Robert Bruce was born and raised in New Jersey – but please don’t hold that against him! He received a music degree from CU, Boulder and later obtained a Masters in Library Studies at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, all the while appearing in various productions of plays, musicals, and Gilbert and Sullivan operas. A life-long passionate enthusiast of classical music and opera, Robert is also a lover of classic movies (as well as the not-so-classic) and a reader of fantasy and horror literature.
He discovered Classical Music when very young, falling in love with The Nutcracker Suite and Danse macabre at age 10. An actor/singer from way back, Robert has performed in various productions of plays, operas, musicals, and Gilbert and Sullivan, most recently appearing as Ko-Ko in Opera Theatre of the Rockies’ production of The Mikado.
When not at KCME, Robert spends most of his time at home with his two cats, Dante and Virgil, cooking, watching classic movies, and listening to music from his personal library of some 1200 compact discs.
Dave Carty was born in Nashville, Tennessee. His family moved to Colorado Springs when he was a child and he’s lived here ever since. He received a BA in Communications from UCCS and was an intern at KCME his senior year, way back on Minnehaha Ave in Manitou Springs. After starting on-air hosting the midnight shift, Dave moved to the morning show in 1995 and hosted until 2006, then rejoined as your friendly host in the mornings in 2020.
Michael Campion, holds a B.A. in piano performance with graduate work in music theory undertaken at Northern Illinois University.
Michael’s passion for music began at an early age.
"I remember as a kid the first time I heard Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. I was floored. And when I heard some of Beethoven’s piano sonatas, I knew I had to play those one day. I started piano lessons and then I started to look for other classical composers and was just as inspired by them. It gave me a lifelong love of this incredible music. And one of the things I realized was that I couldn’t keep this amazing music to myself. That led to looking for every opportunity to share it with people through recordings and explaining why this is so great. Some people shrugged it off, others were comfortable listening to more of it, and a few were changed like I was after hearing it. That’s why I teach, and that’s why I’m passionate about sharing the music on KCME. It’s exciting to hear about people who call in saying how much they appreciate what they’re hearing and who want to find recordings of some of these works. That sense of community, that sharing of something is powerful and it’s what brings us together during a very divisive time."
"It’s amazing to see how the station has grown over the past twenty-five years and how it’s become such a vital part of the community. I’m proud to be a part of it. And to be involved with so many of the arts organizations just makes the connections stronger and the programs better. My work with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, The Chamber Orchestra of the Springs, and the Colorado Springs Conservatory has been fulfilling and rewarding and I’m humbled to have been able to pass on my passion and knowledge to so many others and to hopefully have touched their lives in some way. I’m looking forward to the next twenty-five years."
Born and raised in Southern California, Quinn moved to Colorado in 1994, where she began her sojourn in radio doing traffic reports and voiceovers for various Colorado Springs stations. In 2009, Quinn embarked on her career with KCME doing the early morning weekend shifts, eventually moving to weekdays and starting the popular show, Dinner and a Movie.
Classical music was a constant presence in the Williamsburg, Virginia home where David grew up. His father, a NASA engineer, instilled a love of music and the arts from an early age. After high school, David studied theater at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and later moved to New York to attend the Circle-in-the-Square Theater School. While living in New York City, David worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and did volunteer work for the Philharmonia Virtuosi under Richard Kapp. He also began his radio career with jobs at the ABC Radio Networks and the Wall Street Journal Radio Network.
David is also active with the local theater community here in Colorado Springs. He was previously seen as Count Orsini-Rosenberg in Amadeus and as Mr. Mushnik in The Little Shop of Horrors. He is the proud husband of local award-winning actress Lynne Hastings; proud father of two great and talented kids, Trevor and Maya; and proud pet father of one neurotic German Shepherd (Rajah) and one insane cat (Amira).
A passionate advocate for the arts, Pam DeVier, wears many hats including Administrator for the Visual and Performing Arts Department at UCCS, on-air host for KCME ME , cellis, Mom, researcher of music, advocate for women's voices in the arts, and fighter for more equality and kindness in our world.
Simon Jacobs was born in Cornwall, UK, and has lived and worked in the United States for over fifteen years. He holds master’s degrees in music and choral conducting from Cambridge University, UK and Yale University. Simon is a professional organist, collaborative pianist, and conductor, with a busy freelance career. He has been steeped in music since childhood, being born into a musical family.
