Virtuoso Voices(tm)

Series produced by Listener Directed Productions, Inc.

Series image

Virtuoso Voices is a collection of timely and topical sound bites from classical music's leading performers. Each sound bite (or clip) will bring your listeners an insider's perspective to the classical music they enjoy on your station. Virtuoso Voices offers classical music announcers an additional way to enhance their breaks by using the voice of the artist whose recording they're about to play on their shift.

Virtuoso Voices is an interview clip service for classical music stations, presenting today's most influential classical music performers, conductors and composers talking in 20 to 35 second clips.

These topical and evergreen sound bites will enable announcers to bring an additional insider's perspective to the music they play on their shifts.

For example, an announcer playing Joshua Bell's recent recording of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto could introduce it by using a clip of Mr. Bell talking about how he tries to bring a fresh sound to this very familiar work. After the clip, the announcer returns and segues into playing the recording.

The Virtuoso Voices service provides you a Suggested Host Intro to effectively set up each clip, and includes a brief Outro to help you segue to the music. Your announcers can use this copy verbatim, or as inspiration to write their own version.

Virtuoso Voices clips are versatile. In addition to music intros, you can also use them to enhance forward promotion, create compelling billboards and create content for your website.

Virtuoso Voices provides stations with a new strategy for presenting classical music on the radio by directly involving the performer in the introduction of the music. These topical and evergreen clips enable announcers to bring an additional insider's perspective to the music they introduce and play on their shifts.

Program content is taken from interviews with internationally recognized classical music performers, such as Gil Shaham, Yo-Yo Ma, Marin Alsop, Lorin Maazel, Joshua Bell, Hilary Hahn and Michael Tilson Thomas.

As of January 2010, we are offering our Virtuoso Voices Performer Clips to all stations for free. We offer three types of distribution.

-- Downloaded off our ftp site: no charge

-- Downloaded from PRX: (triple PRX points) – requires PRX station membership

-- 10 months a year, receive a CD: $100 flat fee to cover postage and handling for the year.

For more information and to see additional ways to use these clips, please visit our website, www.virtuosovoices.org.

Signing up is easy and free. To receive a short subscription form, please send an email to info (at) listenerdirect.org or call (703) 751-0342.

Virtuoso Voices™ Fundraising Service

Virtuoso Voices(tm) is also Public Radio's primary source for classical music fundraising messages.

Twice a year, we provide your station with three types of fundraising messages, with options enabling you to customize each spot to the specific sound and fundraising terminology of your station. These messages, from performers like Anne-Sophie Mutter, Sarah Chang and Jean-Yves Thibaudet, follow Public Radio's Best Practices for fundraising.

These produced fundraising messages are distributed in February and September in advance of when most stations fundraise, including the nationally coordinated drives. Stations may request custom fundraising scripts read by the performers we interview. We fill these requests whenever possible and in the order in which they are received.

Our Virtuoso Voices fundraising material is offered as a separate subscription, with fees based on market size (as determined by Arbitron) – and cover a portion of the production expenses for Virtuoso Voices.

This service includes a (minimum) of 40 fundraising messages – a combination of Custom Station Spots, Straight Read Spots, Produced Funders and Unhosted Produced Funders

-- $500 for stations with a market ranking of 1 to 50;
-- $325 for stations ranked between 51-150;
-- $150 for stations with an Arbitron market ranking of 151 and above.

Please visit the fundraising page of our website for further examples and further information. www.virtuosovoices.org/fundraising.

VIRTUOSO VOICES

"Classical Music's Virtuosos Want a Word with Your Listeners."

Virtuoso Voices is a trademark of Listener Directed Productions, Inc. Hide full description

Virtuoso Voices is an interview clip service for classical music stations, presenting today's most influential classical music performers, conductors and composers talking in 20 to 35 second clips. These topical and evergreen sound bites will enable announcers to bring an additional insider's perspective to the music they play on their shifts. For example, an announcer playing Joshua Bell's recent recording of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto could introduce it by using a clip of Mr. Bell talking about how he tries to bring a fresh sound to this very familiar work. After the clip, the announcer returns and segues into playing the recording. The Virtuoso Voices service provides you a Suggested Host Intro to effectively set up each clip, and includes a brief Outro to help you segue... Show full description


Additional Files

642 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
Caption: Vladimir Spivakov, Credit: Valery Plotnikov
What's the key to a successful and highly creative performing career? Violinist and conductor Vladimir Spivakov explodes one myth and reveals his ...

Bought by BYUradio/KUMT/KBYU-FM


  • Added: Jul 27, 2009
  • Length: :19
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Thomas Stacy, Credit: Chris Lee
English horn player Thomas Stacy grew up in Augusta, Arkansas, population three thousand (3,000). He's one of the most recorded English horn playe...

Bought by BYUradio/KUMT/KBYU-FM


  • Added: Jul 27, 2009
  • Length: :25
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Thomas Stacy, Credit: Chris Lee
As the long time English horn player with the New York Philharmonic, Thomas Stacy has seen and heard just about everything. From his seat in the o...

