Live from WFMT

Mondays at 8:00 pm

Weekly, full-length concerts live from WFMT’s Levin Studio

WFMT’s flagship full-length recital series presents music and conversation performed live from the state-of-the-art Fay and Daniel Levin Performance Studio. The program draws on the rich community of Chicago-based musicians as well as a roster of renowned international artists visiting the city.

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International Chamber Artists

June 1, 2026

Tonight Live From WFMT presents International Chamber Artists. One of the premier chamber ensembles from the Chicago area, ICA brings features the talents of best musicians from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Lyric Opera Orchestra, and beyond.

Eight men in suits sit on sofa in front of bright window

Cantus

May 25, 2026

The gentlemen of Cantus return to WFMT to share their recent project, Land That I Love – a concert program honoring our diverse American heritage with captivating music by composers carrying their own migration stories. One of the nation’s few full-time vocal ensembles, Cantus is widely known for its trademark warmth and blend, innovative programming, and diverse repertoire ranging from the ...

Kontras Quartet

May 18, 2026

Violinists Eleanor Bartsch and Sherri Zhang, violist Ben Weber and cellist Jean Hatmaker – known collectively as the spectacular Chicago-based ensemble, Kontras Quartet, return to Live From WFMT.

Claire Huangci, piano

May 11, 2026

The American pianist Claire Huangci gained international acclaim by winning first prize as well as the Mozart Prize at the 2018 Concours Géza Anda. In January 2026, she released her latest album titled HEROINES, featuring music of Fanny Hensel, Clara Schumann, Amy Beach and Florence Price.

Audire Quartet

May 4, 2026

The Audire Quartet returns to Live From WFMT with a program that includes the String Quartet No. 3 in D major, Op. 18 by Beethoven, and the String Quartet No. 14 “Death and the Maiden” by Schubert.

Chicago Harp Quartet

April 27, 2026

Harp Column Magazine praised the Chicago Harp Quartet as “The quartet that put harp quartets on the map.” Founded in 2012, the ensemble delivers a signature mix of original transcriptions of Baroque, Classical and Romantic repertoire, as well as new works by the world’s leading composers. Live From WFMT welcomes the CHQ’s four members, Emily Granger, Eleanor Kirk, Catherine Yom Litaker, and ...

Cellist Brant Taylor (photo by Albert Comper) and pianist Kuang-Hao Huang (photo by Elliot Mandel)

Brant Taylor, cello & Kuang-Hao Huang, piano

April 20, 2026

For this edition of Live From WFMT, Kerry Frumkin’s guests are cellist Brant Taylor and pianist Kuang-Hao Huang. The two Chicago based virtuosos and long-time collaborators will perform a varied program including works by Bach, Debussy, Piazzolla, and more.

Pianist Svetlana Krasnova & violinist Ilya Kaler

Ilya Kaler, violin & Svetlana Krasnova, piano

April 13, 2026

Tonight, Live From WFMT presents a cherished musical hour from early 2009. On that occasion, violinist Ilya Kaler and pianist Svetlana Krasnova performed a rich and varied program of music by Janáček, Alfred Schnittke, Manuel de Falla, Wieniawski, and Beethoven.

Hyung-ki Joo, piano

April 6, 2026

British-Korean pianist Hyung-ki Joo is a multi-faceted creative artist whose expansive career includes performing, composing, mentorship, and a longtime, “funtastic” comedic collaboration with violinist Alexey Igudesman. On this edition of Live From WFMT, Hyung-ki Joo returns to the Levin Studio for a rare solo recital.

William Ferris Chorale

March 30, 2026

Join Kerry Frumkin as he welcomes members of the William Ferris Chorale, an innovative and dynamic vocal ensemble that has been at the forefront of Chicago’s vocal music scene for over 50 years.

São Paulo City String Quartet

March 23, 2026

Tonight, Live From WFMT presents a cherished performance from October 2010. On that occasion, Kerry Frumkin’s guests were the members of the São Paulo City String Quartet, one of the oldest permanent ensembles of the Theatro Municipal de São Paulo. Since its inception, in 1935, the Quartet has been dedicated to the promotion of chamber music, both from Brazil and around ...

Inon Barnatan, piano

March 16, 2026

For this rebroadcast of Live from WFMT, pianist Inon Barnatan performs a selection of Rachmaninoff’s most cherished piano works. Inon’s new album, Rachmaninoff Reflections, includes his own new solo piano arrangement of Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances. Recorded in November 2023. Original episode page is located here.

Sapphire Woodwind Quintet, with Jeremy Vigil, piano

March 9, 2026

The virtuosic women of the Sapphire Quintet return to Live From WFMT with a program of music for woodwinds plus pianist Jeremy Vigil. Join host Kerry Frumkin as the ensemble performs works by Roussel, Higgins, Francaix, Farrenc, and more.

Cellist Ani Aznavoorian, and Pianist Marta Aznavoorian

Ani Aznavoorian, cello and Marta Aznavoorian, piano

March 2, 2026

The Aznavoorian Sisters launched their musical careers with a debut performance at ages four and eight at their Armenian church in Evanston, Illinois. Today, pianist Marta and cellist Ani are both award-winning, internationally acclaimed instrumentalists and recording artists. Ani is the longtime principal cellist of Camerata Pacifica and proudly performs on a cello made by their father, the luthier Peter Aznavoorian. Marta is ...

