Celebrate Chicago’s vibrant classical music scene.
Music in Chicago gives you a front-row seat to some of the best classical music concerts presented throughout the Chicago area. Every day in the noon hour, Lisa Flynn features recent performances from the city’s soloists, orchestras, choirs, bands and chamber ensembles. The Elgin Symphony Orchestra, St. Charles Singers, Rachel Barton Pine, Dover Quartet, Civic Orchestra, Midwest Mozart Festival, and Chicago Latino Music Festival are among the many artists and organizations that have been heard on this weekly program.
WFMT is always looking for new groups and musicians to feature on Music in Chicago. If you or your ensemble would like to be considered for our program, audition online to let us know more about you and to send us a recording.
July 4 – July 8, 2022
July 8, 2022
Coming up this week on Music in Chicago, we'll hear performances from Northwestern University - the Symphonic Wind Ensemble and the winners of the Dover Quartet Competition. Julian Rhee, the winner of the 2020 Elmar Oliveira Violin Competition, performs on the Dame Myra Hess Concert. Jorge Federico Osorio plays Spanish piano music, and our Impromptu encore features famed Italian guitarist Oscar Ghiglia.
Philippe Quint and Marta Aznavoorian at Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts
March 15, 2019
Grammy Award nominee Philippe Quint has established himself as one of the leading violinists of his generation. Constantly in demand, he regularly appears at venues around the world. “Truly phenomenal” is how BBC Music Magazine recently described him. For his recital on January 16, 2019, at the Chicago Cultural Center, Quint was joined by pianist Marta Aznavoorian. Their program featured music from ...
CSO Young Artists Competition Winner: Flutist Rosie Wang
March 8, 2019
Many musicians dream of performing on the stage of Orchestra Hall with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The Crain-Maling Foundation Chicago Symphony Orchestra Young Artists Competition makes this dream come true for one young musician every year. On February 23, four young musicians competed on that famous stage for the opportunity to perform with the CSO during the 2019-2020 season. This year, the competition ...
Civic Orchestra and Rachmaninoff
March 8, 2019
Founded during the 1919-20 season, the Civic Orchestra of Chicago has trained thousands of the nation’s finest emerging professional musicians while presenting free concerts at Symphony Center and in schools and other neighborhood venues throughout Greater Chicago. It is the only training orchestra of its kind affiliated with a major American orchestra. In April 2018, the Civic Orchestra was led ...
Civic Orchestra of Chicago: Strauss’s Suite from Der Rosenkavalier
March 1, 2019
Since 1919, young artists have sought membership in the Civic Orchestra of Chicago to develop their musicianship and to further prepare for professional careers. Founded by Frederick Stock, second music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Civic Orchestra is the only training orchestra of its kind affiliated with a major American orchestra. The Civic provides its members with opportunities ...
ViolMedium Plays Abel and Bartók
February 22, 2019
Founded by gambists Eric Miller and Phillip Serna, the duo of ViolMedium bridges contemporary and historically-informed performance with experimental and innovative programming for violas da gamba. Their concert in February 2019 at LaGrange’s Emmanuel Episcopal Church was titled, “Façades and Duplicities: Beguiling Curiosities and Excursions for Dueling Gambas.” The program offered an exploration of the rich harmonic, timbral, and dramatic potentials offered ...
Elgin Symphony Orchestra Plays Kodály
February 22, 2019
Conductor Stephen Squires led the Elgin Symphony Orchestra in three works in January 2019. The program featured Haydn’s Symphony No. 94, nicknamed the “Surprise” Symphony. ESO concertmaster Isabella Lippi performed Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1, considered one of the greatest and most difficult of its kind. Hungarian composer Zoltán Kodály was fascinated with the folk songs of his region. His ...
Trio Céleste Plays Dvořák and Piazzolla
February 15, 2019
Hailed as “a first-class ensemble” (Orange County Register), “unfailingly stylish” (The Strad), “technically dazzling” (Long Beach Gazette), “flawless” (New York Concert Review), and “the epitome of what chamber musicians should be” (Palm Beach Daily News), Trio Céleste has firmly established itself as one of the most dynamic chamber music ensembles on the classical music scene today. In January 2019, Trio Céleste shared ...
Pianist Henry Kramer Plays Debussy
February 15, 2019
Pianist Henry Kramer is establishing himself as one of the foremost pianists of his generation. The winner of the 2015 William Petschek Recital Debut Award from the Juilliard School and the Second Prize winner of the 2016 Queen Elisabeth Competition, Kramer has been praised by critics as “triumphant” and “thrilling” (The New York Times), “technically effortless” (La Presse, Montreal), and the Philadelphia ...
