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Classical 24®

Now playing:

Pines of Rome

  • Composer:Ottorino Respighi
  • Conductor:James DePreist
  • Orchestra/Ensemble:Oregon Symphony
  • Delos 3287

Schedule for July 12, 2025

(All times are U.S. Central).
Select a new date:
5:01 AM
  • The Lark Ascending
  • Composer: Ralph Vaughan Williams
  • Conductor: Andrew Litton
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: London Philharmonic Orchestra
  • Soloists: Nicola Benedetti, violin
  • DG 476619
7:01 AM
  • Trio Sonata No. 5
  • Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach
  • Soloists: Alison Balsom, trumpet
  • EMI 58047
7:16 AM
  • Tender Waltz
  • Composer: Cecile Chaminade
  • Soloists: Peter Jacobs, piano
  • Hyperion 66706
7:21 AM
  • Symphony No. 41 "Jupiter"
  • Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
  • Conductor: Charles Mackerras
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Prague Chamber Orchestra
  • Telarc 80139
7:51 AM
  • American Youth Concerto: Andante
  • Composer: Marion Bauer
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Ambache Chamber Orchestra and Ensemble
  • Soloists: Diana Ambache, piano
  • Naxos 559253
7:51 AM
  • Trumpet Concerto No. 3
  • Composer: Johann Hertel
  • Conductor: Wolfgang Bauer
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Wurttemberg Chamber Orchestra
  • Soloists: Wolfgang Bauer, trumpet
  • Dabringhaus 9011499
7:53 AM
  • Suite for Strings: 1st movement
  • Composer: Ethel Smyth
  • Conductor: Douglas Bostock
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: South German Chamber Orchestra Pforzheim
  • CPO 555457
8:01 AM
  • Spring (Vesna)
  • Composer: Alexander Glazunov
  • Conductor: Neeme Jarvi
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Scottish National Orchestra
  • Chandos 8611
8:11 AM
  • String Quintet: 3rd movement
  • Composer: Franz Schubert
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Brentano String Quartet
  • Soloists: Michael Kannen, cello
  • Azica 71304
8:11 AM
  • Fragments from Hans Andersen: A leaf from the sky
  • Composer: York Bowen
  • Soloists: Nicolas Namoradze, piano
  • Hyperion 68303
8:11 AM
  • Dance of the Night Sky
  • Composer: Shirley Thompson
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Black Oak Ensemble
  • Cedille 237
8:24 AM
  • In Autumn Overture
  • Composer: Edvard Grieg
  • Conductor: Okko Kamu
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra
  • Bis 200
8:36 AM
  • Guitar Concerto No. 1
  • Composer: Mauro Giuliani
  • Conductor: George Malcolm
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: English Chamber Orchestra
  • Soloists: Eduardo Fernandez, guitar
  • London/Decca 417617
9:01 AM
  • I'll make music
  • Composer: Karl Jenkins
  • Conductor: Stephen Layton
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Polyphony
  • DG 4793232
9:06 AM
  • Concerto for 2 Orchestras No. 3
  • Composer: George Frideric Handel
  • Conductor: Jeanne Lamon
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Tafelmusik
  • Sony 63073
9:23 AM
  • Andante and Rondo Capriccioso
  • Composer: Felix Mendelssohn
  • Soloists: Javier Perianes, piano
  • Harmonia Mundi 902195
9:31 AM
  • Oboe Concerto
  • Composer: Ralph Vaughan Williams
  • Conductor: Peter Oundjian
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Toronto Symphony Orchestra
  • Soloists: Sarah Jeffrey, oboe
  • Chandos 5201
9:53 AM
  • Serenade No. 2: 4th movement
  • Composer: Johannes Brahms
  • Conductor: Bernard Haitink
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
  • Philips 442068
10:01 AM
  • Scottish Rondo
  • Composer: John Field
  • Soloists: Miceal O'Rourke, piano
  • Chandos 9315
10:06 AM
  • Rondo
  • Composer: Antonin Dvorak
  • Conductor: Lorin Maazel
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Berlin Philharmonic
  • Soloists: Yo-Yo Ma, cello
  • Sony 42206
10:16 AM
  • Cuban Overture
  • Composer: George Gershwin
  • Conductor: Edo de Waart
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Minnesota Orchestra
  • Virgin 59693
10:27 AM
  • Havanaise
  • Composer: Camille Saint-Saens
  • Conductor: Mathieu Herzog
