WKCR is pleased to announce a special broadcast in honor of Manfred Eicher’s 83rd birthday, for 24 hours on July 9, 2025, on FM and HD radio and online. This special broadcast will preempt all regularly scheduled Thursday programming.

Manfred Eicher was born July 9, 1943, in Lindau, Germany. A double bassist by training, he founded Edition of Contemporary Music (ECM) Records at the age of 26, and in the 1970s gained a reputation as a leading producer of emerging jazz, minimalist, and improvisatory musicians, with a focus on recording and replicating live performance practices. Early releases on the ECM record label included works by Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea, and Jack DeJohnette. Jarrett’s The Köln Concert, released in 1975 and produced by Eicher, is the best-selling solo piano album of all time. In 1984, ECM founded New Series, dedicated to notated music, and celebrated its first release with Arvo Pärt’s Tabula Rasa. Subsequent musicians on the label have included the Hilliard Ensemble, Kim Kashkashian, Steve Reich, and András Schiff. To date, more than 1,700 albums have been released by ECM Records, with the vast majority of them produced by Eicher. Eicher is lauded by musicians for his meticulous ear and his innovative and collaborative approach to recording music.

WKCR is honored to participate in the celebration of Manfred Eicher’s ongoing legacy. On July 9, listeners can tune in on 89.9 FM or wkcr.org to hear 24 hours of recordings released by ECM Records and ECM New Series. The day will be divided into alternating jazz, classical, and new music segments. Follow WKCR on Instagram (@wkcr) and Twitter (@WKCRFM) for updates about this special broadcast and future events.