Margaret Juntwait
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Margaret Juntwait (born circa 1957) is an American radio broadcaster who is the voice of the Metropolitan Opera's Saturday afternoon broadcasts. She took this position on December 11, 2004, replacing Peter Allen after twenty-nine years.
Raised in Ridgewood and Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, she studied to be an opera singer--she was a lyric soprano--receiving a degree in voice from the Manhattan School of Music. In 1991, she went to work for WNYC radio in New York City and also works for Sirius Satellite Radio.
Beginning in 2000, she was a back-up to Allen for the Met broadcasts. When the 2004-2005 radio season began with Verdi's Vespri Sicilani, she became only the fourth person ever to announce the broadcasts in their seventy-three year history after Milton Cross, Allen, and Lloyd Moss (who substituted just twice).
On September 20, 2006, it was announced that Juntwait will join the Met as a full-time employee, having been appointed as announcer of all programs on Sirius Satellite Radio's new Metropolitan Opera Radio channel. [1]
[edit] References
- Daniel J. Wakin. "Met Picks New Voice for Opera Broadcasts." The New York Times. September 29, 2004. B1, B8.
[edit] Trivia
- Margaret Juntwait is also an actress and has performed in radio theater plays, produced by NPR veteran Joe Bevilacqua, including "The Whithering of Willoughby and the Professor." In episode 16, Juntwait essays three roles in a parody of the cult British 60s show: "The Prisoner". In episode 17, Juntwait portrays Willoughby's mother, a mermaid and god. The plays are airing on THE COMEDY-O-RAMA HOUR, heard five times per week on XM's Satellite Radio's Sonic Theater Channel 163.
