About WCRI
Classical 95.9-FM WCRI, Billboard Connection Providence, and the World Classical Network are owned by Judson Group, Inc., a company that includes the son and grandsons of broadcasting pioneer Ted Jones, founder of Charles River Broadcasting Company and Boston’s legendary classical music station, WCRB. Judson Group acquired Classical 95.9-FM WCRI from Charles River Broadcasting in 2006 and is committed to carrying on the Ted Jones tradition of radio excellence.
Classical 95.9-FM WCRI is the only classical music station exclusively serving southern Rhode Island and southeastern Connecticut.
WCRI reaches an upscale, educated, and active listening audience that is attractive to potential advertisers. With its transmitter situated on Block Island, WCRI provides a strong, clean signal to all of southern Rhode Island and southeastern Connecticut.
In addition to popular classical movements and pieces, WCRI presents special local arts programming such as Jazz After Dinner w/ Joe Parillo, WCRI’s Kids Hour, Ocean House Author Series w/ Deborah Goodrich Royce, Conducting Conversations w/ Mike Maino, The 95.9 Company Break and more!
For more information, contact Jamie at (401) 294-9274 or you can email us at [email protected].
Laura Carlo – Mornings 6AM-10AM
Laura Carlo served as the Morning Program Host for WCRB 99.5 for almost 3 decades, winning numerous “Best Radio DJ” awards, including being inducted into the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2022. She is also a journalist and the newest columnist for Boston’s 110-year-old weekly, the Post-Gazette. In addition to her daily program, she wrote well over 100 blogs on various classical music topics for the station’s website (still archived and viewable at classical.org). She wrote, produced, and hosted numerous features and programs for WCRB, including “ArtsAlive!” “Laura’s Book Nook,” “CEO Spotlight,” “Making Waves,” and “Baroque in Boston.” Under the station’s original (commercial) ownership, she also hosted the morning show for the World Classical Network, syndicated in 16 major US cities, making her the “most listened to stand-alone female music announcer in America,” according to the Arbitron ratings service. She has been both a part-time Music Host and News Anchor on New York’s WQXR. In Boston, Weekend News Anchor on WBZ Radio, and Weekend News Writer and News Producer for WCVB-TV 5; Afternoon News Anchor for Channel 27 (WHLL, Worcester); and News Director/Morning Anchor on Fall River’s WALE Radio. Under her leadership, WALE and WCRB won numerous “Best News” awards from UPI, including a National 1st Place Award for Best Local News/Small Market, as well as from several prestigious journalism competitions. Through her company, “Get Me Laura Carlo!” Ms. Carlo is the female voice for AT&T’s national voice recognition system, as well as for entities as diverse as Roche Diagnostics, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Department (Arizona), Unitel, Banamex, and Macy’s of Southern California. She is also an in-demand audiobook narrator. She is a frequent guest speaker for college communications majors, an organic gardener, a fearless cook and baker specializing in 100% from-scratch southern Italian cooking, a classical pianist, and a world traveler.
Mark Calder – Middays 10AM-2PM
Mark Calder, The World Classical Networks morning announcer, comes to us from the picturesque North Shore of Massachusetts. His broadcasting career spans nearly 25 years in New England radio and on the web. A deans list graduate from Boston’s New England Institute of Art, aka Northeast Broadcasting School, Mark started out an intern, writing and producing short character scripts for the morning show at WFNX, an alternative rock station. His first radio gig was at WNSH in the 90’s, a small top 40 station, broadcasting from Endicott College in Beverly Ma. Shortly thereafter, Mark entered the classical format with WBOQ in Beverly MA, also known as WBach, go figure and continued on with that station as they moved to Maine, tracking the evening shift. Then it was onto business news, WBNW, as production director. From there, Mark was re-introduced once again to the classical format that offered so much more than the short play lists and repetition the other stations were offering; this time at the most prestigious classical station in New England, WCRB, a tenure that lasted for over 10 years. Most recently he’s been at work on the web, imaging a New Mexico country station KIX103. Mark can also be heard on numerous voice-overs for internet marketing companies. An accomplished musician, he plays a variety of instruments, guitar and blues harp his favorites. Exercise and outdoor activities are also as important as regularly hearing his favorite composers like Beethoven, Brahms and Dvorak and of course Mozart.
