Pat Alexander

Pat Alexander has broad musical credits including classical pianist, teacher and radio announcer. Classical music listeners in Denver knew her as a regular host on KVOD from 1988 to 2000. Her most devoted followers, however, are her many piano students. Having taught privately for over 15 years, Pat believes teaching is both a way to instill a love of classical music and a way to keep from taking herself too seriously. As President of the Denver Bach Society, Pat is committed to bringing the master's music to as many people as possible, through live performance and outreach programs. Lately, she has been excited to renew her studies on the cello.

Julie Amacher

Julie Amacher is the only four-time winner of the PRPD Announcer of the Year award. Her work as music director of KUNC/Greeley helped win that station the PRPD Flo Award for Best Station six times and the Fundraising Award twice. Amacher's record of outstanding work as an announcer, programmer, and producer at KUNC make her one of the most respected hosts in the public radio system.

Steve Blatt

Steve was listening to classical music even before he was born. His father was a composer and pianist, as well as assistant conductor at the Metropolitan Opera, so music was everywhere in their New York home. Growing up in Ann Arbor, he played violin and guitar. Following graduation from the University of Michigan, he began his career in classical radio with KVOD in Denver. During 12 years there, Steve was a music host, writer, producer and sales manager.

Bob Christiansen

Bob Christiansen has been an announcer and program director for nearly 30 years. He teamed up with Bill Morelock while at Northwest Public Radio, and became part of the nationally distributed "Bob & Bill," which won a CPB program award in 1989. In addition to his current work in classical programming, Christiansen hosts shifts on Minnesota Public Radio's classical music stations, including hosting "The Opera," a weekly program devoted to one of his personal weaknesses

Dan Drayer

A public radio veteran since 1988, Dan Drayer joined KCFR in 1995 as local host of NPR's "All Things Considered," filing local reports and interviews for CPR and NPR, including breaking and feature reports during the Columbine High School shootings. In 2001, he became host and executive producer of KCFR's new interview show, "Colorado Matters." In 2005, he joined NPR's newscast unit in Washington, DC, then moved to California as host of KQED's statewide daily news magazine, "The California Report." Most recently, Drayer produced a series of features on the Aspen Music Festival for the Classical Public Radio Network, heard on KVOD. Among numerous broadcasting honors, Drayer has received two Headliner awards and an Edward R. Murrow Award.

Jeff Esworthy

Jeff Esworthy previously worked at WKSU-FM/Kent in northeastern Ohio, where he was host from 1978 to 1995. He professes a widely diverse musical background. As a teenager, he developed a keen interest in the classical music of North India and studied sitar. In college he studied anthropology, the music of India, Japan, and Africa, and music from rural Northern Thailand. Esworthy also has an interest in folk music. He has played banjo in a southern string band and also plays fiddle. He describes himself as a "fairly nocturnal person."

Valerie Kahler

Valerie was born and raised in Mesa, AZ, and graduated from Northern Arizona University with a degree in performance as a cellist. She was a member of the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra. She began her career in radio at KNAU-FM/Flagstaff in 1989, working as program host and music director. During the summer of 1998, she worked for National Public Radio's "Performance Today." Her interests in music are wide-ranging and include many classical genres, pop, Broadway music, and more. Her current classical favorites are clustered around the early 20th century and include Vaughan Williams' "Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis," Respighi's "Ancient Airs and Dances" and the violin concerto by Samuel Barber.

Gillian Martin

Gillian Martin was a music major at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale when her first classical radio career began. Moving from volunteer to student worker to part-time announcer to music director at WSIU-FM, she spent six years on-air there before leaving to pursue a graduate degree in theater. After several years of working in theater and arts administration, she got back into broadcasting in 2005 when she joined Minnesota Public Radio's on-air staff part-time.

Martin is delighted to be a part of "Classical 24." In her off hours, she thoroughly enjoys a good sing-along, is passionate about nonprofit bookkeeping and loves to hear smart people debate big questions.

