On Air Hosts

I was born in Brooklyn, New York in a bustling area near Coney Island. At nine years old, my family moved to Bad Kreuznach, Germany – walking distance to the most luscious vineyards and home to bridge houses (homes built on the sides of bridges flowing through the beautiful Nahe River). There, I started my musical journey on the flute at the Hochschule fur Musik in Frankfurt, later studying with Sir James Galway, William Bennett, and Paula Robison. I have performed under conductors Valery Gergiev and Hugh Wolf, as well as a featured soloist at Carnegie Hall, Casino Kursaal in Switzerland, and with several orchestras. I regularly perform with ensembles throughout the Portland Metro area.

In 2015, I helped start BRAVO Youth Orchestras’ Cesar Chavez Wind Program in Portland. My work with All Classical Radio began as Artist in Residence in 2020-2021. I also served as the Chair of the station’s inaugural award-winning Recording Inclusivity Initiative Panel. When I am not performing, radio hosting, or teaching, I enjoy sleeping and finding new lakes to kayak in the area.

Adam Eccleston is a contributing host and producer for On Deck with Young Musicians.

I definitely owe my radio career to my parents. They loved music and storytelling, and let me listen to their collection of old-time radio shows on vinyl. I was probably 13 when I told them I wanted to “be on the radio.” I started as a college DJ, then host at a community station, before landing at a public station in the Midwest. I spent years at WETA in Washington DC, then moved to Portland about 20 years ago. I’m still inspired every day by our region’s vibrant arts scene and natural beauty.
 
I’ve won journalism awards, contributed to national shows, and interviewed some of my idols - from Dawn Upshaw and Marin Alsop to Lily Tomlin and Laurie Anderson. I’d never call myself a musician, but I play a few instruments... let’s say “enthusiastically.” I make a little art and do some writing. I fall in love with every dog I meet.
 
Andrea Murray hosts All Classical Radio's overnight hours most nights from 10:00 PM PT to 2:00 AM PT. She’s also the host and producer of Club Mod and Northwest Previews.

I grew up in New Orleans and Mississippi, but I lived in twelve states before finally settling in beautiful Oregon in 2007. I studied music, philosophy, and engineering at Ohio University, where I also began working in radio when I was seventeen, followed by graduate school at Purdue University. Over the last thirty years, I’ve worked as a reporter, arts and culture producer, and host at stations in Atlanta, Orlando, Los Angeles, and American Public Media’s nationally syndicated classical music service, C24.
 
I’ve also worked as an engineer in the music business, and currently teach philosophy at Portland Community College. I love dogs, going out to see movies, cooking at home, and traveling, which is made even better by getting to come home to Portland, and the Pacific Northwest!
 
Brandi Parisi is All Classical Radio's host weekdays from 10:00 AM PT to 2:00 PM PT, and Sundays from 6:00 AM PT to 10:00 AM PT. She is also the host and producer of Played in Oregon, and produces the Oregon Symphony Broadcast series.

As a teenager in Indianapolis, I dreamt of becoming a classical musician and was fortunate to be able to study French horn at Northwestern University. My focus shifted, however, when I discovered radio. I landed a job at a classical station in North Carolina and can distinctly remember the first time I went on-air; in sharing my passion for music I knew I had found my calling. I came to All Classical Radio in 2007 and fell hard for both the station and Oregon. My husband and I particularly relish stormy weekends at the coast. I love jigsaw and word puzzles, and I bake sourdough bread as therapy, but perhaps my favorite pastime is snuggling with my tuxedo cat, Margeaux, and my Irish Setter, Iris.
 
Christa Wessel is All Classical Radio's afternoon host, on the air weekdays from 2:00 PM PT to 6:00 PM PT. Christa is also host and producer of On Deck with Young Musicians and Thursdays @ Three, cohost of Friday Happy Hour, and host and curator of the Five O'clock Favorite.

Whether it was teaching in front of the class in elementary school, being a high school and college mascot, or DJing events in college, I’ve always loved working a crowd. In fact, one of my choir students would say to me not too long ago, “Prof - you’ve been a conductor your whole life.” Music has always been a beacon of healing to me. As someone who moves at 1,000,000 miles per hour, choir – music – is the one thing that makes time stop for me. I knew that I needed to be in the arts. I have to be a teacher, I have to be a conductor, so that I can live in this moment forever. And through these mediums of music, spoken word, and now through connecting with the wonderful listeners of All Classical Radio and ICAN, I find my lifeline to building community.
 
