Wednesdays at 12:15 pm
From the Chicago Cultural Center, hear weekly live concerts.
Each week WFMT goes live to the Chicago Cultural Center for concerts with emerging artists from around the world, produced by the International Music Foundation. Some shows offer solo recitals while others feature ensembles. The concerts take place beneath the world’s largest Tiffany-domed ceiling, part of a landmark building that originally housed the Chicago Public Library. The Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts are named for British pianist Myra Hess who organized some 1,700 free lunchtime concerts for Londoners during World War II, in the years of nightly air raids.
Inga Kashakashvili
December 11, 2019
Georgian born pianist Inga Kashakashvili presents a recital of contemporary classical music along with quintessential pieces of the piano repertory including Clementi and Chopin, as well as Danielpour and Carlson. Georgian born pianist Inga Kashakashvili has performed at major venues around the world, among them Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Le Poisson Rouge, Steinway Hall, Merkin Hall at Kaufman ...
Sheng Cai
December 4, 2019
A top prize winner in multiple competitions pianist Sheng Cai will present a program of Grieg, Chopin, and Lecuona for this live Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert broadcast. Pianist Sheng Cai has concertized throughout North America, South America, Asia and Europe. Since his debut with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra at just fifteen years old, he has been invited to perform ...
Alexander Hersh and Evan Wong
November 27, 2019
Chicago born Cellist Alexander Hersh and pianist Evan Wong present music of Debussy, Webern, Fauré, and Barber. Having already performed as soloist with the Houston Symphony and the Boston Pops, cellist Alexander Hersh has quickly established himself as one of the most exciting and versatile talents of his generation. He has received top prizes at competitions worldwide including the: 2019 Astral ...
Timothy Hagen and Ben Corbin
November 20, 2019
Flutist Timothy Hagan and pianist Ben Corbin present a program of live music with works of Francis Poulenc, Valerie Coleman, Georg Philipp Telemann, Alexander Rosenblatt, and by today’s performer Timothy Hagen. Praised for his “technical virtuosity and musical sensitivity” (NewMusicBox) and “real flair” (The Well-Tempered Ear), Timothy Hagen is a laureate of multiple national and international competitions, including the Myrna ...
Kamil Tokarski
November 13, 2019
Polish pianist Kamil Tokarski joins us under the Tiffany dome with music of Scarlatti, Chopin, and Albéniz for this Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert broadcast. Dr. Kamil Tokarski is a distinguished pianist with rich musical experiences throughout Europe, the United States, and Asia. Kamil Tokarski has appeared in solo recitals in Poland, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Spain, Italy, The United States, Japan, ...
Hilda Huang
November 6, 2019
Pianist Hilda Huang joins us on this week’s Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert broadcast with works of Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven. Pianist Hilda Huang has been recognized for her “alluring extroversion” (New York Concert Review) and “philosophical depths” (West-Allgemeine Zeitung) in her interpretations of the music of J.S. Bach and more recently, L.V. Beethoven. By the age of 18 she ...
Sam Boutris and Hilda Huang
October 30, 2019
Clarinetist Sam Boutris and pianist Hild Huang present a program of Mozart, Ravel, Pierné, Cahuzac, Bassi, and Schumann.
Facebook Exclusive: Soprano Kristina Bachrach & pianist Daniel Anastasio
October 23, 2019
Join us on WFMT's Facebook page for this web-exclusive vocal Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert featuring soprano Kristina Bachrach and pianist Daniel Anastasio. Under the Tiffany Dome of the Chicago Cultural Center, the duo will perform a selection of songs by composers who were killed or suppressed during the Holocaust, as well as works by Debussy and Schubert.
Merz Trio
October 16, 2019
The Merz Trio presents two works for this program Piano Trio No. 1 Op.8 by Johannes Brahms and Widmung by Robert Schumann arranged by the trio for this Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert. Brigid Coleridge, violin Julia Yang, cello Lee Dionne, piano Composed of players hailed as “impressive” (NYTimes), “impeccable” (Fanfare Magazine), and praised for “a sense of joyful virtuosity” ...
Lucas Krupinski
October 9, 2019
Polish-born pianist performs works by Schubert, Chopin, and Ravel for this Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert broadcast. Polish pianist Lucas Krupinski is the winner of the 7th International Piano Competition in San Marino and all of the contest prizes – the Audience Award, the Music Critics Award and the Orchestra Award in 2016. A finalist of the International Competition of ...
