Originally from Jackson, Minnesota, Mike Pengra is the “Swiss Army Knife” of Minnesota Public Radio. He studied music in high school and majored in music education in college. His goal was to be a high school band director, but then his love of music and performance took over when he graduated. Beginning in 1980, he played music professionally. After nearly a decade of playing in bars and touring, he decided it was time for a change. He decided to see if he could get an internship at MPR, which he did, and he’s been with MPR ever since. He’s worked as a front desk receptionist, as an assistant engineer in the Maud Moon Weyerhauser Studio, and later in the MPR newsroom as a board operator and producer.
He eventually became the program manager at MPR News, and then became producer of The Morning Show with Dale Connelly and Jim Ed Poole on KSJN, now known as YourClassical MPR. That show eventually moved to The Current, becoming Radio Heartland, a stream which he’s been managing since 2010 and still hosts each weekday from 9 a.m. to noon. He also works with YourClassical MPR as a producer for live broadcasts of the Minnesota Orchestra. Mike loves classical, jazz, rock, and folk music. And over the years at MPR, he’s been able to meet and interview some of his favorite musicians. He does still perform himself on weekends, which he plans to do until he can’t carry his drums any longer.
You can catch Mike as host of the Radio Heartland stream, which focuses on roots, folk, Americana, and blues.
