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Remembering the USS Indianapolis with ‘A Local Touch’

Stephen Melillo during a recording session
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This Wednesday at 9:00 p.m., ‘A Local Touch – Music with a Virginia Connection’ presents a special episode marking the 80th anniversary of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis. Host Raymond Jones welcomes world-renowned composer and conductor Stephen Melillo to the Williamsburg studio for an extended conversation about music’s role in telling stories of courage, sacrifice, and remembrance. Although his music has been performed around the globe, Melillo calls Virginia home. He lives in Smithfield, where he maintains his own composition studio and continues to write music that speaks to both history and humanity.

BHM local touch

 At the center of this week’s program is “Forever Strong - What These Eyes Have Seen,” a moving tribute Melillo composed for the 70th anniversary of the Indianapolis tragedy. The piece traces the ship’s story from construction to destruction, honoring not only the 316 survivors and their families, but also those who lost their lives in the Pacific.

We’ll also hear “A Requiem of Two Poems,” an antiwar reflection written just two hours before the start of the war in Ukraine, and “In a Cause Called Glorious,” commissioned by West Point for the 200th anniversary of the Army Band, which commemorates the American Revolution.

The program concludes with our Heifetz On Air segment “Soldiers on Music,” a meditation on the resilience of musicians in difficult times. Highlights include a commanding performance of a Brahms masterwork by legendary violist Atar Arad, the Emerson Quartet playing Shostakovich, a poignant work by John Williams, and a touching lullaby by an airline-grounded artist who found solace in music.

Don’t miss this special edition of “A Local Touch,” an evening of music with meaning, created and shared right here in Virginia. Tune in Wednesday at 9:00 p.m. on WHRO-FM 90.3, or listen online through our Media Player or smart devices.

As the Assistant Radio Producer at WHRO FM 90.3, Aurora contributes to the production of our classical music programs, extending her expertise to both WHRO and WHRV. Her journey in media began at a regional radio station in Valencia, Spain, before transitioning to television, where she spent nearly 20 years producing a variety of formats, from news to game shows and reality TV. In 2023, Aurora relocated to Hampton Roads, bringing her diverse media experience to this vibrant community and becoming an integral part of the WHRO team.