Born and raised in Washington, D.C., I couldn't help but develop a keen interest in politics, but music, theater and visual art also proved great attractions. Music became my main focus after high school. I thought about being a cocktail pianist, but I hated taking requests, so I studied music history instead, earning a B.A. in that field from Eisenhower College (Seneca Falls, N.Y.) and an M.A. from Occidental College (Los Angeles). I then landed in journalism. After freelancing for the Washington Post and others, I was classical music critic for the Sun-Sentinel in South Florida, where I also contributed to NPR. I've written for the New York Times, BBC Music Magazine and other publications, and I'm a longtime contributor to Opera News. My book, The NPR Curious Listener's Guide to Classical Music (Perigee, 2002), can be found on the most discerning remainder racks.
I joined the Baltimore Sun as classical music critic in 2000 and, in 2009, also became theater critic, giving me the opportunity to annoy a whole new audience. In 2010, my original Clef Notes blog expanded to encompass a theatrical component -- how could I resist calling it Drama Queens? I hope you'll find both sides of this blog coin worth exploring and reacting to; your own comments are always welcome and valued (well, most of them, at least).
Think of this as your open-all-hours, cyber green room, where there's always a performer or performance to discuss, some news to digest, or maybe just a little good gossip to share.
Note: Tim Smith now writes about the fine arts at
baltimoresun.com/artsmash. This blog will be kept in place as an archive for an indefinite period. Please visit the new location to get the latest Mid-Atlantic arts coverage.
View the Artsmash blog
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Comments
Both Baltimore Opera Theatre and Teatro Lirico d'Europa import some of the finest artists from their respective countries. It is a great privilege to hear them in Baltimore instead of having to travel to Bulgaria or Russia where they normally appear in the state opera houses. Baltimore Opera Theater and Teatro use excellent American soloists, too, and it is a pleasure to see their interaction on the stage. I really enjoyed the Barber and look forward to Rigoletto.
Posted by: Mary Donnelly | November 24, 2009 6:48 PM
Thanks for the link - it was helpful to this reader, who searched the site Monday and found nothing. Old habits die hard - I date back to a day when the debut of a new opera company would be considered "news" and the review of a performance ending at 6 pm or so would be in the next day's paper.
That's SO last century. TIM
Posted by: Mike | November 25, 2009 10:58 AM