Saturdays at 11:00 am
Hear talented pre-college classical musicians from the Chicago area
Introductions is WFMT’s weekly Saturday morning program that features talented pre-college classical musicians in the Chicago area. Soloists and chamber ensembles perform live in WFMT’s Levin Performance Studio. Large ensembles, including orchestras, choirs, and bands, are recorded at their home venues and broadcast at later dates. The program also features youth music competition winners. While many Introductions alumni pursue careers outside of music, some have gone on to study at some of the most prestigious music schools around the world and maintain careers as professional musicians.
LIVE | Introductions Celebrates 10 Years at Youth Arts Showcase in Millennium Park
Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events have designated 2018 as the Year of Creative Youth, a citywide celebration of Chicago’s young artists and the mentors who inspire them. This coincides with the 10th anniversary of WFMT’s Introductions, which spotlights the Chicago area’s talented pre-college musicians. As a highlight event of the Year of Creative Youth, the Youth Arts Showcase (YAS! Fest) will take place on Saturday, September 22, and host and producer Michael San Gabino will be on hand to kick off the festival with a live broadcast at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion from 11:00 am to noon.
2018 Crain-Maling Foundation CSO Young Artists Competition Winner Yerin Yang
Many musicians dream to perform with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the CSO gives that opportunity to one young musician every year. On Saturday’s broadcast, we feature 15-year-old pianist Yerin Yang of Mount Prospect. Yerin won the 2018 Crain-Maling Foundation Chicago Symphony Orchestra Young Artists Competition, and as a result, she will perform with the CSO during the 2018/2019 season. ...
A Leonard Bernstein Birthday Celebration
Leonard Bernstein was many things: conductor, composer, pianist. He was also an educator to so many people during his lifetime, and he educated an entire generation about classical music with his Young People’s Concerts. We celebrate Bernstein’s 100th birthday on Introductions with a program dedicated to his music, performed by pre-college musicians in the Chicago area.
Derek Chung, 18, piano
On Saturday’s broadcast, we feature 18-year-old pianist Derek Chung of Lincolnshire, Illinois. Derek is an incoming freshman at Stanford University, and he currently studies piano with Sueanne Metz. Derek’s recent accomplishments include the Grand Prize Winner at the Chicago International Music Competition, first place at the MTNA National Senior Piano Competition, Arthur Fraser International Piano Competition, MostArts Festival Piano Competition, Future ...
Piano Highlights
On Saturday’s broadcast, we feature some recordings of piano highlights from the past year as performed by talented pre-college musicians from the Chicago area.
REBROADCAST: Julian Rhee, 18, violin
On Saturday’s encore broadcast, we feature 18-year-old violinist Julian Rhee of Brookfield, Wisconsin. To listen to his program again, please click here.
LIVE: Joshua Brown, 18, violin
On Saturday’s live broadcast, we welcome back 18-year-old violinist Joshua Brown of Gurnee, Illinois to the program. Joshua Brown received glowing reviews for his debut performance with the Cleveland Orchestra at the age of 15. “Had he played from behind a curtain, you wouldn’t have believed that Joshua Brown…was only 15,” wrote clevelandclassical.com. “His interpretation of Dmitri Shostakovich’s first violin concerto was so ...
Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra Plays Barber and CYSO Ventus Wind Quintet
On Saturday’s broadcast, we feature musicians of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras (CYSO). We’ll first hear CYSO Symphony Orchestra perform Samuel Barber’s Symphony No. 1, a performance from their Symphony Center concert on May 20, 2018. On the second half of the program, we feature CYSO’s Ventus Wind Quintet. Their members include 18-year-old flutist Hope Rogers, 16-year-old oboist Nate Sanchez, ...
REBROADCAST: Ifetayo Ali-Landing, 15, cello
On Saturday’s encore broadcast, we feature 15-year-old cellist Ifetayo Ali-Landing of Chicago. To listen to her program again, please click here.
