I'm pleased to announce that classical music reporter Janelle Gelfand is bringing her "Janelle's Notes" arts blog to Cincinnati Public Radio before the grand reopening of Music Hall this weekend.
Gelfand, my long-time colleague and friend laid off by the Enquirer two weeks ago, is blogging for wguc.org here. She'll also comment about the arts and music scene on sister station WVXU-FM (91.7), starting with "Cincinnati Edition" at 1 p.m. this Friday (Oct. 6) about this weekend's opening of Music Hall after a $135-million renovation in the past year.
"I'm happy to find a home for my classical music blog, Janellesnotes. Cincinnati Public Radio and 90.9 WGUC will be the perfect fit for my concert reviews, arts news, interviews with people who perform great music and create art, and much more," says Gelfand, who has covered classical music in Cincinnati for 26 years. She joined the Enquirer full-time in 1993.
"Cincinnati’s classical music scene is world-renowned, and this new partnership will provide an opportunity for people to discover more about it," she says.
Gelfand was one of five Enquirer newsroom employees to lose jobs on Sept. 19. Cincinnati arts groups were not happy with the departure of Gelfand – the last of the Enquirer's arts beat reporters – just -2-1/2 weeks before Music Hall was to re-open. An Enquirer staffer told me the day after the lay-offs that the paper was "having to do damage control with arts types after Janelle's departure."
"Greater Cincinnati's arts and cultural sector has never been more acclaimed or dynamic and the continuing growth in audience and facilities deserves quality coverage," says Richard Eiswerth, president and general manager of Cincinnati Public Radio, home to 90.9 WGUC.
"Bringing Janelle's blog to wguc.org will provide a wider audience for her respected performance reviews, personality profiles, features on the region's arts organizations and thought leaders, and will continue WGUC's longtime commitment to the region's arts community. We also look forward to bringing Janelle's expertise to our local programs on 91.7 WVXU, starting this Friday with an appearance on 'Cincinnati Edition' at 1 p.m. to discuss Music Hall," he says.
Gelfand will cover this week's re-opening of Music Hall and the opening CSO concerts on Janellesnotes at wguc.org and at https://janellesnotes.wordpress.com/
The WGUC-FM announcement notes that the station "has been part of the Cincinnati arts and radio community for 57 years, providing listeners with the very best classical music along with beloved features and programs like Cincinnati Spotlight, Classics for Kids, our Clef Notes blog, 90 Second Naturalist, SymphonyCast, From the Top, and live recordings of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Opera, May Festival, and smaller performing groups like Vocal Arts Ensemble, Linton Chamber Music Series, and others.
