People come to classical music for a variety of reasons, but in my four years as morning classical host at CapRadio I’ve noticed a common thread among many listeners: curiosity. It takes a curious person to want to know the history of a piece of music and whether it was written for war or inspired by water. A curious person is often mesmerized by the simple mastery of Mozart and baffled by the utter brilliance of Bach. To be curious is to listen to a 30-minute symphony in its entirety while living in an age of 3-minute pop standards. A classical music fan is curious and often eager to learn more about what they love.

That’s why I am so excited about my new role as CapRadio’s classical music director and assistant managing editor. It’s a position that gives me the opportunity to better serve that which drives CapRadio’s community of listeners. Let’s just say, now I get to use my curiosity to help satisfy yours!

In my new role, I will continue to curate and grow our distinctive sound. Together with the rest of the team, I get to stand as a steward of the great tradition of classical music on CapRadio while I also venture out in search of lesser-known gems and brand new discoveries that will hopefully surprise and delight you. My goal is to ensure that CapRadio is a haven for classical music reflective of our thriving community, as well as an entry point for other curious folks who wish to join the fold.

Undoubtedly, this is a big job, and it’s one that I take very seriously. I am excited for this new challenge and humbled at the opportunity to help push the paradigm forward for classical music on CapRadio and throughout our community.

As always, enjoy the music, stay curious and please remember... keep it Classical!

Kevin Doherty
Classical Music Director & Assistant Managing Editor

Amid a global pandemic, many are also raising important questions and issues in the most significant civil rights movement in decades. Turning her attention to her own friends and colleagues within the world of classical music, classical host Jennifer Reason wanted to hear and listen to the voices of those whose experiences differed from her own. Jennifer speaks with violinist Chase Spruill on experiencing classical music as a Black musician and his feelings during this moment.

June 19 or Juneteenth is the day of celebration that recognizes African American freedom from slavery. Although Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862, it wasn’t until June 19, 1865 that a union general arrived in Galveston, Texas with soldiers to enforce Lincoln’s proclamation, marking the end of the Civil War and slavery. This year's celebrations held particular significance amid one of the most momentous civil rights movements in generations. Leaders called for reforms against systemic racism and action.

In honor of this important day, classical host Kevin Doherty took the opportunity to celebrate and learn more about Black composers and musicians' extensive contributions to the classical music canon. Listen to the playlist below to delve further into the work of these artists.

While July 4, 1776 may be the day the United States declared independence, it wasn’t until the 20th Century that American music broke away from the pack. Here are five composers from the early 1900s — not named Aaron Copland — who helped define a new era of music.

John Knowles Paine
Though John Knowles Paine was firmly rooted in the Romantic era of the 1800s, he was the first American composer to achieve large-scale success in the world of orchestral music. He was also the senior member of the group of composers known as The Boston Six that included Amy Beach, Arthur Foote, and George Chadwick. Paine also holds the distinction of being the first American music professor teaching at Harvard until his death in 1905.

Ruth Crawford Seeger
Ruth Crawford Seeger, born in East Liverpool, Ohio, was a leading figure in the American Folk Movement of the 1930s. Initially, she was a prolific composer in the serialist or atonal style of the Arnold Schoenberg; however, Crawford Seeger is best known for folk-inspired compositions like Rissolty Rissolty and Our Singing Country. She is also the author of many books considered to be essential texts in American music education.

Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington is widely considered to be the originator of Big Band Jazz. Not just a leading figure in Jazz, Ellington was also a prolific composer for stage and screen and made ample contributions to the American Songbook. Ellington, inspired by ragtime, began performing professionally at 17 and went on to create one of the most recognizable sounds in Western music. Contributions to the concert stage include the Black, Brown, and Beige Orchestral Suite as well as a reorchestration of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite.

Samuel Barber
Samuel Barber is probably best known today for his ubiquitous Adagio for Strings. Born in Pennsylvania in 1910, Barber is considered a neo-romantic whose musical style was expressive and lending toward long, lyrical lines. He was among the first class to ever attend school at the renowned Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. In addition to his Adagio, Barber’s Violin Concerto, the opera Vanessa, and his two Symphonies stand out as some of his most important works.

Undine Smith Moore
Undine Smith Moore, often referred to as the “Dean of Black Women Composers,” composed more than 100 works. Moore was best known for her choral and vocal works, as well as her arrangements of spirituals. Moore was on faculty at Virginia State College until her retirement in 1972. She was also a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 1981 for her Martin Luther King Jr. inspired oratorio called Scenes from the Life of a Martyr.