Third Coast Percussion

February 23, 2026

Based in Chicago, Third Coast Percussion is a Grammy-winning quartet of classically trained percussionists with a worldwide following. Over 20 extraordinary years, ensemble members Sean Connors, Robert Dillon, Peter Martin, and David Skidmore have forged a unique path in the musical landscape with virtuosic, energetic performances that celebrate the depth and breadth of musical possibilities in the world of percussion. The ...

Soprano Josefien Stoppelenburg, keyboardist Stephen Alltop, and theorbist Dan Swenberg

Josefien Stoppelenburg, soprano & Stephen Alltop, keyboard with Dan Swenberg, theorbo

February 16, 2026

On this archive edition of Live From WFMT, first heard in June 2025, Kerry Frumkin’s guests are Josefien Stoppelenburg, soprano and Stephen Alltop, keyboard. Original episode page here.

Demarre McGill, flute & Jessica Choe piano

February 9, 2026

Host Kerry Frumkin welcomes flutist Demarre McGill and pianist Jessica Choe to this edition of Live From WFMT. Born and raised in Chicago, Demarre’s early musical studies were at the Merit School of Music. A recipient of the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant, he currently serves as the principal flute of the Seattle Symphony. This broadcast was pretaped.

Matt Hagle, piano

February 2, 2026

The exquisite pianist, Matthew Hagle, returns to Live From WFMT with an all Chopin program.

Jorge Federico Osorio gives a soft smile at a piano in front a big blue sky.

Jorge Federico Osorio, piano

January 26, 2026

Recipient of the Medalla Bellas Artes, the highest honor granted by Mexico’s National Institute of Fine Arts, pianist Jorge Federico Osorio has earned international acclaim for his superb musicianship, powerful technique, vibrant imagination, and deep musical passion. This archival program is from when Maestro Osorio visited WFMT’s Levin Performance Studio on January 15, 2024. Original episode page is located here.

Axiom Brass

January 19, 2026

Trumpeters Dorival Puccini, Jr. and Bethany Vaughan, horn player Alex Laskey, trombonist Corey Sansolo, and tuba player Serena Voltz form the virtuosic Chicago quintet Axiom Brass. As Kerry Frumkin’s guests on Live From WFMT, Axiom Brass plays well-loved works including selections from the Art of the Fugue by Bach and Suite del Ángel by Piazzolla. Rarer musical treasures include new ...

Cellist Rainer Crosett and pianist Victor Asuncion

Rainer Crosett, cello & Victor Santiago Asuncion, piano

October 12, 2026, 8:00 pm

The 2026-27 season of Live from WFMT launches with a recital by cellist Rainer Crosett and pianist Victor Santiago Asuncion.

Chroma

October 19, 2026, 8:00 pm

Hearing in Color's resident vocal ensemble, Chroma, presents We the People, a dynamic performance about belonging and justice.

Dover Quartet (Encore)

October 26, 2026, 8:00 pm

In October 2024, Chicago’s vibrant music scene gained a new concert series dedicated to contemporary chamber music: Nova Linea Musica. Live From WFMT was there for the very first concert, and tonight we bring you an archive recording of that special and auspicious occasion. The highly acclaimed Dover Quartet performs works by Jessie Montgomery, George Walker, and Antonín Dvořák.

Pianist Daniel Schlosberg and Soprano Laura Strickling (Photo: Guanyu Xu)

Daniel Schlosberg, piano and Laura Strickling, soprano

November 2, 2026, 8:00 pm

Daniel Schlosberg performs Schubert’s transcendental Sonata in G Major, D. 894. Then, two-time GRAMMY-nominated soprano Laura Strickling joins him for a set of new American art song, including “The Original Rebellion” by Jasmine Arielle Barnes, from Strickling’s newest album, “LEGENDS: Rebellion”

Windsync (Encore)

November 9, 2026, 8:00 pm

In April 2025, Kerry Frumkin welcomed the wonderful wind quintet, WindSync, for a performance on Live From WFMT. WindSync is known for their selection of repertoire covering classical, familiar, and newly commissioned pieces. The group’s recordings include “All Worlds, All Times,” and “WindSync Plays Miguel del Aguila,” which was recorded at the legendary Abbey Road Studios and hit the number ...

Balourdet String Quartet (Photo: Luke Ratray) and Pianist Marta Aznavoorian (Photo: Chicago fashion photographer)

Balourdet Quartet and Marta Aznavoorian, piano

November 16, 2026, 8:00 pm

The Balourdet Quartet’s virtuosic blend of technical precision and emotional depth earned it the 2024 Avery Fisher Career Grant, as well as Chamber Music America’s 2024 Cleveland Quartet Award. The group’s members – Angela Bae and Justin DeFilippis, violins, Benjamin Zannoni, viola, and Russell Houston, cello – recently collaborated with the spectacular Chicago-based pianist Marta Aznavoorian, a brilliant collaborator known for ...

The WFMT Orchestra Series