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Appassionato
  • Soloists: Jinjoo Cho, violin
  • Naive 7422
10:39 AM
  • Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture
  • Composer: Peter Tchaikovsky
  • Conductor: Kurt Masur
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra
  • Teldec 44943
11:01 AM
  • American Youth Concerto: Andante
  • Composer: Marion Bauer
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Ambache Chamber Orchestra and Ensemble
  • Soloists: Diana Ambache, piano
  • Naxos 559253
11:06 AM
  • Trumpet Concerto No. 3
  • Composer: Johann Hertel
  • Conductor: Wolfgang Bauer
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Wurttemberg Chamber Orchestra
  • Soloists: Wolfgang Bauer, trumpet
  • Dabringhaus 9011499
11:16 AM
  • Suite for Strings: 1st movement
  • Composer: Ethel Smyth
  • Conductor: Douglas Bostock
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: South German Chamber Orchestra Pforzheim
  • CPO 555457
11:27 AM
  • The Mission: Suite
  • Composer: Ennio Morricone
  • Conductor: Ennio Morricone
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: London Symphony Orchestra
  • Virgin 90567
11:41 AM
  • Le Carillon de Cithere (The Bells of Cithere)
  • Composer: Francois Couperin
  • Soloists: Alexandre Tharaud, piano
  • Harmonia Mundi 901956
11:46 AM
  • Gayane Ballet Suite
  • Composer: Aram Khachaturian
  • Conductor: Neeme Jarvi
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Royal Scottish Orchestra
  • Chandos 8945
12:01 PM
  • Conga del Fuego
  • Composer: Arturo Marquez
  • Conductor: Gustavo Dudamel
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra
  • DG 13458
12:06 PM
  • Etude No. 3 "Un Sospiro" (A Sigh)
  • Composer: Franz Liszt
  • Soloists: Susann McDonald, harp
  • Klavier 11133
12:14 PM
  • Symphony No. 2
  • Composer: Franz Schubert
  • Conductor: Lawrence Foster
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra
  • Pentatone 655
12:48 PM
  • Four Seasons: Spring
  • Composer: Antonio Vivaldi
  • Conductor: Jeannette Sorrell
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Apollo's Fire Baroque Orchestra
  • Soloists: Francisco Fullana, violin
  • Avie 2485
1:01 PM
  • Julia Florida
  • Composer: Agustin Barrios
  • Soloists: Xuefei Yang, guitar
  • London/Decca 4858195
1:06 PM
  • William Tell: Overture
  • Composer: Gioacchino Rossini
  • Conductor: Claudio Abbado
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Chamber Orchestra of Europe
  • DG 431653
1:18 PM
  • Kentucky Rondo
  • Composer: Otto Luening
  • Conductor: Lawrence Leighton Smith
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Louisville Orchestra
  • Louisville 6
1:25 PM
  • Symphony No. 95
  • Composer: Franz Joseph Haydn
  • Conductor: Leonard Slatkin
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Philharmonia Orchestra
  • RCA 68426
1:47 PM
  • Sonatine
  • Composer: Maurice Ravel
  • Soloists: Heidi Lowy, piano
  • Bayer 100344
2:06 PM
  • Carnival Overture
  • Composer: Antonin Dvorak
  • Conductor: Libor Pesek
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
  • Virgin 90797
2:37 PM
  • Piano Quintet: 3rd movement
  • Composer: Florence Price
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Takacs Quartet
  • Soloists: Marc-Andre Hamelin, piano
  • Hyperion 68433
2:45 PM
  • Swedish Rhapsody No. 1 "Midsummer Vigil"
  • Composer: Hugo Alfven
  • Conductor: Neeme Jarvi
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra
  • Bis 385
3:01 PM
  • Saving Private Ryan: Revisiting Normandy
  • Composer: John Williams
  • Conductor: John Williams
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Boston Symphony Orchestra
  • Dreamworks 50046
3:07 PM
  • Ratatouille: Main Theme
  • Composer: Michael Giacchino
  • Conductor: Tim Simonec
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Studio Orchestra
  • Walt Disney 50102
3:09 PM
  • Ratatouille: Le Festin
  • Composer: Michael Giacchino
  • Conductor: Tim Simonec
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Studio Ensemble
  • Soloists: Camille Dalmais, vocals
  • Walt Disney 50102
3:13 PM
  • The Three Musketeers
  • Composer: Michel Legrand
