Brisa Siegel, Classical California KUSC Host and Digital Content Creator and now one of Current’s Rising Stars in Public Media
We’re thrilled to announce that our very own Classical California KUSC Host and Digital Content Creator, Brisa Siegel, has been selected by Current in their first cohort of Rising Stars in Public Media! The program was created to highlight early and mid-career employees making a mark on their organizations and communities. According to Current Executive Director Julie Drizin, “There’s so much talent in public media. We wanted to recognize exceptional individuals and raise their profiles on a national level.” Brisa is one of 22 finalists (and the only classical music host!) selected from stations of all sizes across the country and from national organizations and programs.
All of us at Classical California KUSC are thrilled and couldn’t be more proud of Brisa’s accomplishments so far and those to come in her future yet. Please join us in celebrating Brisa, including a few words from her coworkers and fans below.
“Just to say…Brisa Siegel, is an outstanding host and presenter for the Classical California. She has that charming voice, so optimistic, warm, and gently encouraging – that you can’t help but find yourself in a better mood and place of peace. Thanks and kudos to those staff members who found her and made her talents a part of the Classical Music family. Thank you, Brisa!”
– Classical California KUSC Listener
“Brisa is the perfect person to work with on absolutely anything and everything. She’s creative, smart, kind, quick on her feet, and always willing to go the extra mile. She has a unique talent for making people feel at ease because she is always authentic—a quality that profoundly translates to her work on the radio and online. She’s the colleague you always hope to find, and we are lucky to have her at Classical California!”
– Suraj Partha, Classical California Host Trainee and Digital Content Creator
“It’s a tremendous thrill to see Brisa recognized as a Rising Star in Public Media by Current, our industry’s leading trade publication! Brisa is a natural communicator, a talented broadcaster, and a wonderful colleague. One of the components in the nomination process was to describe your nominee in three words. I chose: charismatic, empathetic, and conscientious. Brisa has a warm charisma which draws you into the stories she tells and makes you want to hear what she’s going to say next. She exudes empathy in everything she does, especially on the air, and as a listener you can feel how deeply she cares about connecting with you. In her interactions with her colleagues and our audience, Brisa is thoughtful and conscientious, always outward-focused, putting others first. It is a joy to work with Brisa every day and I’m especially excited to celebrate her in this way!”
-Brian Lauritzen, Classical California Host
“From my first conversation with Brisa, I knew she’d make an indelible contribution to our Host Trainee program. It was a big, new initiative, but Brisa is driven and passionate about expanding peoples’ classical music consciousness. Witnessing her work on Nuestra Música was unforgettable. The level of complexity was high, from sourcing hours and hours of new music, to figuring out how to tell so many great stories. When it came time to record, Brisa spent days in the studio sandwiched between two producers prompting her in two different languages. If Brisa was ever intimidated, you’d never know it, because from the moment we opened the mic, she just hit ball after ball out of the park.”
– Kelsey McConnell, Classical California Program Director and Director of the Host Trainee Program
“Brisa is nothing short of a jewel for our listeners throughout California and the nation. Her genuine love for people and classical music shines through in everything she touches. We could not be more proud of her.”
– James A Muhammad, President of USC Radio Group and Classical California
You can read more about the 2023 Rising Stars of Public Media at current.org/risingstars.
