A magazine published by the University of Southern California features a lengthy profile of KUSC-FM, the classical public radio station licensed to the university, and Los Angeles’ most popular full-time classical station. The whole article is worth reading for its depth and its historical scope, but I’ll highlight here what I found particularly noteworthy about KUSC and the thinking that guides its hosts and programmers. Other classical stations should take note.
Live Webcast of the Final Concert of the Beaux Arts Trio
From American Public Media: Performance Today host Fred Child will be hosting a live Webcast tonight of the final American concert by the Beaux Arts Trio. Fred will host the concert live from the Ozawa Concert Hall at Tanglewood in Massachusetts. The concert takes place tonight at 8 p.m. ET. To access the live Webcast, go to www.performancetoday.org or www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93589600. The live Webcast is a co-production with NPR Music.org.
Classical Music in The Egg
I should have mentioned this earlier in the month, but I got caught up in the crummy news about KHFM in Albuquerque (see post from Aug. 14th). Check out this amazing classical music venue in Beijing called The Egg: From the website www.chinamusicradar.com, there’s a little blurb about Live Music at the Beijing Olympics If it’s classical music you’re after, look no further then The Egg (affectionately known as the National Centre for the Performing Arts). They have eleven confirmed events including notable foreign acts such as the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra and … Continue Reading
Australia’s 4MBS: community engagement to the utmost
Some U.S. classical radio stations promote live performances, sponsor occasional talks or find other ways to get out in their communities, promoting local arts while elevating their profiles in the process. But I’m willing to wager that even the most active station would look like a hopeless underachiever next to Australia’s 4MBS Classic FM.
4MBS stages a dizzying array of musical and cultural events in its hometown of Brisbane, throughout Australia and even on the high seas — concerts, plays, contests, cruises, lectures, classes and more. These activities make 4MBS much more than just a radio station. In fact, General Manager Gary Thorpe credits 4MBS’s growth over the past 15 years to its efforts to engage audiences in so many different ways. The station boasts an annual income on par with that of classical stations in Sydney and Melbourne, homes to many more people than Brisbane.
“We want to show people that the radio station is just the start of the process of connecting with the community,” he wrote in an e-mail. “There are so many other relevant and meaningful things we can do to enhance their lives and the 4MBS experience — broaden their horizons within the classics.”