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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Music plays a big role in the annual National Society Daughters of the American Revolution conference in Washington D.C. Meet the Kansas woman who has curated the music and accompanied the choir. -
To mark the 250th anniversary of America’s independence, enjoy a program of American music old and new, familiar and refreshingly current. As our nation has changed over time, so has our music. -
On this episode, acclaimed UMKC Conservatory composition professor Chen Yi takes us on a trip to China, plus we'll hear one of the first brass quintets ever written, and one of Schubert’s final musical statements. -
An odd, three-note notification sound for a credit card machine is reminiscent of a famously difficult piano concerto. -
We have more themes and variations with music from France, England, and Germany. From massive orchestral moments to equally massive moments on piano alone, we'll works by Vincent d'Indy, Hubert Parry and Johannes Brahms. -
From a beautiful lake in summer, to the smell of petrichor after a rain, Johannes Brahms found endless inspiration in nature. In this episode, UMKC Conservatory faculty will perform two beloved chamber works by Brahms. -
Did George Gershwin have Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 on the brain when he composed his “experiment in modern music,” Rhapsody in Blue? -
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.
