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NEPR Adds More Locally-Produced Classical Music to its Saturday Line Up

Steve Petke
Joyce Skowyra
/
NEPR

New England Public Radio is adding more locally produced classical music to Saturday afternoons on 88.5FM. Beginning September 15, Steve Petke will hosta live program from 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. every Saturday afternoon, featuring the best in classical music from Bach to Beethoven, Handel to Haydn.

"Following our successful Saturday Tanglewood broadcasts, we're excited to expand our local classical music offerings with Steve Petke on Saturday afternoons," said John Voci, Executive Director for Programming at NEPR. "This allows us to add another day of locally hosted classical programming to our schedule and to use Saturday afternoons before the start of the Metropolitan Opera season for other possible classical specials. Steve has done an outstanding job as a substitute host the past few years and it will be great to have him hosting on regular basis."

Steve has been a substitute classical music host at New England Public Radio since 2016. He is the classical music director at University of Hartford's radio station WWUH 91.3. While he did not pursue a career as a musician, he has performed with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra as the barking dog in Walter Piston's The Incredible Flutist.

"Lots of people are very busy on Saturday afternoons -- running errands, working around the house, attending events with their family and friends, etc.," says Steve. "I envision Saturday's music as a 'soothing Saturday soundtrack' for our busy lives."

Opera will return to Saturday afternoons with the Metropolitan Opera's Broadcast Season, beginning December 1 with Arrigo Boito's Mefistofele.

Vanessa has overseen marketing and events at NEPR, now NEPM, since 2008. She is also the co-producer of Valley Voices Story Slam and host of the Valley Voices podcast and radio show. Before she moved back to western Massachusetts to work at her hometown public radio station, Vanessa spent time working in the fashion industry in New York City, and in non-profits and public media in Boston. She lives with her family in Gill, MA.
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