Melinda Whiting
Classical HostMelinda has worked in radio for decades, hosting and producing classical music and arts news. An award-winning broadcaster, she has created and hosted classical music programs and reported for NPR, WQXR—New York, WHYY–Philadelphia, and American Public Media. WRTI listeners may remember her years hosting classical music for WFLN and WHYY.
Currently the host of The Philadelphia Orchestra In Concerton WRTI, Melinda has in the past served as the national radio voice of the New York Philharmonic and the Saint Louis Symphony. For many years she was a frequent host, producer, and editor on the daily public radio music program Performance Today. She also produced a national concert series from the Marlboro Music Festival.
While continuing her radio career, Melinda was editor in chief of Symphony, the bimonthly magazine of the League of American Orchestras. During her tenure, the magazine won several ASCAP-Deems Taylor Awards for excellence in music journalism. She then took a hiatus from the airwaves while serving the Curtis Institute of Music as vice president for communications and senior editor.
Trained as a singer, Melinda also performed professionally for many years with early music ensembles and chamber choirs in New York, Washington, and Philadelphia. She is a member of the board of directors of the Theodore Presser Foundation and formerly served on the board of Network for New Music, as an officer of the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia, and a member of the Diocesan Council of the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey.
Melinda returned to radio at WRTI in Spring 2017 and has served as WRTI’s midday host since 2021.
Hear Melinda as host of Classical Weekdays on WRTI-FM, weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and as host of The Philadelphia Orchestra in Concert, Sundays from 1 to 3 p.m. on WRTI-FM and Mondays from 7 to 9 p.m. on WRTI HD-2.
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The Philadelphia Orchestra in Concert brings you a program of Mozart and Price, plus a world premiere by French-Argentine composer Esteban Benzecry. Yannick Nézet-Séguin is on the podium, and welcomes his frequent collaborator, Hélène Grimaud, as piano soloist.
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The Philadelphia Orchestra in Concert presents Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 (“Titan”) with guest conductor Rafael Payare, as well as a new piano concerto composed by Jimmy López Bellido for Javier Perianes.
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The Philadelphia Orchestra in Concert brings you Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, a recent work by Indian-American composer Reena Esmail, and Haydn’s First Cello Concerto, featuring principal cellist Hai-Ye Ni. Guest conductor David Robertson is on the podium.
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Whether we’re talking Marlboro or the Main Line, this week’s concert calendar is absolutely stacked. As always, Fanfare is here to help.
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The Philadelphia Orchestra in Concert brings you Haydn’s Horn Concerto No. 1, featuring Jennifer Montone, and Bruckner’s Symphony No. 6. On the podium is acclaimed guest conductor Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla.
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Daniel Matsukawa, principal bassoon of The Philadelphia Orchestra, performs a concerto by Clarice Assad — part of our new episode of The Philadelphia Orchestra in Concert, also featuring music by Rachmaninoff and Berio.
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Join us on Sunday, Feb. 4 at 1 p.m. on WRTI 90.1, and Monday, Feb. 5 at 7 p.m. on WRTI HD-2 when the Philadelphia Orchestra in Concert brings you the first in a fresh new series of performances from the 2023/2024 season.
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Fanfare this week has four very different string quartets, along with an Astral Artists vocal recital and a marquee concert by The Philadelphia Orchestra.
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WRTI will broadcast The Philadelphia Orchestra's MLK concert from the historic chapel of Girard College on Monday, Jan. 15 at 3 p.m.
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