Mark Perzel
Weekday Evening Host, Monday-Friday, 7-10 pm

Place of Birth:
New Brunswick, New Jersey. My father was attending Rutgers University at the time.

How long at WGUC?
Three times since 1981, for a total of 15 years and counting.

Why do you like working at WGUC?
Love being part of the creative process of sharing classical music with as many people as possible.

First radio job:
When I was 14, doing an afternoon drive-time music show (classical) called Baroque Bouree for WFAE Charlotte.

Favorite classical composer/works:
Depends on my mood: Beethoven symphonies for a lift, Debussy, Faure, and Satie to relax, Tchaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov in between, and Mozart always.

Other than classical, favorite music and why:
I listen to everything at least once and usually cross all boundaries. In no particular order, I enjoy classical, rhythm and blues, world music, jazz, and rock too.

Activities/interests:
Gardening both flowers and vegetables (especially hot peppers for my wife to use to make salsa), most outdoor wilderness activities—backpacking, canoeing, fishing—the omnipresent home improvement tasks, and just sharing the joy of life with my family.

In grade school, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A movie director, but then I realized how few directors actually get a chance to make movies.

How were you introduced to classical music?
My Mom and Dad had a great collection of classical LPs when I was growing up, everything from Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops doing their wide-ranging repetoire, to Scherezade by Rimsky-Korsakov. Plus, I started playing violin when I was 10 and learned about many other works.

Any fun anecdotes about life at 90.9?
There have been so many wonderful happenings that it's hard to remember specific events. The only ones I can remember are best left off the record!

What question are you always asked when you meet listeners? What's the answer.
A single question pops up so frequently that I have a pat answer—"Do you sing?" My answer, "No, and if you heard me try, you would quickly agree!"

Describe a typical day at WGUC:
There is not a typical day at WGUC, something new to experience, learn, enjoy, celebrate each and every day at the station. That's what makes it so easy to come to work everyday!