KPFA (Radio station : Berkeley, Calif.)

KPFA-FM

KPFA-FM in Berkeley was an influential participant in the development of the Bay Area as a national center for new music. It gained an international reputation for its music programming early on, after being founded in 1949. Up until 1992, its Music Directors were always composers or critics in the classical music field. From 1969-1992, composer Charles Amirkhanian (Executive & Artistic Director of Other Minds) served as Music Director for KPFA. During his tenure the station initiated a number of unusual series, one of which was then the longest-running continuous program on avant-garde music in American radio history (Ode to Gravity, 1970-1995). Aside from the contemporary music programming the station was known for, it also broadcast a variety of programs focusing on bluegrass, opera, world music, jazz, folk, pop, and gospel; many recordings of which are also contained within the collection.

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