Troy Public Radio program celebrates 25 years of air time

Troy University’s Public Radio program “Opus 3” celebrates 25 years of being on air this year. The show not only brings classical music to listeners, but also the stories behind them.

The show began with a simple phone call. Former Radio Station Manager for WSTU-FM James Clower asked Catherine Allard to speak during a fundraiser for the radio station.

Allard went on air and began to tell the stories behind the music that was being broadcast. About a week later, Allard was asked to play host to a radio program that would offer commentary on classical music, and the rest is history.

“I tried winging it for a little while, and then I would listen to myself and would hear a lot of ‘ums’ and ‘uhs,’” Allard said. “I said to myself ‘this is no good,’ so I would write a script.

“I read a lot of books and articles, and I would pull the liner notes from CDs, and they were very helpful. I would get the idea for a theme which would help me decide and narrow things down for what I was going to talk about.”

The show has evolved over the years, trying out different formats and themes has helped keep the show fresh for 25 years.

While the show now airs on Sundays at noon, the title “Opus 3” is used to reveal the meaning of the show. Opus is the Latin word for “work,” which was paired with the number three because it coincided with the time that the program originally aired on the radio, Wednesdays at 3 p.m.

Allard says that the program has “forced” her to listen to and learn new music, and it is something she genuinely loves doing.

“This show has allowed me to indulge in my love of listening to music because sometimes your life can fill up with all sorts of stuff, but this show allows me to do exactly that,” Allard said. “I am not done buying CDs by any stretch of the imagination.”   

According to Allard, “Opus 3” has stayed relevant for the last two-and-a-half decades because there are other people who like classical music as much as she does.

“There is a way that all music reaches across who you are, what you think, and it reaches right down into the depths of who you are and pulls something out of you and allows you to express,” Allard said. “Even though you don’t know you’re expressing things, whether it’s happy things, sad things and even love, the relevance of music has been with us forever and ever.”

As “Opus 3” marks 25 years on the air, Allard remains dedicated to sharing the stories behind classical compositions that continue to inspire, educate and connect listeners for years to come.