Classical Austin
Sponsored by Arts on Alexander and Ensemble VIII.
About
Classical Austin takes you behind the curtain of greater Austin’s dynamic classical music stage. Find out how one becomes an opera singer, how one conducts Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, and what inspires local composers and musicians. Enjoy in-depth interviews with conductors, composers, choreographers, instrumentalists and more, with musical examples. Join Dianne Donovan for your weekly journey behind the scenes with Classical Austin here on KMFA.
Host - Dianne Donovan
Montreal-born Dianne Donovan lives and loves music. As midday announcer on KMFA, she shares her joy and passion of classical music, along with interesting tidbits of information on the composers and their music. She uses her natural curiosity and interest in the artistic process when she conducts both live interviews and those for the show she hosts, produces, and edits—Classical Austin. A veteran broadcaster, Dianne still hosts a jazz show for CKUA in Canada. When she’s not talking music, she’s singing it with The Beat Divas, The Austin Jazz Workshop, and in various other settings in Austin. She has been the featured singer with “Gary Guthman’s Tribute to Harry James Symphony Pops Concert” and has been a featured singer on numerous Canadian television and radio programs. She has collaborated writing music for television and an animated short.
Dianne loves to share her wonder of the music and of the artists who create it. She has conducted well over a thousand interviews with the likes of: Leon Fleisher, Midori, Joshua Bell, Bobby McFerrin, Denyce Graves, The Kronos Quartet and more!
In 2021, Dianne and husband, celebrated guitarist, Mitch Watkins, formed the band, The AltoRays and recorded an album titled, "Back To The Light"-a hybrid of many musical forms, they categorize the music as, Chill Jazz.
Time
Sunday 11:00 a.m. | Re-broadcast Wednesday 9:00 p.m.