  • Conductor: Michel Legrand
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Flemish Radio Orchestra
  • Reader's Digest 4168
3:24 PM
  • The Lion in Winter Suite
  • Composer: John Barry
  • Conductor: Kenneth Alwyn
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra
  • Silva 6015
3:33 PM
  • Charade: Charade
  • Composer: Henry Mancini
  • Conductor: Henry Mancini
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Royal Philharmonic Pops
  • Soloists: Henry Mancini, piano
  • Denon 2320
3:39 PM
  • Hugo: Suite
  • Composer: Howard Shore
  • Conductor: Howard Shore
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Studio Orchestra
  • Howe 1007
3:54 PM
  • The Umbrellas of Cherbourg: I Will Wait for You
  • Composer: Michel Legrand
  • Soloists: Jessye Norman, soprano
  • Philips 422401
4:01 PM
  • Madame Bovary: Waltz
  • Composer: Miklos Rozsa
  • Conductor: John Mauceri
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Hollywood Bowl Orchestra
  • Philips 438685
4:07 PM
  • Casablanca Suite
  • Composer: Max Steiner
  • Conductor: Charles Gerhardt
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: National Philharmonic Orchestra
  • RCA 422
4:17 PM
  • Grand Prix
  • Composer: Maurice Jarre
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: American West Orchestra
  • Vocacion Musical 2013
4:19 PM
  • Chocolat: Party Preparations
  • Composer: Rachel Portman
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Studio Orchestra
  • Sony 89472
4:23 PM
  • Victor/Victoria: Main Title
  • Composer: Henry Mancini
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Studio Orchestra
  • GNP 8038
4:26 PM
  • Is Paris Burning?
  • Composer: Maurice Jarre
  • Conductor: Maurice Jarre
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: BBC Concert Orchestra
  • Milan 35980
4:31 PM
  • The Inspector Clouseau Theme
  • Composer: Henry Mancini
  • Conductor: Henry Mancini
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Royal Philharmonic Pops
  • Denon 2320
4:34 PM
  • Two for the Road: Main Title
  • Composer: Henry Mancini
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Studio Orchestra
  • Warner 24503
4:39 PM
  • Funny Face: Overture
  • Composer: George Gershwin
  • Conductor: Michael Tilson Thomas
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra
  • Sony 93018
4:41 PM
  • An American in Paris
  • Composer: George Gershwin
  • Conductor: Erich Kunzel
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Cincinnati Pops Orchestra
  • Telarc 80445
5:01 PM
  • Old Hungarian Dances: selections
  • Composer: Ferenc Farkas
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Vienna Quintet
  • Nimbus 5479
5:06 PM
  • Sigurd Jorsalfar: Homage March
  • Composer: Edvard Grieg
  • Conductor: Esa-Pekka Salonen
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra
  • Sony 46668
5:15 PM
  • Algerian Suite: French Military March
  • Composer: Camille Saint-Saens
  • Conductor: Paul Strauss
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Orchestra de Liege
  • EMI 69120
5:21 PM
  • A Midsummer Night's Dream: Overture
  • Composer: Felix Mendelssohn
  • Conductor: Christian Thielemann
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Vienna Philharmonic
  • DG 4745022
5:34 PM
  • Jazz Suite No. 1
  • Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich
  • Conductor: Dmitri Kitayenko
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra
  • RCA 68304
5:44 PM
  • Lady Radnor's Suite
  • Composer: Hubert Parry
  • Conductor: Richard Hickox
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: City of London Sinfonia
  • EMI 47671
6:01 PM
  • Choro de Saudade
  • Composer: Agustin Barrios
  • Soloists: David Russell, guitar
  • Telarc 80612
6:06 PM
  • Festive Overture
  • Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich
  • Conductor: James DePreist
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Malmo Symphony Orchestra
  • Bis 570
6:13 PM
  • Scaramouche
  • Composer: Darius Milhaud
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Orpheus Chamber Orchestra
  • Soloists: Branford Marsalis, saxophone
  • Sony 89251
6:45 PM
  • Popular Andean Dances
