As you probably have heard, Performance Today host Fred Child is stepping away from the host chair on October 31, 2025 after 25 years as the program’s host. Following a national search, Fred will be handing the microphone over to friend and colleague Valerie Kahler, a familiar voice for the audiences, as host and producer for APM’s Classical 24 and frequent guest host for Performance Today.
As we celebrate the past seven years of PT on WXXI Classical, join Brenda Tremblay and guest host Fred Child weekday mornings Oct 27 through 31 at 6:40am for a special week of Mystery Pieces, introduced by Fred. We’ll be quizzing you about what you know about Fred’s connections to Rochester and WXXI, and how well you’ve been listening to the show.
Winner of the 2014 Gabriel Award for artistic achievement, Performance Today began airing on WXXI Classical in September 2018. The show will continue with its new host, weekdays from 10am to noon, and Saturdays from 8 to 10am.
Through the years, Fred has visited Rochester for the Lviv National Philharmonic Orchestra and the Gateways Music Festival, produced an episode of the program from right here in the WXXI studios, and worked with WXXI and regional performing arts organizations to bring music from the Upstate and Finger Lakes region onto the show. When you hear performances by the Society for Chamber Music in Rochester, the Geneva Music Festival, or the Skaneateles Festival on PT, its because WXXI has helped make those connections to share live performances with audiences nationwide. We are excited that this kind of collaboration can and will continue.
Of the appointment of Kahler, Fred says, “I’m thrilled for Performance Today, for our stations and listeners, that my talented friend Valerie Kahler will succeed me as host. Valerie is not just an accomplished radio host, a marvelous cellist, and a beautiful singer. She’s one of my all-time favorite storytellers. Her passion for music and her joy in connecting with audiences come through every time she’s present, in person or on radio. I wholeheartedly welcome Valerie Kahler as the next host of Performance Today.”
Please join us in celebrating Fred’s remarkable tenure as host of Performance Today by sharing a farewell message with him here.
Earlier this year, Fred sat down with Chris Farrell in the MPR News studios to talk about what's next in his career. Listen to the entire interview.