With me, you’re literally preaching to the choir. Or shall I say, through it.
 
Coty Raven Morris is a contributing host and producer for ICAN and All Classical Radio, and the host of the seasonal program Sound in Print.

Music has always been the central focus of my life. I grew up surrounded by music and started playing bass and guitar in bands as a teenager. Classical music became a large part of my life in college, alongside jazz and electronic music. The opportunity to see live orchestras in person opened my eyes to many new ways of understanding and appreciating music. While attending Indiana University, I hosted the Free Noise Hour on WIUX, a weekly show centered on all things experimental, avant-garde, and noisy. I moved to Portland in 2021 and have spent my time seeing live music, enjoying local restaurants, and exploring all the natural beauty that Oregon has to offer. When not working at All Classical Radio, I spend my time writing, recording, and performing music with several groups and as a solo musician.

Dylan Bodnarick hosts All Classical Radio's Saturday morning hours from 6:00 AM PT to 10:00 AM PT, and Sundays from 3:00 PM PT to 9:00 PM PT. Dylan also hosts the seasonal syndicated broadcasts from the Metropolitan Opera.

I grew up on a farm in England, milking cows, caring for piglets, and working the land, and delivering newspapers after school on my pony, Tommy. My love for animals has remained part of my life – in 1997, I cofounded a chimpanzee orphanage and traveled extensively to Cameroon working with veterinarians, and I now share my home with a bunny and a cat who run the house.
 
I’ve always had an affinity for entertaining and trained as a Shakespearean actor. In the 1980s, I was hired by the BBC and became their Hollywood correspondent, and after living in LA for a decade, I moved to Portland and worked in films and television. In 2001, I joined the All Classical team and created The Score in 2006. I became a US citizen in 2008, on my birthday. I’m an avid gardener and live in a 19th-century rose-covered cottage with my wife Cindy. I’m an incurable romantic, and I love to entertain and make people laugh.
 
Edmund Stone is the creator and producer of The Score, a nationally syndicated film music program, which airs every Saturday and Sunday at 2:00 PM PT on All Classical Radio.

I was born in Chicago and grew up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I got my first job in radio announcing the evening shift on a classical station in 1969. I had always wanted to be a radio announcer, pretending to do the news or host a music show when I was a kid, practicing reading from news magazines and introducing my parents’ records. Moving to advance my career, I worked at five different stations before landing at All Classical in 2002. Over the years, I have lived and worked in Michigan, Illinois, New York, and Arizona before settling in Portland. The first time I visited the Northwest, I felt I had arrived home - the land, the climate, the manner of the people (most people) felt just right for me.
 
John Burk is the All Classical Radio host weeknights from 6:00 PM PT to 10:00 PM PT, and overnight Sundays from 9:00 PM PT to Mondays at 6:00 AM PT.

I am a native Portlander who grew up in a household filled with classical music. My career in classical music radio and the history of All Classical Radio are identical, as I have been a part of this organization since the summer of 1983. So, you could say that All Classical Radio and I have grown up together! So much has changed, and I’ve been witness to - and a part of - so much growth at this amazing, unique classical music radio station. When not at work, I might be found trying to tame the plants and trees that grow so well in this Pacific Northwest climate, attending concerts, taking road trips with my wife, reading, watching films, or trying out some new recipe in the kitchen.
 
John Pitman is All Classical Radio's host Sundays from 3:00 PM PT to 6:00 PM PT, and Saturdays from 3:00 PM PT to 9:00 PM PT, which includes his weekly Saturday evening series, The Concert Hall.

A native of Pullman, WA, I moved to Portland in 2000 and was quickly won over by the music and food scenes, the abundant natural beauty, and the kind and creative people who live here. For over three decades, music has been my overriding passion, and I’ve been very fortunate to write and produce music in a wide array of styles, and perform in venues all over the Western U.S. I play bass in Portland cumbia group Orquestra Pacifico Tropical, which means I get to create amazing music with some of the nicest bandmates one could ask for. Before All Classical Radio, I worked in the legal technology industry. I’m married to a wonderful woman named Lauren, and in our free time, we dote on our small dog Chili, cook, read, and watch horror movies.
 
Leb Borgerson hosts Tuesdays through Sundays from 2:00 AM PT to 6:00 AM PT on All Classical Radio.

