Episode 395. Hildegard Behrens, Liedersängerin SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today we celebrate the recorded legacy of Hildegard Behrens, but from…
Episode 393. George London in Song SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Even before the continuing acts of gun violence in the…
Episode 389. Rescue Mission (Operatic Duets Edition) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM I have spent the past week planning forthcoming episodes…
Episode 385. Classical Singer-Songwriters SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM You’re all going to laugh at me, but that’s okay, cuz I’m…
Episode 383. Get to Know Carol Smith SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM If the exceptional Illinois-born contralto Carol Smith (20 February…
Episode 382. Eine Janowitzische Geburtstagfeier SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM If you “get” Gundula Janowitz, then you really get her, and…
Episode 380. Hermann Prey Sings Bach SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM The esteemed, indeed beloved, German baritone Hermann Prey died seventeen…
Episode 378. Rescue Mission III (Friends Edition) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Even after I publish a Countermelody episode on a…
Episode 377. Joan Caplan Memorial Tribute SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM This past April, my former voice teacher and treasured friend…
Episode 374. Maureen Lehane Sings Bach SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today’s episode offers music of consolation, sung divinely. On a…
Episode 372. Pears Sings Not-Britten (Pride 2025) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today may be my final episode for Pride Month…
Episode 368. Gay Eccentrics (Pride 2025) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Somewhere along the line in planning my Pride 2025 episodes,…
Episode 367. Bernac Sings Not-Poulenc SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Continuing our exploration of queer pride in classical music, I bring…
Episode 361. Russell Oberlin Revisited SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM I’ve been so lucky this week to cross paths with several…
Episode 354. Get to Know April Cantelo SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Only recently have I become fully aware of the…
Episode 352. Faboo Young Singers, Part Two SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM This is the second part of an episode begun…
Episode 350. Young Singers I Admire SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today we celebrate 350 episodes of Countermelody since the inception…
Episode 349. Lenten Melody SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM I’ve already done a Lententide episode devoted to contraltos singing the music…
Episode 348. Rescue Mission II SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM After I post a Countermelody episode on a cherished singer, my…
Episode 347. Will the Real Eleanor Steber Please St/And Up? SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Because there is no such thing…
Episode 345. A Lenten Litany of Bach Contraltos SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Over the course of the past year, I…
Episode 340. Roberta Alexander: Dutch Treat SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Nothing brings me greater joy than when a deep exploration…
Episode 338. Ameling and Friends Sing Bach SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM As a belated 92nd birthday tribute to our beloved…
Episode 330. Martina Arroyo in Duet SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM What better way to start off this Black History Month…
Episode 329. Lois Marshall @ 100 SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Yesterday was the 100th birthday of the sublime Canadian singer,…
Episode 328. Mezzos in Extremis SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Right after the disastrous US election of November 2024, I published…
Episode 317. Big Baroque Christmas SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Sometimes when I look back on past episodes of Countermelody, I…
Episode 316. Christmas with Elly Ameling SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM In February our beloved Elly Ameling turns 92. I cannot…
Episode 312. John Reardon Revisited (World AIDS Day 2024) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Yesterday was World AIDS Day and many…
Episode 306. Oralia Domínguez Revisited SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today (for what I hope are obvious reasons) begins a short…
Episode 297. In Pace SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today I present part two of my “In Memoriam” series, honoring treasured…
Episode 295. Requiescat SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today on Countermelody is the first of two memorial episodes paying tribute to…
Episode 291. A Bevy of Bachian Contraltos SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM This week I pull out all the Baroque stops…
Episode 290. Ileana Cotrubaș Revisited SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM More than four years ago, I published my very first bonus…
Episode 285. Edda Moser Reappraised SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Lately I have been doing a series of episodes on artists…
Episode 284. Claudia Muzio Revisited SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Claudia Muzio was known as “the Duse of Song,” a title…
Episode 283. Betty Allen SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Betty Allen has been featured on countless omnibus Countermelody episodes, but it’s…
Episode 280. Heather Harper Revisited SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM The beloved Irish soprano Heather Harper died at the age of…
Episode 278. George Shirley Revisited SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM This August I shall be supplementing each new episode published with…
Episode 277. Benjamin Luxon In Memoriam SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Last week on July 25th, the music world was saddened…
