Wednesday Evening Classics, 6:00 - 8:00 pM

Film Music, Wednesdays 8:00 pM

Friday Afternoon Classics, Noon - 5:00 pM

One Thursday afternoon Diana Blase aired Sibelius’ Symphony No. 2 on Afternoon Classics. She shared with our listeners that “the piece is dear to me, that particular performance is exceptional.” The recording was of the New York Philharmonic, conducted by Leonard Bernstein. In conversation as the piece drew to a close, she talked of being taken to Philharmonic Hall as a child of eleven or twelve by her Uncle John. She vividly remembers watching Bernstein conduct “on his toes, hair flying! Such abandon, the exuberance!”

Diana came to New York City, home of the conductor who would come to so impress her, as a child from Havana, Cuba. She knew no English but she had an ear for language and it came quickly. She recalls her Uncle John sitting across from her at a Chinese restaurant in Manhattan and teaching her the word “fork” which sounded so strange to her.

Diana attended New York City public schools where she sang in The New York City Chorus. Her tenure with the Chorus included a performance at Carnegie Hall and a recording of the group. In addition to her vocal training, Diana is self-taught on folk guitar.

She earned a B.S. in Chemistry at Columbia University. While working on her Master’s Degree, she participated in research on genetic obesity and related topics. After eight years at Columbia’s medical center she returned home to Connecticut to raise her two children.

As soon as her son started kindergarten, she joined WMNR as a volunteer broadcaster. A whole new world, beside science, opened up and after 34 years behind the microphone she is happy to have made the leap.