  • Composer: Celso Garrido-Lecca
  • Conductor: Miguel Harth-Bedoya
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Norwegian Radio Orchestra
7:01 PM
  • Robin Hood Suite: March of the Bowmen
  • Composer: Frederic Curzon
  • Conductor: Ronald Corp
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: New London Orchestra
  • Hyperion 66968
7:06 PM
  • Estrellita (My little star)
  • Composer: Manuel Ponce
  • Soloists: Anne Akiko Meyers, violin
  • Avie 2455
7:10 PM
  • Tosca: And the stars were shining
  • Composer: Giacomo Puccini
  • Conductor: Barry Wordsworth
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: BBC Concert Orchestra
  • London/Decca 473371
7:16 PM
  • Also sprach Zarathustra (Thus Spake Zarathustra)
  • Composer: Richard Strauss
  • Conductor: Gustavo Dudamel
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Berlin Philharmonic
  • DG 18913
7:53 PM
  • Star Wars: Main Theme
  • Composer: John Williams
  • Conductor: John Williams
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: London Symphony Orchestra
  • Sony 62788
8:01 PM
  • The Angels Changed My Name
  • Composer: Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
  • Soloists: Ashley Jackson, harp
  • Bright Shiny Things 188
8:06 PM
  • Swan Lake: Pas de Deux
  • Composer: Peter Tchaikovsky
  • Conductor: Vladimir Ashkenazy
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Philharmonia Orchestra
  • Soloists: Esther Yoo, violin
  • DG 4815032
8:13 PM
  • Il Saltarello Romano
  • Composer: Fanny Mendelssohn
  • Soloists: Liana Serbescu, piano
  • CPO 999015
8:17 PM
  • Symphony No. 4
  • Composer: Robert Schumann
  • Conductor: Kurt Masur
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: London Philharmonic Orchestra
  • Teldec 46445
8:43 PM
  • Henry V Suite
  • Composer: William Walton
  • Conductor: Andre Previn
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
  • MCA 6187
9:01 PM
  • Walking Tune
  • Composer: Percy Grainger
  • Soloists: Marc-Andre Hamelin, piano
  • Hyperion 66884
9:07 PM
  • Petite Suite: En Bateau (Boating)
  • Composer: Claude Debussy
  • Soloists: Jean-Philippe Collard, piano
  • EMI 63156
9:11 PM
  • Summer Night on the River
  • Composer: Frederick Delius
  • Conductor: Daniel Barenboim
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: English Chamber Orchestra
  • DG 469376
9:17 PM
  • In Nature's Realm Overture
  • Composer: Antonin Dvorak
  • Conductor: Vernon Handley
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Ulster Orchestra
  • Chandos 8453
9:32 PM
  • Grand Canyon Suite: Sunset
  • Composer: Ferde Grofe
  • Conductor: Erich Kunzel
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Cincinnati Pops Orchestra
  • Telarc 80086
9:37 PM
  • Grand Canyon Suite: On the Trail
  • Composer: Ferde Grofe
  • Conductor: Erich Kunzel
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Cincinnati Pops Orchestra
  • Telarc 80086
9:55 PM
  • E.T.: Bicycle Chase (Flying Theme)
  • Composer: John Williams
  • Conductor: John Williams
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: London Symphony Orchestra
  • Sony 62788
10:06 PM
  • Scottish Legend
  • Composer: Amy Beach
  • Soloists: Bengt Forsberg, piano
  • dB Productions 170
10:10 PM
  • In Ireland Fantasy
  • Composer: Hamilton Harty
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Camerata Bariloche
  • Soloists: Chris Norman, flute
  • Dorian 90250
10:21 PM
  • Symphony No. 4 "Italian"
  • Composer: Felix Mendelssohn
  • Conductor: Yoel Levi
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
  • Telarc 80318
10:49 PM
  • Spanish Overture No. 2 "Summer Night in Madrid"
  • Composer: Mikhail Glinka
  • Conductor: Vassily Sinaisky
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
  • Chandos 9861
11:01 PM
  • Egyptian March
  • Composer: Johann StraussJr.
  • Conductor: Nikolaus Harnoncourt
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
  • Teldec 43337
11:07 PM
  • South American Suite
  • Composer: Brian Packham
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Camerata Bariloche
  • Soloists: Chris Norman, flute
  • Dorian 90250
11:18 PM
  • El Salon Mexico