Don Spencer – Afternoons 2PM-6PM
Don Spencer also is a native New Englander, having grown up in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. He got “hooked” on radio at 15, after being asked to participate in an internship as part of a journalism class in high school. Don went to college in Boston and while attending school, he did a night shift at a station back home. After graduating, Don got involved in newswriting and production, as well as programming. He says he feels lucky to be doing something he loves and doing it in New England. He particularly enjoys talking to listeners about the music they have in common. Besides his interest in Classical Music, Don also likes Jazz and Swing. Don’s favorite place on the Cape is the Bass River area of Yarmouth and Dennis, but he also enjoys the Cape Cod National Seashore. Don likes to hike and golf and is a huge Red Sox fan and when not at work can usually be found on the golf course or at Fenway park. His favorite composer is Bach and loves the “perfection” of the Brandenburg Concertos, but he also likes to play the William Tell and 1812 Overtures very Loud!
Tyler Kline – Evenings 6PM-10PM & Living Classical - Weds. 8PM-9PM
Tyler Kline (b. 1991; he/him/his) is a composer, audio engineer, and radio broadcaster whose work is deeply influenced by the ideals of Wabi-Sabi, a Japanese aesthetic and worldview that values transience, imperfection, and impermanence. This manifests in Tyler’s music in a variety of ways: the use of extended sounds/techniques in order to obscure musical textures; rhythmic dissonance that disconnects melodic and harmonic lines from the overall pulse; and fleeting gestures that evoke the natural world.
Recent compositions have included Orchard (2018), a collection of 50 short solo piano character studies based on various botanical fruit; West of the Sun (2019), an orchestra work inspired by the writing of Haruki Murakami; various chamber works for solo clarinet (liveoak, 2020), violin and piano (Eight Aspects, 2020), melodica and piano (basil eyes, 2020), and toy piano (Sycamore, 2020); and a string quartet composed for Tokyo-based musicGROVE (2021).
Recognized by ASCAP, Hillsborough Arts Council (Tampa, FL), and Creative Loafing (Tampa, FL) for his work, Tyler’s music has been performed throughout the United States, and internationally in Europe, Asia, and Brazil. Most recently, he was awarded the Ohio Individual Excellence Award (2024) for his work in music composition. His music has been presented at a variety of venues, festivals, and conferences, including World Piano Conference (Novi Sad, Serbia), Dot the Line New Music Festival (South Korea), London International Piano Symposium (London, England), San Francisco Piano Festival (San Francisco, CA), Southeastern Regional Tuba/Euphonium Conference (Tallahassee, FL), Lucca International Festival (Lucca, Italy), Atlantic Music Festival (Waterville, ME), Maryland Wind Festival, NYC Electroacoustic Music Festival, International Computer Music Conference, National Association of Composers/USA National Conference, and the Penn State University New-Music Festival and Symposium (State College, PA).
Equal parts music maker and contemporary music advocate, Tyler has worked extensively to build thoughtfully curated platforms that share the work of living composers with wider audiences. In 2017, Tyler co-founded Terroir New Music with composer Susanna Hancock, a live event series that pairs the music of living composers with the work of local chefs and brewers in casual venues.
Since 2019, Tyler has hosted and produced Modern Notebook, a weekly contemporary classical music radio show that has blossomed into a nationally distributed program heard on ten radio stations across the United States. Throughout the program’s 250+ episode run, the music of over 800 individual composers has been presented.
In April 2024, Tyler founded Loose Leaf Transmissions, an audio-forward multimedia platform, along with its flagship podcast music/Maker with Tyler Kline. This further extends Tyler’s work on the radio, enabling long-form interviews with composers and other creatives to discuss their artistic journey, process, inspirations, and more.
A native of Kentucky, Tyler holds a Bachelor of Arts from Morehead State University, where he studied euphonium with Dr. Stacy Baker and held a multi-year undergraduate research fellowship mentored by Dr. Deborah Eastwood. He received a Master of Music from the University of South Florida, where his primary composition teachers were Dr. Baljinder Sekhon and Paul Reller. He currently resides in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Trevor Neal – Evening Classics 10PM-Midnight
is a Grammy-nominated baritone, arts executive, producer, and artistic strategist recognized for advancing innovative programming, organizational growth, and audience engagement across the classical music sector. Hailed by Opera News for his extremely “warm and rich baritone”, he is a favorite among audiences across the United States, Europe, Asia, and South America. A 2018 Metropolitan Opera National Council Audition award recipient, Trevor sang numerous leading roles, including a triumphant role debut as Giorgio Germont/La Traviata. Of this performance, James Sohre of Opera Today wrote, “…Trevor Neal was an imposing Giorgio Germont, his physical stature and orotund baritone impressively illuminating the character. Verdi gives Germont some of the opera’s best music and a wonderful theatrical arc, and Mr. Neal took full advantage of the opportunity. His sonorous, mellifluous delivery was marked by beautifully shaped phrases and incisive theatrical insights”. Most recently, he served on the senior leadership team as the Director of Artistic Planning at Newport Classical, Rhode Island’s premier Chamber Music Festival. There, he led artistic planning, programming, and helped shape the organization’s long-term artistic vision. His work included curating the July Festival and chamber series programming, cultivating relationships with internationally acclaimed artists and agents, developing commissioning initiatives, strengthening community partnerships, and creating audience-centered experiences that expanded the organization’s reach and impact.
