WBJC is a small, independent station. We are not part of the NPR umbrella. We are not funded by the college that holds our license.
We are funded by YOU, our listeners.
Now, more than ever, it's so very important for you to be a steward of the arts. It's time to stand up for the services you hold dear. And we hope that WBJC is one of those that you value.
Because of your past support,
we know you already value WBJC
, and for that we are truly grateful! Like you, we believe there is a place in radio for the classical music and opera formats, undisturbed by commercial interruptions. So, while other radio stations throughout the country continue to abandon classical music, we’ve remained true to our mission since 1951.
Still, we can only stay on the air with the continued financial support of our listeners.
So, if it’s time to renew, or if you're already a Sustaining Member and simply want to give an additional gift,
please support WBJC now
!
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How one thing might lead to another
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by Mark Malinowski
I was going to write a piece about pianists in the first part of the 19
th
century, and while doing my research, realized that one can’t really discuss this era of pianists without looking at a famous violinist.
To begin, keyboard players in the baroque and classical eras were generally taught to sit straight, not move around very much, and keep the hands right over the keyboard. Quite frankly, that was the best way to play the instruments of that time. The organ, the harpsichord, and the clavichord were the primary keyboard instruments, and a soft touch was really all that was required. The harpsichord and clavichord didn’t have a dynamic range (changing volume), and achieving that on the organ required the use of additional stops and opening the swell pedal to get more into the pipes. The keyboard itself had nothing to do with it. In fact, we know from CPE Bach that his father (Johann Sebastian), the greatest keyboard player of his time, didn’t press on the keys so much as he “stroked” them. Carl said that his father kept his fingers curved, and would basically draw back on a finger to play a note. An interesting technique that would work for an organ or harpsichord, but not very well for a piano. That is perhaps why, when J.S. Bach visited the court of King Frederick the Great of Prussia, where his son Carl was the court harpsichordist, that when introduced to a pianoforte built by Silberman (one of the most respected organ and harpsichord builders of the time) that he was dissatisfied with the instrument. That did not sit well with Silberman....
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Getting a new car? Don’t trade it, donate it!
Before you head to the dealer, plan on donating your older vehicle to WBJC. Usually the value you'll receive for your donation will meet or exceed what the dealer will offer you as a trade-in and is fully tax-deductible.
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by Judith Krummeck
The longer I work as a classical music DJ, the more I find my eye gravitating instinctively towards music related visual art whenever I visit a museum. The Cleveland Museum of Art last week was no exception.
This terracotta bust of the 18th century opera composer Christoph Willibald Gluck is by Jean-Antoine Houdon, and it’s remarkable in the way that it avoids an idolized portrait to show Gluck, rather, with his pockmarked face, unkempt hair, and open collar. What makes this perfect is that Gluck was doing something similar in the way that he reformed opera by moving away from stylized presentations in his works — like Orfeo ed Euridice and Alceste — to bring simplicity and sincerity.
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Student Composer of the Month
Welcome to Student Composer of the Month, where John Scherch talks with a composer who is currently studying or has recently studied in the greater Baltimore area. This month’s composer is
Elliott Grabill, a recent graduate of Peabody Conservatory...
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The 12th Annual Holistic Health Seminar on Memory Loss
will take place on Saturday, June 2nd at the Randallstown Community Center in Randallstown.
Registration is taking place until May 27th. Chloe Jackson, Community Relations Coordinator at the Johns Hopkins Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center spoke with Kati Harrison about this year’s Seminar.
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Johns Hopkins University Press has just published a comprehensive biography of George A. Lucas and his art collection. It was written by retired attorney and independent art historian, Stanley Mazaroff.
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LYRIC
LYRIC OPERA OF CHICAGO
05/26/18 - Rigoletto
06/02/18 -
Die Walküre / Wagner- 1pm
06/09/18 -
The Pearl Fishers / Bizet - 1pm
06/16/18 - Turandot / Puccini - 1pm
Your continued support for opera keeps the Metropolitan Opera Radio Broadcasts and other live performances on the
WBJC Operafest
coming to you on Saturdays throughout the year.
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Have you ever considered becoming a WBJC volunteer?
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It's super easy! We're always looking for volunteer members to help us during pledge drives and throughout the year in-office.
To get on the notification list for upcoming volunteer opportunities, you can email us at
membership@wbjc.com or click the "update profile" link at the bottom of this email. Follow the log-in instructions and add "Volunteer list" to your profile!
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The lobby opens at 6:45 for an 8 PM performance of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, led by Music Director Marin Alsop.
The piano plays the protagonist Bernstein's sentimental tone poem, "The Age of Anxiety," performed by acclaimed pianist Jon Kimura Parker. Hear Shostakovich's tremendous Symphony No. 5, which received an overwhelming public response and half hour standing ovation at its premiere. WBJC appearance is only on Thursday evening.
Thursday, June 7, 8 pm: Meyerhoff, featuring WBJC in the lobby pre-show
Friday, June 8, 8 pm: Meyerhoff
Saturday, June 9, 8 pm: Strathmore
Sunday, June 10, 3 pm: Meyerhoff
Marin Alsop, Music Director
Jon Kimura Parker, piano
Bernstein // Slava! A Political Overture
Bernstein // Symphony No. 2, "The Age of Anxiety"
Shostakovich // Symphony No. 5 in D Minor
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