As we mentioned last month, it was in October 1976 when American composer, conductor, educator and champion of American Music Howard Hanson visited WXXI – a great moment in Classical 91.5’s history. We have also remembered many of the wild and wacky things FM 91.5 has done through the years, like Garbage Day in the Wedge and the April Fool’s Day remote from Cobbs Hill Park, that was not a remote at all, but a prank by morning host Simon Pontin that sent then WXXI President Bill Pearce up to Cobbs Hill to search for Simon and the broadcast truck.
It would be some 40+ years later that WXXI Classical 91.5 would do something completely new and different to engage with music lovers, listeners and singers from around the Rochester region. On October 28, 2017 WXXI Classical 91.5 hosted its first Bachtoberfest, Octoberfest with a Bach twist! Hundreds of listeners and singers joined WXXI at Three Heads Brewing for an afternoon of Bach and great beer! There was a sing along with the brass choir in traditional Bach chorales re-worked with new words, classic German brass music by the Oktoberbones, and the Flower City Beer Choir Band for some old-fashioned beer songs. It was a great success and all who attended had a great time. So much so that we did it again in October 2018.
Through the years, FM 91.5 welcomed many great announcers and staff, many who went on to even greater things. We remember the late Tom Teuber (producer & host, late 1970s), Mary Jo Heath (host 1980s & later broadcast host of The Metropolitan Opera broadcasts, 2015-2021), Andy Stauffer (host), Andrew Waggoner (host and composer), Mona Seghatoleslami (host & Music Director 2011-today), Kearstin Piper Brown (host 2015-today, and acclaimed opera soprano, having made her Met Opera debut in Fire Shut Up in My Bones in 2024), Dr. Stephen Johnson (host 2019-today, PhD in Musicology, ESM).