Classical 95.9-FM WCRI

Join us as Ocean House owner and award-winning author Deborah Goodrich Royce moderates a conversation with her Lifestyle Design Panel featuring Genevieve Wheeler Brown, Amanda Reynal, Christopher Spitzmiller, & Ashley Whittaker. About the Panel: Genevieve Wheeler Brown - Founding Genevieve Wheeler Decorative Art Advisory in 2003, Genevieve comes to the advisory business with more than 12 years of experience in the auction world, strong generalist knowledge and a wide range of contacts in American, European and Asian decorative and fine arts. Genevieve began her career with Christie’s in 1992 with the European Decorative Arts Department after working as an intern at The Phillips Collection, Washington D.C. in 1990. She was then asked to run Overseas Consignments at Christie’s Park Avenue, a department that handled inquiries for European based auctions including Indian and Southeast Asian art, Islamic Art, Miniatures, Textiles and Cameras. In 1995 Genevieve became the New York contact for sales of Fabergé and Russian Silver at Christie’s Park Avenue and most recently was as a specialist in Fine Musical Instruments at Christie’s Rockefeller Center from 1998 to 2003. While at Christie’s, she was involved with important sales such as ‘The Pine Cone Egg’ by Carl Fabergé and ‘The Taft’ Stradivari which fetched the auction record for an instrument sold in the United States. She has also been an appraiser on the PBS production ‘The Antiques Roadshow’. A supporter of several fine and decorative art related institutions, Genevieve has served on the Board of the National Society of Colonial Dames in the State of New York, served as a member of the Young Fellows Steering Committee of the Frick Collection from 1995 to 2005 and co-Chaired the Winter Antiques Show Young Collector’s Night, New York in 2004, 2005, and 2006. Genevieve currently advises several organizations including Dumbarton House, a Federal period house museum in Georgetown, as a board member as well as for The Winter Show as a vice-chair of Opening Night and as co-founder of The Winter Show Luncheon. Amanda Reynal - With 30 years in interior design, Amanda Reynal is known for creating joyful spaces that pair a confident use of color with eye catching detail. In 2001, she founded Amanda Reynal Interiors, known for her well-traveled aesthetic and astute knowledge of antiques, art and the global design market. Her work adheres to historical aesthetic, using traditional forms with a fresh and updated sensibility. Her style is influenced by her upbringing in the Northeast and time in Palm Beach. Christopher Spitzmiller - CHRISTOPHER’S ICONIC CERAMIC LAMP DESIGNS draw inspiration from classical forms and traditional gemlike glazes. He began his career in 1996 in Washington, D.C. then moved to New York City in the fall of 1999 where he continues to create his one of-a-kind lamps with a crew of skilled artisans. The lamps are of timeless appeal and luxurious quality. Beautiful classic lamps are drenched in bold, vibrant, rich glazes. As of late Christopher has expanded his designs to tableware and other ceramic accessories. In 2015 he began a partnership with Visual Comfort and Circa Lighting allowing his designs to reach a broader audience. Christopher’s work is often featured in celebrated publications such as Architectural Digest, Town & Country, Elle Décor, Veranda, The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. He has had the honor of making lamps for four different White House Administrations, the Blair House and many other distinguished American homes. When not in the Studio, Christopher can be found at his farm in Millbrook, NY gardening, beekeeping, making jam, cooking for friends, or tending to his flock of heritage breed chickens. All captured in his book ‘A Year at Clove Brook Farm,’ published by Rizzoli. He also enjoys the pleasure of giving back to the community by serving on the boards of the Lenox Hill Neighborhood House and The Garden Conservancy.  Ashley Whittaker - Described as the “neo-traditionalist,” Ashley Whittaker reveals her fresh and modern perspective on traditional design and architecture in all of her work. The New York City decorator offers distinctly classic taste and chic sophistication to residential decoration and interior design. Characterized by tailored rooms that incorporate charming detail and engaging play on color and pattern, Whittaker’s signature style is immediately evident. A Florida native, Ashley received her bachelor degree from St. Lawrence University. She has worked as a special events director at both Ralph Lauren in New York and the finance firm Forstmann Little & Co. Ashley credits her training in the design industry to legendary decorator Markham Roberts where she worked before starting out on her own.   For details on Deborah Goodrich Royce and the Ocean House Author Series, visit deborahgoodrichroyce.com    

This week on Jazz After Dinner, Joe features Pianist Sir Roland Hanna from his 1993 LRC Records recording titled “Roland Hanna Quartet Plays Gershwin.”