I was born in San José, Costa Rica, where I started learning the violin at age 9. While I was passionate about many fields through high school, music became the most important source of joy in my life. I won an audition for a tenure-track violin position with the Costa Rica National Symphony during my college years. Later, I came to the US for graduate studies, and that’s when I discovered orchestral conducting. After a few years of freelancing in New Orleans, I became the new Music Director of Metropolitan Youth Symphony in Portland in 2016. During the pandemic, I produced and hosted live-streamed interviews for MYS, with a wide variety of live guests. This project led me to join the All Classical team, where I'm surrounded by an incredible group of like-minded music lovers.
 
Raúl Gómez-Rojas is a contributing host and producer for On Deck with Young Musicians.

Music has been a fundamental part of my life since my earliest memories. From a childhood spent in choirs, piano lessons, and musical theater productions to earning an masters degree in voice performance, my life has been guided by the call of classical music. I’m a SoCal native currently settled in SE Portland after spending nearly a decade writing and performing on the East Coast. I got my first taste of music research while working as a Music History T.A. in grad school, and ever since, I’ve been obsessed with humanizing the names behind the music we love so much. When I’m not stooped over my desk gleefully going down rabbit holes, you will find me on long, scenic walks with my husband and daughter, savoring a glass of Pacific Northwest wine, or immersed in a sturdy historical biography.
 
Rebecca Richardson is the project manager for All Classical Radio's Artist Anthology.

I grew up moving around the world with my family before landing at Columbia College in Chicago, where I studied Radio Broadcast Production. My passion for radio truly ignited while tinkering with audio software in school. That's when I knew this was the career path for me.

I spent an unforgettable year living in Melbourne, Australia after graduating, after which I began my radio career at WFMT in Chicago working on programs for Lyric Opera Broadcasts, the Grant Park Music Festival, and producing the Deems Taylor Award-winning show, Relevant Tones. I’ve also worked at NPR's WBEZ and contributed to liners and promos for WMVP, Chicago's ESPN AM station. Since 2019, I have had the pleasure of being Program Director of All Classical Radio’s International Children’s Arts Network – a 24-hour resource for children, families, and educators.

Beyond radio, I enjoy exploring new podcasts, going to comedy shows, painting my nails, and discovering hidden gems in the Pacific Northwest. I am passionate about storytelling, and connecting with listeners and young people.

I moved to Portland, Oregon over 20 years ago from the Northwest of England, a short ferry ride from Liverpool. I was first enticed across the Atlantic by summer camp, where I spent many of the warmer months in Upstate New York working with youth. I continued working with young people when I moved to Portland, in elementary schools and more at summer camps as a Director. Working with youth has always been a passion of mine, and I still enjoy mentoring today through my work on All Classical Radio and the International Children's Arts Network.
 
In my free time, you might catch me running alongside the Willamette River, playing board games with friends, or enjoying the beautiful scenery that is given to us by the Pacific Northwest.
 
Steven Joinson is the Production Assistant for the International Children's Arts Network.

My career in broadcasting began at WHYY in Philadelphia where I had the opportunity to watch TV and radio be produced by extraordinary individuals. I was bitten by the broadcast bug and the rest, (as they say) is history. I love storytelling. I love gathering communities together around music and outstanding content that connects. I've had the opportunity to work on dozens of radio and TV programs and documentaries. At Maine Public, I created the Emmy-award-winning TV series MaineArts! and the radio series: Music that Moves ME. At All Classical Radio, I enjoy my work as CEO and the creative opportunity to produce Sunday Brunch: A weekly exploration of cultures through delicious music.

Suzanne Nance is the creator, host, and producer of Sunday Brunch.

I’m not a morning person, but since 2018 I’ve been All Classical Radio’s morning host, providing an easy on-ramp to the day for night owls and early risers alike. You can also find me on Friday Happy Hour and Saturday Matinee. I also edit and occasionally guest host The Score. Before joining All Classical in 2016, I hosted a weekly vocal jazz show on Portland’s KMHD. My first radio experience was on a college station in my hometown of Sioux Falls, SD. Other radio stops have included KUOW (Seattle), WBEZ (Chicago), and KCUR in Kansas City, where I was a morning news anchor (a job I happily gave up because I’m not really a morning person).
 
Warren Black is All Classical Radio's weekday morning host from 6:00 AM PT to 10:00 AM PT, as well as the host of Saturday Matinee and host and producer of Friday Happy Hour. Warren provides production assistance to The Score.