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WQXR (105.9 FM) in New York is launching a new podcast about the hidden voices behind classical music, hosted by the station’s Terrance McKnight.
The debut season of Every Voice with Terrance McKnight will shine a light on Black representation in opera through interviews with performers and educators, an examination of historical documents and archival performance recordings.
“Classical music is a broad label for music of a culture, but our own American definition has remained stubbornly tethered to the Western European tradition,” McKnight said in a statement. “In this debut season, I wanted to see what has been passed down to us through the operatic tradition in terms of Black representation, interrogate these characters who continue to appear every season on opera stages around the world, and honor the Black performers who have performed these roles. Even in a field as seemingly homogenous as Western classical music, there have always been other voices who have influenced the genre, sometimes unseen. Every Voice brings them to the forefront and celebrates this legacy.”
The show will be available on the WQXR website and on popular podcast platforms, starting February 16.