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.
LIVE: Kayla Cabrera, 18, viola
March 25, 2017
On Saturday’s live broadcast, we feature 18 year old violist Kayla Cabrera. Kayla began her music studies at age 13. She is currently a scholarship fellow at the Academy of the Music Institute of Chicago, where she studies with Roland and Almita Vamos. She is also principal viola of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra. She has had several solo engagements at ...
LIVE: Trio Fiammata
March 4, 2017
Trio Fiammata is a piano trio made up of students from the Midwest Young Artists Conservatory in Highwood, IL. Their members include 15 year old violinist Kirsten Lee (Bolingbrook High School), 17 year old cellist Matthew Udry (Tremper High School, Kenosha, WI), and 15 year old pianist Kimberly Han (Lake Forest High School). The trio was recently awarded Honorable Mention ...
Merit School of Music Performathon Preview
February 18, 2017
On Saturday’s live broadcast, we feature student chamber groups from the Merit School of Music in anticipation of Performathon, the school’s annual fundraiser that takes place February 24 and February 25. The fundraiser helps ensure that the Alice S. Pfaelzer Conservatory stays tuition-free for music students. The first ensemble we’ll feature is the KGT Woodwind Trio. The trio recently won ...
Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra Celebrates 70th Season Part 2 of 2
February 4, 2017
On Saturday’s broadcast, we feature the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra (CYSO) in selections from their November 20, 2016 concert at Symphony Center in downtown Chicago. The orchestra is celebrating its 70th season.
Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra Celebrates 70th Season Part 1 of 2
January 28, 2017
On Saturday’s broadcast, we feature the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra (CYSO) in selections from their November 20, 2016 concert at Symphony Center in downtown Chicago. The orchestra is celebrating its 70th season.
Introductions Holiday Special: Music Institute of Chicago Academy Cellos
December 24, 2016
On this special holiday broadcast of Introductions, we will be featuring the Cello Choir of the Music Institute of Chicago. We are dedicating this program to the memory of Gilda Barston, who taught cello at the Music Institute of Chicago for over 40 years. She was an advocate for the Suzuki training method, and her teaching was world renowned. Gilda ...
DePaul Concerto Festival Part 3 and Camerata Chicago Academy
December 10, 2016
On the first part of Saturday’s broadcast, we feature winners from the DePaul Concerto Festival for Young Performers. This year’s winners’ concert took place on February 14, 2016 at DePaul University. Young winners have the opportunity to perform a movement from a concerto with the Oistrakh Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Mina Zikri. On the second part of Saturday’s ...
Amelia Piscitelli, 15, violin
December 3, 2016
On Saturday’s live broadcast, we feature 15 year old violinist Amelia Piscitelli. Amelia formally began playing violin at the age of four. From 2009-2014, she studied violin with Debbie Edwards. She has been a member of the Camerata Chicago Academy Orchestra since 2015 and also has attended Sforzando String Camp for the last 7 summers. Most recently, she made her ...
New World String Quartet of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra
November 5, 2016
The New World String Quartet is composed of Nicole Tong, Micah Yoo, Beatrice Chen, and Noah Chen. All members are freshmen in high school. Violinists Nicole Tong and Micah Yoo share first and second violin positions for the quartet, and both study with Desirée Ruhstrat. Violist Beatrice Chen studies with Paul Neubauer, and cellist Noah Chen studies with Hans Jorgen ...
DePaul Concerto Festival Part 2 and Allison Bystron, 18, soprano
October 29, 2016
On the first part of Saturday’s broadcast, we feature winners from the DePaul Concerto Festival for Young Performers. This year’s winners’ concert took place on February 14, 2016 at DePaul University. Young winners have the opportunity to perform a movement from a concerto with the Oistrakh Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Mina Zikri. Allison graduated from the Chicago High ...
DePaul Concerto Festival Part I and New Trier High School Symphonic Wind Ensemble
October 22, 2016
On the first part of Saturday’s broadcast, we feature winners from the DePaul Concerto Festival for Young Performers. This year’s winners’ concert took place on February 14, 2016 at DePaul University. Young winners have the opportunity to perform a movement from a concerto with the Oistrakh Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Mina Zikri. On the second part of Saturday’s ...
