A New Face Behind the Mic

By Gabe DiMaio, Classical 94.5 WNED program director

A big welcome to Bob Berkman, the new afternoon host on Classical 94.5 WNED! Bob is a native Clevelander, earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in theatre at that city’s Case Western Reserve University, where he also studied piano with Jeanette Cherubini and composition with Bernard Frum. In 1975, he was hired by QRS in Buffalo, the world’s last piano roll manufacturer, where he produced a constant flow of new recordings for over 30 years and spearheaded the creation of a musical library for the emerging technology of digital player pianos.

His credits include appearances on NPR, the BBC, and CBS Sunday Morning; rolls commissioned for the films Ragtime and Reds, the latter in cooperation with composer Stephen Sondheim; and the Pianola world premieres of Serge Prokofiev’s Peter And The Wolf and Erik Satie’s Parade, the latter at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D. C. Local venues have included the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, The Burchfield Penney Art Center, Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center, Villa Maria College, and Baird Recital Hall at the University of Buffalo. He brings great depth and breadth of classical music knowledge and a wonderful ease when talking about the music! Enjoy your afternoons with Bob Berkman, weekdays from 2-6pm on Classical 94.5 WNED!