WRFI Specials and Series

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Arts interviews, reporting series, and more from WRFI, Community Radio from the heart of the Finger Lakes.

  1. CREATIVES: Ithaca Is…Spotlighting Black Creatives in Ithaca

    MAY 5

    CREATIVES: Ithaca Is…Spotlighting Black Creatives in Ithaca

    Get to know the organizers behind the 'Ithaca Is...' album project. Hosted by DJ Dija of The Strangest Feeling (alternating Saturday evenings 7-9pm). The Ithaca Is… project is organized by a team of MBA students at Ithaca College with backgrounds in music, marketing, and media. Cierra May, a musician originally from Atlanta, Georgia, brings a foundation in music performance and a deep interest in the music industry, with a focus on building collaborative projects that uplift Black artists and community voices. Joey Stagliano is a marketing and branding professional based in Ithaca whose work centers on storytelling, design, and digital strategy across wellness, e-commerce, and service industries. Maxwell Doyle is an MBA candidate in Entertainment and Media with a background in music business and audio-visual production, combining technical experience in live sound and production with a passion for music creation. Together, the team brings complementary creative, technical, and strategic perspectives to Ithaca Is…, united by a shared commitment to access, collaboration, and community impact. Learn more about the project and order the album on CD or Vinyl here: ithacais.org/about First aired Wednesday April 29 2026 at 5pm at 88.1 FM Ithaca, 89.7 FM Southern Finger Lakes, and 91.9 FM Watkins Glen, or stream online at WRFI.org/Listen.

    43 min
  2. CREATIVES: Sylvie Froncek on the inaugural Old Greeny Fringe Fest, hosted by DJ Gianni

    APR 23

    CREATIVES: Sylvie Froncek on the inaugural Old Greeny Fringe Fest, hosted by DJ Gianni

    Get to know festival organizer Sylvie Froncek and discover the weird and mystical events on the the horizon. Hosted by DJ Gianni of Songbird.mp3 (alternating Sunday mornings from 10-11am). Old Greeny Fringe Fest is a week-long (April 27th-May 3rd), fringe festival in celebration of the weird, wacky, and whimsical, rooted in the legend of Old Greeny—the cryptid of Cayuga Lake. The festival activates traditional and  non-traditional venues along the waterfront trail through performances, installations, community activities, and storytelling, with a strong commitment to sustainability, accessibility, and local culture. First aired Wednesday April 22nd at 5pm and again on Sunday April 26th at 5pm at 88.1 FM Ithaca, 89.7 FM Southern Finger Lakes, and 91.9 FM Watkins Glen.

    16 min
  3. CREATIVES: Author Sophie Pinkham on her new work ‘The Oak & the Larch: A Forest History of Russia’, hosted by DJ Jacob

    APR 22

    CREATIVES: Author Sophie Pinkham on her new work ‘The Oak & the Larch: A Forest History of Russia’, hosted by DJ Jacob

    Tune into WRFI for an interview with Cornell Professor Sophie Pinkham about her new book, The Oak and the Larch: A Forest History of Russia! Learn about the rich, complex narrative woven through Russia’s beautiful forests and hear how it connects to the country’s complicated history. Pinkham is being interviewed by the student guides of Ithaca College’s New Voices Literary Festival, where you can hear more about The Oak and the Larch. Coordinated by DJ Jacob of Jamaican Clash (alternating Sundays from 7-9pm). Cornell professor Sophie Pinkham shares about her new book The Oak and the Larch: A Forest History of Russia, and also on the occasion of Ithaca College's New Voices Literary Festival, in which Pinkham will participate (April 22-24). From the Baltic to the Pacific, from the Arctic to the steppes of Central Asia, Russia’s forests account for nearly one-fifth of the world’s wooded lands. Sophie Pinkham's new book "The Oak and the Larch" is the first-ever English-language exploration of this vast expanse—a dazzling environmental history of Russia that offers an urgent new understanding of the nature of Russian power, and of Russia’s ideas of itself. Sophie Pinkham is a professor at Cornell University and a former NEH Public Scholar. Her writing on Russia and Ukraine has appeared in the New York Review of Books, New York Times, Guardian, New Yorker, and Harper’s. She lives in Ithaca, New York. First aired Sunday April 19th 2026 at 12pm and again on Thursday April 23rd at 5pm at 88.1 FM Ithaca, 89.7 FM Southern Finger Lakes, and 91.9 FM Watkins Glen, or stream online at WRFI.org/Listen.

    51 min
  4. CREATIVES: Grammy-nominated violinist Ariana Kim discusses her journey into Carnatic music, hosted by Daniel Bass

    APR 22

    CREATIVES: Grammy-nominated violinist Ariana Kim discusses her journey into Carnatic music, hosted by Daniel Bass

    From Carnegie Hall to Karnataka, Grammy-nominated violinist Ariana Kim, Associate Professor of Music at Cornell, discusses her journey into Carnatic music during her semester studying violin in India in 2025. Hosted by Daniel Bass of Monsoon Radio (alternating Tuesday nights 7-9pm) "Noted by The New York Times for giving “the proceedings an invaluable central thread of integrity and stylishness,” violinist Ariana Kim made her New York recital debut at Carnegie’s Weill Hall during her doctoral studies at Juilliard and is now a associate professor at Cornell University.  At 16, Ariana made her debut with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and at 24 was appointed acting concertmaster of the Louisiana Philharmonic in New Orleans; she has since become one of the most respected artists of her generation. As a violinist of the Aizuri Quartet she was awarded the 2017 Osaka International Competition Grand Prize, the 2018 M-Prize, and a 2019 GRAMMY® nomination for the album Blueprinting." First aired Tuesday 4/21/2026 at 7pm and on Saturday 4/25 at 5pm at 88.1 FM Ithaca, 89.7 FM Southern Finger Lakes, and 91.9 FM Watkins Glen, or stream online at WRFI.org/Listen.

