"This suite is for very large orchestra – which all the orchestras for the Ballet Russes were – and you’ll see that on the stage with us," says Maestro Clay Couturiaux, Music Director and Conductor of the Richardson Symphony Orchestra, describing Ravel's whirling Daphnis and Chloe Suite No. 2. The RSO will perform the work as part of their French-flavored opening night, which includes famed violinist Lara St. John as soloist in works by Ravel and Chausson. In this feature, WRR's Amy Bishop gets details on what else to expect in this thrilling opening night with the RSO.

"I'm incredibly excited," says Enrico Lopez-Yanez, the newly appointed Principal Conductor of the 'Dallas Symphony Presents' series. "First of all, I feel thrilled to be able to work with the musicians of the Dallas Symphony and to work in a city like Dallas that has such a rich culture." In this interview with WRR's Amy Bishop, Lopez-Yanez describes his vision for the newly-created position and gives a preview of the concerts he'll lead.... including one with acrobats.

"This was an opportunity to come in and help shape the future of my passion project, which is opera," says Fort Worth Opera's General and Artistic Director Angela Turner Wilson. In this feature, she chats with WRR's Nikki Velonis about her vision for the company, plus shares details of how to attend their swanky "Dinner with the Stars" event on September 22. More info on that: https://www.fwopera.org/

"The mission of the organization is to bring the world's most renowned (and)the world's greatest chamber music ensembles to the city of Dallas," says John Batchelder, Executive Director of the Dallas Chamber Music Society. The organization opens its star-studded season with the acclaimed Orion Quartet ahead of the group's retirement after 36 years. In this feature, WRR's Amy Bishop speaks with both Batchelder and violinist Todd Phillips, one of the quartet's founding members for a look back... and a look forward.

Every year, the Chamber Music Society of Fort Worth brings some of the world's most prominent classical musicians to Fort Worth for a series of concerts at the Modern Art Museum. Guests this year include Cliburn medalist John Nakamatsu, the Dover Quartet, Angela Cheng, Inbal Segev, Orion Weiss, and more. In this feature, CMSFW Artistic Director Gary Levinson sat down with WRR's Amy Bishop for a quick overview of the 2023-24 season.

Not only is he the head of one of North Texas' largest musical organizations, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra's President and CEO Keith Cerny is also an exceptional musician! One of the highlights of FWSO's season includes a concert with Cerny playing a Bartok sonata. He caught up with WRR's Kurt Rongey recently for an overview of the orchestra's new season, which also brings an evening of glamour with soprano Renee Fleming.

“It’s a lot harder than it looks,” says Lawrence Loh, who will conduct the Dallas Symphony Orchestra in their season opener, "Amadeus in Concert." “The musicians will have to play in a way (that) they can’t let go, and I can’t let go. I have to keep the music going at the exact tempo and pace as the original, and I think that’s exciting and also difficult.” In this feature, Loh joins WRR’s Amy Bishop to talk about the challenges of leading an orchestra in a live soundtrack, plus gives a sneak peek at what’s planned for the holiday season.

"As a person who gets the chance to go to the places like Whitmore, Carnegie, and take the music of Mozart, Strauss, Schumann, and Schubert, it would also be a good thing if I could take the music of young African American composers who had voices, who had something to say,” says American tenor Lawrence Brownlee, talking about the genesis of "Rising," his new album featuring poetry of the Harlem Renaissance set to music. DFW native Jeremiah Evans is one of the six composers who was commissioned for the project. WRR's Amy Bishop spoke with Brownlee and Evans about the special collaboration and their mission of uniting people.

"I feel like it (National Youth Orchestra) brings a new energy with the youth, and so I think that’s why the reason it’s so important, and with youth orchestras across America," says clarinetist Christopher Dechant, a native of Lucas Texas. Dechant is one of five DFW teens in the coast-to-coast tour with the NYO, which includes a stop at the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas. He chatted with WRR's Amy Bishop about his musical path, which is leading him to Juilliard this August.