Jill Pasternak, a beloved and longtime radio host and producer at WRTI, passed away on July 26 of natural causes in York, PA, according to her daughter Amy Hendry.
A multi-talented harpist and educator, she began her WRTI career in 1997 and retired from the station in 2015 to spend more time with her family. When she announced her departure, the station’s Facebook page was flooded with remembrances, with some listeners recalling her inquisitive, lively spirit, and her traditional introduction every afternoon: a friendly “How are you today?”
WRTI’s general manager, Bill Johnson, sums up the feelings of many: "Jill represented the heart of music. She was quick to share how it made her feel and to invite others to join her in that feeling. Listeners readily connected with her warmth and authenticity on the air. As a colleague, she was equally warm and generous with her time and passion for music, especially when it crossed and connected genres. Her passing is a tremendous loss to all of us touched by her kindness, grace, and talent.”
Jill Margot Pasternak was born on March 9, 1934 in Newark, N.J., the daughter of Albert Aaron and Dorothy Vera Bengelsdorf, who were both pianists. After growing up in what she called “Philip Roth’s Newark,” and studying with the renowned harpist and composer Marcel Grandjany, she earned a B.S. in Harp at The Juilliard School in 1955.
Over the next few decades, she was principal harpist for organizations such as City Center Ballet and Radio City Music Hall in New York, the Halifax Symphony Orchestra in Nova Scotia, the Orlando Symphony Orchestra in Florida, and the Kennett Symphony Orchestra in Kennett Square, PA. A former Fulbright Scholar, she also performed with many symphonic and chamber ensembles in recordings, on radio, on Broadway, and with groups in Philadelphia, where she would give occasional lectures on classical music.
Jill received her M.A. in Public Media from Montclair State University in 1981. Her years in broadcasting included stints on WMHT-FM in Schenectady, NY, and WQXR in New York City. She was also recognized by Women in Communications, with its prestigious Sarah Award in Radio Broadcasting.
In 1997, Jill had been a host on WFLN — Philadelphia’s classical music station for almost 50 years — before the station abruptly canceled its classical programming. An article in the The Philadelphia Inquirer noted her final tearful broadcast, which ended with Fritz Kreisler's Schoenmarin and the Adagio from Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2.
But good news followed almost immediately: the next day Temple University offered her the opportunity to continue broadcasting on WRTI, where she became a weekday afternoon classical host.
In addition to co-hosting The Wanamaker Organ Hour, a monthly show with Peter Richard Conte, perhaps her most celebrated role was executive producer and host of the station’s award-winning interview show, Crossover. For 18 years, her eclectic galaxy of guests included luminaries from the classical, jazz, Broadway, and pop worlds, a roster that zigzagged between Itzhak Perlman, Dianne Reeves, Elaine Stritch, Lorin Maazel, Bebe Neuwirth, and Billy Joel — just a glimpse of her omnivorous tastes.
Joe Patti, who was the technical producer of Crossover for 15 years, considered Jill “Philly radio's preeminent female classical announcer. I was always amazed at what she could get out of an interviewee just by asking questions based on what the person was saying, rather than from a predetermined script of questions. It would become less of an interview and more of a conversation."
Susan Lewis, executive producer and host at WRTI from 2005 to 2023 noted, "In addition to her deep knowledge of and love for the music, Jill was a warm and welcoming presence on and off the air, with a quick smile and a gentle sense of humor."
Jill is survived by two children Amy and William, four grandchildren, and remembered by thousands of grateful listeners.
A steadfast devotion to music propelled Jill throughout her career, but not without twists and turns; she worked as an editorial assistant for HiFi Stereo Review and as a training manager at Exxon, among other posts. As she told Ruth Waldman Schultz in 2000, for a profile in Tempo, WRTI’s member magazine: “Life challenges us, but we must live it. That’s what makes us interesting.”