This week, for a special St. Patrick's Day show, we feature Eddie Dillon, composer, arranger, singer, and Guitarist, and one of the original guests on the show when it started in 2007. Eddie is the only person to have appeared with Mike every year of the show's existence. We'll listen to some examples of his music, some of his personal favorites, and discuss his upcoming concerts. For more information, go to www.eddiedillon.com 

This week on Jazz After Dinner, Joe features Saxophonist Ravi Coltrane from his 2000 BMG Records recording titled “From The Round Box.”

The Mystic Chamber Music Series is the subject of this week's program, with Thomas Readett, Artistic and Executive Director, Nini Giorgadze, violinist, and Sila Senturk, pianist. We talk about the upcoming 2026 series and their concert coming up on Saturday, April 18th at 5:30 PM at The Noank Baptist Church. For more information, you can go to www.mysticchambermusicseries.com

In this week's WCRI's Kids Hour, your host Jamie listens to music celebrating St. Patrick's Day. You'll hear music from Riverdance, The Secret of Kells, Far & Away, and more!

This week on Jazz After Dinner, Joe features Pianist Stanley Cowell from his 1991 Steeple Chase Records recording titled “Games.”  

The music of Disney is the subject of this week's program with Kurt Anderson, singer and music lover, and Jamie Jones, WCRI’s President and former Disney performer. We talk about many Disney movies and listen to some of their favorite music from those films. For more information, you can call 401-294-0274 or go to www.classical959.com

The RI Civic Choral and Orchestra is the subject of this week's program with Fred Surr, singer and Board Member. We talk about their upcoming concerts, and listen to some of the music being presented on Sunday, March 1st at 3 PM at the URI Fine Arts Center. For more information, you can call 401-521-5670 or go to www.ricco.org

In this episode of This Old Tree, with Doug Still...In the small Estonian town of Orissaare, football players dribble around a 150-year-old oak tree standing impossibly in the middle of their soccer field or "stadium." What seems like a quirky local oddity became a symbol of national pride when this tree won the 2015 European Tree of the Year, beating much larger countries like Hungary, Spain, and the UK. How did an unknown Estonian oak outcompete all of Europe? The answer involves brilliant PR, ancient folklore, a fierce independence forged by centuries of foreign invasion, and a profound connection to forests rooted in animism. Could a tree resist the Soviets? Learn about its inspiring legend that captured the attention of tree-lovers around the world.

This week on Jazz After Dinner, Joe features Saxophonist Gerry Mulligan from his 1992 GRP Records recording, titled “Re-Birth of the Cool.

