Meet David Crean, WGUC-FM’s new classical music director

You’re not going to hear David Crean, WGUC-FM’s new classical music director, on the Cincinnati airwaves.

He’s already got an on-air gig, hosting middays on Dayton’s classical music WDPR-FM, and programming that radio station’s music. That’s just one of his three other jobs.

So, hosting music on WGUC-FM “is not part of the deal,” says Crean in a phone conversation after completing his 10 a.m.-2 p.m. shift on the Dayton “Discover Classical” station.

Crean has just started working part-time for WGUC-FM “in his off hours from WDPR,” and coming to Cincinnati two Fridays a month, explains Rich Eiswerth, Cincinnati Public Radio CEO and president.

His arrangement at Cincinnati Public Radio is unprecedented. CPR has never shared an employee with another station. But his arrangement is not unique. Cincinnati and Dayton public TV stations shared a station manager (WCET-TV’s Scott Elliott) in the 1990s.

Making the classical music director position part-time is the result of two factors:

• A “difficult couple of years where we experienced a rapid turnover of music directors,” Eiswerth says, referring to the quick exits of Michael Krall (15 months in 2024-25) and John Nasukaluk Claire (two years 2022-24).
• President Donald Trump cutting off federal funding for public broadcasting last summer. “The new realities forced upon us by the rescission of federal funding required us to examine the most cost-effective strategies at our disposal to address this issue,” Eiswerth says.

That’s when he thought about Crean.

“We had in our (virtual) back yard — or front yard, if you’re from Dayton — an extremely talented musician and programmer serving in that capacity at WDPR. Our two stations have a long history of cooperation and collaboration, and we don’t really see ourselves as competitors. I’ve long been impressed with the quality and diversity of music presented on that station,” Eiswerth explains.

WGUC-FM’s signal at 90.9 FM “barely overlaps” with WDPR-FM (88.1) in northern Butler and Warren counties, Eiswerth says. The Dayton station also simulcasts on WDPG-FM (89.9) in Greenville, north of Dayton, and on WUSO-FM (89.1) in Springfield, east of Dayton. Both WGUC-FM and WDPR-FM also use the same music scheduling computer software.

Having a part-time classical music director was “far more affordable for Cincinnati Public Radio. It just required the acquiescence of Mr. Crean, as well as the approval of WDPR’s station manager, Shaun Yu,” Eiswerth says.

“It’s important to clarify, however, that this agreement is officially between CPR and David as an individual,” Eiswerth says.

Programming WGUC-FM is Crean’s fourth job. He’s music director for the Bach Society of Dayton and choir director at St. George Episcopal Church in Dayton, in addition to his full-time job at WDPR-FM, which is moving soon into a new building with new studios at 130 W. Second St. in downtown Dayton. WDPR-FM is a smaller operation, with only eight full-time employees, than Cincinnati Public Radio.

“It’s a lot. The time management is the least complicated aspect. The mental aspect, keeping everything organized, is the difficult part. Keeping all the balls in the air,” says Crean, 41, who lives in Dayton’s historic district near the Dayton Art Institute with his girlfriend and their 3-1/2 year old daughter.

Crean is used to juggling his schedule. He has taught organ, harpsichord and theory at Wright State University in Fairborn. He also taught at Wittenberg University in Springfield (2013-17) before joining WDPR-FM.

He grew up in Northport, N.Y., on Long Island, about 40 miles east of New York City. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Oberlin College; a master’s degree at the University of Iowa; and a doctorate degree in organ performance from Julliard. He has performed in America, Europe and Australia, according to his WDPR-FM bio. (His bio also says that he’s “seen every episode of The Simpsons to date.”)

Crean plans to tweak WGUC-FM’s playlist when he officially starts curating the weekday playlists March 2.

“I try to program music that is beautiful, edifying and interesting. I want the listeners to hear old favorites and lesser-known gems,” says his Dayton bio.

He tells me that some classical pieces by different orchestras will be introduced “that haven’t been featured as much” on the station. He also notes that “WGUC has done a good job of incorporating contemporary classical music,” he says.

“Rich’s grand idea with this is using the same play list” for both stations, Crean says.

Although the programming software is the same, there are some critical differences between the stations. WGUC-FM announcers do five-hour on-air shifts; the WDPR-FM staff does four hours each.

Crean’s other goal is to meet members and leaders of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Pops, Cincinnati Opera and other arts organizations.

It sounds like too much for one man to do. Doesn’t something have to give?

“I plan to ride it out until summer,” Crean says.

John Kiesewetter’s reporting is independent. Cincinnati Public Radio only edits his articles for style and grammar.

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