WPR Music Names Ezra Wall and Stephanie Elkins as New Hosts for Morning and Midday Programs
When the first notes of a sunrise hit the air on September 7, Wisconsin’s classical music listeners will hear a new voice greet them from the University of Wisconsin‑La Crosse. Ezra Wall, a native of the La Crosse‑Onalaska area, will take the helm of “Morning Classics” from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., while former host Norman Gilliland will be succeeded by Stephanie Elkins on “Midday Classics” from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Both programs will carry the titles “Morning Classics with Ezra Wall” and “Midday Classics with Stephanie Elkins,” and the change takes effect the same day.
The announcement follows WPR’s recent decision to expand live, locally hosted programming across its three main studios in Madison, Milwaukee and La Crosse. Beginning September 7, all weekday shows on WPR Music will be broadcast live from one of those locations, with Wall’s morning show coming from the Southwestern bureau at the University of Wisconsin‑La Crosse. WPR’s program director, Peter Bryant, said the network will “continue to offer the same warmth and musical expertise listeners have come to love, now with a truly statewide presence.”
Elkins has been a WPR employee since 2007, hosting “Morning Classics” and producing “Simply Folk.” She has co‑hosted “The Midday” with Gilliland and conducted opera intermission interviews. An amateur musician who enjoys Renaissance, Baroque and folk repertoire, Elkins has performed with the Bach Choir of Bethlehem, the Festival Choir of Madison and the La Crosse Chamber Chorale. She also serves as a trustee for the Wisconsin Foundation for School Music. In a statement, Elkins said, “Morning Classics has been such a meaningful part of my life, and I really look forward to serving WPR’s midday listeners. I can’t wait to share companionship and community with this audience — and (try to) challenge them with the Midday Quiz.”
Wall grew up in La Crosse and nearby Onalaska. He began his media career at Mississippi College and later joined Mississippi Public Broadcasting, where he produced the morning news program “Mississippi Edition” and served as managing editor of MPB News. In 2019 he returned to Wisconsin as WPR’s La Crosse Regional Manager. Wall has been a frequent fill‑in host for WPR Music and has produced special broadcasts for the network. He is a lifelong musician who sings in the La Crosse Chamber Chorale and the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra Chorus. Wall said, “I’ve loved every chance I’ve had to sit in on ‘Morning Classics’ over the years, and I’m honored to take on the role full time, especially from right here in La Crosse. I can’t wait to start each day with our listeners across Wisconsin.”
WPR Music is part of Wisconsin Public Radio, a network of 38 public‑radio stations that offers a News Network and a Music Network. The Music Network broadcasts classical music 24 hours a day, supplemented by jazz, world and folk programs on weekends. Local programming has been a priority for the network, and the new lineup reinforces that focus by ensuring each weekday show is hosted from a Wisconsin studio.
With the new hosts and the expanded live‑broadcast schedule, WPR Music aims to strengthen its connection to listeners across the state while maintaining the high‑quality programming that has defined the network for years. The change is effective September 7, and listeners can tune in to the new shows on any of WPR Music’s stations, including WERN in Madison, WUEC in Eau Claire and WEPS in Elgin.
