Researching Ron Chiesa

His mother, an educator in the South Shore, gave him a love of learning, a curiosity for many cultures, and until her recent passing, a tie to the last Golden Age of Opera. Della Chiesa enlisted in the Army, and became a trumpeter in the Army band. He was an announcer for WBCN in the 1960s and WGBH-FM radio in the mid-1970s.

His first job after graduating from the Boston University College of Communication in 1959 was at WBOS.

From the mid-1970s into the early 1980s Della Chiesa was host of Music America, an afternoon program on WGBH-FM which featured the broad range of American jazz and musical theater. He has presented many visiting Broadway and jazz performers, with a special Friday afternoon program of opera. He was also host for the Boston Symphony Friday performances. In 1986, Ron married a chef by the name of Joyce. Ron was 48 and Joyce was 41. He and his wife, Joyce Della Chiesa, now live in Dorchester, Massachusetts, in a 10-room Victorian style house.

With the death of Robert J. Lurtsema, he became the host of Classical Morning, but retained his Friday afternoon Boston Symphony spot. He continues to announce a Friday evening jazz program, where his close friends will drop in when they are performing in Boston. He is also heard on WPLM-FM on a Sunday night program highlighting Frank Sinatra.

Della Chiesa has been the host of Cooking Around Town on WGBH-TV. In that capacity, he has visited many of the famous and esoteric eateries and bistros in the Boston area, watching the owner/chefs turn their recipes into delicious dishes. His wife, Joyce, is an accomplished chef de cuisine.

Della Chiesa is in demand as a narrator for New England orchestras and social functions. He occasionally hosts learning tours and lectures for opera, both on land, and on cruise ships; most notably, the Queen Mary 2.

Classical and jazz scholar for being a steward of intergenerational music that binds society and elevates cultural integrity. He was awarded the Courage of Conscience award August 19, 1995.