Chicago a cappella: Polish Splendor
February 15, 2019
In February 2019, Chicago a cappella presented a program on the theme “Polish Splendor: Songs and Traditions from the Crossroads of Europe.” The ensemble explored the rich variety of music from Poland, old and new. The singers brought to life traditional folk songs and compelling new works by rising Polish composers—including many in their North American debut.
Cavatina Duo Plays Ravel
February 8, 2019
The Cavatina Duo — Eugenia Moliner, flute (from Spain) and Denis Azabagic, guitar (from Bosnia) — has captivated audiences with their electrifying performances in such major venues and festivals as the Ravinia Festival, Aix-en-Provence Summer Festival (France), and Symphony Center Chicago, among many others. Moliner and Azabagic are both on the faculty of the Chicago College of the Performing Arts at Roosevelt ...
Chicago Latino Music Festival: Guitarist Eduardo Fernández
January 25, 2019
This year’s Chicago Latino Music Festival featured a concert in collaboration with the Instituto Cervantes by guitarists Eduardo Fernández and Iván Reséndez. Considered among the top five classical guitars players in the world, Fernández performed a program of Latin American and Spanish pieces based on folk and popular music as well us some of the most important works from the ...
International Chamber Artists in Concert
January 25, 2019
In 2006, a small group of musicians formed the International Chamber Artists. ICA has grown steadily, bringing emerging artists and great music to Chicago. What started out as an idea among friends has grown to become one of the premier chamber music organizations in Chicago. ICA is a non-profit chamber music ensemble currently made up of 21 musicians. On September 9, ...
Stradivarius Chamber Music Concert at St. John Cantius Church
January 18, 2019
On October 13, 2018, St. John Cantius Church of Chicago presented a concert featuring Stradivarius violins from Italy. Sponsored by the Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago, violinists Henry Criz and Sergio Lamberto and pianist Giacomo Fuga performed music by Tartini, Brahms, and Willan.
Elgin Symphony Orchestra Plays Beethoven and Wagner
January 18, 2019
During its 68th season, the Elgin Symphony Orchestra presented the music of Beethoven, Strauss, and Wagner in a program titled “Titans.” The three influential German composers were showcased in November 2018 at the Hemmens Cultural Center. ESO Music Director Andrew Grams led the program featuring soprano Laura Wilde, a graduate of the Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago, in Richard Strauss’s Four Last Songs. ...
Pianist Yerin Yang Performs Liszt
January 11, 2019
15-year-old pianist Yerin Yang started piano at the age of 5. Among her many prizes, she took First Prize, Best Performance of Solo Work Award, and the Young Jury Award at the 2018 Arthur Fraser International Piano Competition. In March 2018, Yang won the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Young Artists Competition. She has also appeared on WFMT’s “Introductions” series profiling young ...
Akropolis Reed Quintet
January 11, 2019
The Akropolis Reed Quintet was founded in 2009 at the University of Michigan and is the first-ever ensemble of its makeup to win a Fischoff Gold Medal (2014) as well as the Grand Prize at the Plowman and MTNA national competitions. Hailed by Fanfare Magazine for its “imagination, infallible musicality, and huge vitality,” Akropolis has performed from Juneau to Abu Dhabi and has showcased at five national conferences. On ...
The Orion Ensemble Plays Frühling
January 4, 2019
Over its 25 years, the Orion Ensemble has been called one of the best and most steadfast chamber music ensembles in Chicago. Every season, the members of the group craft programs for audiences to experience the intimacy and magical collaborations that are the hallmark of great chamber music. Concerts in November 2018 featured a rarely heard work by Carl Frühling, ...
Bella Voce: Britten’s Ceremony of Carols
December 21, 2018
Since its founding in 1983 under the name His Majestie’s Clerkes, Bella Voce has delivered its unique, disciplined choral performances to audiences in Chicago and environs. The name comes from the Italian for “beautiful voice.” For over thirty years, Bella Voce has cultivated the living tradition of choral music from the earliest chant to contemporary creations. For the 2018 holiday season, the ...
Candlelight Carols with the St. Charles Singers
December 21, 2018
The St. Charles Singers, founded in 1984, is a group of 40 professional musicians under the direction of Jeff Hunt. Recognized for their sublime interpretation of choral classics, the singers strive for excellence in every performance, sing with passion and demonstrate a sincere desire to create beauty, and connect with their audience. The 2018 “Candlelight Carols” program featured world premieres ...
Handel’s Messiah with Camerata Chicago
December 21, 2018
Founded in 2003, Camerata Chicago is a chamber orchestra equally at home in intimate settings as well as in larger chamber music venues, performing the rich tapestry of diverse chamber orchestral repertoire that includes newly commissioned works. Musicians and choristers presented the Christmas portion of Handel’s Messiah and Bach’s Magnificat in Camerata Chicago’s Sacred Music Series in November 2018.