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: The King's Singers, Credit: Marco Borgreve
It’s hard to point to just one reason behind the artistic success of the King’s Singers, but their approach to Christmas music is a fine place to s...

Bought by PRX Demo Station


  • Added: Nov 29, 2010
  • Length: :23
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: The King's Singers, Credit: Marco Borgreve
It started a few years ago; two legendary choral groups got together to do one of the things they do best: Christmas music. The union of the six ...

  • Added: Nov 29, 2010
  • Length: :25
Caption: The King's Singers, Credit: Marco Borgreve
Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” is becoming one of the more frequently performed songs of our generation. You may have heard it recently at the Olymp...

  • Added: Nov 29, 2010
  • Length: :25
Caption: The King's Singers, Credit: Marco Borgreve
Leonard Cohen’s song “Hallelujah,” despite its title, does not necessarily offer a religious point of view. The song includes one section with a s...

  • Added: Nov 29, 2010
  • Length: :25
Caption: James Ehnes
When something has been around for a while and has become extremely popular, it can be easy to take it for granted. The Violin Concerto by Max Bru...

  • Added: Nov 29, 2010
  • Length: :18
Caption: James Ehnes
The Violin Concerto by Samuel Barber has some sharp and spiky peaks and crevices. Still, violinist James Ehnes considers it to be one of the more ...

  • Added: Nov 29, 2010
  • Length: :23
Caption: James Ehnes
Some consider the Violin Concerto by American composer Samuel Barber to be the quintessential American violin concerto. Violinist James Ehnes says...

  • Added: Nov 29, 2010
  • Length: :19
Caption: James Ehnes
Playing music on stage requires a certain art, craft, musical vision and an equally high level of skill. An attractive stage presence is also impo...

  • Added: Nov 29, 2010
  • Length: :22
Caption: James Ehnes
Some musicians emote and move around on stage more than others. There’s nothing wrong with classical music performers putting on a show, but violi...

  • Added: Nov 29, 2010
  • Length: :26
Caption: James Ehnes
Each piece of music contains a certain degree of instruction from the composer as to how they want their music played. Some composers are more spe...

  • Added: Nov 29, 2010
  • Length: :26
Caption: Jaime Laredo
Twenty-eight* years after his death, pianist Glenn Gould remains one of the most highly revered performers the classical music world has ever known...

  • Added: Nov 29, 2010
  • Length: :24
Caption: Jaime Laredo
You’ve probably heard the expression, “Jack of all trades; master of none.” Well, meet Jaime Laredo. He’s universally recognized as a master viol...

  • Added: Nov 29, 2010
  • Length: :23
Caption: Jaime Laredo
Music is about relationships between the performer and the audience and also between individual instruments. One of music’s most satisfying relati...

  • Added: Nov 29, 2010
  • Length: :23
Caption: Jaime Laredo
Viola jokes were once all the rage, but Jaime Laredo is one viola player who never took offense. Use this clip to introduce violist, violinist and...

  • Added: Nov 29, 2010
  • Length: :21
Caption: Jaime Laredo
Twenty-eight* years after his death, pianist Glenn Gould remains one of the most highly respected performers the classical music world has ever kno...

  • Added: Nov 29, 2010
  • Length: :23
Caption: Misha Dichter, Credit: Stefan Cohen
A regular part of Misha Dichter’s performance schedule includes playing music for two pianos with his wife, Cipa Dichter. The two practically grew...

  • Added: Oct 27, 2010
  • Length: :23
Caption: Mark Elder, Credit: Shelia Rock
The price of concert tickets can be daunting, but conductor Mark Elder says there’s an even bigger obstacle to the concert going experience. It’s ...

  • Added: Oct 27, 2010
  • Length: :26
Caption: Misha Dichter, Credit: Stefan Cohen
Do you like happy endings? They’re not just in movies and books. Pianist Misha Dichter says they’re heard in music as well. This 26 second clip ...

  • Added: Oct 27, 2010
  • Length: :26
Caption: Misha Dichter, Credit: Stefan Cohen
How do musicians choose their repertoire? It’s not just about personal preferences. Pianist Misha Dichter says, sometimes, it’s about anatomy. U...

  • Added: Oct 27, 2010
  • Length: :27
Caption: Misha Dichter, Credit: Stefan Cohen
How fast should Beethoven be played? Pianist Misha Dichter usually believes in following the composer’s instructions. But with Beethoven he’s not...

  • Added: Oct 27, 2010
  • Length: :24