Joe Parillo – Host of Jazz After Dinner - Fri. 8PM-9PM
Pianist, Grammy nominated composer, and Steinway Artist Joe Parillo, has performed in Brazil, Italy, Germany, New Zealand and most recently Taiwan.
He has played nationally and internationally with the Glenn Miller Orchestra and vibraphonist Jay Hoggard as well as with his trio and in solo performances and master classes. Mr. Parillo was invited as a featured artist for the Steinway Artists Celebration performing at Symphony Hall in Boston to honor the 150th Anniversary of Steinway and Sons.
Joe holds a master’s degree in composition from New England Conservatory, has written and arranged music for theater and film. His most recent works have aired on WSBE-TV and the SciFi Channel’s “First Wave.” Mr. Parillo has been commissioned to write three jazz ballets and has arranged and recorded over twenty-five full-length children’s productions. He has also produced “Songbook,” “Clouds,” and the compact discs “Almost Carefree” and “Block Island Summer” for his ensemble as well as the gospel CD “Meditations of the Heart.” He has recorded two CD’s with the Worcester based Sonic Explorers. Mr. Parillo’s CDs “Angels Gather,” “Morning in the Garden,” and Sandbox” are available through his own Neoga Records label.
Joe Parillo wrote and produced a master class CD, “Using Altered Scales to Create Improvisational Lines,” for the July 1998 issue of JazzPlayer Magazine and he writes a jazz column for the quarterly Rhode Island Music Educators Review. Coordinator of the Rhode Island Music Educators high school jazz festival, Mr. Parillo has been Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Rhode Island for the past seventeen years. In the Fall of 2003 Mr. Parillo brought to fruition the Jazz Studies specialization under the B.A. Degree at the University, as well as the Jazz Studies minor. He has also held the role of Director of annual URI Jazz and World Music Festival consistently since 1993. Joe Parillo is a member of the BMI Lehman-Engel Music Theater Workshops in New York. He is currently President of the Rhode Island Chapter of the International Association of Jazz Educators and one of the 2004 recipients of the Steinway excellence award.
Jamie Jones – Host WCRI’s Kids Hour - See Prog. Page For Times
Jamie studied vocal performance at Boston University and later trained with world renowned vocal coach Manuel Lujan. He worked for Walt Disney World as a stilt walker, puppeteer and Prince Charming. Jamie also has his own original solo album titled “In My World.” He has sung barbershop competitively and currently sings with his B.H.S. Northeastern District Novice Champion and medalist quartet Second Nature. His most recent musical role was in The Music Man at Theatre by the Sea. He has owned Classical 95.9-FM WCRI and Billboard Connection Providence in RI with his father, brother and best friend for the past 17+ years.
Mike Maino – Host of Conducting Conversations - Sun. 7PM-8PM & 95.9 Company Break
Mike Maino has spent over 45 years of his life immersed in the world of singing, speaking and entertaining. As an MC, he has received the prestigious “LaBar Award”, given to only seven people in the 75 year history of International Barbershop Harmony Society. His experiences include hundreds of live stage shows, that have taken him from California to London, Seattle to Bermuda, Ottawa to Miami and just about every major performance venue in between. His voice over work at Aviti Productions, in Providence, led to TV commercial work for Comcast, in the Boston area, and now to the Judson Group, at WCRI.
Doug Still – Host of This Old Tree - See Prog. Page For Times
Doug Still has nearly three decades of experience in arboriculture, he provides clients with objective assessments and planning advice about trees. Preserving old and mature trees safely is a key focus, as is planning for a diverse, healthy tree canopy. Zoning code compliance for tree and landscape plans is a specialty. For more information on Doug and This Old Tree visit www.thisoldtree.net
Ray Brown - Host of Talkin' Birds - Sat. 8:30AM-9AM
Ray Brown is a broadcast veteran with more than 30 years experience in commercial and public radio and television. His first gigs were at WNRI in Woonsocket, RI, and WJAR in Providence, RI. In the late 1970s, Ray landed a job at Cape Cod’s WCOD-FM, where he served as a host until he moved to Boston in the early ’90s. Ray frequently hosts pledge drives for WGBH TV and radio in Boston, as well as for PBS. He’s also the voice of Simon and Schuster’s Pimsleur language-learning programs. For more information on Talkin’ Birds visit www.talkinbirds.com
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