REBROADCAST: Kairos Quartet, Fischoff and M-Prize Winners
On Saturday’s encore broadcast, we feature the Kairos String Quartet of the Academy at the Music Institute of Chicago. The quartet won the junior divisions at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and the M-Prize Chamber Arts Competition at the University of Michigan, some of the most prestigious competitions in the country for young musicians. To listen to their program ...
Emily Bear, 16, pianist and composer
On Saturday's broadcast, we welcome back 16-year-old pianist, composer, and songwriter Emily Bear to Introductions. At age 7, she was one of the first artists to appear on Introductions in 2008. Since then, she has performed at many of the world's most well-known venues. Emily will also be the featured pianist at Grant Park Music Festival's annual Independence Day Salute Concert on Wednesday, July 4.
Latin GRAMMY-Nominated Mariachi Herencia de México
On Saturday's broadcast, we welcome back Mariachi Herencia de México to Introductions. The ensemble, made up of pre-college musicians from Chicago, gave their radio premiere on Introductions in 2017 and shared selections from their debut album, Nuestra Herencia (Our Heritage). The album received a Latin GRAMMY nomination and national attention. Mariachi Herencia de México shares tracks from their second album, Herencia De La Tierra ...
REBROADCAST: Music Institute of Chicago Academy Orchestra at Skokie Library
On Saturday’s encore broadcast, we feature the Music Institute of Chicago Academy Orchestra in selections from their performance at Skokie Public Library on Saturday, March 24. To listen to this program again, please click here.
REBROADCAST: Asrai Quartet
On Saturday’s encore broadcast, we feature the Asrai Quartet. To listen to their program again, please click here.
U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts: Julian Rhee, 17, violin
On Saturday’s broadcast, we welcome back 17-year-old violinist Julian Rhee of Brookfield, Wisconsin. Julian appeared on Introductions earlier this year, and we invited him back to the program after being named a U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts. This award is perhaps the highest honor for a young artist in the country. In order to be considered for this honor, Julian was selected ...
LIVE: 88Keys to Cure, Young Musicians Organize to Share Power of Music
On Saturday’s live broadcast, we feature 3 pianists from Sueanne Metz’s studio: Derek Chung, Sophia Li, and Colin Choi. These young pianists founded 88Keys to Cure, a not-for-profit organization that is dedicated to enhancing the lives of others through music. The students organize performances to benefit local charities of their choice. 88Keys to Cure has raised $11,500.00 for the Neonatal ...
LIVE: Trio Keluvaina
On Saturday’s live broadcast, we present Trio Keluvaina of Midwest Young Artists Conservatory in Highwood, Illinois. Their members include 17-year-old violinist Rebecca Moy of Naperville, 18-year-old cellist Haddon Kay of Lincolnshire, and 16-year-old pianist Kimberly Han of Lake Forest.
LIVE: 2017 Crain-Maling Foundation CSO Young Artists Competition Winner
On Saturday’s live broadcast, we feature 18-year-old violinist Maya Buchanan, the winner of the 2017 Crain-Maling Foundation Chicago Symphony Orchestra Young Artists Competition.
Ifetayo Ali-Landing, 15, cello
On Saturday’s broadcast, we feature 15-year-old cellist Ifetayo Ali-Landing of Chicago. Ifetayo began her musical studies on violin and switched to cello at age four. Her teachers and coaches have included Lucinda Ali-Landing, Megan Lauterbach, and Martine Benmann at the Hyde Park Suzuki Institute in Chicago, as well as Tahirah Whittington, Oleksa Mycyk, and Hans Jørgen Jensen. She has also ...
Music Institute of Chicago Academy Orchestra at Skokie Library
On Saturday’s broadcast, we feature the Music Institute of Chicago Academy Orchestra. The orchestra performed at Skokie Public Library on Saturday, March 24 under the direction of Jim Setapen. The Academy of the Music Institute of Chicago was founded in 2006 as a training center for pre-college classical musicians who intend to pursue performance careers. This program features a variety ...