In addition to his work at the station, he is a Mentor at the Colorado Springs Conservatory, Director of Music at Manitou Community Church, and plays keys for an up and coming funk band. Simon lives in beautiful Manitou Springs with his wife Mira, three cats, a sweet dog, and a cranky green-cheeked parakeet. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, good food, history, and composing.
Fred Kormos has been with 88.7 KCME-FM since early in 1991, his previous radio experience being with a commercial AM station in the late sixties. Fred is a first-generation American; his father is Hungarian and his mother Italian. As a child, he lived in a number of places including Maine, Massachusetts, Italy, France, Delaware, and Rhode Island. He was drafted in the early 70s and, rather than be conscripted into the army, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force.
“The brains in the family went to my father and my brother, both engineers,” says Fred, “and the musical talent went to my mother, who had a beautiful singing voice.” Fred might not be musically talented, but he developed an enormous love of music at an early age from listening to his parents’ records, symphonic recordings conducted by Arturo Toscanini and operas starring Beniamino Gigli — back in those days it was considered “classy” to have records of that sort in one’s home, even if one didn’t actually listen to them! “Also, I had a very kind and generous aunt and uncle living in New York City who afforded me many opportunities to hear operas and live concerts there.”
Born and raised in the northern suburbs of Chicago, JJ Sechan began his musical studies with jazz saxophone at the age of ten. After switching to bassoon in high school, he went on to receive a Bachelor of Music from The Juilliard School and an Artist Diploma from Oberlin Conservatory, studying with Judith LeClair and George Sakakeeny. JJ moved to Colorado in 2016 to perform with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, Boulder Philharmonic, and Opera Colorado orchestras.
When not playing bassoon, teaching, or making radio shows, JJ likes to run, bike, and cook. He has tried making the perfect Jewish brisket for the holidays four times previously and is pretty darn confident that THIS time he will get it right.
On-Air Host Jomar Cruz was born in Puerto Rico but spent most of his life in Orlando where he received a Master of Performing Arts from the University of Central Florida, studying cello. He moved from Florida to Colorado Springs hoping to find new and different musical opportunities.
Keith Simon, a native of Southeast Texas, moved to Colorado Springs with his wife, Melissa, in 1997. A graduate of Lamar University with a Bachelor’s Degree is Mass Communication, Keith landed his first radio job in 1984, and has been hooked on broadcasting ever since.
When not working on an endless list of projects around his home, Keith is an active amateur radio operator, old movie fan, and collector car enthusiast. One of his greatest pleasures now is bringing great classical music to KCME listeners across the Pikes Peak region and beyond.
Here are his thoughts on working in public radio...
Radio has been in my blood almost since day one. As a seven-year-old monitoring the AM band for reports tracking the progress of Santa Claus, I stepped back and began to monitor the actual process of broadcasting instead of merely being a passive listener. That was 1972.
My first love was a “clear-channel” (back when that meant something different that today’s media mega-corporation) AM news station out of Houston, Texas. Although the actual transmitter and studios were probably a little over an hour’s drive from my hometown and my clock radio, it was totally another universe. I was hooked. In 1984, I walked into a tiny AM station in Beaumont, Texas with the line, “I’ve never worked in radio, but…”
It was then that I discovered how completely different it was to be on the other side of the microphone. Still, the love affair continued.
In the ensuing years, commercial broadcasting has become much more homogenized, losing much of the unique, local flavor it had in those days. More times than not, an announcer or host is not a local resident, not a member of the community, not a friend or neighbor, and not someone you would see at your grocery store. There are certainly exceptions, and we’re fortunate to have some very fine local outlets in this city, but there are not as many as you’d think.
That’s why I’ve been a fan and supporter of local public radio stations since my college days, when I first set foot inside the university radio station as a teenaged, Mass-Communication major. I liken it to buying local produce over something frozen or canned from the supermarket. You can taste the difference. In public radio, Classical KCME and Jazz 93.5, you can hear the difference.
That’s why I do what I do, and I hope to meet you soon on the airwaves.
Stephanie Horton started as Development and Marketing Director at KCME for 2 years and stepped in as General Manager in 2022. She started out in public media over a decade ago working for RSUPublic TV as Membership and Program Manager. In 2011, Stephanie joined the Houston Public Media team as the Assistant Director of Individual Giving managing the member services team, and after a few short years transitioned to On Air Fundraising Manager for HoustonPBS, News 88.7 and Classical 91.7 Radio.
Questions or concerns? Contact Stephanie at gm@kcme.org