Arizona Encore♪

Every Tuesday evening at 7 p.m., “Arizona Encore♪” airs on KBACH, KNAU and DTV-8.5 showcasing Arizona’s premier performances. Recordings made by Central Sound of live classical music concerts performed throughout the state of Arizona make up the programming of “Arizona Encore♪”.  For one hour a week, listeners can hear classical music recordings from Tempe Center of the Arts, Gammage Auditorium, the Sedona Performing Arts Center and all the way to the Grand Canyon’s Shrine of the Ages, along with churches all over the state. Local ensembles such as True Concord Voices and Orchestra, The Phoenix Children’s Chorus and Arizona State University’s Symphony Orchestra are featured in addition to touring artists such as Chatham Baroque, Omer Quartet, Brooklyn Rider, Trio Combray, the Manhattan Chamber Players, the Faure Quartet, Corinne Winters, Jamie Barton and Ian Bostridge.

History

The predecessor of “Arizona Encore♪” began on June 6, 1994, under the name Summer Season Ticket. The following January, the show was rebranded as Southwest Season Ticket, which aired for more than 20 years with over 500 unique episodes.

On March 1, 2016, Classical Arizona PBS presented “Arizona Encore’s♪” debut with the Phoenix Chorale singing Duruflé’s Requiem, recorded at the Trinity Cathedral.

Today

“Arizona Encore♪” is returning for the 2023-2024 season with a mission to expand the classical music canon, making room for marginalized composers and performers alongside traditional classical favorites. Highlights will include performances from the Grand Canyon Music Festival, Arizona Musicfest, and Phoenix Chorale.

How to listen

“Arizona Encore♪” is a production of Classical Arizona PBS. Listen on DTV Channel 8.5, KNAU, 89.5 KBAQ or download our mobile app. Visit KNAU Arizona Public Radio and 89.5 KBACH to discover more listening options.

Many “Arizona Encore♪” radio broadcasts are presented in DTS Neural Surround, while our DTV 8.5 Simulcast presents programming in discrete surround sound. This technology enables the broadcast team to deliver the performances in immersive surround sound, bringing the experience of sitting in the best seat of the concert hall directly to listeners.

Hosts

“Arizona Encore♪” has had a variety of talented hosts over the years. Information about our current main hosts Suzanne Schaffer and Tyler Kline can be found to the right. However, from time to time, other voices will host “Arizona Encore♪.”

Douglas Yeo began hosting “Arizona Encore♪” in 2016. Since concluding a nearly three-decade career as bass trombonist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Yeo keeps flunking retirement, and in recent years, he’s served as trombone professor at Arizona State University, Wheaton College (Illinois), and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Yeo’s love of radio dates from his childhood when he was a voracious listener of WQXR-FM. Yeo is also a passionate performer on several early wind instruments including serpent, ophicleide and sackbut. “Arizona Encore’s programming,” he said, “is a perfect blend of the familiar and the new, an oasis for listeners who enjoy both the comfort and challenge of the best of classical music.”