Episode 275. Margaret Tynes (Listeners’ Favorites) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM On March 7, 2024, the legendary African American soprano Margaret…
Episode 270. Eleanor Steber Revisited SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM I sat in my apartment in Berlin on the Fourth of…
Episode 266. Sisters in Sapho (Listeners’ Favorites) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM The perfect Octavian(s) It’s been a whirlwind of a…
Episode 264. Rescue Mission (Forgotten Divas Edition) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM During Black History Month this year I featured a…
Episode 263. Contralto Central SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Finally, the first in my long-promised series on the contralto voice! The…
Episode 259. Lawrence Winters Revisited SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM During the first season of Countermelody I presented the great African…
Episode 257. The Marvelous Marvis Martin SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM I have been juggling a number of brand new episode…
Episode 253. Randall Scarlata Introduces Gérard Souzay SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM The French baritone Gérard Souzay was born Gérard Tisserand on 8…
Episode 251. Jeremy Osborne Introduces Igor Gorin SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today’s segment in the Great Baritones division of my…
Episode 349. Gavin Carr Introduces Heinrich Rehkemper SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM This month’s series of Listeners’ Favorites continues with the…
Episode 109. Thomas Bagwell Introduces Bernard Kruysen SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM One of my best and truest friends in the…
Episode 246. Previn Moore Introduces Camilla Williams & Janet Williams (BHM 2024) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM As the final entry…
Episode 242. Damon Evans Introduces George Shirley (BHM 2024) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM This week I present a Countermelody mini-series…
Episode 239. Gwendolyn Killebrew (BHM 2024) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM This week’s “Forgotten Diva” is the mezzo-soprano / contralto Gwendolyn…
Episode 238. Delcina Stevenson (BHM 2024) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM I am so grateful to all the listeners who did…
Episode 236. Howard Hart Introduces Christa Ludwig (Listeners’ Favorites VII) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM My friend and fellow opera podcaster…
Episode 235. Anna Tonna Introduces Teresa Berganza (Listeners’ Favorites VI) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today’s Listeners’ Favorites episode of Countermelody is…
Episode 234. Carol Brice (Black History Month 2021 – V) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM This Listeners’ Favorites episode serves a…
Episode 232. Janet Williams and Paul Padillo Introduce Maria Ewing (Listeners’ Favorites III) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM January 9 is…
Episode 229. Happy Birthday, John Wustman SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today, Christmas Day 2023, is also the 93rd birthday of…
Episode 227. A Golden Age Christmas SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM In the midst of our recent move, I came across…
Episode 224. Handel’s Deutsche Arien SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM This year for Thanksgiving I bring you Handel’s glorious Neun deutsche…
Episode 222. Shirley Verrett, Falcon Sfogatissima SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM It is hard to believe that it’s already been 13…
Episode 217. Patricia Neway Revisited SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today I revisit the artistry of the great Patricia Neway (1919-2012),…
Episode 215. Trauer und Trost SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM This week’s episode offers music of both mourning and consolation performed…
Episode 213. Julia Varady SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM A week ago the extraordinary Hungarian-German soprano Julia Varady turned 82. As…
Episode 212. Ian Partridge SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Ian Partridge, the quintessential English lyric tenor, celebrated his 85th birthday in…
Episode 211. Janet Baker @ 90 SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM This past week the opera world was plunged into mourning…
Episode 208. Gundula Janowitz SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM From a very young age I was interested in today’s birthday celebrant,…
Episode 205. Eileen Farrell: Bach/Pop SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Eileen Farrell (13 February 1920 – 23 March 2002) was one…
Episode 202. William Parker [Pride 2023] SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today’s episode celebrates the life and legacy of lyric baritone…
Episode 198. Cesare Valletti SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today’s episode celebrates the Italian tenore di grazia Cesare Valletti (18 December…
Episode 192. Virginia Zeani: The Soul of the Voice SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Virginia Zeani (21 October 1925 – 20…
Episode 191. Music for Holy Week SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Diana Montague (born April 8… Happy Birthday!) Welcome to all…
Episode 187. Elly Ameling Sings Bach SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM An artist whose singing has been with me throughout my…
Episode 186. Roberta Alexander in Opera SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today it is with the utmost excitement that I bring…
Episode 183. Martina Arroyo SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Last week on Feburary 2, the beloved African American soprano Martina Arroyo…
Episode 182. Dorothy Maynor SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM I lead off my new episodes for Black History Month 2023 with…
Episode 178. Andrzej Hiolski SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM This week I have been tantalizing my followers with the promise of…
