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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Celebrate 250 episodes of "From the Archives" with Franz Schubert’s Symphony No. 9, known as “The Great.” Its “heavenly length” (as described by Robert Schumann), today seems just perfect, and Schubert gives us melodies as only he can. We’ll hear it in a spectacular live performance by the Gunter Wand and the Berlin Philharmonic. -
Backed by centuries of history and artistry, the harp is entrenched throughout Irish society and culture. After a year studying in Dublin, contributor Brooke Knoll plucks fun facts from the past and present of the Irish harp. -
The Magic Flute is a story that blends fairy tale and philosophy. One of Mozart’s most brilliant orchestral scores, this magnificent, extravagant opera-in-concert production combines the talents of the SLSO, a cast of acclaimed vocalists including Kansas City born tenor Ben Bliss, and the St. Louis Symphony Chorus and Children's Chorus. -
Erich Wolfgang Korngold was one of the greatest film composers of the early 20th century. He composed a brilliant score for the 1940 film “The Sea Hawk” starring Errol Flynn. It’s been called “the best swashbuckling film of all time,” and the music is spectacular and great fun. -
Humanity is at the core of this transformative program that includes Sergei Prokofiev's wartime Fifth Symphony, and RE|Member by Reena Esmail. And composer Billy Childs expresses trauma, resilience, and empowerment within the Black American experience through his poignant symphonic poem, Diaspora, brought to life by saxophone soloist Steven Banks. -
The Polonaise is a Polish rustic dance dating back to the 16th century. It’s one of Poland’s national dances, and has inspired composers for centuries. We’ll hear Polonaises by six different composers, especially the great Frédéric Chopin who mastered the form. -
Nearly every Kansas City Ballet rehearsal, class and performance has live music - something that is increasingly rare in the dance world. Classical KC takes you behind the scenes with some of these flexible Kansas City musicians. -
Conductor Dima Slobodeniouk joins the SLSO for the first time, leading the orchestra in Peter Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4. Wu Wei plays a stunning concerto by Finnish composer Jukka Tiensuu on the sheng, a mouth organ and one of the oldest-known Chinese instruments, dating back more than 3,000 years. Plus, we'll hear Lotta Wennäkoski’s Flounce. -
Among Christoph von Dohnányi’s many posts over his long career, his 18 years as Music Director of the Cleveland Orchestra was remarkable. He took this great orchestra to new heights, expanded its repertoire, and took it around the world. In this final show remembering him, we’ll hear studio and live recordings from his time in Cleveland – a tribute to his musical leadership. -
One of the world’s great conductors passed away in September 2025. Christoph von Dohnányi became known to American audiences during his tenure as Music Director of the Cleveland Orchestra, but he had an impressive career in opera prior to that time. We’ll hear music from opera and from the symphonic literature that he knew and interpreted so well.
