Robert Lurtsema
His idiosyncratic style of DJ’ing and new reporting, his calm voice and often long pauses, plus his extensive knowledge of music helped establish WGBH as a distinctive radio service.
His idiosyncratic style of DJ’ing and new reporting, his calm voice and often long pauses, plus his extensive knowledge of music helped establish WGBH as a distinctive radio service.
Robert J Lurtsema or “Robert J “as he became known, was, arguably, the most recognizable classical music voice in New England broadcast history. His idiosyncratic style of DJ’ing and new reporting, his calm voice and often long pauses, plus his extensive knowledge of music (he himself had had no “classical” music training) helped establish WGBH as a significant , essential radio service. Morning pro Musica, ran for nearly 30 years (1971-2000). For 23 of those years he was on the air seven mornings a week, five hours a day. The program was also syndicated throughout in New England. His signature opening pieces, one for each day of the week, were accompanied by his personally made recordings of chirping birds, suggesting the show (which began at 7 a.m.) as virtually the first thing his listeners heard each day.