As WCRB, Boston’s classical radio station owned by WGBH, waltzes into its next decade—thriving, growing, and drawing more and more listeners from all over—Station Manager Tony Rudel shares 10 thoughts about music and WCRB’s special place as the hub of Boston’s vibrant classical music scene.

1. The part of the 10th anniversary that I love is that we are bringing great music to hundreds of thousands of people at a time when the world could use the engaging beauty of classical music.

2. To provide variety in the nearly 24/7 programming, we have carefully curated WCRB’s music, which draws from nearly 10,000 recordings. We constantly change textures and instruments so that listeners never get bored.

3. I grew up very much in the music business. My father was a conductor. My bedroom wall was on the other side of the living room. I could hear musicians rehearsing—Beverly Sills, Placido Domingo, Isaac Stern and many others were often at our home.

4. WCRB produces 50 Boston Symphony Orchestra broadcasts per year, far more than any other station does for their local orchestra, plus WCRB In Concert partners with 20 area music presenters and organizations to bring the best concerts to the air and online.

5. The WCRB audience wants a certain listening experience. They often tell us, “When I turn on the radio, I want to escape and relax. WCRB is an oasis.”

6. The WCRB team is the most talented group of people I’ve ever worked with.

7. Our station plays more music than any other station in the United States—167 out of 168 available hours is programmed, produced and hosted by our team.

8. The new “Out of the Box” feature showcases recent releases and music that land outside the typical classical "strike zone." Hear it Sunday nights.

9. The WCRB website is chock-full of feature articles, background on musicians, photos, collections of “CD of the Week,” explainers, and much more including On Demand concerts.

10. There's a huge difference between programming for a concert hall and programming for a radio station. When people are listening on the radio, they are most often distracted. We are a part of another experience they’re having—commuting, cooking, reading. People who go to a concert hall have made a proactive decision that for the next three hours they are going to focus on the music.

Celebrate the 10th anniversary of WCRB with us by listening online here.