A selection of pieces written for children—either to play themselves or listen to—that parents can appreciate just as much as their little ones.
Everything from indispensable showpieces for piano and violin, to the timpani, saxophone... and even water!
The series begins September 10th, 2025, with music inspired by interactions between humans and technology.
Chicago Master Singers Announces 2025-26 Season
Celebrating 46 years as an ensemble, Chicago Master Singers returns for a new four-program season this fall.
Don't Miss a Beat
Yanguan Sets Guinness World Record for “Most People Drumming Together to Greet the Tide”
On the morning of August 26, at the Tide-Watching Resort Park in Yanguan Ancient City, a large number of participants gathered to play African drums as they welcomed the surging Qiantang River tide.
New Releases Sept. 2: Ancient Letters and Songs
A through line of native roots weaves through many of this week's releases, from African instruments in Latin America, to works inspired by 1,700 year-old letters from the Silk Road. Plus, the long-awaited debut concerto by Abel Selaocoe.
New Releases Aug. 26: Beethoven for Three, Shostakovich Symphonies
The fourth installment in the beloved Beethoven for Three series by Leonidas Kavakos, Yo-Yo Ma, and Emanuel Ax, with a glimpse into the rarely heard works of Beethoven's contemporary Helene Liebmann. Plus, Joyce DiDonato as Dido, early student works by Shostakovich, and a composer who Paul Hindemith described as “the last giant of music."
Slushies and Sonatas: Chicago’s Newest Classical Venue Arrives
ACM enters a new era with the 10th anniversary of the Thirsty Ears Music Festival, and a brand-new music venue where a 7-Eleven once stood.
Cultural Crossovers: Different Musical Traditions Reimagine Classical
From lieder in Hindi to a concerto for oud and piano, check out some of the many ways western classical music has been reimagined!
New Releases Aug. 19: Dissident Duos, Dawn, London
Duo FAE pays tribute to three boldly nonconformist women composers, pianist Jaeden Izik-Dzurko mines lesser-known Spanish keyboard repertoire, and the latest from American composer Joel Puckett.
WFMT Recommends Books for Music Lovers
Nothing gets you more excited about reading than a truly great book, so we asked our staff members what musical books they have recently loved!
Announcing the 2025 Ravinia Festival Broadcasts
WFMT's series of concerts from Ravinia Festival returns on Sunday, August 31 at 3:00 pm for a 10-week lineup of wonderful chamber recitals.
Playlist: Music for Children and Parents to Enjoy Together
Pull up a comfy chair and take a listen with the whole family.
New Releases Aug. 12: Birds and Waves
Mandolin music of Italy, Iberia, and the Black Sea in Song of the Birds, and orchestral music by women composers in Breaking Waves. And albums focusing on works by Florence Price, Valentin Silvestrov, and Georg Philipp Telemann.