LIVE: Beatrice Chen, 13, viola
October 1, 2016
On Saturday’s live broadcast, we feature 13 year old violinist Beatrice Chen. Beatrice Chen is a home schooled freshman, and she studies viola with Paul Neubauer. Beatrice made her concerto debut at age 11 with the Oistrakh Symphony Orchestra at the Winner’s Concert of the 12th DePaul Concerto Festival. Since then, she won first prize of the 2015 and 2016 American Protégé International Concerto Competition. As a ...
LIVE: David Hou, 16, piano
September 24, 2016
On Saturday’s live broadcast, we feature 16 year old pianist David Hou of Hawthorn Woods, Illinois. David is currently a junior at Adlai E. Stevenson High School and a Music Institute of Chicago Academy Alum. David made his solo debut with the Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra (Appleton, WI) in February 2012, performing Franz Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat Major. ...
Music Institute of Chicago Academy 10th Anniversary Celebration Concert
August 20, 2016
On Saturday’s broadcast, we feature excerpts from the Academy at the Music Institute of Chicago’s 10th Anniversary Celebration Concert. The concert took place in Nichols Concert Hall in Evanston on Saturday, May 14, 2016. Highlights include Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante in E-flat Major, K. 364, featuring violinist Rachel Barton Pine and violist Matthew Lipman. Roland Vamos led the Academy Chamber Orchestra. For more information ...
Midwest Young Artists Conservatory Symphony Orchestra
August 13, 2016
On Saturday’s broadcast, we present the Midwest Young Artists Conservatory Symphony Orchestra. We will feature highlights from their spring 2016 concerts from Pick-Staiger Concert Hall at Northwestern University. Founded in 1993 by Dr. Allan Dennis, MYA Conservatory is a full-curriculum pre-college music school for young musicians. MYA is now approaching their 25th anniversary and Housed in the Old Stockade Building at Fort ...
Iris Trio and Jayne Dilliberto, 18, soprano
July 30, 2016
Iris Trio was formed at the Academy at the Music Institute of Chicago. The trio includes Ria Honda, violin; Ayoun Alexandra Kim, cello; and Natalie Nedvetsky, piano. Milana Pavchinskaya and Paul Vanderwerf coach the trio. All three members of the Iris Trio were semifinalists at the 2015 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. In addition, the members have individually won numerous competitions and prizes locally, regionally, ...
Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra and CYSO Encore Chamber Orchestra
July 23, 2016
On Saturday’s broadcast, we present selections from the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra and CYSO Encore Chamber Orchestra’s spring concerts. The Encore Chamber Orchestra is made up of students who intend to pursue careers as music professionals. On Saturday, April 9, the CYSO Encore Chamber Orchestra performed at the Logan Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Chicago. We’ll ...
Philadelphos Trio
July 9, 2016
The Philadelphos Trio was formed at Midwest Young Artists Conservatory in the fall of 2015. The trio includes clarinetist Torin Bakke, cellist Rowena Bakke, and pianist Alice Zhang. Their coach is Lyudmila Lakisova. In May 2016, Trio Philadelphos advanced to the semifinals of the M-Prize International Chamber Arts Competition in Ann Arbor, Michigan and the quarterfinals of the National Fischoff ...
Yerin Yang, 13, piano
June 25, 2016
On Saturday’s live broadcast, we feature 12 year old pianist Yerin Yang. Yering attends South Middle School in Arlington Heights, Illinois. She started piano at age five and currently studies with Brenda Huang. Most recently, Yerin passed the preliminary rounds for the Cleveland International Piano Competition (Junior Division) and competed among 12 other contestants. She has also won awards in ...
Eric Stinehart, 18, viola and Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra Millennium Winds
June 18, 2016
On Saturday’s broadcast, we feature a violist and wind quintet. Eric Stinehart just graduated from New Trier High School, where he was the Principal Violist of the Symphony Orchestra. Eric started playing the violin at the age of 5 and switched over to viola in 8th grade. Eric studies with Desirée Ruhstrat in Highland Park, IL. Eric has had many ...
Encore broadcast | Clara Zhang, 16, piano
July 11, 2026, 11:00 am
We hear once again from pianist Clara Zhang, playing Bach and Chopin. This episode first aired on February 17, 2024. More details and the podcast are available at the original episode page.
