Music and Conversation with Enrique Mazzola

Maestro Enrique Mazzola will succeed Sir Andrew Davis as music director at Lyric Opera of Chicago for the 2021-2022 season. WFMT’s George Preston sits down with Mazzola to talk about his life and career, some favorite music, and his thoughts about his new post.

New Year’s in Vienna, a Strauss Family Concert conducted by Riccardo Muti

Maestro Muti takes the podium for 2021’s installment of this annual New Year’s Day tradition.

The Best Is Yet To Come: New Year’s Eve With WFMT

2020 has been a year like no other, so let’s wave it goodbye in a broadcast unlike any we’ve ever hosted. From 8:00 pm to 2:00 am, join us for an on-air look back at the year in a program featuring classical, jazz, and folk selections chosen by WFMT hosts, staff, and friends!

A More Perfect Union: A Musical Tribute to Ruth Bader Ginsburg

In 2015, WFMT was deeply honored to welcome the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who shared her deep love for opera. During our rebroadcast of this special event, being presented in her memory, we’ll also hear some highlights from Chicago’s own classical-recording label, Cedille, and from the opera Scalia/Ginsburg.

Eastern Orthodox Christmas Music with Andrew Patner

A rebroadcast from WFMT’s late critic-at-large, in which he explores this lesser-known holiday repertory.

Berlioz: ‘L’enfance du Christ’

A London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus performance.

Vaughan Williams: ‘The First Nowell’

A London Philharmonic and Chorus performance.

Bach’s ‘Christmas Oratorio’

WFMT airs Bach’s seminal work.

Apollo’s Fire: Christmas on Sugarloaf Mountain

Critically acclaimed early music ensemble Apollo’s Fire shares a festive, Irish-Appalachian celebration. READ MORE: What are Shape Notes? Jeannette Sorrell of Apollo’s Fire Explains

Menotti’s ‘Amahl and the Night Visitors’

Italian-American composer Gian Carlo Menotti’s Christmas opera.

Vaughan Williams: ‘Hodie’ Cantata

The London Symphony Orchestra performs with the St. Paul’s Cathedral Choristers.

A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols

The annual service broadcast from King’s College Chapel of Cambridge University.

Winter Holidays Around the World with Bill McGlaughlin

Bill’s spirited selections hail from the British Isles, Paris, Mexico, Polynesia, and more.

Bach’s Magnificat

A performance by the Catalonian Choir and Le Concert des Nations.

Music for the Winter Holidays

“The Film Score: Music for the Winter Holidays,” hosted by Chicago Tribune film critic Michael Phillips, features music from holiday favorites and other wintry classics.

Vivaldi’s ‘Four Seasons’

For the first day of winter, WFMT shares a performance of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons concertos.

Respighi: ‘Lauda a la Nativita del Signore’

A Philadelphia Orchestra performance.

Tchaikovsky: ‘Nutcracker’ excerpts

A Chicago Symphony Orchestra performance conducted by Fritz Reiner.

Itzhak Perlman’s Hanukkah Radio Party

The illustrious violinist samples a great variety of music for the Jewish Festival of Lights.

Benjamin Britten: ‘A Ceremony of Carols’

The Westminster Abbey Choir performs this perennial holiday favorite.

Apollo’s Fire: Christmas on Sugarloaf Mountain

Critically acclaimed early music ensemble Apollo’s Fire shares a festive, Irish-Appalachian celebration.

A Hanukkah Celebration with Chicago a cappella

Join Jonathan Miller, artistic director of Chicago a cappella and a longtime champion of Jewish choral music, for an inspiring and informative show featuring choral music set to Chanukah texts.

Max Richter’s ‘Voices’

In a worldwide broadcast in honor of the UN Human Rights Day, this performance features narration in several languages of excerpts from the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

A Tribute to John Williams

Enjoy this performance of favorite film scores by multiple Oscar-winning composer John Williams presented by the New Philharmonic Orchestra of the College of DuPage. WFMT’s broadcast will include commentary from music director Kirk Muspratt.

The Chen String Quartet Live

In a live broadcast from Nichols Concert Hall at the Music Institute of Chicago, host Robbie Ellis welcomes CSO Concertmaster Robert Chen, violinist Laura Chen, and their children, violist Beatrice Chen and cellist Noah Chen. The concert includes Dohnányi’s Serenade for String Trio, Op. 10; Beethoven’s String Quartet in G Major, Op. 18, No. 2; and Smetana’s String Quartet No. …