Stories

How Handel’s Messiah Became a Beloved Tradition

Handel’s landmark oratorio had its fans when it premiered… so why was it so controversial?

Keegan MorrisDecember 3, 2021

Opera’s Newest Voice: Meet Debra Lew Harder, the New Host of the Met Broadcasts

WFMT 70: George Preston and Oliver Camacho

Keegan MorrisDecember 3, 2021

WFMT at 70: A Q&A with WFMT’s General Manager and Music Director

Associated PressDecember 2, 2021

Nézet-Séguin to take 4 weeks off from conducting

Violinist on Russian trains soothes weary commuters

Associated PressMay 5, 2023

Classics, jazz, Russian folk music and children's songs all flow as Oksana glides her bow across the strings.

Gordon Lightfoot, in a deep red blazer, strums an acoustic guitar and sings into a mic

Folk singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot dies at 84

Associated PressMay 2, 2023

“I simply write the songs about where I am and where I’m from,” Lightfoot once said. “I take situations and write poems about them.”

Playlists

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Playlist: 7 Native American Musicians You Should Know

Adela SkowronskiNovember 24, 2021

Meet seven Indigenous American musicians spanning genres (hip hop, punk, rock) and states (Illinois, California, Arizona).

Chicago Classical Music Makes A Strong Showing at 2021 Grammy Nominations

Mary MazurekNovember 24, 2021

It's another great year for the city's classical music community with Chicago-born and based artists, producers, and engineers receiving recognition.

Julian Velasco in front of a bright, multicolored wall

Saxophonist Julian Velasco Wins Cedille Records Emerging Artist Competition

WFMTNovember 22, 2021

This past weekend, WFMT teamed up with Cedille Records to stream the finals of the venerable Chicago label's first-ever Emerging Artist Competition. Now, a winner has been named...

Mornings with Jan Weller