New Releases Aug. 5: Bach, Coleridge-Taylor, Hovhaness
Deep-dives into works by JS Bach (featuring the late conductor Sir Andrew Davis, a Lyric Opera of Chicago legend), as well as music by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and Alan Hovhaness. Plus, meet a lesser-known — but influential — Polish composer: Zygmunt Noskowski. And take part in a richly immersive vocal compendium by Minneapolis-based Cantus.
Don't Miss a Beat
With Opera Houses Closed, Soprano Sings for Her Alpacas
An audience is an audience, no matter who (or what species) is in it. Case in point: Erin G. McCarthy recently gave a quick recital in her barn to an audience of three alpacas.
Son: Jazz great Ellis Marsalis Jr. dead at 85; fought virus
Marsalis was born in New Orleans, son of the operator of a hotel where he met touring Black musicians who couldn't stay at the segregated downtown hotels where they performed.
WFMT Hosts and Staff Share Their Favorite Poems
April is National Poetry Month, so there's no better time to share, revisit, or discover wonderful poetry. Here are our picks.
Soothe Your Soul with the Chicago Harp Quartet [Video]
There's nothing quite like harp music. Now more than ever, the Chicago Harp Quartet's lush, dulcet tones offer an opportunity to slow down, close your eyes, and take a deep breath.
Polish composer, conductor Krzysztof Penderecki dies at 86
One of the world’s most popular contemporary classical music composers, whose works have featured in Hollywood films like The Shining and Shutter Island, has died.
Update: Singer John Prine is in stable condition, his wife says
News that Prine's health was in jeopardy provoked an outpouring of affection for the legendary singer-songwriter.
Happy World Piano Day!
Today is World Piano Day! That's because it is the 88th day of the year, a neat tie-in with the number of keys on a standard keyboard (on non-Leap Years, the holiday customarily takes place on March 29.) In celebration of the versatile, ubiquitous instrument, we're sharing some of the finest piano performances and articles on the internet!
Discover Illinois’ Newest Opera Company — Opera Edwardsville
A four-hour drive southwest from Chicago and just across the Mississippi River from St. Louis sits Edwardsville, Illinois. The small city — founder Chase Hopkins' hometown — is the site of the state's newest opera company.
With Centennial Concert Canceled, Civic Orchestra to Present Virtual Performance
The 35-minute program features an excerpt from Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5, stitched together from more than 60 separate remote recordings of Civic musicians.
Billy Collins Recites his Conversational, Observational, Quirky Poems
“Radio is such a perfect medium for the transmission of poetry, primarily because there just is the voice.” — Billy Collins Billy Collins is a wonderfully prolific, contemporary poet whose brief, poignant, and idiosyncratic word gems earned him the prestigious title of Poet Laureate of the United States from 2001 to 2003. A distinguished educator, he was also named the ...
