Happy New Year!

Thanks to you, the WONDERFUL members of WBJC, we've had a very successful Year End campaign. We remain humbled by the support classical music fans continue to show. WBJC starts the New Year on strong footing, and this also means fewer days of Pledge Drive in February!

The Membership Department is working at getting all the acknowledgements out in the mail, and shortly thereafter, the 2021 Tax Statements. To keep costs down, we only send paper statements to Sustainers and donors over $250. If you find yourself in need of a statement and you fall outside of those categories, you may always generate one on-demand through the MyWBJC portal. (Details to create an account at the bottom of this email.)

And speaking of "new"... thank you for your patience while we iron out the new phone system quirks! Around Thanksgiving, our college moved us over to a VOIP system (which was badly overdue since many of use had no working voicemail) and it's taken us a bit to learn how to answer calls remotely and find where the voicemails have been stored. I apologize for the unusual delay in returning those calls.

We're getting the system tweaked so that calls ring through during business hours rather than going directly into voicemail... so we can continue to serve our members to the level you expect from us.

Next up... we're restarting the WBJC music tours! This time around, we're keeping it domestic. Read below for more details.

And last, but not least... Douglas Blackstone (horn player, former director of Hopkins' Odyssey Program and fabulous husband of our evening host Judith Krummeck) has graciously offered up an article for your reading pleasure! See below.

Wishing all of you a happy, safe and healthy New Year, and a gracious, heartfelt THANK YOU for your continued support of classical music on WBJC.

Diana Ross

WBJC is pleased to announce our next travel adventure. A fabulous 6-day trip to Chicago in April of 2022 is in the works and we’d love for you to come along.

Highlights include Prime tickets to five major performances: two concerts by the Chicago Symphony, a recital by Yuja Wang, Terence Blanchard’s historic opera Fire Shut Up in My Bones, and a new play at the Goodman Theatre. Plus art, architecture, and wonderful restaurants.

By Douglas Blackstone

When I was an active member of a symphony orchestra, I often got the question: “What does the conductor really do?” This was asked with the notion that it was difficult for the average concert attendee and listener to quantify a conductor’s actual contribution to the success of the concert!

Well, we’ve heard of the conductor-less Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, so it must be possible for an ensemble to play without one. In my experience, though, I would rather have a conductor—but a good one.

So, what does an orchestra want in a good conductor? I’ve thought about this a lot, and here’s my take... READ MORE

Kati Harrison plays your requests every Friday evening during our long-running request show, Listener's Choice. You can request your favorite music anytime by emailing listenerschoice@wbjc.com or by visiting us on Facebook. You can even call in during the week (410-580-5800) and we'll make sure Kati gets your request!

This time of year, many people experience cultural pressure to be “merry” all the time even if life isn’t going so well for them or they have difficult memories of holidays past. Recently, I spoke with Alexandra Wykowski, Associate Director of Clinical Services at Behavioral Health System Baltimore, about the reasons people may struggle with their emotions during this season, signs of depression and anxiety to watch for, and resources by which one might seek help. LISTEN HERE

After many Covid-19 delays, the South African launch of Judith Krummeck’s biographical memoir, “Old New Worlds,” will finally take place at Liberty Books outside Cape Town at 6:30pm local time on Thursday, January 13th. 

Leave a legacy that will keep classical music radio alive for years to come. Consider a bequest or trust to WBJC. Speak to your financial planner today and help secure WBJC's future for the next generation of classical music lovers.

Two gorgeous exhibitions—A Modern Influence: Henri Matisse, Etta Cone, and Baltimore and Color and Illusion: The Still Lifes of Juan Gris—are on view at the Baltimore Museum of Art through early January, both of them co-curated by Katy Rothkopf.

Call 855-WBJC-CAR or donate securely online.  Click here to see how easy it is!

When we talk to members on the phone, we hear the best stories... memories of a beloved relative introducing classical music to their life, a family tradition of gathering around the radio to listen to the Saturday opera, or a first date to a concert hall... we've often thought these great stories should be shared!

If you'd like to write down your story, we'd love to feature your personal experience or reflections on classical music and the fine arts in our newsletters and on the WBJC blog.

Contact us at membership@wbjc.com for more information!

MyWBJC is the online Membership Portal that allows WBJC members secure access to their own membership account. Members can view several years of giving history, update contact info, edit/adjust Sustainer pledges, add/delete/update credit cards, and print on-demand tax receipts

If you have not already signed up for MyWBJC:

WBJC is the Classical radio voice of Baltimore City Community College