MARTIN BOOKSPAN
To audiences across the United States the sound of Martin Bookapan’s voice means classical music. As Narrator he has appeared with many of Americas great symphony orchestras, and he is in great demand as a pre-concert lecturer. On radio and television, he has been “The Voice of the New York Philharmonic,” Host and Commentator for “Live From Studio 8-H” (NBC), as well as Commentator for 30 years for “Live From Lincoln Center” (PBS).
He has also served as Host and Commentator for radio broadcasts by the Boston Symphony and the Boston Pops from Boston and Tanglewood. He was Music and Dance Critic for Channel 7 and Theater Critic for Channel 11----both in New York City. He was a charter member of the reviewing panel for the nationally-syndicated radio series “First Hearing” for its entire 30-year run.

Martin Bookspan also served as Contributing Editor to Stereo Review, Video Review and Ovation Magazines, and as Tape Critic and Columnist for The New York Times. He has four books to his credit “101 Masterpieces at Music and Their Composers” (Doubleday); “Consumer Reports Reviews Classical Records” (Consumers Union); and, with Ross Yockey as co-author, biographies of Zubiri Mebta (Hale)and Andre Previn (Doubleday). For many years he was “Classical Music Expert” for the Prodigy Interactive Computer Service.

Now Chairman of the Advisory Committee for the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation, he was previously Chairman of The Association for Classical Music and Consultant to Madison Square Garden for its “Arts In the Garden” series. He also served the National Endowment for the Arts as a Panelist and The Rockefeller Foundation as Consultant in its Arts Program. For nine years he was an Adjunct Associate Professor in New York University’s School of Continuing Education.

In awarding Martin Bookapan its prestigious Medal of Honor in 1984, the National Arts Club commented: “It is difficult to estimate the enormous influence he has had over the tastes and appreciation of music in thousands of listeners, not only in the large urban centers where music is always available, but also in remote areas wherever his voice is heard.’ The Concert Artists Guild in New York awarded Martin Bookspan a Lifetime of Service citation, and he has received honorary degrees from New York’s Mannes College of Music (Doctor of Music) and Boston’s Suffolk University (Doctor of Humane Letters).

Martin Bookspan was inducted into The American Classical Music Hall of Fame in November, 2006.

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