Does Bach rock your socks? See how well you know Bach’s “The Well-Tempered Clavier,” one of the foundational works of classical music and of keyboard literature.
Perform on WFMT’s showcase of the Chicago area’s finest pre-college musicians!
Christians want Belgian opera’s naked Joan of Arc banned
BRUSSELS (AP) — A Christian association is trying to prevent Brussels opera house La Monnaie from staging a production of Arthur Honegger’s oratorio “Jeanne d’Arc au bûcher,” or “Joan of Arc at the Stake,” in which the heroine appears dressed in men’s clothes and, at one point, naked. The Pro Europa Christiana Federation wants the show orchestrated by Italian director ...
Honor Día de los Muertos in Chicago with these 6 celebrations
Celebrated from October 31 to November 2, the holiday honors loved ones who have died and is an intergenerational coming together of families. Find some of the many offerings Chicago has to offer to celebrate these days of remembrance.
Exploring Chords: “Appalachian Spring”
From its premiere, 75 years ago this week, this music and ballet continue to speak to the American soul. Dive into the score of "Appalachian Spring" with Bill McGlaughlin.
Get into the swing of Halloween with this jazzy, vocalese tune by Lambert, Hendricks & Ross
During the swinging, elegant, and expansive late-1950s, a lanky, brilliant, and gentle Bostonian named Dave Lambert connected with Jon Hendricks, an inventive wordsmith with a smoky voice and endless ability to improvise scat singing. In the instrumental jazz of Count Basie, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and others, they heard the possibility of lyrics — and so they wrote them. Together with Annie Ross, with her far-reaching, nimble vocal range, ...
Still in Search of a Halloween Costume? Here are 10 Easy, Classical Music-Themed DIY Ideas
Halloween is almost here, which means that it might time to start thinking about a costume. If you've been putting off that task, here are some easy, clever classical music-themed costume ideas to get you in the spooky spirit!
Get in the Halloween spirit with these 7 charming classical jack-o’-lanterns!
Need some classical inspiration for your pumpkin carving this Halloween? Look no further, WFMT has found some of the most creative and spooky carvings across the internet!
The Film Score: Music for Halloween
Hosted by Chicago Tribune film critic Michael Phillips, the program presents music from movies that explore the supernatural, the science-fictional, and the demonic (with a few laughs along the way).
Choreographer Cathy Marston and the Joffrey Ballet take Jane Eyre from page to stage
To conceal that the book’s author was a woman, Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre was first published in 1847 under a pen name. Choreographer Cathy Marston, whose ballet adaptation of the novel is currently being performed by Joffrey Ballet, feels the book was revolutionary: “It truly was groundbreaking for a woman to write about her emotions and station in life with such honesty.”
Syrian Artists Express Urgency and Celebrate Survival through Music
Born in Damascus, Syria, clarinetist Kinan Azmeh's home country has undergone years of political strife, violence, and a refugee crisis. Azmeh has looked to his own craft in order to draw attention to these ongoing struggles in the form of a concerto by Syrian composer Kareem Roustom.
“The piano offers you infinity” — Marc-André Hamelin on Chopin and the possibilities of piano
The New York Times describes him as having “made a career of playing the seemingly unplayable.” The New Yorker is more emphatic, saying he’s “among the wonders of the musical world.” But Kerry Frumkin's colleague, producer Louise Frank has a more grounded account of Marc-André Hamelin, describing him as a “most approachable genius.”
