Ron Della Chiesa
Encyclopedia
Ron Della Chiesa is a Boston area radio personality. Born in 1938 in Quincy, Massachusetts
, he was taken by his father to jazz
and Boston Symphony Orchestra
concerts in the early 1950s, and developed an ear for both genres. His commentaries on WGBH
-FM radio for the Boston Symphony are broadcast on Friday afternoons. These broadcasts as well as his commentary at the Sunday Tanglewood Festival in the summertime are informed by his life-long attendance of the orchestra, dating back to conductors Charles Münch
and Erich Leinsdorf
.
His mother, an educator in the South Shore, gave him a love of learning, a curiosity for many cultures, and until her recent passing, a tie to the last Golden Age
of Opera
. Chiesa enlisted in the Army
, and became a trumpeter in the Army band. He was an announcer for WBCN in the 1960s and WGBH-FM radio in the mid-1970s.
In the early 1980s Chiesa was host of Music America, an afternoon program which featured the broad range of American jazz and musical theater. He has presented many visiting Broadway and jazz performers, with a special Friday afternoon program of opera. He was also host for the Boston Symphony Friday performances. In 1986, Ron married a chef by the name of Joyce. Ron was 48 and Joyce was 41. He and his wife, Joyce Della Chiesa, now live in Dorchester, Massachusetts, in a 10 room Victorian
style house.
With the passing of Robert J. Lurtsema
, he became the host of Classical Morning, but retained his Friday afternoon Boston Symphony spot. He continues to announce a Friday evening jazz program, where his close friends will drop in when they are performing in Boston. He is also heard on WPLM-FM
on a Saturday night program highlighting Frank Sinatra
.
Chiesa has been the host of Cooking Around Town on WGBH-TV. In that capacity, he has visited many of the famous and esoteric eateries and bistro
s in the Boston area, watching the owner/chefs turn their recipes into delicious dishes. His wife, Joyce, is an accomplished chef de cuisine.
Chiesa is in demand as a narrator for New England orchestras and social functions. He occasionally hosts learning tours and lectures for opera, both on land, and on cruise ships; most notably, the Queen Mary 2.
Classical and jazz scholar for being a steward of intergenerational music that binds society and elevates cultural integrity. He was awarded the Courage of Conscience award August 19, 1995.
Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Its nicknames are "City of Presidents", "City of Legends", and "Birthplace of the American Dream". As a major part of Metropolitan Boston, Quincy is a member of Boston's Inner Core Committee for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council...
, he was taken by his father to jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and Boston Symphony Orchestra
Boston Symphony Orchestra
The Boston Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1881, the BSO plays most of its concerts at Boston's Symphony Hall and in the summer performs at the Tanglewood Music Center...
concerts in the early 1950s, and developed an ear for both genres. His commentaries on WGBH
WGBH (FM)
WGBH is a public radio station located in Boston, Massachusetts. WGBH is a member station of NPR and PRI. The license-holder is the WGBH Educational Foundation, which also owns WGBH-TV and WGBX-TV....
-FM radio for the Boston Symphony are broadcast on Friday afternoons. These broadcasts as well as his commentary at the Sunday Tanglewood Festival in the summertime are informed by his life-long attendance of the orchestra, dating back to conductors Charles Münch
Charles Münch
Charles Munch was an Alsatian symphonic conductor and violinist. Noted for his mastery of the French orchestral repertoire, he is best known as music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.-Biography:...
and Erich Leinsdorf
Erich Leinsdorf
Erich Leinsdorf was a naturalized American Austrian conductor. He performed and recorded with leading orchestras and opera companies throughout the United States and Europe, earning a reputation for exacting standards as well as an acerbic personality...
.
His mother, an educator in the South Shore, gave him a love of learning, a curiosity for many cultures, and until her recent passing, a tie to the last Golden Age
Golden Age
The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology and legend and refers to the first in a sequence of four or five Ages of Man, in which the Golden Age is first, followed in sequence, by the Silver, Bronze, and Iron Ages, and then the present, a period of decline...
of Opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
. Chiesa enlisted in the Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, and became a trumpeter in the Army band. He was an announcer for WBCN in the 1960s and WGBH-FM radio in the mid-1970s.
In the early 1980s Chiesa was host of Music America, an afternoon program which featured the broad range of American jazz and musical theater. He has presented many visiting Broadway and jazz performers, with a special Friday afternoon program of opera. He was also host for the Boston Symphony Friday performances. In 1986, Ron married a chef by the name of Joyce. Ron was 48 and Joyce was 41. He and his wife, Joyce Della Chiesa, now live in Dorchester, Massachusetts, in a 10 room Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
style house.
With the passing of Robert J. Lurtsema
Robert J. Lurtsema
Robert J. Lurtsema was a public radio broadcaster.Lurtsema hosted the classical music show Morning pro musica on WGBH in Boston, Massachusetts, from 1971 until his death from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis...
, he became the host of Classical Morning, but retained his Friday afternoon Boston Symphony spot. He continues to announce a Friday evening jazz program, where his close friends will drop in when they are performing in Boston. He is also heard on WPLM-FM
WPLM-FM
WPLM-FM is an Classic Hits station serving the Boston radio market from Plymouth, Massachusetts. It is owned by Plymouth Rock Broadcasting Co. and has a sister AM station by the same callsign...
on a Saturday night program highlighting Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
.
Chiesa has been the host of Cooking Around Town on WGBH-TV. In that capacity, he has visited many of the famous and esoteric eateries and bistro
Bistro
A bistro, sometimes spelled bistrot, is, in its original Parisian incarnation, a small restaurant serving moderately priced simple meals in a modest setting. Bistros are defined mostly by the foods they serve. Home cooking with robust earthy dishes, and slow-cooked foods like cassoulet are typical...
s in the Boston area, watching the owner/chefs turn their recipes into delicious dishes. His wife, Joyce, is an accomplished chef de cuisine.
Chiesa is in demand as a narrator for New England orchestras and social functions. He occasionally hosts learning tours and lectures for opera, both on land, and on cruise ships; most notably, the Queen Mary 2.
Classical and jazz scholar for being a steward of intergenerational music that binds society and elevates cultural integrity. He was awarded the Courage of Conscience award August 19, 1995.