Stefan Asbury conducts the MSO in a performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2. Plus, violinist Augustin Hadelich appears for a performance of Ligeti’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra. Thursday at 10:00 pm.
Audition for Introductions Perform on WFMT’s showcase of the Chicago area’s finest pre-college musicians!
How violinist Rachel Barton Pine is working to #ExpandTheCanon
Violinist Rachel Barton Pine has always had an interest in looking beyond the classical canon. In addition to the acclaim she has won for her interpretations of music by well-known composers like Bach, Handel, and Paganini, Pine has also sought to include underrepresented composers in her repertoire. A native Chicagoan, Pine grew up looking for new and exciting pieces to ...
Meet the pianist and statesman who helped secure Poland’s independence
As a pianist, composer, statesman, and philanthropist, Ignacy Jan Paderewski embodied the idea of the Renaissance man in an undeniable way. Few other star concert pianists can boast that they fought for — and helped win — their country’s independence. Paderewski was born in 1860, and he became a popular artist by the end of the 1880s. As a pianist, ...
VIDEO | Aaron Copland appears on WTTW’s “John Callaway Interviews” in 1981
Enjoy this engaging two-part conversation between American composer Aaron Copland and John Calloway! This program of "John Calloway Interviews" aired on WFMT's sister station, WTTW, on September 14, 1981. Copland discusses his introduction to music, his forays into composing Hollywood scores, his relationship with critics, and more in this hourlong interview.
“Weird Al” Yankovic to make Ravinia Festival debut in July 2019
“Weird Al” is coming to Ravinia! Yankovic, the Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, producer, and satirist, will make his Ravinia Festival debut on July 28, 2019, as part of his Strings Attached tour. Subtitled “A Rock and Comedy Symphonic Experience,” the tour marks his first performances with a full orchestra in his more than 40-year career. At Ravinia, Yankovic will perform ...
6 of the most famous feuds between classical composers
The history of music is full of friendships and feuds. These composers certainly had complicated relationships. What are your favorite composer clashes?
Playlist | 11 Standout Classical Saxophone Pieces You Need to Hear
The saxophone is still seen as the new kid on the block in classical music. Invented in 1846 by Adolphe Sax, the saxophone came after composers like Mozart and Haydn, both of whom wrote for wind instruments. Though it seems like we can only count on our hands the number of times we see the saxophone in the concert hall — think of An American in Paris by Gershwin or Bolero by Ravel — the instrument does have a robust and diverse classical repertoire.
Nico Muhly scores with second commission from Met
NEW YORK (AP) — Ten years ago at age 27, Nico Muhly became the youngest composer ever to have a piece commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera. “It was completely terrifying,” Muhly said of the offer from Met general manager Peter Gelb to write “Two Boys” for America’s leading opera house. As with any commission he gets, he said, “It’s not ...
In his greatly anticipated return to Chicago, conductor Daniel Barenboim reflects on what the city has meant to his career
“In 1970, I was many things, but not an experienced conductor,” admitted Daniel Barenboim at a press conference at Symphony Center on October 29, 2018. “And therefore, for me to stand in front of the Chicago Symphony was an event of shattering importance. And I mean every syllable of that. And then to stay, and come so regularly [to work] ...
Aretha Franklin doc ‘Amazing Grace’ to finally see the light
NEW YORK (AP) — More than 46 years after it was shot, the Aretha Franklin concert film “Amazing Grace” is finally being released. The late gospel singer’s estate and film producers said Monday they have reached agreement on “Amazing Grace.” Sydney Pollack shot most of the footage that documented Franklin’s performance at a Los Angeles Baptist church in January 1972. ...
8 U.S. Presidents You Didn’t Know Were Musicians
Did you know that some of our nation’s leaders past and present could hold their own at a conductor’s podium? Regardless of their political party, many presidents from Jefferson to Nixon to Obama might all agree on one thing: music is important in our lives.
