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Welcome to the World Classical Network
The World Classical Network (The Classical Station) has a new home! Now proudly owned and operated by Judson Group, Inc., a company that includes the son and grandsons of broadcasting pioneer Ted Jones, founder of Charles River Broadcasting and Boston’s legendary classical music station, WCRB. Judson Group owns Classical 95.9-FM WCRI and, alongside Billboard Connection Providence, is deeply committed to carrying on the Ted Jones tradition of radio excellence.
By bringing the World Classical Network into their local broadcast family, they are dedicated to keeping exceptional classical music alive, vibrant, and accessible. Whether you are starting your morning, pushing through your workday, or winding down at night or on the weekend, WCN’s world-class announcers are here to guide you through the greatest music ever written.
Featured Programs & Shows on the World Classical Network:
In addition to popular classical movements and pieces, WCN also offers special programs & features like these:
Mozart Block at Nine O’Clock: To jump-start your workdays, every weekday morning at 9:00 AM, WCN presents the Mozart Block at 9 O’Clock. The world’s most renowned composer and child superstar, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and his music continue to delight in this program filled with his beloved music.
Dinner Classics: After a busy weekday, WCRI’s Dinner Classics offers you a way to relax and unwind from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM. This program is the perfect accompaniment to the evening meal, a favorite book, or while surfing the web. Take time for yourself with some of these classical favorites!
All-Time Classics: Each evening, Monday through Saturday, from 9:00 PM – 10:00 PM, you can relax as you enjoy All-Time Classics. This program showcases the performances of composers, conductors, and orchestras, which you just can’t seem to get enough of.
Sunday Brunch: From 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM on Sundays, tune in to WCN and leave it on for our Sunday Brunch. This program offers you a time to relax and get away from weekday stresses and distractions. The work week is upon you, so enjoy the calm before the storm with these classical masterpieces.
Specialty Programming for the World Classical Network:
(Subject to changes and additions)
On the World Classical Network, we have special programs and features throughout the year, including the inside stories of the greatest classical composers in our LifeStory series, which airs on one Saturday each month. Other specials include Black History Month, Valentine’s Day: Heart & Soul, Essential Classics Weekend, Great Ladies of Classical, Classical Halloween, Joy of Christmas, and many more…
Here’s what this year has in store…
- January 24th LifeStory…Mozart. Celebrating him all day long.
- February is Black History Month…we’ll spotlight African-American composers, conductors, and performers all month long.
- Saturday, February 14th, Valentine’s Day…we’ll go all Heart and Soul…Love is in the air.
- February 21st LifeStory…admiring Chopin
- In March, on the 7th, LifeStory J.S.Bach
- April 3rd at 6 through Sunday the 5th at 10 pm…Essential Classics Weekend with all the “must-haves” for your classical library.
- In April on the 18th…LifeStory…Music and tidbits surrounding Franz Schubert.
- On to May…with the Great Ladies of Classical on Mother’s Day, May 10th.
- On the 23rd of May…LifeStory…Brahms.
- The 6th of June…LifeStory…Handel.
- This year, American Pops on the 4th of July will be on a Saturday. We’ll celebrate Independence Day with a day and night filled with the Best of America’s Pops Orchestras, Symphonies, and Performers.
- On the 11th of July…LifeStory of Felix Mendelssohn.
- August heats up with Ebony and Ivory Weekend. It’s a chance for the keyboards to shine on the weekend of August 1st and 2nd… all the superstars of classical piano.
- Saturday, August 15th…LifeStory Tchaikovsky.
- Saturday, September 12th…LifeStory…Antonin Dvorak.
- The weekend of October 3rd and 4th…it’s all about the family on The Classical Station…Moms, Dads, Sisters, Brothers…with All in the Family Weekend.
- On the 17th of October…LifeStory Joseph Haydn.
- Halloween is on Saturday the 31st, and we’ll have the scary music and stories to go with it all day and night long for our Classical Halloween.
- Saturday, November 7th…LifeStory Robert Schumann.
- As always, Holiday Music begins the day after Thanksgiving. Just a few to start with, more and more as we get closer to the holidays.
- Our last LifeStory of the year happens on December 12th…Celebrating Beethoven’s Birthday. The All-Time Classic that night is the 9th Symphony, from 9 pm to about 10:15, with no commercial breaks.
- Thursday, December 24th, at 6 pm, right through Friday, the 25th, at midnight, starts The Joy of Christmas…our very popular 30 consecutive hours of Holiday Music.
World Classical Network Daily Lineup...
Laura Carlo: 6:00 AM – 10:00 AM
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: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
MARK CALDER – comes to us from the picturesque North Shore of Massachusetts. His broadcasting career spans nearly 25 years in New England radio and online. A dean’s list graduate from Boston’s New England Institute of Art, aka Northeast Broadcasting School, Mark started out as 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 90s, 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 on to business news at WBNW, as production director. From there, Mark was reintroduced once again to the classical format that offered so much more than the short playlists 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, imagining 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: 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM
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 loves to turn up the volume for the William Tell and 1812 Overtures.
Trevor Neal: 10:00 PM – Midnight
TREVOR NEAL – 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.
Tyler Kline: 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
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.*