  • Composer: Aaron Copland
  • Conductor: Enrique Batiz
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Mexico City Philharmonic Orchestra
  • EMI 2147
11:30 PM
  • Gaite Parisienne
  • Composer: Jacques Offenbach
  • Conductor: Seiji Ozawa
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Boston Symphony Orchestra
  • DG 423698
11:51 PM
  • Impressions from the Countryside: Village Dance
  • Composer: Zdenek Fibich
  • Conductor: Marek Stilec
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Czech National Symphony Orchestra
  • Naxos 572985
12:01 AM
  • Impromptu No. 3
  • Composer: Frederic Chopin
  • Soloists: Artur Rubinstein, piano
  • RCA 5617
12:06 AM
  • Crisantemi (Chrysanthemums)
  • Composer: Giacomo Puccini
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Brodsky Quartet
  • Chandos 10761
12:14 AM
  • Preludio No. 6
  • Composer: Padre Jose Antonio de San Sebastian
  • Soloists: Sharon Isbin, guitar
  • Teldec 25736
12:19 AM
  • Arpeggione Sonata
  • Composer: Franz Schubert
  • Soloists: Sharon Robinson, cello
  • Bridge 9376
12:46 AM
  • Icelandic Folk Dances
  • Composer: Jon Leifs
  • Conductor: Osmo Vanska
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Iceland Symphony Orchestra
  • Bis 830
1:06 AM
  • The Firebird: Suite
  • Composer: Igor Stravinsky
  • Conductor: Paavo Jarvi
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Philharmonia
  • European Broadcasting Union Recording
1:28 AM
  • Goyescas: Maiden and the Nightingale
  • Composer: Enrique Granados
  • Soloists: Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano
  • London/Decca 4852082
1:35 AM
  • Carmen Fantasy
  • Composer: Franz Waxman
  • Conductor: Andrew Litton
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: London Symphony Orchestra
  • Soloists: Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, violin
  • Nonesuch 79464
1:48 AM
  • Symphony No. 2: 4th movement
  • Composer: Johannes Brahms
  • Conductor: Leonard Bernstein
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Vienna Philharmonic
  • DG 410082
2:06 AM
  • Hebrides Overture (Fingal's Cave)
  • Composer: Felix Mendelssohn
  • Conductor: JoAnn Falletta
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Long Beach Symphony Orchestra
  • Albany 364
2:17 AM
  • Pines of Rome
  • Composer: Ottorino Respighi
  • Conductor: James DePreist
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Oregon Symphony
  • Delos 3287
2:41 AM
  • The Ball of Beatrice d'Este
  • Composer: Reynaldo Hahn
  • Conductor: Steven Richman
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Harmonie Ensemble
  • Music & Arts 649
3:01 AM
  • Tango No. 2
  • Composer: Astor Piazzolla
  • Soloists: Tali Morgulis, piano
  • Delos 3435
3:06 AM
  • String Quartet No. 2
  • Composer: Chevalier de Saint-Georges
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Arabella String Quartet
  • Naxos 574360
3:18 AM
  • Pastorale
  • Composer: Germaine Tailleferre
  • Soloists: Quynh Nguyen, piano
  • Music & Arts 1306
3:22 AM
  • Concerto Serenade
  • Composer: Joaquin Rodrigo
  • Conductor: Antonio de Almeida
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Monte Carlo National Opera Orchestra
  • Soloists: Catherine Michel, harp
  • Philips 462179
3:47 AM
  • Little Serenade
  • Composer: Lars-Erik Larsson
  • Conductor: Esa-Pekka Salonen
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Stockholm Sinfonietta
  • Bis 285
4:01 AM
  • Triquilandia/Seguidilla
  • Composer: Emilio Pujol
  • Soloists: David Russell, guitar
  • Telarc 80633
4:06 AM
  • Sonata for Flute and Orchestra
  • Composer: Francis Poulenc
  • Conductor: Steuart Bedford
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Scottish Chamber Orchestra
  • Soloists: Jennifer Stinton, flute
  • Collins 1210
4:19 AM
  • Sleeping Beauty Ballet Suite
  • Composer: Peter Tchaikovsky
  • Conductor: Seiji Ozawa
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Boston Symphony Orchestra
  • DG 435619
4:40 AM
  • Six Epigraphes Antiques
  • Composer: Claude Debussy
  • Conductor: Jun Markl
  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Lyon National Orchestra
  • Naxos 572568
Julie Amacher

