Wednesdays at 12:15 pm
Live weekly concerts from some of the world’s most exciting emerging artists
Each week, WFMT shares live concerts from emerging artists from around the world. Produced by Classical Music Chicago, the series is named for pianist Myra Hess, who organized over 1500 free concerts for Londoners during World War II. Enjoy solo recitals and ensemble performances from some of classical music’s brightest rising talent, presenting thrilling repertoire across eras and instruments.
Jonathan Mamora, piano
Pianist Jonathan Mamora performs works by Frédéric Chopin, Johann Sebastian Bach, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Maurice Ravel and Alexander Scriabin, live from the Seventeenth Church of Christ, Scientist, Chicago.
David Shifrin, clarinet and Marina Iwao, piano
Clarinetist David Shifrin and pianist Marina Iwao perform works by Leonard Bernstein, Francis Poulenc, Claude Debussy, George Gershwin arranged by Michele Mangani, and a piece by Duke Ellington arranged by David Shifrin himself. The performance is live from the Seventeenth Church of Christ, Scientist, Chicago. Winner of both the Avery Fisher Career Grant (1987) and the Avery Fisher Prize (2000) ...
Mateusz Mikolajczak, piano
Pianist Mateusz Mikolajczak performs works by Grażyna Bacewicz, Frédéric Chopin and Franz Liszt, live from the Seventeenth Church of Christ Scientist, Chicago. Mateusz Mikolajczak began music studies at the age of six with Joanna Samelczak. A native of Poland, Mateusz has been awarded top prizes in international competitions, including the Mieczysław Munz Juilliard Piano Competition, Franz Liszt International Piano Competition, ...
Jonathan Leibovitz, clarinet and Matteo Generani, piano
Clarinetist Jonathan Leibovitz and pianist Matteo Generani perform works by Clara Schumann, Paul Ben-Haim and Carl Maria von Weber, live from the Seventeenth Church of Christ Scientist, Chicago. Jonathan Leibovitz is a multi award winning clarinetist. In 2022, he was a prize-winner at the Young Classical Artists Trust and Concert Artists Guild joint International Auditions and was named as Classic ...
Clayton Stephenson, piano
Pianist Clayton Stephenson performs works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Bill Evans and Sergei Prokofiev, live from the Seventeenth Church of Christ Scientist, Chicago. American pianist Clayton Stephenson’s love for music is immediately apparent in his joyous charisma onstage, expressive power, and natural ease at the instrument. Hailed for “extraordinary narrative and poetic gifts” and interpretations that are “fresh, incisive and ...
Mari Nagahara, cello and Motti Fang-Bentov, piano
Cellist Mari Nagahara and pianist Motti Fang-Bentov perform works by Nadia Boulanger, Michiko Toyama and Rebecca Clarke, live from the Seventeenth Church of Christ Scientist, Chicago. Japanese-American cellist Mari Nagahara has distinguished herself as a promising young talent. Trained and rooted in the Western classical music tradition, her work lives at the junction of collaboration, equity and innovation and seeks ...
No Hess Concert: Happy Thanksgiving!
The Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts will return on December 3rd, 2025, with a performance by clarinetist Anoush Pogossian and pianist Amber Ginmi Scherer.
