Follow the Schuylkill west from Philadelphia - either the river or the expressway will do - and you’ll eventually arrive in Reading. The state’s fifth-largest city, John Philip Sousa spent his last days here, the Rabbit series by John Updike was set here, and, Reading once lent its name to a now-defunct railway company with a still well-known Philadelphia terminal.
Today, as WRTI's Jim Cotter reports, the city is best known for its outlet malls, its pagoda, and a wealth of regional cultural organizations including the Reading Symphony Orchestra. Music Lives in Reading.
JCReadingOpera.mp3
Jim Cotter speaks with Berks Opera founder/directors Francine and Tamara Black.