Radio klassik Stephansdom‘s November Spendentag will take place tomorrow, Tuesday, November 18, and this time around the theme is “Land of Sounds — Youth Edition,” celebrating the role that young people are playing in keeping the legacy of European and American art music hale and healthy. Several guests will be live in the Vienna studio, including representatives from the Vienna Boys’ and Girls’ Choirs and the Vienna State Opera School, along with special musical presentations. So tomorrow (or today — why wait?) open up those wallets and toss a few Euros Radio klassik Stephansdom’s way. More information about tomorrow’s Spendentag can be found here, and you can donate online here.
Of course donation drives have been a feature of public radio here in the United States for years (even the defunct and privately-held Philadelphia WFLN station, with which I grew up, was for many years listener-supported; the Philadelphia Inquirer reported on its 1997 closure here). With recent federal cuts to public broadcasting, though, every week has become pledge week, so along with Vienna’s fine classical music outlet I suggest you contribute as well to Philadelphia’s WRTI, maybe the closest thing Philadelphia has to radio klassik Stephansdom. WRTI has been looking to youth as well these days; I’m hoping to listen soon to a stream of Saturday’s broadcast of Mozart’s Così fan tutte, performed by students at Philly’s Academy of Vocal Arts. WRTI’s John T.K. Scherch has more on the production, and interviews with the cast, here. You can donate here, and I’ll add a link to the Così stream when and if it’s available.
Both stations’ web sites provide live streams of their broadcasts, but if you’re looking for something with a little more clarity and bandwidth, I recommend signing up for TuneIn and running it through your music streamer. Sounds great.