SALZBURG, Austria (AP) — There was a time a generation ago when Cecilia Bartoli’s many U.S. fans could count on seeing her regularly in opera or in concert. The Italian mezzo-soprano noted for her warm sound, dramatic intensity and dazzling coloratura agility had shot to fame in the early 1990s while still in her 20s on the strength of best-selling …
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Attending live concerts increases life expectancy, improves well-being more than yoga, dog-walking, study finds 
Grant Park Music Festival Announces 2019 Season 
Classical music for your wedding (that’s not Pachelbel’s Canon) 
15 Queer Composers You Should Know ![The McGill Brothers return home for Grant Park Music Festival debut [Video]](https://www.wfmt.com/wp-content/uploads/wordpress-popular-posts/66588-featured-75x75.jpg)
The McGill Brothers return home for Grant Park Music Festival debut [Video]
My recap of the 61st Grammy Awards is especially exciting because I attended Music’s Biggest Night not only as a member, but also as a nominee! Engineer Bill Maylone and I received a nomination in the category of Best Engineered Album, Classical for Liquid Melancholy: Clarinet Music of James Stephenson released on the Cedille Label and featuring clarinetist John Bruce …
Imagine the rolling hills of Scotland, the jagged cliffs of Ireland, the mountains and beaches of England. On Enchanted Isle, the newest album by choral ensemble Voces8, the landscapes of the United Kingdom take center stage. This Decca Classics release is the UK-based ensemble’s thirteenth album. In an interview with WFMT, Barnaby Smith, the Artistic Director of Voces8, discussed curating an …
Chanticleer, a leading men’s vocal group returned to WFMT for an Impromptu and Facebook Live video broadcast of joyous holiday songs. Enjoy the full video broadcast here!
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5 Salieri Operas You Should Know
Poor Tony. Ever since Peter Shaffer’s play Amadeus, Salieri’s real historical rivalry with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart has been blown way out of proportion. And why not? It makes for great drama on stage and on screen. Mozart’s letters are peppered with references to Salieri and his Italian colleagues, and suggest some professional rivalry. After Mozart’s untimely death, scholars interpreted his mentions of ...
Watch violinist Anne Akiko Meyers perform Bach and Gounod’s Ave Maria [Video]
Bach and Gounod's Ave Maria has always held a special place in violinist Anne Akiko Meyers' repertoire: she grew up playing the beloved work. "It's just one of the most beautiful pieces," Meyers shared during her appearance on WFMT's Impromptu.
Take to the Skies and Seas with this Playlist of Aeronautic and Maritime Music!
Brace your ears: the Chicago Air and Water Show is upon us! But there’s more to hear than the roars of the Blue Angels and Red Arrows — take in the excitement while listening to music inspired by aviation and nautical navigation!
9-year-old girl sues German boys choir over gender bias
BERLIN (AP) — A 9-year-old girl is suing a centuries-old Berlin boys choir, arguing that her bid to join was only rejected because of her gender, in a case that has sparked debate over equal rights versus artistic freedom. The State and Cathedral Choir is one of the most renowned boys choirs in Germany, founded in 1465 by Fredrick II ...
See 18-year-old pianist Kimberly Han perform works by Bach, Haydn, and Chopin
Beneath the Tiffany Dome of the Chicago Cultural Center, 18-year-old pianist Kimberly Han performed works by Bach, Haydn, and Chopin on August 14. Han, who hails from Lake Forest, Illinois and has appeared on WFMT's Introductions several times, shared the program for a Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert. She performed an austere Bach prelude and fugue, an upbeat Haydn piano ...
Multiple women say opera star Domingo sexually harassed them
For decades, Placido Domingo, one of the most celebrated and powerful men in opera, has tried to pressure women into sexual relationships by dangling jobs and then sometimes punishing the women professionally when they refused his advances, numerous accusers told The Associated Press. Regarded as one of the greatest opera singers of all time, Domingo also is a prolific conductor ...
“¡En la guitarra está todo!” — Eliades Ochoa, Grammy Award-winning guitarist on the power of Cuban music
“For me, the guitar doesn’t have a secret. In the guitar, you will find everything.” These are the words of Eliades Ochoa, the Grammy Award-winning guitarist of the internationally acclaimed ensemble Buena Vista Social Club. Before his performance at Festival Cubano in Chicago, we talked with Ochoa about his musical upbringing, experience playing in the renowned group, and his advice for the next generation of musicians.
Meet the pianist who is setting some of the internet’s most hilarious viral videos to music
We know that music makes our lives better, but sometimes, it can make funny things even funnier! Take Charles Cornell, for instance, who is turning viral tweets and videos into songs.
Going Medieval on Twitter
Welcome to the wonderful world of medieval manuscripts! You'll find that medieval manuscripts are not nearly as inaccessible as you might think. They are true multimedia events: for the sports lover, there are depictions of cats playing tennis. Music aficionados will find illustrations of rabbits and foxes playing viols and flutes. From the sacred to the profane, they prove without a doubt that the Dark Ages were anything but.
Rhiannon Giddens, Francis Johnson to get Americana award
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Grammy-winning folk singer and musician Rhiannon Giddens and pioneering composer Francis “Frank” Johnson will be the first recipients of the inaugural Legacy of Americana Award. The Americana Music Association announced the new award Wednesday in partnership with the National Museum of African American Music. It will be presented to Giddens during the Americana Honors & Awards ...Learn more about advertising and sponsorship on WFMT.
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A German composer of Polish descent, Moritz Moszkowski had an international reputation when he died in 1925. These days, he is known mostly for a group of pieces that he wrote originally for piano duet. This morning, we heard a classic 1957 recording conducted by Ataulfo Argenta of the orchestral version of one of these pieces, the “Spanish Dances”. Which of the Moszkowski “Spanish Dances” was it? lisa flynn's new releases
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