Bert was active in the performing arts as an actor, singer, director, coach and manager before he turned to full time writing. As editor of Music Journal for eight years, he wrote about all aspects of music and dance. He was a music and dance critic for the New York Daily News and New York Concert Review, dance critic and associate editor for Attitude, video critic for video Review, music editor of High Performance Review, dance critic for Der Tanz der Dinge (Switzerland), recordings critic for High Fidelity, correspondent for the music magazine Rondo in Finland and newspapers in Norway (regular column) and Denmark as well as other free-lance activities.

Late in his career, he pioneered new directions in cyberjournalism with his criticism for these pages. In August, 1996, Wechsler became a founding critic of this internet-based theater news service, and filed between three and seven theater, dance and classical music reviews per week until his death. His prolific output enabled the New York Theatre Wire became the first New York media outlet to publish first-night reviews on the World Wide Web. The flexibility of the new medium allowed Wechsler to do specialized criticism from small theaters where, he believed, vital new work was being born. He also covered Lincoln Center and Broadway extensively and wrote CD and book reviews. He was a respected and dynamic critic, known for his intellectual and artistic curiosity and his willingness to investigate emerging artists.

Bert was co-author of "Dear Rogue," the biography Lawrence Tibbett, published by Amadeus Press. He was also associate Editor of Computer Buyers' Guide. He was a member of the Music Critics Association, the Outer Critics Circle, The Bohemians, an honorary life member of the New York Mahlerites, and a founder of the Manhattan Festival Ballet and the Center for Contemporary Opera. Although he had given up performing, he retained his membership in four theatrical unons.

He was the son of of Miriam (Mickey) Pullan Wechsler and Commissioner Gabriel A. Wechsler, the late Commissioner of Purchase for the City of New York. Survivors are his mother and The John Coulter family and the Norma Mernick family (both cousins) of Toronto.

The funeral will be 11:00 am, Wednesday, December 3 at Riverside Memorial Chapel, 76th Street and Amsterdam Ave., NYC. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to the American Cancer Society. [Slaff]

Copyright © Metro New Media 1997

Return to index of columnists