Barry Darling is our occasional classical music host substituting for the vacationing weekday and weekend host. He came to MPBN in 1997, following a lengthy career in commercial broadcasting beginning in 1958. He did just about everything there was to do in that end of things: sales, management, on-air personality, some technical stuff, and also swept floors and made coffee...

Barry has had a lifelong love of classical music, jazz, rhythm & blues, bluegrass, music of the Middle East, and even for an occasional heavy metal band now and then. He operates a recording service specializing in choral music, historic pipe organs, and chamber music. Barry also produces many of the MaineStage presentations for the Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival, the DaPonte String Quartet, and other artists as well.

Although he's retirement age, don't look for that to happen anytime soon. "I love my work," he says. "Why should I retire while I'm having this much fun?!"