Robert John Lurtsema, born on November 14, 1931 in the United States of America, was a broadcaster known for his work as a narrator. He began hosting Morning Pro Musica, a classical music show on WGBH-FM in Boston, Massachusetts from 1971 until his death in 2000. Lurtsema's distinctive voice and phrasing became iconic among public radio listeners throughout New England. In addition to his radio work, he performed extensive voiceover work for public-television documentaries and classical pieces with narration. He was also a composer, earning a lifetime scholarship at the New England Conservatory of Music in 1975 to study composition and theory, writing a bassoon quartet that became the theme music for Julia Child and Company. He died from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis on June 12, 2000.
