Classical music fans who are early risers are sure to be familiar with the voice of Dwight Davis. Dwight hosts Morning Classics on weekdays from 5-10 a.m. on WHRO FM. He has been one of the mainstays of classical music in Eastern Virginia for many years — and he recently celebrated his 40th anniversary with WHRO Public Media.

Before starting his career as a radio announcer, Dwight taught high school science. He was already an avid listener of classical music, and he applied when he heard a station was hiring — despite not having radio experience. The rest is history!

In addition to his early morning program, Dwight also hosts From the Parlor on Sundays from 3-4 p.m. as well as the very popular Bird Notes — a program of short vignettes about birds that shares interesting tidbits and bird-themed reflections with listeners. He began creating the episodes for BirdNotes in 1991 and it eventually became the program that it is today.

Throughout his years in the industry, he has seen many changes. He said most of them have been in the area of technology.

“The bottom line is that the advances have made things easier in terms of the mechanics of the job,” he said. “But, I'd like to think that what I call the magic of radio has not changed.”

Despite the changes in technology that have brought about online streaming and the popularity of podcasts, he still sees radio as a medium that is here to stay.

“I've been apprehensive for traditional, over-the-air broadcasting over the past few years, what with all the new platforms appearing and all the new delivery systems," Dwight said. “However, I'm not sure that they have yet supplanted good, old-fashioned radio; we're still holding our own, I think.”

He said his favorite part of his job is sharing music with friends. He also recalled some stand-out moments of his career that he especially enjoyed including an interview with composer Aaron Copland and a live broadcast from the Harrison Opera House for a Virginia Opera anniversary concert.

He has also seen the behind-the-scenes frenzy that can accompany live radio. “There was a morning during a hurricane when the WHRV announcer couldn't make it in to work and I had to go back and forth between studios, announcing and trying to keep both stations on schedule,” he recalled.

Even so, he wouldn’t want to spend his days any other way. “The job is still fun after all these years,” he said.

Congratulations, Dwight, on 40 years of service at WHRO!

Learn more about Dwight in this Q&A from 2020 or from his bio, and learn more about Bird Notes in this past article.