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.
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In this week’s UMKC Conservatory Hour, we’ll hear Antonín Dvořák’s Seventh Symphony and Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata”, performed by Conservatory orchestra and faculty. -
One note, is never just one note. When you hear a single note on the piano for example, what you’re actually hearing is a stack of frequencies - a family of related tones known as the harmonic series -
From Hanukkah and Christmas to Kwanzaa and New Year's Eve, enjoy music fit for any celebration, including holiday performances recorded in Kansas City. -
Feel the pull of nostalgia, wonder, and melancholy in works by George Walker, Samuel Barber, and Ludwig van Beethoven. Joined by soprano and St. Louis native Julia Bullock—winner of the 2024 Grammy Award for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album—the SLSO performs Barber’s poignant, brooding reverie on childhood alongside Beethoven’s sublime Pastoral Symphony. -
In this week’s episode, we'll hear UMKC Conservatory alumni, faculty, and orchestra perform one of the very last works by Franz Schubert, and the final movement of Chen Yi’s flute concerto. -
Whether you’ve inherited a piano from a family member, or own a pro-level instrument, proper care is essential for its longevity. Learn how to keep those keys in tip-top shape from local experienced technicians. -
Composer Robert Schumann loved puzzles and secret codes. In his music, he snuck in secret love letters, and paid tribute to musical heroes. -
Antonín Dvořák’s considerable output displays some of the most wonderful melodies and rhythms imaginable. This program showcases three inspiring Dvořák works including his Symphony No. 8, one of host Frank Byrne's most favorite symphonies. -
This week on the UMKC Conservatory hour, we’ll hear a haunted piano quintet by Edward Elgar, dances by Béla Bartók inspired by Transylvanian folk tunes, and Debussy’s prelude to modernity. -
John and Yoko...and Ludwig? Did Ludwig van Beethoven's "Moonlight" Sonata inspire John Lennon to write "Because" from the Abbey Road album? The similarities are fascinating.
