Sam Wisman
Production Director - 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.
-
Large ensembles from the UMKC Conservatory perform two masterpieces from two different eras: Tchaikovsky's "Romeo and Juliet," and Zhou Long's "Ancient Echoes." -
Composer Olivier Messiaen studied with Paul Dukas, who once told him to “listen to the birds! They are great teachers.” Messiaen clearly agreed, and took a deep dive into ornithology and the study and transcription of bird song. -
In Franz Schubert’s tragically short life, his Viennese friends loved arranging musical soirees where his music was featured. They called these events “Schubertiades.” In this episode, we have our own Schubertiade featuring his glorious final piano sonata. -
What if you had no time to prepare for a Mozart premiere? Well, that was the case in February of 1785. Hear how the UMKC Conservatory orchestra does with much more prep time, plus students and faculty perform masterworks by Bach and Haydn. -
Gustav Holst’s influence on John Williams is undeniable. Discover how Holst and Williams use music to evoke the vastness of space, or impending danger from a Roman god of war, or a dark side Sith lord. -
Four national soccer teams will make the Kansas City area their base camp during the 2026 FIFA World Cup: England, Argentina, Algeria and the Netherlands. Each country has a rich musical tradition worth exploring. -
Czech composer Bedřich Smetana was completely deaf when he wrote his first string quartet. On this episode, we'll hear a performance of that work, plus Johannes Brahms' "Tragic Overture," and a dazzling arrangement and performance by Sean Chen of Maurice Ravel's "La valse." -
Since electric vehicles make almost no noise, for safety reasons, something had to be added…something musical. -
Celebrate the transformative power of music and community as nearly 300 musicians fill the stage and captivated audiences fill Powell Hall. The SLSO performs the lush soundscapes of Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloé, collaborations with the IN UNISON and St. Louis Symphony Choruses, and music by two of the SLSO’s dearest friends. -
This week on The UMKC Conservatory Hour, the Conservatory Graduate Fellowship String Quartet performs Beethoven’s glorious first string quartet, and former Conservatory faculty members play piano and orchestral works by J.S. Bach.