Episode 176. Helen Donath SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today’s episode is a celebration of the Texas-born, German-assimilated soprano Helen Donath.…
Episode 175. The Young Fritz Wunderlich SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM I’ve heard and enjoyed many a German lyric tenor, but…
Episode 171. November Birthday Gals SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Tomorrow morning I leave for three weeks and I’ve been desperately…
Episode 170. Oralia Domínguez SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Earlier this year, in an episode entitled “Women of Color Sing Mahler,”…
Episode 166. Dan’s Picks SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM This week I celebrated my birthday, so today is the second of…
Episode 163. Season Four Preview SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today Countermelody is in limbo: balanced between Seasons Three and Four.…
Episode 161. Janet Baker: Subject of the Queen SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM The world changed yesterday with the death of…
Episode 160. Donald Gramm SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Dear ones, I present to you today the extraordinarily versatile bass-baritone and…
Episode 158. Russell Oberlin SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Hearing the voice of countertenor Russell Oberlin (1928 – 2016) as a…
Episode 154. Adele Addison @ 97 SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM This Sunday, 24 July 2022, the great African American lyric…
Episode 152. Patricia Neway SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today begins a new summer series on Countermelody, celebrating mid-century music-making in…
Episode 145. Teresa Berganza In Memoriam SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM A week ago today the beloved and revered Spanish mezzo-soprano…
Episode 141. Chansons d’avril SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM This week’s episode is a musical celebration of all things spring. As…
Episode 139. Swiss Misses and Misters SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM A few months ago, we paid a visit to Zurich.…
Episode 134. Legacy (Black History Month 2022 Postlude) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM This is the second part of my final…
Episode 131. Happy Birthday, Reri Grist (Black History Month 2022) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM The great African American coloratura Reri…
Episode 127. Maria Ewing in Memoriam (Black History Month 2022) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM The exceptional, distinctive Maria Ewing died…
Episode 125. Jon Vickers (Great Canadian Singers) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Our series saluting great Canadian singers continues with a…
Episode 123. Lois Marshall (Great Canadian Singers) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today is my first episode of the New Year,…
Episode 122. Auld Acquaintance II SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Part Two of my “Auld Acquaintance” mini-series on Countermelody continues the…
Episode 121. Auld Acquaintance I SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM This special episode, the first of two year-end celebrations, presents artists…
Episode 119. Christmas Art Songs SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM It’s time for my third annual Christmas show! Can you believe…
Episode 113. Edda Moser SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM On 27 October the great German dramatic coloratura Edda Moser celebrated her…
Episode 112. Barry McDaniel SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM This past week would have been the 91st birthday of Barry McDaniel…
Episode 109. Bernard Kruysen: Baryton Martin extraordinaire SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today I celebrate the life and artistry of Bernard…
Episode 105. Teresa Żylis-Gara (In Memoriam) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM One of my very favorite singers, the Polish soprano Teresa…
Episode 99. Yi-Kwei Sze (斯義桂) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM The Chinese-American bass Yi-Kwei Sze (1915-1994) was the first Chinese singer…
Episode 92. Blessed Memory (In Memoriam III) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM The final episode (for now) in my series commemorating…
Episode 89. The Radiant Heather Harper SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM I have dreamed of doing an episode on the great…
Episode 87. Christa Ludwig I (In Memoriam) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM The world of singing sustained an enormous loss a…
Episode 80. Sad Songs (with a twist) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM It’s been a year since the pandemic sent us…
Episode 79. Dusty Springfield Sings Carole King SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM How exciting to go straight from Black History Month…
Episode 77. Margaret Tynes (Black History Month 2021 V) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM For a special bonus episode this week…
Episode 76. William Warfield (Black History Month IV) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM This week’s subject is one of the towering…
Episode 73. Carol Brice (Black History Month 2021 – I) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Countermelody’s Black History Month celebration for…
Episode 72. Igor Gorin (Great Baritones II) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM I recently rediscovered the great Ukranian-American baritone Igor Gorin…
Episode 71. Eidé Noréna SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Kaja Eidé Noréna(1884-1968, née Karoline Hansen), the Norwegian lyric-coloratura soprano, is one…
Episode 69. Voiceless Wonders: An Introduction SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Some of the greatest singers in history are not necessarily…
Episode 60. The Bach Aria Group (Full-Figured Baroque I) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today’s episode, dedicated to historical performances of…
Episode 8. Williams & Williams