They say that waking up is hard to do. Unless you’re Neil Sedaka, of course.

Sedaka may seem like an unlikely choice for a classical music program, but if you join me this Sunday morning on WPRB, you’ll get to hear his piano concerto, titled “Manhattan Intermezzo.” It will be part of a morning devoted to classical music by, or influenced by, popular music superstars.

Among our featured works will be a suite for guitar and orchestra, inspired by the Beatles, by Leo Brouwer, “Dead Elvis” by Michael Daugherty, and a salute to drummer John Bonham, by Christopher Rouse.

When his rock band ran afoul of the Soviet authorities, classically-trained Latvian composer Imants Kalniņš turned to writing symphonies. His Symphony No. 4 was his eloquent response, as much indebted to illegal rock groups of the West as it was to Latvian folklore.

Hear Kalniņš stick it to the man, this Sunday morning between 7 to 10 EDT, on WPRB 103.3 FM and wprb.com. We’ll be caught between “rock” and a hard place, on Classic Ross Amico.