Edward Seckerson
Edward Seckerson is a British music journalist and radio presenter specialising.[1] Formerly Chief Classical Music Critic of the Independent, Edward Seckerson is a writer, broadcaster and podcaster. He wrote and presented the long-running BBC Radio 3 series Stage & Screen[2] in which he interviewed many of the most prominent writers and stars of musical theatre. He appears regularly on BBC Radio 3 and 4. On television, he has commentated a number of times at the Cardiff Singer of the World competition. He has published books on Mahler and the conductor Michael Tilson Thomas, and has been on Gramophone Magazine’s review panel for many years. Edward presented the long-running BBC Radio Four musical quiz Counterpoint for one year in 2007, after the death of Ned Sherrin.[3]
He has interviewed everyone from Leonard Bernstein to Liza Minnelli; from Paul McCartney to Pavarotti: from Julie Andrews to Jessye Norman.
Journalist and critic
Edward is a prolific writer and journalist. His current posts include:
- A member of the review panel for Gramophone Magazine
Previous appointments as reviewer and critic include:
- Chief Classical Music Critic of the Independent
- Chief Music Critic for The Sunday Correspondent
- Music Critic for The Guardian
- Classical Music Magazine
- BBC Music Magazine
- Hi-Fi News & Record Review Magazine
- The Strad
- Has written also for The Times and The Sunday Times
Broadcaster
A wide range of programmes on BBC Radio 3 and Radio 4 as writer, presenter, commentator and critic, including:
BBC Radio 3
Stage & Screen - Writer and Presenter
This long-running series included Edward’s acclaimed interviews with Julie Andrews, Angela Lansbury, Liza Minnelli, Patti LuPone, Barbara Cook, Michael Ball, Stephen Sondheim, Elaine Paige, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Elton John
Presenter Weekend Morning on 3
Presenter of The BBC Proms Afternoon Performance CD Review – incl. Building a Library and the annual ‘Critics Choice’ Nightwaves The Changing Voice In Character
Mining The Archive Performance on 3
BBC Radio 4
Presenter of Counterpoint on BBC Radio 4, 2007 Kaleidoscope special with Sir Paul McCartney Woman’s Hour with Elaine Paige
Television
BBC Cardiff Singer of the World coverage Julie Andrews sings Richard Rodgers - Polygram Video/TV Special Leonard Bernstein: Reaching for the Note Jacqueline du Pré: Playing With Fire The South Bank Show: Leif Ove Andsnes Maxim Vengerov: Playing By Heart
Podcasts
English National Opera[4] Glyndebourne Festival Opera London Philharmonic Orchestra City of London Festival Joseph Weinberger Ltd (all also available via The Independent Online) Stage and Screen Online
Public appearances
Judging panel for The Voice of Musical Theatre Competition in Cardiff Judging panel for The Sondheim Prize Moderated public interviews with Stephen Sondheim (Queen’s Theatre, London) and Charles Strouse (Shaw Theatre, London) Pre-performance events for the BBC Proms, English National Opera, Cheltenham Festival, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Royal Opera House, Covent Garden: public interviews with Bryn Terfel, Renee Fleming, John Tomlinson, Jonas Kaufmann, Juan Diego Florez Wigmore Hall: Evenings with Anja Silja and Margaret Price
Acting
Radio: Numerous dramas incl. The Archers, BBC Radio 4: Peter Stephens
Film
Young Winston (dir Richard Attenborough) Julia (dir Fred Zinnemann) A Bridge Too Far, (dir Richard Attenborough)[5]
Television
The Regiment Get Some In
Theatre
Bristol Old Vic Tyneside Theatre Company Timothy West Company at the Billingham Forum Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Publications
Mahler: His Life and Times (Omnibus Press) Michael Tilson Thomas: Viva Voce - a collection of conversations with the American conductor (Faber and Faber)
Liner notes & EPK Promotional Videos for Deutsche Gramophone, EMI, Decca, and others.
Essays on Leonard Bernstein’s Candide and The Merry Wives of Windor in Music for the Edinburgh Festival and Royal Shakespeare Company programmes