Since the appearance of jazz in the early 20th century, jazz and classical, despite the efforts of a few classical composers, have remained separated by lines that most listeners won't cross. This month, classical host Victor Forman shares some of his favorite jazz pieces that took their inspiration from classical music.

As CapRadio's resident Canadian expat, jazz host Andrew Mills holds the first of July, Canada Day, near and dear to his heart. This month he celebrates music spanning seven decades by some of his personal favorite Canadian jazz artists.

CapRadio Music is pleased to announce the addition of SymphonyCast to our weekly schedule, airing Sundays from 4-6 p.m. Produced by American Public Media and hosted by Julie Amacher, this highly acclaimed program features full-length concerts by many of this country’s finest orchestras, including the Houston Symphony, the Buffalo Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Oregon Symphony, the Minnesota Orchestra and more.

Among the star soloists who have appeared on SymphonyCast are Emanuel Ax, Hilary Hahn, Joshua Bell, Gil Shaham, Yuja Wang, Mitsuko Uchida and André Watts. SymphonyCast features international concerts from such sources as the BBC Proms (unfortunately canceled this year) and Germany’s WDR Symphony, which will be on the program later this month.

July 8, 4:30 p.m.
Met Opera HD Archives: Mozart’s Così fan tutte

July 10, 11 a.m.
John Williams and Anne-Sophie Mutter, join the Vienna Philharmonic

July 11, 5:30 p.m.
Mimir Festival

July 16, 3 p.m.
Live@National Sawdust: Molly Joyce

July 17, 11 a.m.
Philharmonia Orchestra and Cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason

July 30, 3 p.m.
Live@National Sawdust: Sae Hashimoto

July 9, 3:30 p.m.
Offstage LIVE with Jazz Arts Group

July 10, 5 p.m.
Bringing The Funk: John Scofield & Lettuce

July 17, 4:30 p.m.
Jazz at Lincoln Center: Dizzy's at Home

July 18, 5 p.m.
Mrs. Smith’s Grief & Rage Holiday Cabaret and Encounter Group

July 25, 4-6 p.m
DCJazzFest from Home

July 31, 5 p.m.
Wayne Shorter Celebration Pt. 3

Join CapRadio and host Donna Apidone for a live virtual author interview with poet Devi S. Laskar about her first novel, The Atlas of Reds and Blues. Inspired by the terrifying experience of a police raid on her own home, Laskar tackles what it means to be the daughter of immigrants in America and all of the prejudice and bias that comes with it. 

You can purchase your book or audiobook online here.

If you missed last month’s interview with Holocaust survivor Irene Butter, watch it here.

Enter your submissions for Print Radio, CapRadio’s annual design competition, by July 26 for a chance to win a $250 prize. This year’s focus invites artists, creators and designers to illustrate how public radio serves our community. Our listeners rely on our in-depth reporting and appreciate our support of the arts. How do you express your connection to public radio through art? 

Thank you to our 2020 sponsor Bonney Plumbing, Electrical, Heating and Air.

We are in the early stages of planning a much-needed service — an online account to manage your membership — based on feedback we received. As we go through this process, we would like to work with you to build a product that meets your needs. If you are interested in providing feedback through surveys, phone/video calls or by testing the interface at different stages of development, please sign up below. Your input is valuable, and we look forward to serving you better.

Looking for classical music during the 7-11 p.m. jazz programming? Check out our 24-hour classical stream.

Listener testimonials are great for generating enthusiasm and support for CapRadio's music programming, especially during fund drives. That's why we want to hear from you, our loyal listeners. Let us know what do you listen to? Why do you listen? How, where, and when do you do most of your listening? What role does CapRadio play in your life?

How to Share Your Testimonial

• Record your story on our Listener Testimonial Line  916-877-4888  or
• Record your story on a smartphone using Voice Memo or similar app, then email the audio to: [email protected]

If you do submit, listen closely during our next on-air campaign and you just might hear your story!

CapRadio and NPR are accessible any time you want through your Amazon Alexa, Google Home or Apple Homepod smart speaker. To help you out, our digital products team put together a guide so you can easily stream the news and music you love.

In order to better serve our listeners, we now have a web page where you can check the status of our broadcast signals across our coverage areas. You can also report problems you're having and easily access other listening options through our online streaming, mobile app and more.