Margaret Juntwait facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Margaret Juntwait
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| Born | March 18, 1957 Ridgewood, New Jersey, U.S.
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| Died | June 3, 2015 (aged 58) Saddle River, New Jersey, U.S.
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| Occupation | Radio broadcaster |
| Years active | 1991–2015 |
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| Spouse(s) | Jamie Katz |
| Children | 3 |
Margaret Ann Juntwait (born March 18, 1957 – died June 3, 2015) was an American radio announcer. She was best known for her work with the Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts. Margaret worked at WNYC-Radio for thirteen years. She then became the main announcer for the Met on December 11, 2004. She was also the first announcer for the Met on Sirius XM Satellite Radio starting in 2006. She continued in both roles until her death in 2015.
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Margaret Juntwait's Early Life
Margaret grew up in Ridgewood and Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. She went to Northern Highlands Regional High School. There, she first discovered her love for choral music, which is music sung by a choir.
Later, Margaret studied to become an opera singer. She was a lyric soprano, which means she had a high, light singing voice. In 1980, she earned a degree in voice from the Manhattan School of Music. After she got married, she chose to focus on raising her three children instead of pursuing a career in opera.
Her Radio Career Begins
Margaret Juntwait started her career in radio in 1991. She became a classical music announcer at WNYC-FM radio in New York City.
Joining the Metropolitan Opera
In 2000, while still working at WNYC, Margaret began helping out at the Metropolitan Opera. She was the back-up announcer for Peter Allen. He was the main radio host for the Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts. Peter Allen retired in May 2004.
For the 2004–2005 broadcast season, Margaret took over the main announcing role. Her first broadcast was an opera by Giuseppe Verdi called I Vespri Sicilani. She became only the third regular announcer for these famous broadcasts. The announcers before her were Milton Cross and Peter Allen.
Working with Sirius XM
On September 20, 2006, the Met announced exciting news. Margaret Juntwait would become a full-time employee of the Metropolitan Opera. She was chosen to be the announcer for all programs on the new Metropolitan Opera Radio channel on Sirius Satellite Radio.
On Sirius, Margaret hosted three or four live broadcasts each week during the opera season. She also recorded introductions for hundreds of older performances. These older shows were then played on the channel.
Other Radio Work
Margaret also acted in radio plays. These plays were produced by NPR veteran Joe Bevilacqua. One of these plays was called The Whithering of Willoughby and the Professor. In one episode, Margaret played three different characters in a funny version of a British TV show from the 1960s called The Prisoner. In another episode, she played Willoughby's mother, a mermaid, and even a god. These plays were heard on "The Comedy-O-Rama Hour" on XM Satellite Radio's Sonic Theater Channel.
Later Years and Legacy
Margaret Juntwait passed away on June 3, 2015, in Saddle River, New Jersey. She was 58 years old. She had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer more than ten years before her death. However, she continued to work with the Metropolitan Opera. She only missed one Saturday afternoon broadcast before January 2015. Her last live broadcast on SiriusXM Radio was on December 31, 2014. She even recorded material for future broadcasts just a few weeks before she died.
