A new voice: this month, Margaret Juntwait begins her first season as the host of the Met's Saturday afternoon broadcasts.(Interview)

Margaret Junwait was narrating a school fashion-show when she was told by her eighth-grade teacher that she had the perfect radio voice. Juntwait has now reached far greater heights than the announcing career that was hinted at with "Here comes Janie, wearing culottes." This month, Juntwait--host of WNYC's Evening Music with Margaret Juntwait and a veteran of several live broadcasts--replaces Peter Allen as the voice of the Met, becoming only the third regular announcer since the beginning of the Metropolitan Opera's Saturday-afternoon radio broadcasts. The broadcast season begins on December 11, with I Vespri Siciliani.

OPERA NEWS: What do you have to do in preparation for the broadcasts?

MARGARET JUNTWAIT: The Met is wonderfully thorough in helping me. Even though I've done national broadcasts in the past, every one is different. Actual radio rehearsal is going to be invaluable. They're going to give me a script and probably record it, listen back and see what we can tweak.

ON: Will you see the operas beforehand and speak to the singers?

MJ: Yes. I have to be able to comment on the set, the costumes, really read up on the composers and the history and just come with a sense of context.

I'd also like to get information [on the singers] that's not just where they're going to be singing next bur maybe they have a new baby, or they just became an American citizen. Because these are people! Of course, what everyone loves about the opera is that these are almost heroic stars, to go out onto the stage and expose themselves as they do. But they do go home and tie the bib on the baby.

ON: You have the difficult task of translating to the listeners what everything looks like.