    46 min
  5. CREATIVES: MIGRATIONS: The 29th annual Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival, hosted by Felix Teitelbaum

    APR 2

    CREATIVES: MIGRATIONS: The 29th annual Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival, hosted by Felix Teitelbaum

    DJ Felix talks to the organizers of the Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival (FLEFF) about the 29th annual fest held this week at Ithaca College and Cinemapolis. The 2026 edition of FLEFF runs from March 27 – April 12. This year's special theme is Migrations. Events and screenings will be held on Ithaca College's campus and downtown at Cinemapolis. Learn more about FLEFF: www.ithaca.edu/finger-lakes-environmental-film-festival-fleff This interview aired live Thursday 4/2/2026 just after 1pm at 88.1 FM Ithaca, 89.7 FM Southern Finger Lakes, and 91.9 FM Watkins Glen.

    20 min
  6. CREATIVES on WRFI: World Premiere of MILKWEED at the Kitchen Theatre with Playwright Wendy Dann and Director Emily Jackson

    MAR 4

    CREATIVES on WRFI: World Premiere of MILKWEED at the Kitchen Theatre with Playwright Wendy Dann and Director Emily Jackson

    DJ Cristina of Spinsters Rock (alternating Friday nights 7-9pm) talks to playwright Wendy Dann and Emily Jackson about the world premiere of MILKWEED opening at the Kitchen Theatre on February 25th. "Milkweed is an intimate, surprising piece that delves into the charged space between students and teachers, at the intersection of physics and theater, where knowledge and desire blur...This poetic, multilayered world premiere by Ithaca playwright Wendy Dann explores the complicated, tender acts of teaching and learning, and will exquisitely unravel your understanding of time and space." Learn more about the play and ticket details at: www.kitchentheatre.org/milkweed This interview aired live Thursday 2/26/2026 at 5pm and again Sunday 3/1/2026 at 3pm at 88.1 FM Ithaca, 89.7 FM Southern Finger Lakes, and 91.9 FM Watkins Glen.

    40 min
  7. CREATIVES: Interview with Irish music band Lúnasa

    FEB 24

    CREATIVES: Interview with Irish music band Lúnasa

    Tune in for a interview with international Irish band Lúnasa hosted by DJ Nina. Only on WRFI Community Radio. "Lúnasa was formed in 1997 from members of some of the greatest Irish groups of the previous decade, an early review from Folk Roots magazine describing the band as an “Irish music dream team”. From the start, the band’s complex arrangements and unique sound reshaped the boundaries of traditional music and energized audiences the world over...Having since sold over a quarter of a million records and performed over 2,500 shows across 36 countries, Lunasa has won multiple awards and become one of the most influential bands in the history of traditional music." Lúnasa is performing in Ithaca at the Hangar Theatre for a one-night show, Friday February 27th. Explore their music on YouTube Originally aired Monday 2/23/2026 at 5pm at 88.1 FM Ithaca, 89.7 FM Southern Finger Lakes, and 91.9 FM Watkins Glen, or stream online at WRFI.org/Listen. Find the performance again at WRFI.org/archives, available for two weeks after its initial broadcast.

    40 min
  8. CREATIVES on WRFI: imPERMANENCE and the Ithaca Experimental Film Festival (ITHEX)

    FEB 23

    CREATIVES on WRFI: imPERMANENCE and the Ithaca Experimental Film Festival (ITHEX)

    "In Conversation: imPERMANENCE and the Ithaca Experimental Film Festival (ITHEX)"  DJ Rob of Lake Snake Radio Show talks to the Ithaca Experimental Film Festival (ITHEX) and the creative voices behind the short film 'imPERMANENCE'. Tune in to hear from Grace DeGeorge (director of imPERMANENCE), Danielle Ahrens (producer), Chiara Giannontonio (director of photography), and Desiree Tolchin ITHEX co-founder. ABOUT THE FILMimPERMANENCE is a locally-produced short film about human feeling, and will be featured as part of the Ithaca Experimental Film Festival later this month. Tune in to Creatives and hear from the filmmakers themselves how they were able to pull together this intimate cinematic experience using antique cameras, nine different images on one screen, and more than a dozen creative collaborators. Learn more about the film at ithacaexperimentalfilmfestival.com This special interview first aired Sunday 2/22/2026 at 12pm and again Wednesday 2/25/2026 at 5pm at 88.1 FM Ithaca, 89.7 FM Southern Finger Lakes, and 91.9 FM Watkins Glen. Explore 'CREATIVES on WRFI' episodes at wrfi.org/creatives

    44 min
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About

Arts interviews, reporting series, and more from WRFI, Community Radio from the heart of the Finger Lakes.

Information

  • Creator
    WRFI Community Radio
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    62
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © WRFI Community Radio
  • Show Website
    WRFI Specials and Series