Mindy Ratner

With years of broadcasting experience and a lengthy list of performing credits under her belt, Mindy Ratner infuses her weekend programs with her knowledge and deep roots in the classical music community. Ratner's broadcast career began at Wisconsin Public Radio and includes tenures at stations in Cincinnati and Philadelphia. She joined Minnesota Public Radio in 1983, and has become a fixture of the regional arts and culture scene.

Ratner appeared as narrator with several community orchestras in works as diverse as "A Lincoln Portrait" by Aaron Copland, Stravinsky's "A Soldier's Tale" and Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf," and she hosted live broadcasts of the Minnesota Orchestra's Sommerfest seasons for more than a decade. Her spare time is devoted to international travel; folk, ballroom, and contradancing; singing in the Minnesota Chorale; her two cats; and trying to stay ahead of the weeds in her garden.

David Rutherford

David has been involved in many aspects of music - performing, teaching, conducting and broadcasting. He is a graduate of the University of Northern Colorado, with degrees in Double Bass Performance and Music Education. At UNC, while playing in six orchestras and announcing on KUNC, he managed to become the first - and to this day, the only - double bassist to win the music department's annual solo competition.

David has taught public school orchestra programs in Nevada, Wyoming and Idaho. During his tenure in Wyoming, David's orchestra program was featured on the NBC Nightly News, and he was selected as a National Teacher Fellow in conducting with the National Symphony Orchestra at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. 

In 1997, David founded the Snake River Chamber Orchestra and served as its musical director for its first four years. Most recently, David was Director of Orchestral Studies and Music Education at Colorado Christian University. He is currently Associate Conductor of the Musica Sacra Chamber Orchestra, as well as Assistant Principal Bass in the Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra. In addition to music, David enjoys spending time in the mountains with his family.

Charlie Samsom

Charley's radio career began at station KADX in Denver, and he spent 19 years at classical music station KVOD. Charley has written program notes for dozens of orchestras nationwide, including the Colorado Symphony and the Denver Young Artists Orchestra, and he serves as host for performances of the Arapahoe Philharmonic and the Denver Brass. Since 1990 he has been the pronouncer for the Colorado State Spelling Bee finals. Charley received his BA in English from Regis College and his Master's Degree in Music History from the University of Northern Colorado.

Monika Vischer

Monika began her announcing career in 1986 at KUNC at the University or Northern Colorado, where she hosted music and NPR news magazines. A flutist and singer, Monika has presented workshops in the U.S. and Canada with UNC's Axidentals and the Grammy-nominated group, Vocal Jazz I. Monika graduated from the University of Northern Colorado with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communications.

Stephanie Wendt

Stephanie Wendt is accomplished as a performer, writer and radio producer and announcer. Born in New Zealand, Stephanie began her piano studies at the age of five. She went on to earn degrees in piano performance from The Curtis institute of Music and Indiana University, and a doctorate from the University of Minnesota, studying with illustrious teachers including Jorge Bolet, Gary Graffman and Enrica Caballo-Gulli. Winner of numerous competitions, she has performed as chamber musician and soloist on five continents, in venues ranging from Avery Fisher Hall in New York to a maximum-security prison.

Stephanie has held teaching positions at the University of Indianapolis, Bethel College in St. Paul, and the University of Minnesota. On the radio, she has worked as a producer and host for Minnesota Public Radio and WCAL. In 2003, Stephanie launched her one-woman play about Clara Schumann, Clara's Visitor, and received the 2003-2004 McKnight Artist Fellowship for Performing Musicians.

John Zech

John Zech is a radio veteran with 21 years of broadcasting experience. He is an accomplished trombonist whose knowledge and love of classical music make him a perfect fit for a classical music series.

Zech is multilingual, speaking English, German, French, Spanish and Italian. His interests are broad, including tournament level tennis, all forms of billiards, and martial arts. He also boasts tremendous marketing savvy, having spent many years in management and sales for a Twin Cities-based multilingual communications company.