Julie Amacher

Julie Amacher's desire to introduce others to great music is what led her to radio. She began her professional broadcast career at a station in Sun Prairie, WI. She went from rock 'n' roll to the Rocky Mountains, where she found her niche in public radio at KUNC in Greeley, Colo. Julie spent 13 years at KUNC, where she managed the announcers and their eclectic music format. During that time, she earned four national awards for best announcer. She joined Classical 24 in 1997 as a host and producer. She has managed the service since 2007.

Jake Armerding

Jake Armerding

Jake Armerding grew up playing classical violin and listening to ‘80s pop radio. He spent 20 years on the road as an instrumentalist, appearing on such revered stages as Carnegie Hall and the Newport Folk Festival, before pivoting toward local musical work. He was thrilled to land a spot on the YourClassical team in the last days of 2024. He and his wife oversee the developing rowdiness of their three boys.

Scott Blankenship

Scott Blankenship

Scott Blankenship started his radio career in college when he began working as a volunteer at a local cable radio station, announcing alternative and new rock music. His love and appreciation of classical music began at public radio station KVNO in Omaha, where he spent 13 years in various on-air and management roles, five of those years as the morning drive-time host.

Jeff Esworthy

Jeff Esworthy

Jeff Esworthy has been a host of Classical 24 since 1996. He’s a public radio veteran with more than 20 years behind the microphone, where he’s hosted everything from folk to jazz to progressive rock. A hobbyist musician and collector of instruments from around the world, Jeff has what he describes as a “passable” command of southern string-band music on fiddle and banjo, and he is a long-time student of the classical music of Northern India on instruments such as the sitar, sarangi and tabla.

Ward Jacobson

Ward Jacobson

Ward Jacobson has enjoyed a radio career spanning over two decades as a morning show host and sportscaster, as well as producer/host of an interview program where he chatted with authors, musicians, politicians and newsmakers.

