Erika Funke brings a modern voice to classical artforms

If your last name is pronounced like “funky,” you had better be an arts and entertainment enthusiast. That is the case for Erika Funke, the radio host who was born and raised in Wilkes-Barre. After being introduced to theater, opera, jazz and classical music by her parents and their band of creative friends, Funke has settled in as one of Luzerne County’s most visible artistic allies.

Funke attended the University of Chicago, the backdrop for a few of her critical artistic experiences. She read Joseph Conrad’s 1899 novella “Heart of Darkness,” deepening her understanding of art’s power. A similar effect was felt when she attended a concert by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Sir Georg Solti, highlighted by a performance of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7. Perhaps most importantly, Funke was a radio host during her college years in Chicago, which culminated in her 1974 graduation. She would later advance her education by earning a master’s degree from Penn State University.

Funke moved to Boston to intern with WGBH radio, but she eventually found herself back home in Northeast Pennsylvania. Upon returning, she volunteered at WVIA, a local leader in public broadcasting that was still finding its footing at the time. At first, she was doing radio features in her spare time for the station, but when a full-time radio host position became available, she took it. This came at a time when women in radio broadcasting was far from typical. Nearly five decades later, Funke is still in the hosting chair, and has become a senior producer at WVIA.

The signature show of Funke’s career is the award-winning “ArtScene,” a program running each weekday. It prominently features interviews with arts and entertainment figures in and out of Luzerne County. “ArtScene” is an excellent showcase for not only the talent of the interviewees, but Funke as well. Her soothing yet passionate approach to the arts is a hallmark of her style, as is her emphasis on being an active listener.

Among her other hosting duties are WVIA’s “Classical Music” show, which she hosts alongside Lisa Mazzarella, and the former “Early Birds” program. She has also had a presence in WVIA’s television wing of programming as the host and moderator of “Keystone Edition Arts,” a regionally-based series that explores the latest developments in arts and culture.

Further on the television side of the industry, Funke has brought her vast range of interests to the small screen. She wrote and narrated a documentary on the Knox Mine Disaster, 1984’s “Knox… A Disaster.” The event featured in the documentary was a turning point in the local coal industry’s downfall. Funke was also the tour guide featured in a 2005 documentary about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, which was based on her 2001 tour of the cities that were most prominent in Mozart’s life and career.

As a longtime champion of the local arts and entertainment scenes, Funke has used her skills and knowledge in these areas to tell stories based in Luzerne County. Her radio play “Who Pretender Is, Or Who Is King” was set in the Laurel Run community, produced by The Northeast Theatre, and broadcast on WVIA radio.

Funke’s public broadcasting insights have long been a source of inspiration for young journalists and scholars. Following the fall of the Berlin Wall, Funke traveled to Poland and participated in workshops for local broadcasters who were attempting to recoup after the demise of state-sponsored media. Closer to home, Funke served two terms on the Pennsylvania Humanities Council, and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree by Misericordia University in 2023.

Throughout her career, Erika Funke has been a sought-after speaker in the area, thanks to her expansive perspective on the local arts and entertainment scenes. She has successfully mixed her interests in theater, music, broadcasting and history to craft a career that has remained exciting after decades.