Famed pianist, composer and conductor Peter Ritzen joins Verne Windham in the KPBX studio. Peter Ritzen has won international praise for his many CD recordings. In breaking new ground, he was the first-ever performer to record (in 1992) a CD of Leschetizky solo works [8.223525], besides the unpublished Leschetizky Piano Concerto [8.223803]; both issued on the internationally renowned NAXOS label. His own compositions were also released for the same label: Piano Concerto ‘The Last Empress [8.223969]’, Chinese Violin Rhapsody and ‘Chinese Requiem’ [8.223980] with the Shanghai Philharmonic. His music was eventually broadcast live on Chinese national television and has won the hearts and praise of millions of Chinese people.
Verne Windham got his start at Spokane Public Radio 20 years ago. “I came in to complain and they hired me.” He’s now the Program Director, as well as the host of Morning Classical and Concert of the Week. When choosing music for Morning Classical, Verne likes to keep the agenda as broadly defined as possible. For Concert of the Week, he focuses on the best of recent local performances, mostly classical in nature. For many years, Verne was also the conductor of the Spokane Youth Orchestra. He enjoys gardening, his vintage car and playing French horn.