Jacqueline Halbloom
Classical Music HostJacqueline Halbloom, now in her 20th year in classical public radio, currently serves as Iowa Public Radio’s producer and host of Symphonies of Iowa, Performance Iowa, The Steinway Café, and The Iowa Arts Showcase. In addition to her on-air duties, before taking on producer and host duties of IPR’s Steinway Café and IPR’s Iowa Arts Showcase, Jacqueline served on the Friends board of UNI’s Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center. A true lover of music and public radio, Jacqueline tries to be a great advocate for the fine arts in Iowa.
She brings to her work a background both practical and theoretical: Bachelor and Master’s degrees in Music Education, which she used as a teacher of orchestra students. As a player, she performed in the viola section of the Eugene Symphony, the Des Moines Symphony, and the Cedar Rapids Symphony (now known as Orchestra Iowa). She is adequately familiar with the numerous slanders against the viola versus the violin. (Why is a viola more useful than a violin? Being larger, it burns longer). Even after many bad jokes, Jacqueline remains positive about music and public radio’s ability to enrich the lives of all who listen. You can contact Jacqueline at jhalbloom@iowapublicradio.org.
-
While most knew that Mary Fain loved and had incredible knowledge and passion for music, few knew about her amazing past. She died due to COVID-19 in Mansfield, OH on Friday, Dec. 18, 2020. She was 88.
-
The Des Moines Metro Opera’s 2013 production of Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors starring Pierce Mansfield will be broadcast Thursday afternoon, December 24 at 3 p.m. on IPR Classical. We checked in with Mansfield about how he's doing now. He was only 13 when he appeared in the opera as "Amahl."
-
On December 16 at noon, the Unison Piano Duo will present the début of a new work by composer and Luther College professor Dr. Brooke Joyce
-
Three musicians who are a part of the Heartland Marimba will perform live on IPR’s Virtual Steinway Café on Tuesday, November 17 at noon, including music from "The Legend of Zelda."
-
My name is Simon Estes, and I was born in Centerville, Iowa. I could write a whole book about classical music and the reasons why I feel it’s so important. I just want to encourage you to get involved in classical music.
-
Did you know that the characters tweedledum and tweedledee are a reference to a beef between composers in the 1700's?
-
Watch a virtual performance by pianist Dmitri Vorobiev including all three movements of the famous work known by many as the "Moonlight Sonata."
-
For over a century and a half St. Mary Catholic Church has been a landmark on the corner of Fillmore and West 6th Streets in Davenport. Its 135-foot-spire has been known as the symbol of a place to grow one's faith, to help those in need, and an institution dedicated to making the community stronger. In its 153-year history, the church membership has changed, and now supports a large Hispanic congregation. Today, the church celebrates four Spanish, Latin and bilingual Sunday masses every week. For generations of families that have grown up at St. Mary Church, this is a bittersweet ending.
-
As election hype ramps up and leaves fall, IPR’s Opera in October series explores IPR’s amazing treasure trove of performances produced and recorded before the COVID-19 virus squelched, but not silenced, Iowa’s opera venues.
-
For most of Iowa’s symphonies, music is in the air. Don’t miss this opportunity to catch and support local music organizations as they continue to find creative ways to bring orchestral music to Iowans. Whether it’s making virtual concerts easily accessible, returning to the concert hall, or both, most of Iowa’s orchestras have a game plan and are making a comeback.