Valerie Kahler

Valerie Kahler

Valerie Kahler started playing cello and piano in 3rd grade, but didn't officially fall under the spell of classical music until high school when she began exploring her parents' LP collection. There, tucked between the Herb Alpert and an abandoned children's record, she found an album of the Los Angeles Philharmonic with Zubin Mehta. She played the A side (Ravel's Bolero and Tchaikovsky's Marche Slave) over and over again, mesmerized by the changes of color the composers could produce with different instruments, and by the images the music conjured in her imagination.  Thanks to teachers and professors with high expectations and a taste for demanding repertoire, Valerie was able to explore orchestral, chamber and vocal music from the inside out, all through high school and college. At some point during an unfocused pursuit of a bachelor's degree, she wandered into the studios of KNAU (now Arizona Public Radio) in Flagstaff, Arizona. A stint as a volunteer in the music library inevitably led to being placed, unwillingly, in front of a microphone. It became surprisingly less terrifying each time, so she stayed. Ten years later, she packed her bike and her cat into a small pickup truck and drove to St. Paul, Minnesota to work for Classical24. When she's not playing classical music or talking about classical music, she's likely to be reading, sewing, singing or cooking. Valerie shares her life with her partner John, an artist, and their two cats: Mirra and Dieter.

Jillene Khan

Jillene Khan

Jillene Khan works for Minnesota Public Radio/American Public Media as an overnight classical host. She studied radio broadcasting at Brown College in St. Paul and kept her Midwestern roots after graduation by hosting at radio stations in Minneapolis; Milwaukee; Davenport, Iowa; and Madison, Wisconsin. She has received local and national recognition for her work from the Country Music Association and Wisconsin Broadcasters Association. She recently won the Gracie Award from the Alliance for Women in Media. Outside of radio, her favorite things include spending time with loved ones, a great hug, an animal of any kind, and the thrill of a new experience. She absolutely loves doing things for the first time or going places she has never been before. She also enjoys being outdoors, no matter what the weather. “There’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing,” she says.

Elizabeth Lyon

Elizabeth Lyon

Elizabeth Lyon joins the classical ranks as our assistant program director and fill-in host after six years working for us as a master control specialist, board operator and producer. Her new role combines her love of working technically, behind-the-scenes, as well as stepping in front of the microphone to share her favorite music. As the assistant program director, she coordinates programming, serves as an on-air host and dips her toes in every part of the department. That’s what she loves most about working in radio: “It’s like a river you flow on and you don’t know where you’ll end up, but you love the ride.” Although a violinist by training, her favorite classical composers are tied to her roots in choral music. When not doing all things audio, she can be found hiking, reading, or volunteering with programs that benefit children.

Bonnie North

Bonnie North

For host Bonnie North, classical music is more than just a genre — it's a way of life. She stumbled into the world of radio after responding to a newspaper ad for Vermont Public Radio seeking a classical music DJ for its Sunday afternoon show. Despite having no previous radio experience, she was confident in her knowledge of classical music and took a chance. She created an audition tape, and the rest is history. Her favorite composer depends on her mood. Sometimes she seeks the meditative sounds of Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, while other times she craves the angular compositions of Igor Stravinsky. Of course, she also loves the classics by composers who include Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel. But she is always looking for contemporary composers and is eager to discover new musical talents. Outside of work, she loves to attend live music events. She also enjoys traveling and having friends and family scattered throughout the United States and Europe. But her love for animals is just as strong, and she often volunteers at animal shelters. She is an avid duathlon participant, combining her love for running and biking in one exciting event.

Kevin O'Connor

Kevin O'Connor

Kevin O'Connor grew up in a household where his father and boisterous Irish uncles would often noisily debate what was to be played on the turntable: Between the three brothers, and depending on the mood of the day, it wavered between Glenn Gould, Oscar Peterson and Gordon Lightfoot. (The brothers also hailed from Toronto). Kevin's career arc seemed to follow suit, spinning and selling classical, jazz, folk and pop music on the radio, and briefly in retail, for the past three decades.  A native of the San Francisco Bay Area, he migrated do the Pacific Northwest, landing the requisite free-form overnight shift at his college station, KBSU, Boise. This was the first among many rungs in a public radio career that has always permitted him to express his passions for great music and explore his mercenary tendency toward spreading the message to anyone who will listen. For the past 18 years, he has served as music director and afternoon host at KBEM. He is also an avid cyclist and walker.

