When there’s music to be shared, Marvin Rosen is not one to be hindered by a lack of sleep. The indefatigable Rosen, who shares his passion with listeners every week on his radio show, Classical Discoveries, sets his alarm for 4 a.m., but his innate enthusiasm often has him up earlier, even on the shortest and coldest of days.
Officially, “Classical Discoveries” can be heard on Wednesdays, from 5:30 to 11 a.m., on WPRB 103.3 FM in Princeton. But it’s not unusual for Rosen to start his broadcast at a time when even roosters might consider hitting the snooze. Recordings heard on “Classical Discoveries” are harvested in large part from his own, massive, personal collection and from private recordings sent to him by composers living all over the world.
Occasionally, his exuberance will spill over into day-long marathons. The next such event, his annual Viva 21st Century-24 Hour Plus-WPRB Broadcast with Marvin Rosen, will begin on Dec. 27 at 1 p.m. Rosen will take to the airwaves for 25 uninterrupted hours, to present music by approximately 100 living composers.
On June 8 at 3 p.m., Rosen will present a live piano recital made up of miniatures by 25 living women composers. The concert will take place at Bristol Chapel on the campus of Westminster Choir College. Response to his request for submissions was so favorable that he plans to present a follow-up recital in April at 1867 Sanctuary at Ewing.
For all his evident enthusiasm for the new and unusual, Rosen has never lost his affection for the standard repertoire. He simply understands that the music of Bach, Mozart and Beethoven can be heard anywhere that classical music is played.
His love of Bach earned him an invitation from Choral Arts Philadelphia to host its New Year’s Eve presentation of the “Christmas Oratorio.” The four-hour concert, including all six cantatas, with a break for intermission and refreshments, will take place on Dec. 31, from 4 to 8 p.m., at Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral.
Indeed, Rosen, who is on the piano faculty of Westminster Conservatory of Music, is a busy, busy man. It was a challenge to fit everything into my article in today’s Trenton Times:
http://www.nj.com/times-entertainment/index.ssf/2016/12/classical_music_marvin_rosen_p.html