Join us as Ocean House owner and award-winning author Deborah Goodrich Royce moderates a conversation with thriller authors Christa Carmen, Karen Dukess, Vanessa Lillie, Kristin Offiler, and Tessa Wegert. About the Authors: Christa Carmen lives in Rhode Island. She is the author of The Daughters of Block Island, winner of the Bram Stoker Award and a Shirley Jackson Award finalist, the Indie Horror Book Award-winning Something Borrowed, Something Blood-Soaked, and the Bram Stoker Award-nominated "Through the Looking Glass and Straight into Hell" (Orphans of Bliss: Tales of Addiction Horror). She has a BA from the University of Pennsylvania, an MA from Boston College, and an MFA from the University of Southern Maine. Karen Dukess is the USAToday bestselling author of  Welcome to Murder Week and The Last Book Party and is a contributor to the upcoming anthology (November 2025) Ladies in Waiting: Jane Austen’s Unsung Characters. She is also the host of The Castle Hill Author Talks, a series of virtual and in-person interviews with some of today’s most exciting authors. Karen has been a tour guide in the former Soviet Union, a newspaper reporter in Florida, a magazine publisher in Russia and a speechwriter on gender equality for the United Nations. She has a degree in Russian Studies from Brown University and a Master’s in Journalism from Columbia University. She lives with her family near New York City and spends as much time as possible in Truro on Cape Cod. Vanessa Lillie is the author of the USA Today bestselling suspense novel, Blood Sisters, which was a Target Book Club pick and GMA Book Club Buzz Pick as well as named one of the best mystery novel in 2023 by the Washington Post and Amazon. The sequel, The Bone Thief, was recently released, landing a spot on the USA Today Bestseller List. Her other bestselling thrillers are Little Voices, For the Best and she’s the coauthor of the Young Rich Widows series. Originally from Oklahoma, Vanessa is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation. She has fifteen years of marketing and communications experience and enjoys organizing book events in and around Providence, RI where she lives now. She loves connecting with readers and hosts an Instagram Live show with crime fiction authors! Kristin Offiler is represented by Tia Ikemoto at Creative Artists Agency, and her fiction has been published in the Waccamaw Journal of Contemporary Literature, the Bookends Review, and The Raleigh Review. She has an MFA from Lesley University, but most of what she's learned about writing has come from reading and taking classes with some of her favorite authors. And, of course, through a lot of trial and error with her work. She writes novels and short fiction and also loves teaching creative writing. She's a big fan of summertime, clean sheets, and reading good books on the porch of my 130-year-old house. New England features prominently in most of her work. There’s something special and magical about the region, and she is forever attempting to capture it in her stories. Tessa Wegert is the critically acclaimed author of the Shana Merchant mysteries, as well as the North Country series, beginning with In the Bones. Her books have received numerous starred reviews and have been featured on PBS and NPR Radio. A former journalist and copywriter, Tessa grew up in Quebec and now lives with her husband and children in Connecticut, where she co-founded Sisters in Crime CT and serves on the board of International Thriller Writers (ITW).  For details on Deborah Goodrich Royce and the Ocean House Author Series, visit deborahgoodrichroyce.com  

This week, Joe is featuring Pianist and Vocalist Nat “King” Cole from his 1992 Capitol Records compilation recording, titled “The Best of The Nat “King” Cole Trio.” 

The Narragansett Bay Symphony Community Orchestra is the subject of this week's program with President Greg Henninger. We discuss their upcoming concert and listen to music from the March 8th at 3 PM performance at the E. Providence H. S. Auditorium. For more information, you can call (401) 274-4578 or go to www.nabsco.org

In this week's WCRI's Kids Hour, your host Jamie listens to music celebrating the New England Patriots' return to the Super Bowl. You'll hear music from Bon Jovi, Gustav Holst, Ozzy Osbourne, John Adams, and more!

This week, Joe is featuring Guitarist Larry Coryell from his 1990 Muse Records recording, titled “Shining Hour.”

This week, we feature Aaron-Larget Caplan, classical guitarist. He’s back to introduce another brand new album, “Guitar America 250”. This is the first time these songs will be heard anywhere! We’ll discuss his career and how he has had the opportunity to travel the world playing at concert venues large and small. For more information, you can go to www.alcguitar.com

This week of Jazz After Dinner, Joe features Trumpeter Freddie Hubbard from his 1990, Alfa Records recording, titled “Topsy.”

This week, our special guests are Kristen and Del-Bourree Bach. We discuss their theatrical careers, how they met, and how Del’s artistic abilities led to his becoming one of the most successful painters in the area. We listen to music from Mark Tabor, Del and Kristen’s favorite pianist. For information, you can go to www.del-bourreebach.com

The Community Players' production of “Harold and Maude” is the subject of this week's program, featuring Karen Kessler, the actor, and Brad Kirton, the Director. We discuss production and listen to some of the very interesting songs from the movie soundtrack. The show is opening on February 13th in Pawtucket. For more information, you can call (401) 726-6860 or go to www.thecommunityplayers.org