Stories

11 Classical-Inspired Favorites from the Looney Tunes [Playlist]

Brilliant animation and slapstick humor certainly define the Looney Tunes, but it is impossible to imagine the images on screen without classical music. Emmy-winning conductor George Daugherty shares the inspiration behind the live program “Bugs Bunny at the Symphony,” now celebrating its 30th anniversary.

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WFMT partners with Art on theMART to pair classical holiday music with a festive, 25-story art installation on the Chicago River

Chicagoans and visitors alike can now enjoy the sounds of the season with festive classical music selected by WFMT to accompany the holiday program for one of the city’s largest pieces of public art — Art on theMART.

Baltimore Symphony locks out its musicians as talks stall

BALTIMORE (AP) — The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is locking out its musicians now that contract and salary negotiations have stalled. The Baltimore Sun reports the lockout starts Monday. Musicians say they’re also losing 12 weeks of pay since management abruptly cancelled summer concerts. Musicians have been playing without a new contract since September. A statement from orchestra president and Chief Executive Peter ...

How to Make a Baroque Opera Work in the 21st Century

How does an opera written in 1735 hold up today? Lyric Opera of Chicago’s production of George Frideric Handel’s Ariodante presents a contemporary perspective on the nearly 300-year-old Baroque opera, with updated gender and sexual politics to boot. Benjamin Davis directs this revival production, which received its premiere in 2014 at Festival d’Aix-en-Provence under director Richard Jones. This interpretation takes ...

Latest Stories

Some Sublime Schubert from Duo Tal & Groethuysen [Video]

Ahead of the esteemed duo's performance at UChicago Presents, Tal & Groethuysen, who first joined forces in 1985, visited WFMT for an Impromptu of piano four-hands music by Mozart, Schubert, Louis Théodore Gouvy.

Anna Moffo: 4 Videos that Spotlight the Brilliance of ‘La Bellissima’

Writing for The New York Times following her death in 2006, Anthony Tommasini explained that Anna Moffo “was beloved for her rosy voice, dramatic vulnerability and exceptional beauty.”

Grant Park Music Festival Announces 2020 Season

See what's in store for the Grant Park Music Festival 2020 season.

Hildur Guðnadóttir makes history at Globes, Elton John wins

“Joker” composer Hildur Guðnadóttir made history by becoming the first woman in 19 years to win best original score at the Golden Globes. Guðnadóttir was the sole female nominee.

Rachel Barton Pine and Sylvia Pine help launch WFMT’s new family request program

What better way to inaugurate a program celebrating music for kids and families than by inviting a very musical family to perform — violinist Rachel Barton Pine and her 8-year-old daughter Sylvia Pine?

Decade in Review: The 2010s and Classical Music

The 2010s were a tumultuous decade, replete with astounding artistic highlights, superlative new voices, and watershed moments of reckoning. WFMT hosts and staff reflect on what the past decade brought for classical music, and what the new decade may have in store.