We asked 13 WFMT staff members to select music that helps them get through the winter. Whether you’re cozying up indoors or braving the elements, this playlist is for you!
Love Valentine’s Day? This is the classical playlist for you!
A holiday celebrating love and romance? Sign us up! Valentine's Day only comes around once a year, so now's your chance to get swept away by this playlist of breathtakingly romantic classical music.
“My dream is for Chicago to be at the forefront of new opera” — Meet Ashley Magnus, Chicago Opera Theater’s New General Director
A new leader has taken the reins at Chicago Opera Theater. On January 18, COT’s board of directors appointed Ashley Magnus as the new Stefan Edlis and Gael Neeson General Director. With the trio of Magnus, music director Lidiya Yankovskaya, and board president Susan Irion, COT represents one of the first major opera companies led by women at the executive, ...
Watch first teaser trailer for upcoming Pavarotti documentary
The 2019 Grammy Awards provided an unexpected treat for opera-lovers everywhere. Amidst performances by living legends like Diana Ross, Dolly Parton, and Janelle Monae, viewers also received a first look at the upcoming documentary Pavarotti. Spearheaded by Academy Award-winning director Ron Howard, the documentary will provide an intimate look into the life of Luciano Pavarotti, the legendary Italian tenor who ...
Classical Music Grammy Award Winners — 2019
On February 10, some of the biggest names in the music industry convened at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards at Staples Center in Los Angeles. R&B and soul singer Alicia Keys hosted the ceremony, as winners were announced in 30 fields and 84 categories. Below are the nominees and winners for the classical music categories.
QUIZ | How much do you know about classical music at the Grammys?
Classical music has always been an important part of the industry's biggest night. Test your knowledge of the artists, ensembles, and albums that have shaped Grammy glory!
Opera, orchestra team up to tell story of deadly 1913 flood
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A new opera revisits the Great Flood of 1913, a Midwestern disaster that killed hundreds, left thousands homeless, and destroyed countless bridges and businesses, but that also paved the way for flood control innovations. The dark subject matter is well-suited to opera, said Peggy Kriha Dye, general and artistic director of Opera Columbus. “We’re used to ...
Joffrey Ballet announces 2019-2020 season
Today, Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director Ashley Wheater announced Joffrey Ballet’s 2019-2020 season, which includes four Chicago premieres and the return of two reimagined staples: The Nutcracker and Don Quixote. Joffrey’s 64th season begins in October with the Chicago premiere of Cathy Marston’s Jane Eyre, an adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s classic novel. The production is a partnership with American Ballet ...
VIDEO | Soprano Tamara Wilson performs Weightless Dreams, a song cycle inspired by American women astronauts
With pianist Justina Lee, Wilson shared a selection from Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos and Weightless Dreams, a song cycle composed for Wilson based on the writings and experiences of women astronauts.
Why the Chinese Pipa is One of the Coolest Instruments You’ve Never Heard
Alright, so maybe you’ve heard the pipa before. Perhaps, though, you don’t know it by name. Grammy-nominated pipa player Wu Man recounts the projects that have helped her introduce ancient sounds to modern audiences.
Opera singer Daniels, husband arrested on sex assault charge
DALLAS (AP) — A renowned opera singer and University of Michigan professor is in police custody on allegations that he and his husband in 2010 sexually assaulted a singer in Houston. Countertenor David Daniels and his spouse William A. Scott Walters were arrested Tuesday in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on Texas warrants charging each of them with sexual assault of an ...
