WXXI Classical 91.5

01/15/2026

This Saturday at 3 pm at The Little Theatre, WXXI Classical Presents… THE CHORAL followed by a panel discussion hosted by WXXI’s Brenda Tremblay, with Annika Bentley, Jimmie Highsmith Jr., and Jonathan Allentoff.

In THE CHORAL a choral society’s male members enlist in World War I, leaving the demanding Dr. Guthrie to recruit teenagers. Together, they experience the joy of singing while the young boys grapple with their impending conscription into the army.

Click here to purchase your tickets >> https://thelittle.easy-ware-ticketing.com/generaladmission/hGt2feZc3iwG-O0qWRGl0Q

01/12/2026

We know a lot of our listeners are Antiques Roadshow l PBS fans, so we are just wanted to share the news that they are coming to the Rochester area on June 17! Deets and ticket info 👇

Want to be a part of Antiques Roadshow l PBS? The 2026 Production Tour is stopping in the Rochester area on June 17! Enter to win a pair of free tickets: https://to.pbs.org/3Z8EJqF

We'll announce the venue soon!

(Must enter by Monday, April 6, 2026 at 11:59 PM PT; must be 18; void where prohibited. See full rules: https://to.pbs.org/3ibJVtj.)

01/10/2026

Dear Rochester musicians,
Happy new year! Hope this post finds you well.

It’s not a problem per se, but I have to mention: you have been so prolific and creative and interesting this past year, that I’ve had a bit of trouble keeping up. Now don’t you go changing, I’m just going to keep listening, and we'll have a few of you share the CD spotlight all at once as we start the new year together!

Warmest wishes,
Mona Seghatoleslami
Music Director and Afternoon host

Check out Mona's CD Spotlight(s) here: https://bit.ly/CDSpot_Jan

01/06/2026

Tonight from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. WXXI Classical brings you "Performance Upstate" with performances by First Inversion and Society for Chamber Music in Rochester and music from the Geneva Music Festival (2024) and The Skaneateles Festival (2024).

"Performance Upstate" takes you into concert halls, sacred spaces, and festivals across Western and Central New York. You'll hear a diverse and colorful array of pieces interpreted by passionate and skillful musicians from Rochester and beyond, along with some of the stories behind the music. Brenda Tremblay is your host.

Photo: First Inversion
Credit: Helio Sun Photo/Josh Saunders

12/31/2025

Happy New Year! How will you be celebrating New Year's Day? We'll be spending the morning listening to the Vienna Philharmonic perform it famous New Year's Day concert from the legendary Musikverein in Vienna. It all starts at 11 a.m. Thursday (1/11) on FM 91.5 and streaming at WXXIclassical.org. We hope have the chance to enjoy it!

Photo: © New Years Concert 2025 Dieter Nagl

12/27/2025

Here's Saturday Afternoon Host Marianne Carberry's favorite holiday song(s) and why.

Three favorites which come to mind for me are Irving Berlin's "White Christmas," John Rutter's "Candlelight Carol," and Gustav Holst's "In The Bleak Midwinter." All three carols for me capture the quiet, poignancy, and nostalgia that is Christmas.

12/27/2025

The latest CD Spotlight, written by WXXI Classical host Brenda Tremblay, look at Jeneba Kanneh-Mason's "Jane Austen's Piano, which explores Jane's musical world.

Brenda writes: "Young pianist Jeneba Kanneh-Mason also professes to take pleasure in reading Austen’s stories, and her newest recording infuses sparkle and confidence into music that Jane herself might have played."

You can read the full spotlight here: https://www.wxxiclassical.org/2025-12-15/jane-austens-piano

12/23/2025

Here's Music Director and Weekday Afternoon Host Mona Seghatoleslami's favorite kind of holiday songs and why.

“The minor fall, the major lift.” Songs in minor keys (with the lowered third degree of the scale) are often on the sadder or more mysterious side. There are some really wonderful minor-key Christmas Carols! My favorite ones feature a sudden brightness at the end - a last-minute major chord, called the “Picardy Third.” Two very different songs that I love that feature this transformation are The Coventry Carol (“Lully, Lullay”) and “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.”

Listen, and you’ll hear what I mean!

12/22/2025

On tonight's "Performance Upstate" enjoy performances from Cooperstown Summer Music Festival, Skaneateles Festival, and the piece "Saans" ("Breath") from the Geneva Music Festival with composer Reena Esmail (pictured), featuring Jinjoo Cho on violin, Max Geissler on cello, Henry Kramer on piano.

"Performance Upstate"airing Mondays at 8 p.m. on WXXI Classical, is your tour to concert halls, sacred spaces, and summer music festivals across Western and Central New York. After each broadcast, the episode is available on demand at WXXIClassical.org.

12/21/2025

We asked our WXXI Classical Music Hosts what their favorite classical holiday song is and why. We'll be sharing them with you all month long. Next up: John Andres, Sunday Morning Host.

There are so many wonderful holiday Christmas pieces for all to hear. Some might be brand new or come from many decades or centuries ago.
My favorite selection for Christmas is “Joy to the World”. “Joy to the World” is an original English hymn and Christmas carol. It was composed in 1719 by an English minister Isaac Watts. Later in 1848 American composer Lowell Mason arranged the piece based on George Frederic Handel’s lyrics of Psalm 98 and Genesis 3.

Since the early 20th century, ”Joy to the World” holds the record for being the most-published Christmas carol in North America. As of 2009,it was published in over 1,300 hymnals. You may even hear some familiar notes from Handel’s Messiah or of Charles Wesley’s hymn “O Joyful Sound of Gospel Grace” in this work.

I selected this piece because of the melody, the lyrics and the positive message that it delivers at this time and all throughout the year. ”Joy to the World” has four verses. It tells about heaven and nature, of fields and blessings and of wonders and love. Perhaps this is a favorite song of yours, too. Enjoy this music and so much more this holiday season. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

12/17/2025

It's the annual Live from Hochstein "Cup of Good Cheer" concert at The Hochstein School TODAY at 12 p.m. We hope you can join us for this free Madrigalia performance that is sure to get you in the holiday spirit! Come in person to 50 N. Plymouth Avenue, downtown Rochester or listen to the live broadcast on WXXI Classical! Link in comments for more information!