Elli grew up in Deerfield IL, listening to WBEZ and WFMT of Chicago. She is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin where she majored in Communication Arts and Jewish Studies. Elli began her radio career at WSUM college radio in Madison, WI. There she hosted a radio show on the Great American Songbook, her passion for which started with a discovery of Frank Sinatra and a love for Broadway musicals, passed down from generation to generation.
Following her studies, Elli moved to New York City to pursue a career in media, where in 2014 she began working part-time at Sirius XM in music programing. During that time, Elli volunteered at New York Public Radio working on The Jonathan Channel. In September 2015 she began working for NYPR full time, producing content for the Jonathan Channel and working in operations for WQXR and Operavore.
In her free time, Elli can be found listening to standards, attending Broadway musicals, exploring NYC by noshing – and always wearing sunscreen.
Elli Smerling appears in the following:
When Gershwin and Schoenberg Played Tennis Together
Thursday, September 08, 2016
