Bill McGlaughlin, founding host of the long-running radio show “Exploring Music,” is being “sunsetted” (to borrow a euphemism used by a certain dastardly former employer of 25+ years, who gave me the axe by email). It’s a piece of news that’s already grown whiskers, announced by Chicago’s WFMT on December 10, but I only just learned about it over the weekend, when it was passed along to me by a listener.
It’s not unusual for syndicated shows to rerun material, and McGlaughlin, like the rest of us, has been known to dip into the archive. “Exploring Music” airs weeknights (five shows in a series) and each week delves into a different theme. In what I presume have been some of the more recent installments, Bill has been in very bad voice – raspy and painful to listen to, not purely from an aesthetic standpoint, but because it’s sounded as if it couldn’t be the most comfortable for him. I was hoping it was just a cold, but it’s possible there is more to it. Time passes, and McGlaughlin is 82 years-old.
This is sad news, no doubt, for his fans. McGlaughlin – a former trombonist with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Pittsburgh Symphony, associate conductor of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and music director of the symphony orchestras of Eugene, Tucson, and Kansas City – has been a radio presence for decades, at least as far back as “Saint Paul Sunday Morning,” an informal mix of chat and chamber music, with live guests. (“Morning” was later dropped from the title, presumably to allow greater flexibility in scheduling.) The show ran from 1980 to 2007.
In 2003, McGlaughlin added “Exploring Music” to his quiver. In many markets, it gradually superseded Karl Haas’ “Adventures in Good Music,” distributed by WCLV. “Adventures in Good Music” began airing nationally in 1970 (expanding on its local run in Detroit, beginning in 1959). Haas continued to record new shows until his retirement at the age of 89. He died two years later, in 2005. Shows were available for rebroadcast until 2007. Both Haas’ and McGlaughlin’s programs were geared toward music education and thrived on public radio.
The good news, at least for me personally, is that McGlauglin will be succeeded by none other than Peter Van De Graaff, another voice familiar to classic music radio audiences, largely through his producing and hosting duties on the Beethoven Satellite Network, like “Exploring Music,” distributed by WFMT. BSN syndicates varied and thoughtful programming of complete works and far-reaching repertoire for enjoyment during the overnight hours or times when live, local hosts are unavailable. The service is vastly superior to the overexposed Classical 24, distributed by Minnesota Public Radio, with its chatty, inane hosts and playlists of chopped-up, endlessly recycled top-40 classics. Peter was program director at KWAX when I began my independent syndication there in 2023. In 2010, he was awarded the Karl Haas Prize for Music Education.
A professional bass-baritone, Van De Graaff has been associated with WFMT since 1989. I listened to his syndicated programming in the afternoons on WWFM for years before I started there in 1995. I have no hesitation in saying, in terms of programming and delivery, he is my favorite classical music radio host of all time. It remains to be seen how he will adapt the “Exploring Music” format, but I look forward to yet another opportunity to welcome him into my living room.
Van De Graaff will assume hosting duties on March 30. McGlaughlin claims that the terms of his departure were not mutual. Hardly shocking in the world of radio. Classical music broadcasting, which brings pleasure, beauty, and consolation to so many, ironically, is not a field for the faint of heart.
https://symphony.org/personnel-changes-at-chicagos-wfmt-classical-station/
Here’s the press release, with a glimpse at some of Peter’s upcoming, intriguing programs:
https://www.wfmt.com/2025/12/10/exploring-music-new-season/
