Mary Jo Heath (born December 11, 1954)

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library ...

Authorities (LCCN) is an American radio music host, associated with the

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is oper ...

since 2006. Born in Iowa City, Heath graduated from

Norman High School Norman High School is a four-year public high school in Norman, Oklahoma with a steady enrollment of approximately 2,000 students. It is accredited by North Central Association, the Oklahoma State Department of Education and the Oklahoma Seconda ...

Norman, Oklahoma Norman () is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, with a population of 128,097 as of 2021. It is the largest city and the county seat of Cleveland County, and the second-largest city in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, b ...

, in 1972. She then studied music at the

University of Oklahoma , mottoeng = "For the benefit of the Citizen and the State" , type = Public research university , established = , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.7billion (2021) , pr ...

and completed a PhD in music theory at the

Eastman School of Music The Eastman School of Music is the music school of the University of Rochester, a private research university in Rochester, New York. It was established in 1921 by industrialist and philanthropist George Eastman. It offers Bachelor of Music ...

in Rochester, New York. While at Eastman, she studied voice briefly with fellow student

Renée Fleming Renée Lynn Fleming (born February 14, 1959) is an American soprano, known for performances in opera, concerts, recordings, theater, film, and at major public occasions. A recipient of the National Medal of Arts, Fleming has been nominated for ...

, with whom she forged a lifelong friendship. After working in the classical music world in various capacities, including a manager at

Philips Classics Records Philips Classics Records was started in the 1980s as the new classics record label for Philips Records. It was successful with artists including Alfred Brendel, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Sir Neville Marriner and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fi ...

, she became senior radio producer at the Metropolitan Opera in 2006. She became radio host in 2015 following the death of Margaret Juntwait. She is the fourth regular host of the broadcasts since they began in 1931. During the Met opera season Heath is host for two to three live broadcasts per week on Metropolitan Opera Radio on

Sirius Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky. Its name is derived from the Greek word , or , meaning 'glowing' or 'scorching'. The star is designated α Canis Majoris, Latinized to Alpha Canis Majoris, and abbreviated Alpha CM ...

with commentator William Berger, as well as the Saturday matinee international Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts, where her commentator is Ira Siff. On May 8, 2021, she announced that the 2020–21 season would be her last, and she was set to retire in June 2021. Debra Lew Harder was announced as her replacement on September 21, 2021. In May 2016, Heath was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award of the Eastman School of Music and spoke at the commencement ceremony. Mary Jo Heath is married to Ronald Heath, a history teacher."The Voice of The Met"
by Brian Wilson,
page 2
, ''Oklahoma Magazine'', February 23, 2017

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Heath, Mary Jo 1954 births Living people Classical music radio presenters Metropolitan Opera people People from Norman, Oklahoma University of Oklahoma alumni Eastman School of Music alumni People from Iowa City, Iowa