Fred Plotkin

In this personal memorial, Fred Plotkin shares his experiences with and appreciation for the WQXR and Met Opera radio broadcaster over the course of many years.

The importance of Venice to opera cannot be understated. Fred Plotkin visits the city and shares his thoughts on the city's place in operatic history.

Fred Plotkin retraces the paths of Wagner as he was writing Parsifal leading him Villa Rufolo where the composer found his inspiration for the operas second half.

The Met just celebrated its 50th season opener this week. Fred Plotkin shares his thoughts after attending performances for those fifty seasons.

The last Monday in September is, customarily, the opening night of the season at the Metropolitan Opera house.

Fred Plotkin discusses the changing roles of opera and art critics over the years and how they can enhance the experience of going to performances or listening.

Fred Plotkin travels to Ketchum, Idaho, where Ernest Hemingway lived and is buried, and considers which of the great author's works would translate well in opera.

Fred Plotkin remembers Johan Botha, a favorite heldentenor of many, who died on Sept. 8 in Vienna at the age of 51.

This fall, the New York area is brimming with enticements for people who love to hear the human voice in opera and recital. Fred Plotkin highlights what to look for.

As we get closer to the 2016 presidential election, Fred Plotkin investigates the candidates' stance — or lack thereof — on funding for the arts. 

'Everyone with any connection to music in New York encountered Bernstein,' writes Fred Plotkin, who shares his personal memories of the maestro in honor of his birthday.

The great soprano Daniela Dessi, who died on Saturday, Aug. 20, was a great example of a singer blessed with a rich 'vita interiore,' writes Fred Plotkin.

With the Olympics bringing our attention to Brazil, Fred Plotkin looks at the history of opera in the country, including its Amazonian theaters, star singers and intangible emotions.

Fred Plotkin begins a series honoring unique voices from opera and the stage. First up: Barbra Streisand, who is making a pair of rare appearances at the Barclays Center.

A new production at the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene leads Fred Plotkin to ruminate on the roots of Yiddish theater in New York City and its connections to opera.

Julia Child once said that the key to successful cooking is buying the right ingredients; likewise in opera, the key to a great performance starts with a great cast.

Thirty years after the Metropolitan Opera staged its last national tour, Fred Plotkin looks back at its influence on opera around the country and the world.

Carol Vaness, whose birthday is this week, was 'an always exciting and engaging artist whose work was not appreciated as fully as I think it should have been,' writes Fred Plotkin.

Fred Plotkin experiences theater on both London's cultural and political stages during his latest visit in which he saw the opera, a Shakespearean drama and a change of prime ministers.

Are fragrances and overactive cooling systems driving audiences into hacking fits? Fred Plotkin muses on the state of air quality in our theaters.