Brian Wise

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 classical-music public relations firm and a custom publisher of program books. He studied musicology and journalism at the University of Michigan and Northwestern University. 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:

Watch: A Stradivarius Made from a 3D Printer

Wednesday, February 01, 2012 - 05:02 PM

A company in Germany has created a violin using a laser printer that's designed to be ergonomically and acoustically comparable to a traditional. Watch it in action.

Comments [2]

Poll: Your Favorite Minimalist Composer

Tuesday, January 31, 2012 - 05:00 PM

Philip Glass's 75th birthday is being marked by premieres, album releases and tribute concerts. The occasion prompts us to ask: Who is your favorite minimalist?

Comments [9]

Philharmonic, Union Agree on Deal to Raise Pay by Two Percent

Sunday, January 29, 2012 - 10:54 AM

The Philharmonic and the union representing its 106 musicians agreed Sunday to a new two-year contract that will preserve its health insurance and pension plan.

Comments [3]

Rhythms of Latin America to Fill Carnegie Hall in 2012-13

Thursday, January 26, 2012 - 03:25 PM

As part of its 2012-13 season, Carnegie will present a month-long festival of Latin music that will feature performances by Gustavo Dudamel, Gilberto Gil and others.

Comment

Luca Pisaroni To Replace Thomas Quasthoff in Lincoln Center Recital

Thursday, January 26, 2012 - 07:11 AM

The fallout from bass-baritone Thomas Quasthoff's sudden retirement from the concert stage is beginning to be felt around the classical music business.

Comment

John Williams Leads Best Score Nominees

Tuesday, January 24, 2012 - 08:12 AM

John Williams leads the Academy Award contenders for Best Original Score, with two nominations: for his work on "The Adventures of Tintin" and "War Horse."

Comments [1]

Once Destined For a City Dump, Cello Sells for Over $6M

Monday, January 23, 2012 - 12:00 AM

A Stradivarius cello with a remarkable pedigree sold last week for more than $6 million to an anonymous arts patron in Montreal.

Comments [3]

Costa Concordia Violinist Died While Returning for Instrument

Wednesday, January 18, 2012 - 06:23 PM

A Hungarian violinist who played in a trio aboard the ill-fated Costa Concordia was the first victim of the crash to be identified Wednesday.

Comments [13]

City Opera Strikes Deal with Musicians; Rehearsals to Resume

Wednesday, January 18, 2012 - 07:27 AM

After months of rancorous negotiations, New York City Opera and its unions have reached a tentative contract agreement, allowing the 2012 season to proceed.

Comments [2]

Baroque Bonanza: Juilliard Gets $20M For Early Music

Monday, January 16, 2012 - 07:33 PM

The Juilliard School has received a $20 million gift from Bruce Kovner, the hedge fund titan who co-founded Caxton Associates, the conservatory announced on Monday.

Comments [2]

Classical Music Played on Stricken Italian Cruise Ship

Sunday, January 15, 2012 - 06:10 PM

The Costa Concordia luxury cruise liner, which ran aground off Italy’s Tuscan coast on Friday, was described by its owners as a floating "temple of fun" dedicated to entertainment and well-being.

Comments [9]

City Opera and Musicians Resume Talks

Saturday, January 14, 2012 - 04:50 PM

New York City Opera and its musicians resumed talks on Saturday, just days after the company locked out the musicians after contract negotiations broke down last weekend.

Comments [1]

Top Five Crazy Riots in Classical Music

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Every so often, anarchy is unleashed across the carefully-preserved countryside of classical music. Here are five highlights.

Comments [13]

'Vertigo' Star Kim Novak Slams 'The Artist' Over Music

Tuesday, January 10, 2012 - 12:26 PM

Kim Novak accused the French makers of the Oscar-tipped silent film "The Artist" of "rape" Monday for using sections of Bernard Herrmann’s love theme from "Vertigo" in its score.

Comments [18]

Just How Deep are the Proposed Pay Cuts at City Opera?

Monday, January 09, 2012 - 05:50 PM

New York City Opera's musicians say that the cash-strapped company wants to cut their salary to $5,000 annually. The company counters that the musicians would actually earn $11,855.

Comments [14]

Alexis Weissenberg, Distinctive Pianist, Dies at 82

Monday, January 09, 2012 - 12:00 AM

Alexis Weissenberg, a Bulgarian pianist who spent time in a concentration camp and later performed with Herbert von Karajan and Leonard Bernstein, died Sunday in Lugano, Switzerland at age 82.

Comments [8]

City Opera Musicians Locked Out as Mediation Fails

Sunday, January 08, 2012 - 09:40 AM

The unions representing New York City Opera's orchestra and chorus say they won’t be showing up for the scheduled start of rehearsals on Monday morning after talks with a federal mediator broke down Saturday night.

Comment

New York Philharmonic Names New Executive Director

Wednesday, January 04, 2012 - 11:07 AM

The New York Philharmonic has named Matthew VanBesien as its next executive director, succeeding Zarin Mehta, who will retire in September.

Comments [1]

Is 'Dragon Tattoo' Really About the Wagner Clan?

Wednesday, January 04, 2012 - 12:00 AM

A writer considers the uncanny similarities between classical music’s most notorious dynasty and that of the movie based on the bestseller by Stieg Larsson.

Comments [2]

2011 Classical Countdown: Assessing the Winners and Losers

Sunday, January 01, 2012 - 12:00 AM

If anything, classical music fans are not a frivolous crowd. This is the evidence turned up in WQXR's 2011 Classical Countdown, a listener survey that showed that Beethoven remains the most popular composer of our time.

Comments [28]