Hélène Tysman
October 2, 2019
2010 Darmstadt International Chopin Competition First Prize winner Hélène Tysman performs a program of works by Bach, Debussy, Chopin, and Ravel for this Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert broadcast. Hailed by The New York Times as a pianist of “warm touch and dreamy sensibility”, praised by The Daily Telegraph as “poetic” and qualified by the Süddeutsche Zeitung as a “pianistic ...
Aruna Quartet
September 25, 2019
Texas Tech University’s award winning Aruna Saxophone Quartet joins us live for this Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert broadcast with works by Grieg and Glazunov and contemporary works by David Maslanka and Marcelo Zarvos. Aruna Quartet William Pyle, soprano saxophone Tony Guzman, alto saxophone Ryan Hill, tenor saxophone Andrew Schoen, baritone saxophone Comprised of undergraduate and graduate students at Texas ...
Sara Domjanić and Tanya Gabrielian
September 11, 2019
Violinist Sara Domjanić is joined by collaborative pianist Tanya Gabrielian for the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert broadcast. On this program they will perform works by Sergei Prokofiev, Claude Debussy, and the virtuosic Gypsy Caprice by Fritz Kreisler. Sara Domjanić started playing the violin at the age of just four and won her first competition when she was five. By the ...
Ginevra Petrucci and Jory Vinikour
September 4, 2019
Flutist Ginevra Petrucci and pianist Jory Vinikour present a program of Hindemith, Hummel, and Vaughan Williams live under the Tiffany glass dome of the Chicago Cultural Center. Described by The Flutist Quarterly as having “a beautiful phrasing, brilliant virtuosity and a legato worthy of a great singer”, Ginevra Petrucci has an active performing schedule that has seen her appear, in recent ...
George X. Fu
August 28, 2019
Acclaimed pianist George X. Fu performs five Debussy Études and Piano Sonata No. 30 in E Major, Op. 109 by Beethoven for this Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert broadcast. Hailed by the Boston Music Intelligencer as a “heroic piano soloist” with “stunning virtuosity”, Chinese-American pianist George X. Fu has performed as a soloist with orchestras such as the National Symphony ...
Kimberly Han
August 14, 2019
Young Steinway Artist award winning pianist Kimberly Han performs works by Bach, Haydn, and Chopin live under the Tiffany glass dome of the Chicago Cultural Center for this Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert broadcast. Kimberly Han, 18-year-old pianist and violinist, is from Lake Forest, Illinois of USA. She was recently awarded the revered “Young Steinway Artist” title (ages 16-35 years ...
Hessler Duo
August 7, 2019
Violinist Yun-Ting Lee and collaborative pianist Younjung Cha who form the Hessler Duo perform a live recital from the Chicago Cultural Center for this Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert broadcast featuring works of Brahms, Debussy, and Joachim. The Hessler Duo was formed by pianist Youn-Jung Cha and violinist Yun-Ting Lee. The name of the duo originated from the street the two lived on as housemates ...
Huiping Cai
July 31, 2019
Twenty-one-year-old Chinese pianist Huiping Cai presents a live recital with works by Ravel, Paderewski, and Chopin for this Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert broadcast. Twenty-one-year-old Huiping Cai is one of the most exciting young talents coming from China today. Winner of numerous national and international competitions, she captured First Prize at the 2019 Chopin International Piano Competition in Hartford, CT. ...
Tara Lynn Ramsey and Daniel Pesca
July 24, 2019
Violinist Tara Ramsey is joined by collaborative pianist Daniel Pesca for this live Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert broadcast with works by Mozart, Brahms, and Gershwin. Tara Lynn Ramsey enjoys a varied career as a chamber musician, new music interpreter, orchestral musician, and teacher. She performs as violinist and violist of the Chicago-based contemporary music ensemble Dal Niente and is a ...
Tom Zalmanov
July 17, 2019
Israeli-born pianist Tom Zalmanov joins us live under the Tiffany glass dome of the Chicago Cultural Center with a program of Mozart, Chopin, and Scriabin for this Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert broadcast. Israeli-born pianist Tom Zalmanov (b. 1999) is a student at the Buchman-Mehta School of Music in Tel Aviv, class of Prof. Emanuel Krasovsky. He previously studied in ...
Véronique Mathieu and Jasmin Arakawa
December 18, 2019
Canadian born violinist Véronique Mathieu and collaborative pianist Jasmin Arakawa present a program of French music by Lili Boulanger, Claude Debussy, and Francis Poulenc. Described as a violinist with ‘chops to burn, and rock solid musicianship’ (The Whole Note, TORONTO), Canadian violinist Véronique Mathieu enjoys an exciting career as a soloist, chamber musician, and music educator. Her CD ARGOT was recently featured ...
