Joe Goetz Named Music Director of Classical MPR/St. Paul

RADIO ONLINE | Thursday, November 5, 2020 | 10:36am CT

Joe Goetz

Classical MPR has announced Joe Goetz as its new music director. He'll oversee daily programming needs and classical music selections and will serve on the team dedicated to driving Classical MPR's long-term strategies and goals, as well as those for American Public Media's national classical programming. His first day will be Monday, Nov. 16.

"We are delighted to welcome Joe and his talents to Classical MPR," said Brad Althoff, Interim Director of Classical MPR. "Our music director needs to have an immense knowledge of classical music, as well as what's on the horizon from emerging artists, and they also need to have an understanding of our audience's expectations and how we can best meet their needs, and Joe has all of those skills. As our music director, he will be a key stakeholder in the sound of Classical MPR and our national service, C24, delivering a robust and relevant experience for our audiences. We're looking forward to the many contributions he will undoubtedly bring to our airwaves."

"I'm thrilled to be joining Classical MPR as Music Director," said Goetz. "I look forward to working with such a top-notch team to keep finding new ways to serve and grow our audience and build on Classical MPR and APM's commitment to enhancing the diversity of the music we share."

Goetz began his radio career in 2005 at KCME in Colorado Springs, where he pursued a degree in music from Colorado College. There he hosted a Sunday morning radio show and, eventually, a daily show on weekday afternoons. Upon his graduation in 2007, Goetz relocated to Vermont, where he hosted classical music programming on Vermont Public Radio. While there, he championed the work of area grade school composers with a monthly Student Composer Showcase and hosted internationally recognized artists in the station's performance studio. Active in the performance scene in Vermont, he was a member of the Burlington Choral Society, Vermont Choral Union, and the Vermont Symphony Orchestra Chorus, as well as an occasional chamber music pianist.

Since 2014, Goetz has served as Music Director of WFIU, the public radio station associated with Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind. While at WFIU, Goetz oversaw wholesale changes to the station's music library and classical music content, including the launch of new nationally syndicated programming and the production of many live and recorded broadcasts from Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music. He also produced a weekly music show hosted by Grammy-winning soprano Sylvia McNair.