Melissa Ousley

Melissa Ousley

Melissa Ousley stumbled into a career in broadcasting many years ago when she moved to Wichita, Kansas to be near her soon-to-be husband. The attraction (to radio work, that is) was immediate and the chance to be around great music without having to practice was irresistible. After establishing herself as a host and producer in Kansas, Melissa moved to Minnesota and continued her work at WCAL in Northfield and Minnesota Public Radio in St. Paul. Her morning classical show at WCAL was twice named "Best Classical Radio Program" by the Twin Cities paper City Pages. Melissa grew up near New York City. As a teenager, she attended the Preparatory Division of the Manhattan School of Music. Her bachelor's degree is from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. When she's away from the airwaves, Melissa loves to run, read, and spend time with her family.

Mindy Ratner

Mindy Ratner

Mindy Ratner fell hopelessly in love with radio as an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she volunteered at an on-campus student station. She worked at the local public television station and began her career in earnest as an announcer at Wisconsin Public Radio. The native New Yorker moved on to stations in Cincinnati and Philadelphia before joining Minnesota Public Radio in 1983. April 1998 marked the beginning of a great life adventure, as Ratner began work as a music host and producer on the English Service of China Radio International in Beijing before a return to MPR. Her extracurricular interests include international travel; folk, ballroom and contra-dancing; choral singing; hanging out with her amazing Chinese cat; and trying to stay ahead of the weeds in her garden…with varying degrees of success!

Melanie Renate

Melanie Renate

Through her many mentors at KROC in Rochester, Minnesota, Melanie Renate learned how to splice tape in tandem with learning how to use her voice. She eventually found her path combining her ability to care for people with her love of radio broadcasting. As a certified health and wellness coach and a passionate yogi and mental-health advocate, she has developed a deep appreciation for ways in which music can aid in overall wellness. She is excited to bring her passion for people with her as she steps back behind the microphone as a classical host.

Steve Seel

Steve Seel

Steve Seel is the host of YourClassical’s weekly SymphonyCast and the trailblazing music show Extra Eclectic. He possesses a broad knowledge of many musical genres, having hosted radio programs ranging from classical to jazz and even avant-garde music at radio stations around the country. Steve began his love affair with public radio at 24 working whatever shifts he could at his hometown station of WUSF-FM in Tampa, Florida, and from there worked his way to snowy Buffalo, New York, and its renowned classical station WNED-FM, where he hosted middays and the weekly experimental-music show Present Tense. In 2005, Steve became one of the founding voices on Minnesota Public Radio's eclectic station, the Current. While there, he hosted afternoons and mornings, and conducted in-depth interviews with pop music luminaries ranging from Brian Eno to David Byrne to Tori Amos. Steve is a basement composer obsessed with all things both minimalist and slow, and might actually be incapable of writing anything that exceeds 75 beats-per-minute.

Steve Staruch

Steve Staruch

Steve Staruch can be heard on Classical Minnesota Public Radio from 3 to 7 p.m. weekdays, including hosting Friday Favorites, as well as nationally during those times. Before joining MPR in 2004, Steve presented a variety of radio programs on WCAL in Northfield, Minn., where he created an immensely popular call-in program, and on WXXI in Rochester, N.Y. Outside radio, he enjoys work as a freelance tenor and violist. He and his wife, Naomi, enjoy traveling, gardening and hosting dinner parties.

Lynne Warfel

Lynne Warfel

Lynne Warfel celebrates 30 years as a broadcaster in 2014. She started in Los Angeles in 1984 at the venerable commercial classical station KFAC, and also worked at KUSC. She then lived in Edinburgh, Scotland for five years working in a classic rock format at Radio Forth in Edinburgh before returning to the States and joining Minnesota Public Radio in 1993. Lynne trained as an actor, graduating from Northwestern University and also trained at Second City Workshop. She's a 35 year member of Actor's Equity and Screen Actors' Guild. She finished a Masters in Theology from Fuller Seminary in Pasadena, CA. Her interests and passions include: laughing, dog rescue, her Collies and Gordon Setters, her Lipizzan horse, Teddy and her two extremely funny, smart and sweet sons, Peter and Josh.