Betsy Schwarm Music Historian - Writer - Teacher - Pre-Performance Speaker
See Below For Principal Site Content, Including:
My Classes ----- also under Events above
My Personal Appearances ----- also under Events above
My Books
My Program Notes
My Background
Contact Me ----- also under Contact above
Videos ----- my voice, script, & production
Composer Picture Gallery ----- work of artist Wayne Rigsby
Principal Site Content
My Upcoming Classes
Several livestreamed classes currently underway, and announced under Events above
Personal Appearances
Live-streamed online events
Details under Events above.
My Books
My books - ten full-length books (400-ish pages), and three shorter surveys - are all issued through Ruby Hill Publishing and are available on Amazon, both in paperback and as e-books. My Amazon author page, through which you can most quickly locate them, appears at the end of this list of titles.
- Classical Music Insights: Understanding and Enjoying Great Music (2011)
- Operatic Insights: Understanding and Enjoying Great Music for the Stage (2012)
- More Classical Music Insights: From Mozart to Muhly and More (2013)
- Classical Music Insights: If All Else Fails, Play Mozart (2014)
- Classical Music Insights: Getting to Know Ludwig (2015)
- Classical Music Insights: A Star-Spangled Survey (2016)
- Classical Music Insights: Bach and Beyond (2017)
- Seasonal Music Insights: Vivaldi and Much More (2018)
- Classical Music Insights: Overview and Introduction (2018) - an index of the complete series
- Colorado Symphony Insights: an Overview of the 2019-2020 Season (2019)
- Classical Music Insights: Viennese Visions (2020)
- Classical Christmas Insights: Beyond the Nutcracker (2020)
- Classical Music Insights: Between the Wars (2021)
All are available on Amazon:
My Program Notes
In addition to writing books about classical music, I also write program notes for classical concert programs. These are essays sharing with audience members what's particularly notable about the music featured on a particular program, so as to give those in attendance something specific for which to listen. My approach is to presume that readers are interested in the subject, but may not necessarily possess extensive training in music theory. So I emphasize the composer’s life and the work in context of his/her career, as well as compelling musical details listeners can readily hear, even those listeners who wouldn't care to dissect a fugue.
Currently I have over 3500 individual works in my files of program notes, ranging from the Middle Ages to the present day, from chamber music and recital pieces through symphonies, concertos, operas, ballets, and film music. I offer notes for individual works, full concert programs, or entire concert seasons to various clients. My fees vary by client, though are generally rather lower than those quoted by some of the major names in the field of program annotation. Faculty members and/or recent graduates of the Aspen Music School will find me amenable to offering discounts.
If you would like to preview my work in this area, drop me an e-mail, and I'll send samples, including (if you wish) the entire list of works currently in my files. You could also
specify an individual work or a genre in which you have particular interest. My contact information can be found further down this page, as well as in the Contact link near the top of the page.
Additionally, I have over 200 notes available on the website for Encyclopedia Britannica.
https://www.britannica.com/contributor/Betsy-Schwarm/9297586
My Background
I am a music historian having spent over twenty-five years in various fields of classical music and the performing arts. I have extensive experience as a radio announcer/producer, university professor of music, pre-performance speaker, and opera recording engineer. I write about great music for many organizations, including Encyclopædia Britannica, Denver’s Opera Colorado, the Cleveland Orchestra's Blossom Festival, and numerous others at home and abroad.
I draw upon thorough research, intensive listening, score study, my own observations, and countless interviews with composers and performers. I have shared my perspectives with tens of thousands of music lovers, from professionals to curious listeners: anyone who’s interested in a behind-the-notes perspective on great music and how to get more from one’s listening experience.
Contact Me
I am based in the Denver Metro area in Colorado; please plan accordingly
as to how quickly you are likely to receive a response.
I check my e-mail many times each day, but hardly ever after 6pm.