, Creative Director of Texas Cellos. In this feature with WRR's Amy Bishop, Kuipers gives an overview of the group's upcoming series of concerts, which includes a rousing rendition of Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" and a marathon performance of the composer's complete sonatas for cello and piano.

“These two people lift up the arts ecosystem and they are the ones that deserve recognition," says Mike Dilbeck, Deputy Director of The Arts Community Alliance, commonly known as TACA. "A lot of the times, it’s the people behind the scenes that you don’t see, don’t hear about, but they are the ones that are most deserving.” This year's honorees are Gayle Halperin and Jim Nugent, who have been pillars of the North Texas arts community for decades. In this feature with Amy Bishop, Gayle and Jim share stories of receiving the news - and how they've seen the arts in Dallas flourish through the years.

“When we’re talking about local musicians, we’re talking about high level local musicians,” says Morgan Vaughan, Executive Director of Basically Beethoven, which is opening its annual summer festival of free chamber music performances in Dallas on Sunday, July 13, 2025. In this feature with WRR's Amy Bishop, Vaughan joins the organization's Production & Education Manager Jeff Tullis for an overview of the festival and the impact they're having on local music education.

During its 28-year history, Fort Worth's Mimir Chamber Music Festival has become a destination for classical music lovers every summer. In this feature with WRR's Amy Bishop, Mimir Founder and Executive Director Curt Thompson shares some of the highlights this year, which includes a bonus concert in collaboration with the Amon Carter Museum.

Every summer, Shakespeare Dallas offers two very different shows during their Shakespeare in the Park series. This year, they're presenting a classic Shakespeare tragedy paired with a lighthearted "rom com" by Oscar Wilde. In this podcast, Shakespeare Dallas' Interim Executive & Artistic Director Jenni Stewart joins WRR's Amy Bishop for a deep dive into each production.

"Her rediscovery has really been the biggest rediscovery of a composer," says Maestro John Jeter, referencing the music of 20th century African-American composer Florence Price. Jeter is the only music director who has recorded Price's repertoire in its entirety, and his new album on Naxos includes her concerti for violin, piano, and orchestral snapshots of Southern life. In this interview with WRR's Brooke Scholl, Jeter gives a sneak peek into the new recordings and shares why he is drawn to Price's music.

"We tell them, 'You're going to get emotionally involved and it's going to be hard - or it's going to be glorious,'" says Adelaide Leavens, chair of the Cliburn's host family committee. Every four years, thirty local households open their homes to competitors in the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth. Here are a few who are hosting this year.

“It’s such a special ensemble because it carries on the legend of the great jazz pianist, Dave Brubeck, led by two of his sons," says Kira Goidel, the Artist Experience Manager at Windmills Craftworks in The Colony. The venue will welcome the Brubeck Brothers Quartet June 7th and 8th, 2025 in a dining setting reminiscent of New York's Birdland or Blue Note.

“I think it’s the only dance company that I know of, that’s constantly working in South Dallas. People have come and gone and I’m still there,” says Loris Anthony Beckles, Artistic Director of Beckles Dancing Company, which is planning a very special celebration of its 30th anniversary May 30-31, 2025. In this feature with WRR's Amy Bishop, Loris gives a sneak peek of the program, which includes an adaptation of a Donald McKayle classic.

“The music begs for dance... it's visceral in sound,” says Joy Bollinger, Artistic Director of Bruce Wood Dance Dallas. The company is teaming up with the Verdigris Ensemble for a production of SHAMS, described as a transformative true story of Rumi and his spiritual mentor Shams Tabrizi, set to music by Iranian-American composer Sahba Aminikia. In this feature with Amy Bishop, Bollinger and Verdigris founding Artistic Director Sam Brukhman give insight into the groundbreaking new work, and what audiences can expect.

“I like to really show the diversity of the cello, and of music... basically, the history of music in one night," says Stjepan Hauser (known professionally as HAUSER), the international cello sensation and former member of classical crossover group 2CELLOS. In this feature with WRR's Amy Bishop, Hauser gives a preview of what to expect for the evening at Irving's Toyota Music Factory.... which will likely include the unexpected.

Spectrum Chamber Music Society began when a group of Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra musicians decided to get together and play chamber music for fun. Forty years later, they're still doing that for North Texas audiences. Perhaps their most ambitious feat is yet to come when they play a chamber ensemble arrangement of Mahler's Symphony No. 4, conducted by FWSO Music Director Laureate Miguel Harth Bedoya. In this feature with WRR's Amy Bishop, Spectrum's Dan Sigale tells the story of Spectrum and what has kept audiences coming back for four decades.

“This is my favorite time of year, because I know that we’re planting the seeds that will not only contribute to the economy here, but that will truly be changing lives for our residents and our visitors,” says Martine Philippe, Director of the Office of Arts and Culture for the City of Dallas. She recently spoke with WRR's Amy Bishop about the impact that Dallas Arts Month has on the city's arts ecosystem, and shared highlights of a couple of new initiatives in this year's celebration.

"There's all the things we love about opera, right? Lust, rage.... all the wonderful things that, of course, unfortunately, are still timely - but it's such a beautiful story and such a beautiful opera," says American bass Raymond Aceto, who will join the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra in the role of Daland for an upcoming semi-staged production of Wagner's "The Flying Dutchman." In this feature with WRR's Amy Bishop, Aceto explains why this performance with the Fort Worth Symphony will be a reunion with old friends.

