Peter Allen (US broadcaster)

Peter Allen is an American broadcaster and radio announcer based in New York City.

Peter Allen served as an announcer for WQXR radio in New York City but is most famous for having been the sole host of the Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts from 1975-2004. He also served as announcer for the Met's television broadcasts. Mr. Allen initially was the backup announcer at the Met for Milton Cross and took over the position after Cross's sudden death in 1975. The smooth, intelligent delivery and warmth of Allen's on-air persona endeared him to millions of opera listeners during his long tenure at the Met. Allen retired in May 2004 after 29 seasons and was succeeded by Margaret Juntwait.

Allen was noted for his ability to improvise live on air as the occasion required; most famously, he extemporized for close to an hour during a January 23, 1988 broadcast of Giuseppe Verdi's "Macbeth" to cover the long intermission caused by the suicide of Bantcho Bantchevsky in the audience.

In addition to his live radio career, Allen recorded a series of introductions to Wagner's "Der Ring des Nibelungen" and other operas. These recorded analyses were very popular with opera listeners and are still available. Several popular books about opera published for the Metropolitan were also edited and introduced by Peter Allen

References

* [http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/29/arts/music/29oper.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Met+Picks+New+Voice+for+Opera+Broadcasts&st=nyt&oref=slogin "Met Picks New Voice for Opera Broadcasts" by Daniel J. Wakin] , "The New York Times", 29 September 2004.