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.
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 ...
String Quartet Diamant and Cindy Yang, piano
June 11, 2016
On Saturday’s broadcast, we feature a string quartet and pianist. String Quartet Diamant recently won the Gold Medal at the 2016 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition in South Bend, Indiana, one of the most prestigious youth music competitions in the country. The quartet was formed at the Midwest Young Artists Conservatory in Fall 2015. Its members include violinists Masha Lakisova ...
Anima – Glen Ellyn Children’s Chorus
June 4, 2016
On Saturday’s live broadcast, we present the Anima – Glen Ellyn Children’s Chorus. Founded in 1964, Anima – The Glen Ellyn Children’s Chorus is one of the leading children and youth choirs in America. Anima has won several national awards, including the 2013 Chorus America Award for Adventurous Programming, the 2013 Chicago A Cappella Tribute Award, the 2009 Dale Warland ...
LIVE: Kimberly Han, 15, piano, 2015 Crain-Maling Foundation Chicago Symphony Orchestra Youth Auditions Winner
May 21, 2016
On Saturday’s live broadcast, we feature 15 year old pianist Kimberly Han. Kimberly is a freshman at Lake Forest High School. She is one of the eight 2016-2018 Lang Lang Young Scholars. She started piano lessons when she was five and a half years old, and has been studying with Brenda Huang for 9 years. She is also takes masterclasses ...
LIVE: Eriko Darcy, piano
May 14, 2016
On Saturday’s live broadcast, we feature pianist Eriko Darcy. Eriko attends the Catherine Cook School in Chicago. Eriko’s awards include: Winner of the Chicago Area Steinway Young Artist Competition, 1st place at the Roberta Savler Piano Competition, 1st place at the North Shore Music Teachers Association Piano Contest, and 1st place at the Chinese Fine Arts Musical Festival in Honor of Confucius. She ...
Music Institute of Chicago Academy 10th Anniversary Special
May 7, 2016
On Saturday’s broadcast, we present a program from the Introductions archive celebrating 10 years of outstanding music making at the Academy of the Music Institute of Chicago. The Academy was founded to serve as a training program for gifted pre-college musicians. Students take lessons with acclaimed faculty as well as music classes. Academy students have attended some of the most prestigious music ...
LIVE: Akros Trio
April 30, 2016
On Saturday’s live broadcast, we feature the Akros Trio of the Academy at the Music Institute of Chicago. The Akros Piano Trio is comprised of violinist Byron Fulop Laing, cellist Lydia Rhea, and pianist John Schindler. The trio is coached by artist faculty members Rodolfo Vieira and Abraham Stokman. The trio members have individually won local, regional, and national competitions ...
Roger Shen, 17, piano
April 23, 2016
On Saturday’s broadcast, we feature 17 year old pianist Roger Shen. Roger is from Northbrook, IL, and he currently attends Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire. Roger’s current primary piano teacher is Dr. Jon Sakata at Exeter. He has participated in programs such as the New England Conservatory’s (NEC) Advanced Piano Seminar, the Southeastern Piano Festival, the International Institute for Young ...
LIVE: Megan Torti, 18, flute
April 2, 2016
On Saturday’s live broadcast, we feature flutist Megan Torti. Megan has been playing flute for 8 years and studies with Dr. Cate Hummel. Megan is principal flute of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra (CYSO) and the CYSO Encore Chamber Orchestra. She is also active in the CYSO chamber program as a member of the Millennium Winds. In 2015, she was honored to ...
Merit School of Music Performathon Preview
February 13, 2016
On Saturday’s live broadcast, we present two chamber ensembles from the Merit School of Music. On February 26 and 27, the school presented its annual Performathon, a free marathon fundraiser for the Alice S. Pfaelzer Tuition-Free Conservatory. Numerous chamber and large ensembles from the West Loop school participate, and WFMT listeners were treated by an appearance from two of the ...
Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra Performs at Symphony Center
January 30, 2016
On Saturday’s broadcast, we present the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra’s (CYSO) performance at Symphony Center from their November 22, 2015 concert. Highlights include works by Bernstein, Arutiunian, and Prokofiev.
Sofiya Kyrylyuk, 16, viola
January 23, 2016
Sofiya Kyrylyuk was born June 7th, 1999 in Bucha, Ukraine. At the age of four, she moved to the United States and began studying violin a year later. She added viola to her priorities when she was twelve. Sofiya’s previous teachers include Stefan Hersh (professor at Roosevelt University), Alexander Belavsky (violinist at Lyric Opera), and Lisa Chodorowski. Her current viola ...
LIVE: Introductions Alumna Kate Liu, Third Prize Winner 17th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition
January 16, 2016
On Saturday’s broadcast, we are thrilled to feature one of the first performers on Introductions, pianist Kate Liu. Kate Liu began playing the piano at the age of four. Two years later, she was admitted to the Yamaha Music School for gifted musicians in Singapore, and at age eight, Kate moved with her family to the Chicago area. The 21-year-old Liu ...
2015 DePaul Concerto Festival Winners Part 2 of 2, CYSO
January 2, 2016
On the first half of Saturday’s broadcast, we present the second of two programs featuring winners from the 2015 DePaul Concerto Festival for Young Performers. This annual competition gives young musicians the opportunity to perform movements of a concerto with the Oistrakh Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Mina Zikri. On the second half of the program, we’ll hear another concerto, but ...
2015 DePaul Concerto Festival Winners Part 1 of 2
December 26, 2015
On Saturday’s broadcast, we present the first of two programs featuring winners from the 2015 DePaul Concerto Festival for Young Performers. This annual competition gives young musicians the opportunity to perform movements of a concerto with the Oistrakh Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Mina Zikri.
Evangeline Selking, 17, flute
August 29, 2026, 11:00 am
Evangeline Selking, 17, is a recent graduate of Downers Grove South High School, and has studied under the guidance of Laurel Tempas for six years. She is joined by collaborative pianist Dr. Katherine Petersen for this recital. Evangeline played flute and piccolo in the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras’ flagship ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, which has performed at venues such as Lollapalooza ...
