Ah, the good life: Turn on some music (your radio or Web stream set to Classical 101, of course), nestle into an overstuffed chair and dig into a good book. Classical music and great writing fit together like a hand in a glove. That's why the staff of your central Ohio "all-day, every day" classical music station will be sharing some of the finest, most engaging, most outrageous writing on music next week in Ohio State University Thompson Library's ReadAloud program. Next Thursday, Jan. 26, at 3 p.m. admire the beautiful fireplace in OSU Thompson Library's Mortar Board Room (Room 202) and hear Classical 101 hosts Boyce Lancaster, Christopher Purdy and myself (Jennifer Hambrick) and Classical 101 music director Beverley Ervine read aloud from some of our favorite music-inspired writings. And join us after the readings for coffee and conversation. Our readings will range from the sublime to the shocking. Hear Boyce Lancaster read one author's take on American composer/conductor/pianist Leonard Bernstein's phenomenal rise to fame. Listen as Christopher Purdy reads writings by Gertrude Stein and Virgil Thomson. Learn from Beverley Ervine about the rise of Tin Pan Alley and Igor Stravinsky's historic visit to the Kennedy White House. And I'll share some stunning writing about the uneasy plight of music in China and some recent selections from writing by one of today's great concert pianists and some of the world's most fervent (and trendy!) opera fans. We hope to meet you Thursday, Jan. 26, 3 p.m., OSU Thompson Library, Room 202!
Jennifer Hambrick unites her extensive backgrounds in the arts and media and her deep roots in Columbus to bring inspiring music to central Ohio as Classical 101’s midday host. Jennifer performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago before earning a Ph.D. in musicology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.