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From YouTube to Lyric: Composer Jimmy López on His Operatic Debut

By Hannah Edgar and Stephen Raskauskas |

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“I’ve been working towards this my whole career,” Lopez said excitedly as he observed summer technical rehearsals for Bel Canto.


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WFMT’s Favorite Beach Reads

By Stephen Raskauskas |

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If you need recommendations for what to read when you’re relaxing on the beach, look no further; our staff shares their favorite books about music.


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Quiz: Are You Secretly French? You Might Be If Get More Than 14/20 On This Music Quiz

By Stephen Raskauskas |

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Think you know French music? From the salon to the symphony hall, from the opera to the ballet, the French have given us some great music. But, how much French music do YOU know? Allons-y!


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“Gopher Tuna” — What ‘Carmina Burana’ Really Sounds Like

By Stephen Raskauskas |

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Carl Orff’s famous Carmina Burana, a scenic cantata based on medieval poems, is one of the most recognizable pieces of classical music. We’ve all heard it countless times. But, do you know what the text says? The poetry muses on life, death, fortune, and of course, drinking, gluttony, gambling, and sex. Since the text is in Latin, you may not …


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Signifyin’ in Song: How the Sounds of Slavery Changed Music Forever

By Stephen Raskauskas |

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Music and dance provided an outlet for enslaved people to express their sorrow, though often their cries of pain sounded quite the opposite to slave owners.


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9 Living Black Composers You Need To Know

By Stephen Raskauskas |

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If you’re not familiar with these 9 composers, we’ve got 2 things to say: 1. You’re missing out on a lot of great music. 2. Now’s your chance to catch up! June is African-American Music Appreciation Month, and while you shouldn’t limit your appreciation of music by African-American composers to the month of June, it’s a nice excuse to explore …


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How One Chord Changed the World: “Tristan” at 150

By Stephen Raskauskas |

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If you’re a music lover, you may have heard of the so-called “Tristan chord” from Wagner’s opera Tristan und Isolde. Audiences were stunned to hear this infamous harmony when the opera premiered on June 10, 1865 in Munich, Germany. As Tristan turns 150, let’s take a look at what makes the Tristan chord so unique. The “Vorspiel,” or Prelude, to Tristan begins with with a “dissonant” chord. The terms “consonance” …


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What If Nina Simone Had Been a Classical Pianist?

By Stephen Raskauskas |

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Before Nina Simone became one of America’s most iconic jazz musicians, she wanted to have a career as a classical pianist.


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Playlist: 5 Mexican Composers You Should Know

By Candice Agree and Stephen Raskauskas |

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Learn more about Mexico’s most celebrated composers of the past and present. Here are 5 Mexican composers you should know because of their incredible contributions to the world of music.


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Playlist: 6 Songs to Welcome the Merry Month of May

By Stephen Raskauskas |

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“April is the cruelest month,” T.S. Eliot famously wrote. But May is here, and what better way to welcome this merry month than with music? Here are six songs to help you say goodbye to April showers and say hello to May flowers.