The host of The Cabinet of Classical Delights said he wanted his programme to leave listeners feeling stirred in some way, regardless of their knowledge of the genre.
"The classical music community can be elitist and snobby, at times. I don’t want that.
"To me, classical music is not about concert halls and pretty clothes, or about what other people are thinking of me as I go down the aisle.
"It is about what the music signifies and feels."
The theme for each episode is kept light, reflecting Dr Connors’ own experience of finding the form "heavily calming".
Even the thread of war is approached from the perspective of everyday people experiencing conflict, as opposed to glorifying battle or victory.
A recent episode exploring a water theme featured compositions by Astor Piazzolla, Anatoly Lyadov, Ferde Grofe, Ludovico Einaudi, Maurice Revel and Claude Debussy.
Future episodes will feature works influenced by the natural world, through themes such as "birds" or "air".
The Cabinet of Classical Delights is broadcast on 105.4FM and 1575AM on Mondays at 10am.
Podcasts are available from oar.org.nz and other major platforms.
A full schedule of OAR FM programmes can be found at www.oar.org.nz
