Colorado Public Radio has announced the addition of two new hosts to its statewide Classical network based at 88.1 KVOD Lakewood/Denver.
Kabin Thomas debuted on November 16. A tubaist and actor, Thomas served as a professor of classical music for the past eleven years at the University of Arkansas and spent fourteen years as a substitute tuba player with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
Parry Painter-Wakefield will debut on December 1. She returns to radio after spending the past nine years working at a church in suburban Denver. Painter-Wakefield previously spent 18 years at 91.5 WUNC-FM Raleigh starting as morning host in 1995 eventually rising to Operations Manager. Prior to Raleigh, she worked at Classical stations in Greensboro/Winston-Salem NC and Oklahoma City.
Their arrivals come as David Ginder and Marilyn Cooley depart the network. Both Ginder and Cooley had relocated out of Colorado during the pandemic, but continued to work remotely. Ginder hosted the “Sunrise Serenade” mornings from 6-10am and the choral music program “Sing!” on Sunday mornings since joining CPR in 2017. Cooley hosted Friday and Sunday evenings as well as producing special features for the stations since arriving in 2018.
Colorado Public Radio announced today the hiring of two new hosts for CPR Classical. Kabin Thomas joined CPR Classical on Nov. 16, and Patty Painter-Wakefield will join CPR Classical on Dec. 1.
“We’re excited to welcome two new voices to our airwaves. Both Kabin and Patty are steeped in years of classical music professionally,” said CPR Classical Program Director Monika Vischer. “This brings new, fresh perspectives from seasoned pros to our team and our work.”
Kabin Thomas joins CPR Classical with decades of experience as a tuba player, actor and professor of classical music. For 11 years, he taught classical music to students at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. During that time he was also the narrator and host of the Emmy Award-winning documentary, “The Sound of Dreams,” about the Hot Springs Music Festival.
Thomas was a substitute tuba player with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for 14 years. He and his wife currently perform a show called, “Peace, Love, and TubaStanding,” which uses storytelling and music to tell a powerful story about love and courage amid racial tensions and fear.
Patty Painter-Wakefield’s career in radio started at WFDD in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, while she attended Wake Forest University. After college, she worked for another NPR affiliate, KGOU/KROU, while she earned a master’s degree in music history in Norman, Oklahoma. Painter-Wakefield worked at WUNC (Chapel Hill, North Carolina) from 1995 to 2013 as a classical music host. Since moving to Colorado in 2013, Painter-Wakefield has explored writing music, in addition to singing and playing music, and she has worked at a small church in various capacities.
“We are thrilled to bring these new voices to CPR Classical listeners. But it also means we are saying goodbye to two hosts. David Ginder and Marilyn Cooley left Colorado during the pandemic, but they have continued to provide excellent service for our audiences throughout this unprecedented time,” Sean Nethery, senior vice president of content, said. “They can’t stay on remotely from out of state, because CPR hosts need to be members of the Colorado community. We are grateful for their superb hosting and for continuing through this transition.”
David Ginder joined CPR Classical as a host in 2017. For the last five years, they have greeted listeners with Sunrise Serenade at 6 a.m. on weekdays and the choral music program “Sing!” on Sunday mornings. Other highlights include live broadcasts from Boettcher Hall with the Colorado Symphony, audio features for CPR Classical’s partnership with the Denver Art Museum for its Claude Monet exhibit, as well as the celebration of Beethoven’s 250th birth anniversary in 2020, and advocating for Colorado music each day on “Colorado Spotlight.” Ginder has been on the air with classical music for 48 years. Their last day on CPR Classical is Sunday, Nov. 27.
Marilyn Cooley joined CPR Classical in 2018, primarily hosting shows on Friday and Sunday evenings. In addition to her regular hosting, she also created special features such as “December Solstice,” an hour of reflective music for midwinter, and “A Life of Beethoven” to celebrate his birthday in December. Cooley also created features for the Beethoven 250 celebration. She is planning to continue with CPR Classical through the holidays.
Listeners will begin to hear the new hosts during this holiday season. CPR Classical airs statewide through a network of signals, which can be explored on this map.
