Listening to Singers with Oliver Camacho

Saturdays at 4:00 pm

Discover or rediscover your love for the art of singing: an hour for newcomers and connoisseurs alike

Have you ever wondered why people become obsessed with opera? Do you know the difference between an art song and an aria? Is there a singer whose voice goes right to your heart, but you can’t put your finger on why? Each week, Oliver Camacho shares his passion for vocal performance across many genres with highly personal analysis and anecdotes. Learn about the technical aspects of singing, the qualities that make certain artists beloved, opera highlights to help you prepare for upcoming Chicago-area performances, and more.

Upcoming Episodes
Latest Episodes

Portrait of John Mangum in a grey suit on the stage of the Ardis Krainik Theatre at Civic Opera House.

Lyric Opera of Chicago’s 2025-26 Season with John Mangum

June 21, 2025, 4:00 pm

A conversation with Lyric's General Director, President, and CEO.

Casual portrait of The Gesualdo Six, each in a dark suit with a light shirt, no tie, in a plaza in London, St. Pancras railway station visible in background.

The Gesualdo Six

June 28, 2025, 4:00 pm

An interview with artistic director Owain Park in advance of the ensemble's performance of Secret Byrd.

Soprano Phyllis Curtin Performing in a flowing ecru gown performing at a piano in the East Room of the White House, unnamed pianist at her right.

Great Americans, Volume 2

July 5, 2025, 4:00 pm

Celebrating some of the best American singers including Phyllis Curtin, Cornell MacNeil, and George Shirley.

Right side view of the 14 singers of The King's Singers and VOCES8 standing in a semi-circle on stage at Royal Albert Hall; men in dark suits; women in dark blue dresses; in spotlight, audience in darkness visible in left of frame.

The King’s Singers and VOCES8

July 12, 2025, 4:00 pm

The two ensembles united in concert for the first time at the 2024 BBC Proms

Portrait of Jesse Blumberg in light blue suit, red brick wall out of focus in background

Introducing Jesse Blumberg

February 25, 2023

An interview with the stylish baritone in advance of his recital with Martin Katz next month.

Leontyne Price as Leonora in Verdi's 'Il trovatore'

On Leontyne Price with Kenneth Overton

February 18, 2023

A playlist curated by baritone and advocate Kenneth Overton to celebrate a living legend.

William Grant Still

William Grant Still’s Highway 1, USA

February 11, 2023

An intimate one act opera blending elements of blues, Romanticism, and musical theater by the 'Dean of African-American Composers."

Portrait of Nicholas Newton in dark suit, white shirt, no tie; against a stone pillar.

The American Bass-Baritone

February 4, 2023

A playlist spotlighting great African-American artists curated by bass-baritone Nicholas Newton.

Juan Duego Florez in black sportscoat and white shirt, urban background out of focus.

An Interview with Juan Diego Flórez

January 28, 2023

The Peruvian tenor previews his upcoming Chicago recital for Symphony Center Presents.

Klaus Mäkelä in a dark suit against a dark background with an open-armed gesture, baton in right hand.

Klaus Mäkelä conducts Mozart’s “Great” Mass in C Minor

January 21, 2023

The imaginative conductor, still in his twenties, leads the Oslo Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra in an unfinished masterpiece by Mozart.

Jane Glover in black blouse with sleeves rolled to elbow looking to the bottom left corner, hands in a conducting gesture

Dame Jane Glover on Albert Herring

January 14, 2023

The English conductor returns to Chicago Opera Theater to lead Britten's comic masterpiece later this month.

Portrait of Lea Desandre in sleeveless light blue linen blouse, garden background out of focust

Artists to Watch in 2023

January 7, 2023

Highly anticipated performances that can be heard by Chicago audiences in-person or on WFMT.

Collage of four albums in from of red theatre curtain: featuring images of John Aler, Anotnietta Stella, Maria Ewing, and Ned Rorem

2022 In Memoriam

December 31, 2022

A tribute to artists we lost in 2022, including John Aler, Maria Ewing, Ned Rorem, and Antonietta Stella.

Jonas Kaufmann in a tuxedo blwoing snow off his hand toward the camera

When Opera Singers Sing Christmas

December 24, 2022

Favorite interpretations of carols — sometimes camp, sometimes sublime.

Silhouette of two humans gazing up at a dark blue sky filled with pale stars

Karl Jenkins’s Stella Natalis

December 17, 2022

Meaning ‘star of birth,’ Jenkins's 2009 Stella Natalis conveys the Christmas message of peace, goodwill, compassion and a new beginning.

Samuel Hasselhorn portrait, in blue sportscoat and eyeglasses squatting in front of a brick wall

Samuel Hasselhorn on the songs of Robert Schumann and Franz Schubert

December 10, 2022

The German baritone discusses his two new lieder recordings with pianist Joseph Middleton.

Portrait of Sonya Headlam in grey cahmere wrap against a warm abstract background that suggests sunset

Introducing soprano Sonya Headlam

December 3, 2022

An interview with the rising star soprano and a preview of her upcoming Chicago-area performance with Apollo's Fire.

portrait of the all-male ensemble in festive holiday attire around a decorated Christmas Tree

Chanticleer: An Orchestra of Voices

November 26, 2022

A brief history of the iconic ensemble and a preview of next month's A Chanticleer Christmas.

Reginald Mobley in performance waering tuxedo, holding music at waist

On Singing Bach with Countertenor Reginald Mobley

November 19, 2022

One of the foremost interpreters of J.S. Bach, shares his approach to singing what is considered to be the most technically and intellectually challenging music in the vocal repertoire.

Artistic image for Chicago Opera Theater's King Roger. A man in a black suit with his face replaced by a gold mask of the sun, perhaps the god Apollo, background is a pink moon.

A Preview of Chicago Opera Theater’s King Roger

November 12, 2022

COT Music Director Lidiya Yankovskaya joins Oliver to preview Karol Szymanowski's benchmark opera receiving it's Chicago premiere this month.

Lawrence Brownlee

Lawrence Brownlee – Bel Canto Royalty

November 5, 2022

The leading American bel canto specialist on singing Rossini, Donizetti, and Bellini, and welcoming new audiences with his Lawrence Brownlee & Friends concerts.

No Listening to Singers | Fall Membership Drive

October 29, 2022

Donate to Classical WFMT so we can keep bringing you Listening to Singers and other great programming. Call (773) 279-2100 or visit wfmt.com/donate.

Kathryn Lewek portrait in graphic black and white shoulder wrap.

Kathryn Lewek, a Coloratura Queen

October 22, 2022

The American soprano, starring in Lyric Opera of Chicago's upcoming Le Comte Ory, joins Oliver to discuss her new album of Handel cantatas.

Portrait of Jacob Perry

On the Monteverdi Vespers with Jacob Perry

October 15, 2022

Jacob Perry, acclaimed for his interpretations of Baroque and Renaissance repertoire, previews his upcoming performance of Monteverdi's 1610 Vespers with Apollo's Fire.

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Meet the Host

Oliver Camacho joined the announcer team in February of 2019. He is the co-host and creative consultant of Opera Box Score and co-host of OperaNow! Podcast. A proud graduate of Chicago’s Lane Technical High School, where he was mentored by George Rico, Oliver went on to study music at Northwestern University, and historically informed performance practice at the Amherst Early Music Festival and Early Music Vancouver. His musical passions are opera, art song, choral music, Early Music, and discovering new composers as well as those who have been previously marginalized or disenfranchised. In January of 2021, Oliver began hosting Listening to Singers, and in October of the same year, he was named WFMT’s Music Director.