Ruthanne Bessman is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a bachelor of music degree in harp performance. She spent five summers at Tanglewood studying with renowned harp teacher Lucile Lawrence. Bessman continued her studies with Lawrence at the Manhattan School of Music in the master’s program. She also spent two years in Israel studying with harpist Judith Liber and performed with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.
Bessman joined Wisconsin Public Radio in 1988 and for five and a half years produced the national comedy quiz show “Whad’ya Know?” with Michael Feldman. Since 1994, she has been an on-air host and producer of outreach programs for the station. She currently hosts “Classics by Request” on Saturday mornings and coordinates Wisconsin Public Radio’s “Neale-Silva Concert of Young Musicians.”
