Passover and Easter Music

Some of the most beautiful music ever written was composed for holidays. As we enter the Passover and Easter seasons, WGUC will bring you four specials featuring some of that beautiful music and magnificent performances. We know many services will be cancelled this year due to our current health emergency, so we hope these will bring you some comfort and a bit of the tradition.

Remember, these specials can be heard anywhere thanks to our website, our mobile app, or your smart speakers (Play WGUC). All times are EDT. Enjoy!

Tuesday, April 7, 6:30 p.m.

The Music of Passover: Our annual celebration in music and word with Naomi Lewin.

Wednesday, April 8, 7:00 p.m.

A Musical Feast for Passover with Itzhak Perlman: The springtime Jewish holiday of Passover is about liberation from slavery in ancient Egypt. In this one-hour special, superstar violinist Itzhak Perlman shares Passover music from many traditions, plus songs and memories from his childhood in Israel. The program draws its shape from the Passover Seder and, like that ancient family ritual, the music gets progressively giddier as the show moves along.

Friday, April 10, 6:00 p.m.

Bach’s St. Matthew Passion: A complete performance by the English Baroque Soloists and Monteverdi Choir under the direction of John Eliot Gardiner.

Sunday, April 12, 11:00 p.m.

Handel’s Messiah: A performance of the Easter portion of Handel’s beloved work by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Cambridge Singers and Soloists under the direction of John Rutter.

April Fools Day Playlist

At times like this, with so much uncertainty swirling around us, it’s good to step away from the news now and then to clear your head.

WGUC’s late midday host, Frank Johnson, was always good for an off-handed comment or unique perspective at times like these, so in his honor, we present you with his personally created April Fools’ Day playlist.

It’s a quirky collection of some of Frank’s favorite variations on the classical music he loved. Pop over to our website at April Fool’s Day Playlist and enjoy!

Missy Mazzoli

Missy Mazzoli is a successful composer whose music has been performed by many major artists including the Kronos Quartet, eighth blackbird, Emanuel Ax, the New York City Opera, the LA Philharmonic, and many more. She recently founded Luna Lab, a mentorship program for young female composers. You may recognize her work if you've seen the Amazon TV series Mozart in the Jungle - she wrote and performed some of the music for this series! That's right, Missy is also a performer. She plays piano and often performs with Victoire, a band she founded in 2008 that focuses on performing her works.

Did you have the opportunity to see Missy's Song from the Uproar several seasons ago when Cincinnati Opera performed it? Did you enjoy it?