|
89.3 FM WTEB |
|---|
Up Next: Full Schedule |
New Directions is described by Public Radio East music director Sefton Wiggs as "music from the last hundred years." It's a look at where "classical" music is, where it's been, and where it may be going. The program airs Saturdays at noon on Public Radio East's classical music station, 89.3 FM. Although the music is "modern," Wiggs notes that it seldom runs the way of such "twelve tone" composers as Arnold Schoenberg or Alban Berg. Listeners are more likely to hear the hypnotic sounds of Californian John Adams or Estonian composer Arvo Part's mystical music. New Directions also takes the time to explore works from the mid-20th Century including symphonies by Americans Roy Harris, Walter Piston, and Aaron Copland. Michael Torke, a young composer whose titles include "Bright Blue Music," and "Adjustable Wrench", gets included on the program, as well as Juilliard professor Eric Ewazen. New Directions is for the musically curious listener, but people who think they don't like modern music might get a pleasant surprise from a symphony by the Finn Einojuhani Rautavaara or the new Violin Concerto by Ellen Taaffe Zwillich. |
His taste runs the gamut from Baroque, to Classical, to Romantic, and contemporary music. "I particularly like Beethoven and Brahms," he said. "I'm also quiet fond of such 20th Century composers as Copland and Shostakovich. Going back earlier, I don't see how anyone can listen to Haydn without smiling, or listen to Bach without becoming a little more contemplative." "I hope, however," he continued, "that I program music on Public Radio East so that every great composer is represented and so that some of the lesser known lights also get a fair airing."
Sefton is a native of Selma, N.C. and a graduate of Campbell University, where he majored in English. Prior work experience includes the 1973 session of the North Carolina General Assembly, where he helped proofread bills, delivered material to legislators' offices, and got to see the legislative process in action. Soon after that he went to work as a reporter with the Weekly Gazette in LaGrange. He came to New Bern in 1974 and worked at The Sun-Journal before coming to work full-time at Public Radio East. Sefton's wife, Cheryl Dudasik-Wiggs teaches English at East Carolina University in Greenville, where she is also director of the Women's Studies Program. Their daughter, Matisha, is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and recently received a Master's Degree in History at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. |
Aside from a college course in Music Appreciation, Sefton Wigg's musical education has mostly been acquired through reading about music and composers, as well as simply listening intently to great music. His recommendation for the best book about classical music is The Lives of the Great Composers by the late Harold Schoenberg, the long-time music critic for the New York Times.
Sefton on-air duties at PRE include hosting the Classical Afternoon Concert, The Three O'Clock Mix, Adagio on weeknights, and New Directions, the Saturday afternoon program that explores music from the 20th and 21st centuries.
 Keep public radio strong in Eastern North Carolina. Support PRE with your donation now. 
Would you like to donate a gift of stock to PRE? |
Copyright ©1997-2009 Public Radio East |
