Dr. Jay Pierson

Dr. Jay Pierson is the host of the Thursday Night Opera House. He is a graduate of Olivet College and the Eastman School of Music from which he earned his Masters and Doctorate degrees. Jay has enjoyed a career as a professional singer, teacher, pianist, conductor, composer, and harpist for over three decades. He has served on the faculties of Bucknell University, East Carolina University, and Santa Clara University and is presently a professor of voice at UNC. He has performed as a soloist with numerous orchestras, including our own North Carolina Symphony, and opera companies in the United States and abroad.

“I truly enjoy announcing for WCPE, as I have the opportunity to send out Great Classical Music, which is my life’s passion. It all started when my parents set me down in front of our stereo, at a very young age, and played Grofé’s Grand Canyon Suite. The thunder scared me and the donkeys made me laugh, but I loved all of it.”

Now Playing

Twelve German Dances

Composed by

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Performed by

Capella Istropolitana/Dohnanyi

Label

Naxos

Catalog Number

9

Today's Playlist

2:48pm Trio Sonata, Op. 1 No. 11

Composed by

Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)

Performed by

L'Arte dell'Arco/Hogwood

2:59pm Piano Concerto No. 08 in C, K. 246

Composed by

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Performed by

Serkin/London Symphony/Abbado

3:25pm Royal Concert No. 3

Composed by

Francois Couperin (1668-1733)

Performed by

Claire/See/Moroney/Linden

3:44pm Capriccio espagnol, Op. 34

Composed by

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908)

Performed by

Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra/Bakels

4:00pm 3rd mvt (Andante) from Symphony No. 3 in F minor, "Irish"

Composed by

Charles Villiers Stanford (1852–1924)

Performed by

Ulster Orchestra/Handley

4:13pm Overture to The Silken Ladder

Composed by

Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868)

Performed by

Philharmonia Orchestra/Muti

4:20pm Prelude from English Suite No. 6 in D minor, BWV 811

Composed by

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

Performed by

Andras Schiff

4:29pm Danse Macabre, Op. 40

Composed by

Camille Saint-Saens (1835-1921)

Performed by

Sax/National Philharmonic/Stokowski

4:38pm Harp Concerto in G

Composed by

Georg Christoph Wagenseil (1715-1777)

Performed by

Zabaleta/Paul Kuentz Chamber Orchestra

4:51pm Hungarian Rhapsody No. 3 in D

Composed by

Franz Liszt (1811-1886)

Performed by

Gewandhaus Orchestra/Masur

4:59pm Finale (Allegro molto vivace) from Serenade in A for 7 Wind Instruments, Op. 14

Composed by

Julius Rontgen (1855-1932)

Performed by

Viotta Ensemble/Liberman

5:06pm Canon & Gigue in D

Composed by

Johann Pachelbel (1653–1706)

Performed by

English Concert/Pinnock

5:13pm Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks, Op. 28

Composed by

Richard Strauss (1864-1949)

Performed by

BBC Philharmonic/Tortelier

5:29pm Tales from the Vienna Woods

Composed by

Johann Strauss Jr. (1825-1899)

Performed by

Keyes/Cincinnati Pops/Kunzel

5:40pm Hungarian Wedding Dance

Composed by

Leo Weiner

Performed by

Starker/Sebok

5:45pm Dance Rhapsody No. 2

Composed by

Frederick Delius (1862-1934)

Performed by

Royal Philharmonic/Beecham

5:54pm Slavonic Dance in D flat, Op. 72 No. 4

Composed by

Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904)

Performed by

Budapest Festival Orchestra/Fischer

6:00pm Hungarian Dance No. 5 in G minor

Composed by

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

Performed by

Hope/Zurich Chamber Orchestra

6:03pm Suite for Orchestra from La Boheme

Composed by

Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924)

Performed by

Cincinnati Pops/Kunzel

6:22pm Mazurka apasionata

Composed by

Agustin Barrios (1885-1944)

Performed by

Raphael Feuillatre

6:30pm Paris Quartet in E minor, TWV 43:e1

Composed by

Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767)

Performed by

Holloway/Brunmater/Duftschmid/Becker/Mortensen

6:48pm Music selected by the announcer

7:01pm Serenade in A for 7 Wind Instruments, Op. 14

Composed by

Julius Rontgen (1855-1932)

Performed by

Viotta Ensemble/Liberman

7:30pm Violin Concerto No. 5 in A, K. 219 "Turkish"

Composed by

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Performed by

Kremer/Vienna Philharmonic/Harnoncourt

8:00pm Symphony in D minor, FWV 48

Composed by

Cesar Franck (1822-1890)

Performed by

Royal Concertgebouw/Chailly

8:44pm The Banks of Green Willow (Idyll for Small Orchestra)

Composed by

George Butterworth (1885-1916)

Performed by

English String Orchestra/Boughton

8:52pm Two Arabesques, L. 66

Composed by

Claude Debussy (1862-1918)

Performed by

Tiffany Poon

9:01pm Symphony No. 3 in F minor, "Irish"

Composed by

Charles Villiers Stanford (1852–1924)

Performed by

Ulster Orchestra/Handley

9:43pm Invocation

Composed by

Gustav Holst (1874-1934)

Performed by

Lloyd Webber/Philharmonia/Handley

9:55pm Minuet No. 2 in A

Composed by

Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924)

Performed by

Orchestra of the Auvergne/Kantorow

10:00pm Vocalise

Composed by

Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)

Performed by

Eroica Trio

10:08pm Una furtiva lagrima from L'elisir d'amore

Composed by

Gaetano Donizetti, arr. Philippe Quint

Performed by

Quint/Maisky

10:13pm Polonaise in F sharp minor, Op. 44

Composed by

Frederic Chopin (1810-1849)

Performed by

Maurizio Pollini

10:25pm Octet in E flat, Op. 20

Composed by

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)

Performed by

Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra/Zukerman

11:00pm Piano Sonata No. 8 in A minor, K. 310

Composed by

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Performed by

Murray Perahia

11:20pm Violin Concerto in A minor

Composed by

Giuseppe Tartini (1692–1770)

Performed by

Gatti/Ensemble 415/Banchini

11:38pm Poetic Waltzes

Composed by

Enrique Granados (1867-1916)

Performed by

Julian Bream

11:51pm Music selected by the announcer