Playlist: 12 Irish Composers You Should Know
From folk and traditional to punk, rock, and pop, Ireland is the source of much incredible music. But the Emerald Isle has played host to no shortage of classical music ranging from the 16th century to today.
Don't Miss a Beat
Chicago Fringe Opera Brings Rarely Performed Glass Opera ‘In the Penal Colony’ to the Windy City
At 79 years old, Philip Glass has composed 27 operas. Yet, only a handful have been performed in Chicago, though the composer spent formative years in the Windy City as a student.
How Stephen King’s ‘The Shining’ Became an Opera
Pulitzer-winning composer Paul Moravec: “A supernatural story makes total sense for an opera...”
Conductor Mariss Jansons on Shostakovich’s “Leningrad” Symphony, Music, and Politics
Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 7, titled “Leningrad,” was written during one of the most horrific sieges in history. From 1941 to 1944, Hitler’s army surrounded Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), and over one million civilians died. Conductor Mariss Jansons, renowned for his interpretations of Shostakovich symphonies, has a particularly interesting connection to Leningrad. Jansons was born in Soviet-controlled Latvia. Later, he would ...
Leif Ove Andsnes on Becoming Beethoven, Brahms
"I just finished a four year Beethoven journey where I immersed myself in the music of this great composer, especially his five piano concertos," says Andsnes. "I basically just played Beethoven for years."
The Truth About the “Worst Singer of All Time,” Florence Foster Jenkins, Told by Her Accompanist
Florence Foster Jenkins couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket. Yet, she made her Carnegie Hall debut to a completely sold-out house on October 25, 1944.
Tenor Javier Camarena on His History-Making Met Encore
Tenor Javier Camarena made history on March 12, 2016, when he performed an encore during a performance of Donizetti’s Don Pasquale at the Metropolitan Opera, making him one of three singers to offer encores so in the company’s recent history. He spoke about performing the encore, the music itself, and other exciting moments in his career in anticipation of his upcoming performance in ...
“Rhythm is universal”: Tabla Player Zakir Hussain on Music, Politics, & Cross-Cultural Collaboration
When Zakir Hussain, one of the world’s greatest percussionists, speaks about his childhood in Mumbai, it’s easy to understand how his career has led him to collaborations with diverse artists from Ravi Shankar to Yo-Yo Ma to Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead. “Every day I grew up studying the Quran, singing Christian hymns, and playing Hindu devotional music,” Hussain said ...
Playlist: 10 Contemporary Composers You Should Know (…Who Also Happen to Be Women)
During March, Women’s History Month, we draw special attention to the music of women composers past and present on WFMT. Here are 10 living composers who are changing music today, along with 10 albums featuring their music you might want to add to your library.
Why Mezzo-Soprano Alice Coote Would ‘Die for Music’
A life in opera may seem all glamour and glitter. But, when the curtain falls and audience members leave the opera house, they rarely think of how difficult life can be for a singer.
Why Pianist Hélène Grimaud Flooded the Park Avenue Armory with 122,000 Gallons of Water
“We could have made a program with only pieces by Ravel, Debussy, and Liszt,” Grimaud said. “But I wanted to represent as many composers as possible, which meant only one piece per composer..."
