Wrcj In-studio Guests

90.9 WRCJ's Peter Whorf talks with Jader Bignamini and Wynton Marsalis about the new Detroit Symphony Orchestra release of "Blues Symphony".

90.9 WRCJ's Christa Grix talks a little about Maurice Ravel as he celebrates his 150th birthday this year.

Cecelia Sharpe talks with award-winning Detroit trumpeter, composer, and educator Kris Johnson who premieres his work Marlowe's Wings: Detroit's Champion of Change at the Detroit Symphony Orchestra's 2025 Classical Roots concert.

In this excerpt from "Live with C#" Cecelia helps get you ready for Detroit Opera's "Rinaldo" with special guest, the dynamic, soprano Nicole Heaston. Mrs. Heaston brings the role of bad girl to life as Armida in Handel's opera.

90.9 WRCJ's Haley Taylor talks with Louisa Proske, Director of Detroit Opera's production "Rinaldo" as well as Roberto Kalb the Opera's Music Director and Conductor.

Randall Goosby returns to Detroit to play Florence Price with the DSO this weekend. It's a reunion with 90.9 WRCJ's Peter Whorf who heard Goosby play the Price Violin Concerto No. 2 in Amsterdam last spring.

In this excerpt from the January 2025 episode of "Live with C#" Cecelia speaks with Kymm Clark who is both keeping the art of upholstery alive and giving back to the community.

This weekend the DSO performs Gustav Mahler’s monumental Symphony No. 5. Joseph Haydn’s 100th Symphony opens the program. DSO concertmaster Robyn Bollinger joins 90.9 WRCJ’s Peter Whorf to talk about Mahler, Haydn and Beethoven.

Dave Wagner talks with Christopher Ward, Director of the award winning Five Lakes Silver Band and their tribute to the students of Oxford High School in a special work written to honor those who lost their lives during that tragic day.

Assistant Principle Flutist of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra Sharon Sparrow has a new holiday album "Flutes Joyeux!" She stops by our studios before DSO practice to tell us a bit more about it.

Cecelia Sharpe speaks with members of the Akropolis Reed Quintet and composer/pianist Pascal Le Boeuf about their latest album "Are we Dreaming the Same Dream?" They will perform at the Carr Center in Detroit on October 11 2024.

Yuval Sharon and the Detroit Opera are shaking up the opera scene in Detroit. As artistic Director since 2020, Sharon has brought viewers unique performances during the pandemic and beyond. The Opera’s upcoming season will continue to push the boundaries of how opera is presented. Contributor Cecelia Sharpe of 90.9 WRCJ talks with Sharon about the 2024-2025 season, his contract extension and more.

The Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra kicks off its 2024-25 season this Friday night at Hill Auditorium. WRCJ's Peter Whorf speaks with A2SO executive director Sarah Calderini about the first few programs of the season, including the opener - with keyboard showcases by Saint-Saens and Rachmaninoff...

Sheku Kanneh-Mason makes his DSO debut this week. He joins Peter to talk about his remarkable musical family, and his thoughts on cooperation and competition...

Cellist Paul Watkins is in his 10th year as Artistic Director of the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival. He speaks with Peter about the wide-ranging series of concerts, beginning this weekend all around Metro Detroit...

Brian Blade is the Artist in Residence for the 2024 Detroit Jazz Festival. John Penney put together this one hour special featuring his wisdom and his music with the Fellowship Band, Joni Mitchell, Black Dub, Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea, Kenny Garrett, and Ron Miles.

The A2SO wraps up its 2023/24 season Saturday night at Hill Auditorium with Beethoven's 9th. Executive Director Sarah Calderini talks with Peter about next season - and LVB's mighty Choral Symphony...

Learn more about Leos Janacek and his opera "The Cunning Little Vixen" in this short feature put together by 90.9's Jenna Dell and Adam Hinton. Detroit Opera performs their production May 11-19, 2024.

Juanjo Mena leads the DSO this weekend in a program of Schumann and Elgar favorites. Peter speaks with Mena about being a guest conductor...and some of his favorite composers...

Peter and DSO Assistant Conductor Na'Zir McFadden talk about Classical Roots and upcoming concerts...and reflect on some of the sounds we hear in Shelly Washington's "Both"...