Midday Classical host Jennifer Reason’s Local Artist Feature has become a staple of KXPR’s weekly programming. It reached the one year mark back in February and has continued to inspire and shine a spotlight on the region’s best performers and composers. You can check it out every Friday afternoon at 12pm noon and again at 6pm on 88.9 FM. Here’s a selection of highlights from 2025 so far. 

 

 

Neil Nayyar: 01-17-2025

                                                                  

Neil Nayyar is one of those prodigies that comes around once in a lifetime, and he lives right here in Elk Grove. At just 19 he already plays over 100 instruments, and as such Neil holds the Assist Foundation’s world record as the youngest person to play all those instruments (from all parts of the planet no less.) He also is a composer, dancer, actor, singer and recording artist. In this feature Neil shares and discusses his debut album Breaking Barriers, in which he wrote and performed all the tracks himself (including all 107 instruments).

Richard Ollarsaba: 01-31-2025

 

Mexican-American bass-baritone, Richard Ollarsaba, is a versatile artist praised by The Washington Post for his “meltingly smooth bass-baritone.” Accolades include Grand Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions as early as 2013, and being a member of the prestigious Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago for three seasons. His career yearly traverses the entire country on the operatic, concert and recital stages, but delightfully he’s still a frequent contributor to Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera. In this feature Richard discusses the importance of inclusivity and is proud to bring us three lesser known composers from his native Mexico.

Anyssa Neumann: 02-14-2025

 

Sacramento native and former Sac State student Anyssa Neumann has made a global career for herself at the piano. Not only did she go on to study at the Manhattan School of Music and Oxford, she has performed across Europe, the United States and Canada, and has been featured on radio programs in as many locations as well. The Sacramento Bee has described her performances as having “Clarity, charm, and equipoise…liquid grace…live-wire tautness…a pianist who has established a deep connection to the Bach repertoire.” In this feature Anyssa discusses her debut album (which yes, includes a lot of Bach!) and the process of recording it in Canada.

 

 

Courtney Daniels: 03-07-2025

 

Soprano Courtney Daniels has walked an inspiring path in her musical journey. Previously she worked as an attorney, but the sudden death of her sister made her realize she was not following her true passion- art, singing, and creating. She bravely stepped away from her traditional day job to pursue opera, and not only did she quickly become an award winning operatic soprano engaged both here in the states and abroad, she also went a step further and composed and starred in her own opera. In this feature, Courtney discusses her journey, and presents not only a taste of her new opera, but also a live performance at Carnegie Hall.