Saturdays at 11:00 am
Members of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras perform during a live broadcast of Introductions from Millennium Park. (Photo: Tipping Point Photography)
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.
2024 Crain-Maling Foundation CSO Young Artists Competition
This morning we hear from all three finalists in the 2024 Crain-Maling Foundation CSO Young Artists Competition, including the winner, steelpan soloist Jaden Teague-Núñez, with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago.
Jeffery Tong, 16, cello
Jeffery Tong of CYSO and Naperville North High School plays Saint-Saëns, Beethoven, Bach, Perkinson, and Nadia Boulanger; joined by pianist Liang-yu Wang.
LIVE | Clark Snavely, 18, violin
A live violin recital from an Almita Vamos student this weekend - Wisconsinite Clark Snavely plays Emsail, Dvořák, Chausson and Corigliano with pianist Milana Pavchinskaya.
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Highlights
To mark Asian-American and Pacific Island Heritage Month, Introductions features young performers in music with Indian, Chinese, Japanese and Korean influences.
Hayden Joyce, 17, horn & Fabrizio Milcent, 18, bassoon
Two seniors and principal players from Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras, playing instruments that aren't often featured on Introductions.
Chamber Music
Young chamber ensembles from around the Chicago area.
LIVE | Esme Arias-Kim, 18, violin
We welcome a return guest, Esme Arias-Kim, who grew up in the Chicago area but has spent the last two years studying at the Colburn School in Los Angeles. She's joined by Milana Pavchinskaya in music of Bach, Brahms, Debussy, Price, Wieniawski and Tchaikovsky.
Serge Kalinovsky, 17, cello
Today we're joined by Serge Kalinovsky, a resident of Indiana and a recent graduate of the Music Institute of Chicago Academy. He's joined by pianist Lyudmila Lakisova in music of Piatti, Debussy, Clara Schumann, Piazzolla and Martinů.
Encore broadcast | Isabel Edgcomb, 18, flute & Anna Edgcomb, 18, oboe
We’re featuring twin sisters on Introductions today: Isabel and Anna Edgcomb are joined by pianist Lyudmila Lakisova in music of Telemann, Kalliwoda, Liebermann, Poulenc, Taffanel and Cimarosa.
Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras Class of 2024
Today we hear from four graduating seniors from Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras, representing four different instruments of the orchestra.