Nearing his 6th season as Music Director of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Fabio Luisi has reached a new level of oneness with the musicians, to the point of almost "reading each other's minds." In this conversation with WRR's Amy Bishop, Luisi joins DSO's Chief Artistic Officer Katie McGuinness for an overview of the organization's milestone 125th anniversary season for 2025-26.

The Dallas Opera has announced its 68th season, which includes four mainstage productions, all new to Dallas as company or U.S. premieres. WRR's Amy Bishop recently caught up with Ian Derrer, TDO's Kern Wildenthal General Director and CEO, for an overview of the season, which includes a version of Bizet's "Carmen" that may only be seen once in a lifetime.

"Go big or go home" was one of Bruce Wood's most frequently used expressions, and the company is honoring his legacy with their upcoming Texas-inspired gala concert. In this feature with WRR's Amy Bishop, BWD Artistic Director Joy Bollinger gives a sneak peek into a night that'll include dancing, live music, rhinestones galore, and even real spurs.

Organist and composer Zvony Nagy describes the Stained Glass Vespers series at Dallas' King of Glory Lutheran Church as an intersection of fine arts within a spiritual, contemplative space. In this feature with WRR's Amy Bishop, Nagy talks about an upcoming event at the church, where he'll provide organ improvisations on the narration of "The Seven Last Words of Christ" during the Lenten season.

The Dallas Bach Society presents their Baroque-Carnatic Connection Concert at the Moody Performance Hall on March 16, 2025 at 3:00 p.m. It will also include dancers from the New York Baroque Dance Company and the Silambam Houston Dance Company. Kurt Rongey got a chance to talk with James Richman about this unique collaboration.

It's not every day that Dallas audiences have the chance to see the Santa Fe Desert Chorale perform in North Texas - and it's even more rare to hear them paired with the Orpheus Chamber Singers for a concert. In this feature with WRR's Amy Bishop, Artistic Directors Joshua Habermann and J.D. Burnett talk about the events that led to their upcoming collaboration, and what to expect in this rare opportunity to see two professional choirs join forces for a night of music.

"For me, there’s actually a bit of an emotional attachment to it, because the very first concert I ever conducted with the Dallas Winds as a guest 32 years ago was a concert called 'Marches in March.' So, in a way, it’s coming full circle here," says Jerry Junkin, Artistic Director for Dallas Winds. They're presenting their "Marches Madness" concert on Tuesday, March 11th, 2025 in a program of... well, marches.

What began as an old-school method of communication among four young composers during the COVID-19 pandemic, became the inspiration for a solo piano piece by Will Stackpole, which receives its world premiere in Dallas in March 2025. In this feature with WRR's Amy Bishop, Stackpole joins pianist/conductor Benjamin Hochman and Voices of Change Artistic Director Jon Cziner to talk about the uniqueness of the program, and why audiences need not be scared of new classical music.

"This piece completely changed my thoughts on how music theater can be done...the piece is operatic in scope, which is one of the reasons why I thought it would be so fantastic for the students," says Michael Scarola, Visiting Professor of Practice at SMU's Meadows School of the Arts, who's directing their production of "Sweeney Todd." In this conversation with WRR's Amy Bishop, Scarola does a deep dive into the Meadows School production, which gives an opportunity for audiences to see young opera singers on the brink of their professional careers.

The Texas Guitar Competition and Festival is an annual UT Dallas tradition, established 24 years ago. founded 23 years ago, but But this will be the first year without its beloved co-founder, the late Dr. Enric Madriguera, a longtime UT Dallas faculty member. In this podcast, WRR’s Amy Bishop speaks with Dr. James Wilder of the Bass School at UT Dallas about a special tribute planned in memory of the late Dr. Madriguera in the three-day event at the University. It includes a concert by GRAMMY-winning guitarist David Russell.

“I think this way of experiencing an orchestra concert is really great, especially for a younger generation, who might not have had any experience seeing and hearing a live orchestra before,” says Emily Marshall, Music Director and Conductor of Naruto: The Symphonic Experience. The show is on a cross-country tour of the U.S. with a stop at Fort Worth's Will Rogers Auditorium in March. In this feature, Marshall chats with WRR's Amy Bishop about what to expect at a concert that combines anime and symphonic music.

The mesmerizing true story of Isabelle Eberhardt is the subject of "Song from the Uproar" by American composer Missy Mazzoli, which Verdigris Ensemble is presenting February 28th – March 2nd at Theater 3. The groundbreaking multimedia opera tells the story of the young Swiss explorer who defied every convention – disguising herself as a man, joining the Algerian army, and ultimately meeting her fate in a desert flash flood. Through Mazzoli's dazzling score, which weaves together haunting vocals with striking visuals, audiences are transported into an unforgettable world of transformation and relentless pursuit of freedom. In this podcast, Verdigris Ensemble's founding Artistic Director Sam Brukhman joins WRR's Amy Bishop for a conversation about the performance.

“Quite simply, the arts are an invaluable tool in brain health, and we want to demonstrate that actively through the activities at the Brain Health Week," says Bonnie Pitman, Director of Art-Brain Innovations at the University of Texas at Dallas’ Center for BrainHealth. The center is presenting its 3rd Brain Health week, full of art-centric events to explore the intersection of creativity and the brain. Hear the details in this feature with WRR's Amy Bishop.

"This is one of my favorite pieces – not only of the oboe repertoire, but in the classical music repertoire in general,” says Erin Hannigan, Principal Oboe with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, referencing Strauss' Oboe Concerto. She'll be in the spotlight as soloist with the DSO to perform the work Jan. 23-26, 2025 and chats with WRR's Amy Bishop about how she approaches each performance of such a demanding work for her instrument.