Sam Wisman
Senior Producer - 91.9 Classical KC / Backup Announcer - KCUR 89.3Sam started listening to jazz on his local NPR affiliate when he was just 13 years old, and his life as a musician and radio guy continues to intertwine. Son of a merchant and a classical musician, he came to Kansas City to attend the UMKC Conservatory. During school, he shelved a lot of records and played “drop the needle” at The Marr Sound Archives, working with KCUR’s own Fish Fry host Chuck Haddix. After graduating Cum Laude with a degree in Percussion Performance, Sam became a versatile fixture in Kansas City’s music scene. He hosted Jazz Afternoon on 90.1 FM KKFI for over 10 years, and currently hosts Jazz Across America - Kansas City on San Diego's KSDS Jazz 88.3. Sam lives with his family in Roeland Park, and has yet to measure the volume of his kids with a decibel meter — but he has thought about it.
Email him at samwisman@classicalkc.org.
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This week, learn the full story behind Gioachino Rossini's "William Tell" Overture. Plus, we'll hear two towering musical expressions of nature with Robert Schumann's Symphony No. 1 and Richard Strauss' Alpine Symphony. Co-hosts Michael Stern and Dan Margolies delve into each composer's frame of mind and what it is required of the orchestra to perform each work.
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Nearly two-hundred years after a twenty year old Frédéric Chopin composed his first piano concerto, the work still delights. This week, we'll hear rising piano star George Li perform the piece, plus the eminent violinist Gil Shaham performs Alban Berg's melancholy concerto. We'll also hear the Kansas City Symphony in a recent performance of Jean Sibelius' swan-inspired Symphony No. 5.
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Located in Kansas City's Crossroads neighborhood, Folk Alliance International has been bringing together folk musicians, fans and industry professionals since its founding in 1989. This work includes an annual conference, often taking place in Kansas City, that brings thousands to the city. Brooke Knoll speaks with Folk Alliance Development and Partnership Director Alex Mallett about the organization, plus we'll highlight some of the classical-crossover artists performing at this year's conference.
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This week, we explore what could have been - and what is - with Franz Schubert's "Unfinished" symphony and a late 20th century sonic exploration of New York City by Aaron Jay Kernis. We'll also hear two of the best loved orchestral showpieces for violin: Max Bruch's Concerto No. 1 featuring a young Benjamin Beilman, and Édouard Lalo's "Symphonie Espagnole" featuring Joshua Bell.
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Acclaimed pianist and writer Jeremy Denk speaks with Brooke Knoll about his early life as a self-proclaimed "weird kid," overcoming musical obstacles and coming to Kansas City to perform. We'll hear Jeremy's recordings of music by Johann Sebastian Bach and Camille Saint-Saëns.
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In this program, we'll hear music composed by three modern American composers, each from a different generation: Quinn Mason's "Joyous Trilogy," Jessie Montgomery's "Banner" and Richard Danilepour's tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. "From the Mountaintop" featuring clarinetist Anthony McGill. To close, the Kansas City Symphony brings to life Franz Schubert's song-like "Great" C major symphony.
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Christian Won is a talented pianist and composer from Grandview, MO. Christly L'Esperance speaks with Christian about his musical inspirations, finding balance between practice and teenage fun, his next steps and more.
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Overland Park teenager Kevin Li has diverse musical tastes including playing his clarinet, listening to hip-hop and making beats. Christy L'Esperance speaks with Kevin about how he got started in music and his transition to a more serious player. We'll also learn how he balances practice time and school work, and finding common ground between classical music and hip-hop.
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From the fun to the formal, renowned wind quintet WindSync has been entertaining audiences of all ages for 15 years. Ahead of their performance in Kansas City, Brooke Knoll speaks with group members Kara LaMoure and Graeme Steele Johnson about WindSync's origins, innovative educational programs and recordings. We'll hear music by Marc Mellits, Miguel del Aguila and Ivan Trevino.
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The birthday celebration for Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart continues with two of his piano concerti and his profound "Jupiter" symphony. Co-hosts Michael Stern and Dan Margolies explore Mozart's frame of mind during each compositional period and offer insights on performing these great works.