All good things must come to an end, and in the case of Jean Inaba, her career has been a very good thing. She’s retiring at the end of March after 12 years at CPR Classical and a 47-year career in broadcasting. Jean signs off for the last time on Thursday, March 27.
“Don’t let my youthful appearance fool you! I’ve been in broadcasting for nearly half a century.”
Jean first opened the mic as a junior in college and was hooked from the start. Her career took her to Iowa, North Carolina and Minnesota. From there, she spent 25 years working at WETA in Washington D.C. and 16 years at NPR, where she helped launch “Performance Today” and was part of the Arts and Culture team awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Bill Clinton in 2002.
“Whoa! I remember when Jean came to CPR,” says Ryan Warner, Senior Host of Colorado Matters. “We’re in the big leagues now!”
She’s endeared listeners across the country with her humor, fun production and soothing voice, ending her career as a constant companion during evenings on CPR Classical.
She’s worked tirelessly behind the scenes on audio production. “The best piece I produced was my mega History of the Piano. Took a week of research and around three days to mix. But worth it!”
“I’ve met so many people over the span of my radio career,” says Inaba. “I feel humbled when they tell me how they love listening and how what I do makes a difference in their lives. My airtime with them has been a privilege, and I am forever grateful for their kindness.”
In addition to her broadcast career, Jean played violin with the Maryland Symphony Orchestra for 24 years. She’s not retiring from the violin — Jean plans to continue to play with the Lone Tree Symphony and work as a professional freelance musician.
Send your goodbye message and well wishes to Jean through email, [email protected], or call 720-222-9501 to leave your comment.
Hear CPR Classical by clicking “Listen Live” at the top on this website, or download the Colorado Public Radio app. Listen on your radio to CPR Classical at 88.1 FM in Denver, at radio signals around Colorado. You can also tell your smart speaker to “Play CPR Classical.”
