Meet the KMFA Music Hosts

Sara Hessel
(Weekdays, 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.)

Sara Hessel is a native of the Detroit area, and learned to love classical music by osmosis as a child since her Mom listened all the time! Later, Sara earned a Master's degree in Historical Musicology from the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. KMFA listeners will already know Sara as the producer and host of Ancient Voices, KMFA's early music program. Though she is a self-professed 'early music nut', Sara enjoys many types of music, including classical music from all eras, jazz and 70's rock. When not on the air or searching the Kent Kennan Memorial Library at KMFA for hidden gems, Sara enjoys cooking, tennis and playing her digital harpsichord.

Jeffrey Blair
(Weekdays, 6:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.)

Jeffrey has always known that music was in his blood. He eagerly began developing his affinity for audio production from a tender young age spending countless hours creating 'radio shows' on an old cassette recorder. Jeffrey brings over 20 years of radio expertise to KMFA, and as Production Manager he has produced, recorded and engineered countless live and in-studio performances of local, regional, national and well known talents. In this way he can best deliver his passion for the many sounds of music.

Jeffrey's other interests include the artistry of baseball, organic gardening, exercising his culinary muscle and working on his 1971 VW bus affectionately known as Grateful Phred.

Dianne Donovan
(Weekdays, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.)

Montreal born Dianne Donovan lives and breathes music, whether she is behind the microphone announcing or singing. One of Dianne's earliest memories is of marching around the living room to Ravel's Bolero. Having studied music with an emphasis on vocal jazz performance, she has been a radio announcer/programmer for twenty years - producing classical, jazz and eclectic programs.

When she's not "on the air" or producing Classical Austin for KMFA, you may catch Dianne singing with the Beat Divas or with the Austin Jazz Workshop. Her motto, "So little time, so much music."

Rich Upton
(Weekdays, 2:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.)

After stints with three other Austin radio stations, KKMJ, KOKE and KFON, as well as serving as News Director at KLSN in Brownwood, Texas - afternoon host Rich Upton joined KMFA in 1989 at the invitation of then-program-director Scott Dawes.

In addition to acting as KMFA's Operations Manager, Rich is also an accomplished guitarist, singer and writer of pop songs.

Robert Kraft
(Saturdays & Sundays, 6:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Sundays 1:00 p.m - 4:00 p.m.)

Robert A. Kraft has a background in sound engineering and commercial advertising, where he has worked as a voice talent for 10 years. He studied Voice and Classical Music at UNT, and holds a degree in English with a minor in French from UT. Robert performs as a singer with several jazz ensembles. He is a published composer and arranger. He is also a writer of fiction and political commentary.

Jeff Esworthy
(Tues. - Fri., 11:00 p.m. - 5:00 a.m.)

Jeff Esworthy previously worked at WKSU-FM/Kent in northeastern Ohio, where he was host from 1978 to 1995. He professes a widely diverse musical background. As a teenager, he developed a keen interest in the classical music of North India and studied sitar. In college he studied anthropology, the music of India, Japan, and Africa, and music from rural Northern Thailand. Esworthy also has an interest in folk music. He has played banjo in a southern string band and also plays fiddle. He describes himself as a "fairly nocturnal person."

Bob Christiansen
(Wed. - Sat. evenings)

Bob Christiansen has been an announcer and program director for nearly 30 years. He teamed up with Bill Morelock while at Northwest Public Radio, and became part of the nationally distributed Bob & Bill, which won a CPB program award in 1989. In addition to his current work in classical programming, Christiansen hosts shifts on Minnesota Public Radio's classical music stations, including hosting The Opera, a weekly program devoted to one of his personal weaknesses.

Valerie Kahler
(Sat. - Tues. 11:00 pm - 5:00 am)

Kahler was born and raised in Mesa, AZ, and graduated from Northern Arizona University with a degree in performance as a cellist. She was a member of the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra. She began her career in radio at KNAU-FM/Flagstaff in 1989, working as program host and music director. During the summer of 1998, she worked for National Public Radio's Performance Today.

Her interests in music are wide-ranging and include many classical genres, pop, Broadway music, and more. Her current classical favorites are clustered around the early 20th century and include Vaughan Williams' Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, Respighi's Ancient Airs and Dances, and the violin concerto by Samuel Barber.

John Zech
(Weekdays, 5:00 a.m. - 6:00 a.m.)

John Zech has been a classical music announcer, producer, and program host for more than 20 years. He has also been a narrator and voice talent for a wide variety of industrial and educational tapes, an audio producer/engineer for an educational publishing company, video project director for a foreign language translation firm, and an on-site interpreter for the Minnesota Historical Society.

John is currently heard weekday mornings on Classical 24. His current passions include billiards, tennis, martial arts, limericks, and playing the trombone.

Lauren Rico
(Weekends, 5:00 a.m. - 6:00 a.m.)

Lauren arrives from WDAV/Davidson, North Carolina where she hosted the Mozart Cafe. Lauren is very well versed in the language of classical music, both as a performer and researcher/musicologist. She has accomplished a tremendous amount in her radio career so far. She says of herself, "You might say I sort of 'fell' into radio. As an undergraduate at the University of South Florida in Tampa, I was certain I was preparing for a career as a professional French horn player. In my sophomore year, I answered a call for student board operators at WUSF and began a love affair with public radio that has lasted almost nine years. A master's degree and four stations later (WNYC, WAMU, and NPR included) I found myself at WDAV having the time of my life hosting the Mozart Café and performing with the Charlotte Philharmonic."

Steve Staruch
(Mon. - Tues. evenings)

Steve Staruch's background straddles classical music broadcasting and performance. He hosted a number of programs and was most recently the morning drive announcer for WCAL in Northfield, MN. Staruch is also an accomplished viola player and vocalist who has performed with the Lyra Baroque Orchestra, the Rochester Symphony, the Dale Warland Singers, and the chorus of the Minnesota Opera, among other groups.