Serious Music with Bea Witkin

Serious Music with Bea Witkin is a site-specific audio walk on New York City's Upper West Side produced by Megan Hattie Stahl. This immersive, musical documentary explores and extends the life and work of composer Beatrice Witkin (1916-1990). Across four stationary chapters and three walking interludes, participants follow a one-mile route from Riverside Park to Straus Park by way of Witkin's longtime residence on West End Avenue. Through guided narration, archival music, interviews and recordings of contemporary musicians sight-reading a 1985 string quartet piece by Witkin, Serious Music invites listeners to consider Witkin's experience navigating the 20th century worlds of both "serious" and commercial music while balancing marriage and motherhood. Content warning: Part 3 ("Outside 885 West End Avenue") includes a depiction of domestic violence around the 8:00 mark. Please take care while listening. This walk's route is accessible for wheelchair users and transcripts are available for each segment.