Confessions of an All-Night Classical DJ – Nimet Habachy ’67, Hosted by Nimet and Suzan Habachy ’54, Wednesday, November 4, 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.

Confessions of an All-Night Classical DJ, or how Bryn Mawr prepared me for a career keeping New York’s insomniacs company along with Beethoven and Mozart and Bach and…….

Scheherazade spun tales for a sultan for a mere 1001 nights: Nimet Habachy has been spinning records, tapes and discs for over 7001 nights for New York’s insomniacs and is still counting. How did a woman who grew up in Cairo, Egypt become the all night classical DJ for WQXR radio? Upon arrival in America, Nimet took one look at the Siamese children in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s the King and decided that all she wanted was to be one of them. Hopelessly wrong for the part, she settled for a starring role as Benjamin Franklin in a jingoistic school play, and went on to work backstage at an opera house, in Summer Stock, and on the radio. Come and hear one of the world’s most fascinating classical DJ’s, who has had a successful career in a field so often dominated by men.

Nimet received a BA in French from Bryn Mawr College and an MFA in Theater from Columbia University. Her first official job was cleaning books in the National Library in Florence after the floods in 1966 and later spent 7 years working for the New York City Opera as Assistant to the Company Manager and Language coach for French and Italian.

In 1980, Nimet took and flunked the announcer’s audition for WQXR, the radio station of the New York Times. Her accent, it was alleged, was too English. She perfected an eastern seaboard accent, whatever that is, re-auditioned and was accepted on the reserve list. She became the host and programmer of WQXR’s New York at Night, which was broadcast live from midnight till 5:30 a.m. for 26 and a half years. Nimet is once again doing the night shift three times a week on the “new” WQXR. She is also continuing her career as a writer, interviewer and free lance lecturer based in New York City. Nimet will be speaking on Rigoletto and Manon Lescaut next season for the Metropolitan Opera Guild.

RSVP to Helen Thurston ’74 @ jclosk@earthlink.net. Please provide name and class year.

WHAT:   Confessions of an All-Night Classical DJ

WHEN:   Wednesday, November 4, 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.

WHERE:   Home of Nimet Habachy ’54

HOW MUCH:   Light refreshments will be served.

Suggested donation $20. Voluntary dues and contributions for the Bryn Mawr Club of New York City will be welcomed.

MORE INFO:   For more information, contact Helen Thurston ’74 at jclosk@earthlink.net by Thursday, October 29