Brian Wise covers the classical music business for WQXR, including aspects of performance, technology, philanthropy and institutional trends. He manages the station's homepage and makes sure what you hear on air is what you see online. Follow him on Twitter at @Briancwise.
Brian Wise came to WQXR Radio after having worked for several years as a producer at sister station WNYC, on the program Soundcheck.
Brian has worked as a print journalist and his articles have appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Christian Science Monitor, Travel & Leisure, BBC Music Magazine, Gramophone, The Strad, Time Out New York, Opera News and other publications. At WNYC, he has produced concert broadcasts from Lincoln Center and the Metropolitan Museum of Art; reported on “indie opera” for the newsroom; and produced a series of Soundcheck broadcasts from Berlin.
Brian has worked in various aspects of the music and media industries, including a custom publisher of program books and a dot-com in the early days of the field. He studied musicology and journalism at the University of Michigan and Northwestern University, where he received his Master's degree. The son of two scientists in Ann Arbor, Michigan, he enjoys travel, hiking, running and almost any kind of ethnic cuisine.
Brian Wise appears in the following:
Henri Dutilleux, Leading French composer, Dies at Age 97
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Henri Dutilleux, one of France’s leading composers, died Wednesday in Paris at the age of 97. His death came on the bicentennial of Richard Wagner's birth.
Metropolitan Opera Says it Has Disbanded its Ballet Corps
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
The Metropolitan Opera's resident ballet company is no more. The company has decided to disband the troupe, which has been dwindling in numbers, from 16 in 2011 to 8 presently.
Judge Allows Composer to Sue Brooklyn Philharmonic for Breach of Contract
Monday, May 20, 2013
The composer Nathan Currier can go ahead with a lawsuit against the Brooklyn Philharmonic, which ended the premiere of his oratorio mid-performance at Lincoln Center.
Our Emotions Match Colors to Music, Says Berkeley Study
Sunday, May 19, 2013
According to a study by the University of California, Berkeley, we are hardwired to associate anything from Ravel to Radiohead with a particular hue from the color spectrum.
Why are Opera Fans so Fascinated with James Levine?
Saturday, May 18, 2013
The hardest-working maestro in show business returned to the podium on Sunday after a two-year absence. We look at why opera fans are so intrigued with James Levine.
German Theater Groups Criticize Cancellation of Nazi-Themed Tannhauser
Friday, May 17, 2013
The Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Dusseldorf has faced mounting scrutiny for canceling a controversial Nazi-themed production of Wagner's Tannhäuser last week.
Boston Symphony Names Andris Nelsons as New Music Director
Thursday, May 16, 2013
The Boston Symphony Orchestra on Thursday named Latvian conductor Andris Nelsons as its next music director, ending a two-year search.
Mercury's Surface is Littered with Classical Composers
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
NASA’s Messenger probe recently became the first spacecraft ever to orbit Mercury, having completed an extended two-year mission in March.
David Finckel & Wu Han Renew at Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
Monday, May 13, 2013
It's becoming clearer what David Finckel, the outgoing cellist of the Emerson Quartet, has planned for his post-quartet career.
Nazi Tannhäuser Renews Debate Over Radical Opera Stagings
Monday, May 13, 2013
Was the opera house in Düsseldorf right to cancel its Nazi-themed Tannhauser? When do radical updates of operas go too far? Listen and tell us what you think.
New York Philharmonic Set to Perform in Volkswagen Factory
Monday, May 13, 2013
It's tough to be a European carmaker right now. But officials at Volkswagen are counting on a happier tune when the Philharmonic performs at its Dresden factory.
Adapting 'The Great Gatsby': Film or Opera?
Wednesday, May 08, 2013
The return of "The Great Gatsby" to cinemas comes just as composer John Harbison's opera adaptation getting some fresh attention in concert halls. Coincidence?
After Upheaval, Detroit Symphony Charts a New Course
Tuesday, May 07, 2013
The Detroit Symphony Orchestra's performances at the 2013 Spring for Music festival represent a dramatic reversal of fortunes, and one that can only happen among modern-day American orchestras.
To Tux or Not? Concert Attire Redesign Focuses on Musicians' Comfort
Monday, May 06, 2013
The Parsons School and the Baltimore Symphony sought to create new concepts for fashionable orchestra attire. Here's how it turned out.
Iron Mezzo: Elizabeth Bishop to Sing Two Roles in One Day at Met
Thursday, May 02, 2013
Elizabeth Bishop is expected to join the few who have sung two major roles in a single day at the Metropolitan Opera.
Detroit Tigers' Prince Fielder Chooses Mozart for Walk-Up Music
Wednesday, May 01, 2013
For his walk-up music for his at-bats, Detroit Tigers first baseman Prince Fielder has the public-address system at Comerica Park play the Mozart Requiem.
Met Museum Concert Series Expands into Galleries for 2013-14 Season
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Tuesday announced its 2013-14 season of concerts and lectures, one that expands the number of events taking place in the museum’s galleries.
Revered Cellist Janos Starker Dies at 88
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Janos Starker, the Hungarian-born cellist synonymous with refinement as well as pedagogy, having taught thousands of cellists, died Sunday at his home in Bloomington, IN. He was 88 years old.
Santa Fe Opera Taps Early-Music Specialist Harry Bicket
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Harry Bicket, the British star of the early music movement, is to be the next chief conductor of Santa Fe Opera, starting in October.
Everest Records, 1950's Hi-Fi Label, Returns in Digital Form
Monday, April 22, 2013
Sometime in 1958 – amid the launch of the first Sputnik satellite, the invention of the laser and the debut of the hula-hoop – arrived Everest Records. It returns this week.