Bought by BYUradio/KUMT/KBYU-FM


  • Added: Jul 27, 2009
  • Length: :28
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Angela Cheng, Credit: Lisa Kohler
Pianist Clara Schumann was ahead of her time -- she was a leading soloist of her day and a composer. Although she's best known as Robert Schumann'...

  • Added: Jul 27, 2009
  • Length: :25
Caption: Angela Cheng, Credit: Lisa Kohler
Pianist Angela Cheng, like many people, has a thing for Mozart -- his symphonies, his piano concertos and his uncanny ability with first drafts. S...

Bought by WHRV


  • Added: Jul 27, 2009
  • Length: :22
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Angela Cheng, Credit: Lisa Kohler
Clara Schumann, wife of Robert Schumann was quite celebrated as a pianist, but she was also a gifted composer. Today, one her biggest fans is piani...

  • Added: Jul 27, 2009
  • Length: :24
Caption: Andrew Litton, Credit: Steve J. Sherman
The challenge to successfully bringing off a virtuoso concerto is as challenging to the conductor as it is to the soloist... well almost as challen...

Bought by BYUradio/KUMT/KBYU-FM


  • Added: Jul 25, 2009
  • Length: :29
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Andrew Litton, Credit: Steve J. Sherman
George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue is a masterpiece of procrastination. Gershwin barely finished the work in time for the world premiere. In fact...

Bought by BYUradio/KUMT/KBYU-FM


  • Added: Jul 25, 2009
  • Length: :24
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Andrew Litton, Credit: Steve J. Sherman
George Gershwin could be called a "What If" composer. "What if" he had lived longer than just 39 years, what more would he have written? And, "Wh...

Bought by BYUradio/KUMT/KBYU-FM


  • Added: Jul 25, 2009
  • Length: :22
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Andrew Litton, Credit: Steve J. Sherman
Normally, Andrew Litton does not delve too deeply into a composer's life story and history when he prepares to conduct that composer's music. He m...

Bought by BYUradio/KUMT/KBYU-FM


  • Added: Jul 25, 2009
  • Length: :27
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Andrew Litton, Credit: Steve J. Sherman
There's a lot to hear in George Gershwin's music. Gershwin fan and conductor Andrew Litton says you can enjoy the music on its face or sonic value...

Bought by BYUradio/KUMT/KBYU-FM


  • Added: Jul 25, 2009
  • Length: :22
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Andrew Litton, Credit: Steve J. Sherman
Andrew Litton is not the first, and probably not the last to say his big career break came when he saw Leonard Bernstein conduct for the first time...

Bought by BYUradio/KUMT/KBYU-FM


  • Added: Jul 25, 2009
  • Length: :28
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Sharon Isbin
Violinist and composer Mark O'Connor wrote a set of solo violin pieces titled "Strings and Threads." In addition to its absolutely charming and in...

Bought by BYUradio/KUMT/KBYU-FM


  • Added: Jun 27, 2009
  • Length: :24
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Sharon Isbin
Recording duets with yourself, meaning recording both parts of a duet, is not a new invention. You record the first part, and then record the seco...

Bought by BYUradio/KUMT/KBYU-FM


  • Added: Jun 27, 2009
  • Length: :24
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Sharon Isbin
On her "Journey to the New World" CD, guitarist Sharon Isbin plays both parts on some Renaissance duets, with the help of modern recording technolo...

Bought by BYUradio/KUMT/KBYU-FM


  • Added: Jun 27, 2009
  • Length: :21
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Sharon Isbin
Guitarist Sharon Isbin jokes that in a former life, she must have lived during the Renaissance era. Music from the 16th century clearly awakens bo...

Bought by BYUradio/KUMT/KBYU-FM


  • Added: Jun 27, 2009
  • Length: :21
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Paavo Järvi, Credit: Photo by Lang Photography
You may have heard the saying, "familiarity breeds contempt." In the classical music world, conductor Paavo Jarvi says familiarity can sometimes b...

Bought by BYUradio/KUMT/KBYU-FM


  • Added: Jun 27, 2009
  • Length: :25
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Paavo Järvi, Credit: Photo by Lang Photography
Shostakovich is an important part of Paavo Jarvi's repertoire. Although the composer's music often tells the story of Russian history and politics...

Bought by BYUradio/KUMT/KBYU-FM


  • Added: Jun 27, 2009
  • Length: :25
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Paavo Järvi, Credit: Photo by Lang Photography
It's many a mother and father's dream to have their children follow in their footsteps. Then there's the Jarvi family. Use this 28 second clip to...

Bought by BYUradio/KUMT/KBYU-FM


  • Added: Jun 27, 2009
  • Length: :29
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Paavo Järvi, Credit: Photo by Lang Photography
"Authenticity" became the buzz word for playing Baroque music in the 80's and 90's and the "Authentic Instrument" movement changed the way we now p...

Bought by BYUradio/KUMT/KBYU-FM


  • Added: Jun 27, 2009
  • Length: :26
  • Purchases: 1