Rafael Payare Conducts with his wife Alisa on Cello

Aspen Public Radio | By Chris Mohr

Published July 17, 2026 at 11:21 AM MDT

In a chat with Chris Mohr at Aspen Public Radio, conductor Rafael Payare talks about his work with the San Diego Symphony, the challenges of conducting an orchestra for the first time, and the joy of conducting great music with his wife Alisa Weilerstein soloing as cellist. He conducted the Aspen Festival Orchestra July 12 with Alisa performing the Dvorak cello concerto.

Tags

Classical Music from Aspen

Chris Mohr

Classical music reporter Chris Mohr has loved classical music since he was twelve. “And I owe it all to radio,” Chris explains. “I grew up in a farm town east of Cleveland. One day I turned on the local classical radio station. They were playing Vivaldi, and it was like the gates of heaven opened up to me!" Chris is also a composer, and is working on a 53-note-to-the-octave oratorio, "Melodies of the Shoreless Sea." This is his 11th summer working for Aspen Public Radio.

See stories by Chris Mohr