Get in the holiday spirit with all of WFMT’s festive musical performances, stories, programs, and more. Visit Holiday Central to make your spirits bright!
Playlist | The Vienna Boys Choir Shares their Favorite Christmas Music!
Christmas markets, festive decorations, and delicious treats – LOTS of treats – signify the holiday season in Vienna. But a Viennese Christmas would not be complete without the glorious sounds of the Vienna Boys Choir. We asked the choir members to select their favorite Christmas carols that they have performed. Find out why each young chorister loves performing their selected song, and enjoy the ultimate Christmas playlist from the Vienna Boys Choir!
The pressure of composing new music for ‘Mary Poppins’
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — Everyone involved in the making of “Mary Poppins Returns ” felt the pressure to do justice to the original 1964 film. Rob Marshall worked on it for three straight years. Animators came out of retirement to do hand-drawn animation in the style of the first. Sets were built. Cast members moved their family to London ...
Janet Jackson, Def Leppard, Nicks join Rock Hall of Fame
NEW YORK (AP) — Janet Jackson joins her brother Michael and the Jackson 5 as members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, earning induction on Thursday along with Stevie Nicks and the top fan vote-getter, Def Leppard. Radiohead, the Cure, Roxy Music and the Zombies will also be ushered in next spring at the 34th induction ceremony. It ...
Happy National Violin Day!
Let's celebrate this day honoring one of the most prominent instruments in classical music. So, here are some highlight videos, interviews, and articles about the violin from the past year!
WFMT Audio Engineer Mary Mazurek Nominated for a Grammy Award
If you’ve ever listened to a live broadcast on WFMT, chances are you’ve heard Mary Mazurek’s work. Since beginning at WFMT in 1993, Mary has come to engineer for the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts, Live from WFMT, Impromptu, and more. She’s worked with leading artists ranging from Yo-Yo Ma to the Kronos Quartet. And now, she’s received her first ...
Massive tuba ensemble blasts its way into record book
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A massive tuba ensemble has smashed a Guinness World Record in Kansas City and spread some Christmas cheer. KSHB-TV reports that 835 tuba players performed “Silent Night” on Friday at a downtown arena, setting a new Guinness World Records. The previous record of 502 tuba players in California in 2007. A Guinness official was on hand ...
QUIZ | Can you match these musical prints and paintings to their artist?
We found some of the most musical works in the Art Institute of Chicago's collection. Can you identify who created them?
Rome opera hires Gatti, who lost job over #MeToo allegations
ROME (AP) — Rome’s opera house on Friday defended hiring conductor Daniele Gatti, who was fired by an Amsterdam-based orchestra last summer over sexual misconduct allegations. Teatro dell’Opera di Roma spokesman Renato Bossa said that the theater signed Gatti this week to a contract running through December 2021 as musical director because, in a country with “rule of law, one ...
Celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Art Institute of Chicago with WFMT! Tune In for an Art-Inspired Morning Program on Saturday, December 8
It’s December 8, 1893 – imagine that you are on the corner of Michigan Avenue and Adams Street in downtown Chicago. Some modest buildings dot the skyline, and there’s a little hustle and bustle in the streets. The World’s Columbian Exposition just ended, which saw an influx of people and made the Windy City a truly international destination. You look ...
Salonen to become San Francisco Symphony music director
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Esa-Pekka Salonen will become music director of the San Francisco Symphony starting with the 2020-21 season. He will succeed Michael Tilson Thomas, who ends his 25-year tenure following the 2019-20 season. Salonen, a 60-year-old Finn who also composes, was given the immediate title of music director designate, the orchestra said Wednesday. He has a five-year contract ...
