It wasn’t Helga Davis’ idea to have a podcast named after herself. Nor was ending up on the radio in the first place. At WQXR, the most listened-to classical station in the United States, Davis is among a cohort of contributors—including violist Nadia Sirota, composer Nico Muhly, and conductor Michael Tilson Thomas—who conjure art both on and off the air. Early in her career, Davis, a vocalist who starred in the 25th-anniversary production of Philip Glass and Robert Wilson’s opera “Einstein on the Beach” and frequently collaborates with composers on new works, learned from a friend, Limor Tomer, to “just say yes.” When Tomer, a producer at WQXR, suggested that Davis join her at the station following her return from a production’s tour in Milan, Davis followed her friend’s old advice.


To continue reading, subscribe now.

Unlimited access to our
weekly issues and archives.


Already have an account?

… is a violinist and writer from New York and based in Sweden.