Musicians who double on the funny bone -- from percussionists who met at clown college to an opera singer with a rogue accompanist -- test their humor in WQXR's Classical Comedy Contest, held last month as part of the New York Comedy Festival.
When Delphine Marcus, host of the Friday night show "Mixed Bag," a blend of Broadway and classical, trivia contests and mystery voices, died earlier this year, the station was swamped with telephone calls and e-mail messages mourning her.
That morning, Mother had promised an extra indulgence: a copy of "Grimms' Fairy Tales" in recognition of my having come in first in the Children's Day classical-poetry-recitation contest.
But you need to read Carol Ann Duffy's poetry to see that you can contest that classical tradition.
The classical pianists in this contest play at a near-professional level, but when they talk about their work, the jobs involved are a bit more down to earth: ophthalmologist, dental assistant, jeweler, tennis coach.
The contest between "classical chess" champion Vladimir Kramnik and World Chess Federation (Fide) No 1 Veselin Topalov will produce an undisputed world champion and end a 13-year schism in the sport.
In 2010 the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra started Orpheus Project 440, a commissioning contest, through the classical radio station WQXR's Web site (wqxr.org).
During this time, Rome drifted toward chaos as Nero devoted himself to building ever more opulent palaces and competing in the classical version of the Eurovision contest.
For example, Corneille's first hit, The Cid (1636), set up one of the strongest schemas of classical theater, i.e., the contest of love and duty.
In a very special Goings On, the classical-music desk offers an advisory to its gentlemen readers: Playboy.com has announced a new contest, "The Sexiest Babes of Classical Music," and it wants your vote as to who is the fairest of them all.
