Stories

In one Ukrainian city, ballet in a bomb shelter is an escape from the horrors of war

Practicing in a bomb shelter means the girls can keeping dancing through the almost hourly air raid alerts.

Keegan MorrisFebruary 21, 2020

Robbie Ellis’ Comedy Tunes Prove that Classical Music Can Be Funny [Videos]

Andi LamoreauxFebruary 21, 2020

Music of the Baroque Announces 2020-21 season

Keegan MorrisFebruary 20, 2020

Video: Pianist Taek Gi Lee Shares a Dynamic Recital of Beethoven and Liszt

Verismo Meets Lyrical Flow: Chicago Composer Creates Opera from Classic Nas Track

Adela SkowronskiNovember 12, 2021

It was a rap song by Nas that directly influenced Chicago composer Steve Wallace’s newest chamber opera, Undying Love.

Emilie Kouatchou Makes ‘Phantom’ History On Broadway

Associated PressNovember 12, 2021

The actor and soprano made her Broadway debut as Christine in "The Phantom of the Opera," becoming the first Black woman in the role in the show's 33-year history in New York.

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Remembering Jamie Gilson, children’s book author, WFMT contributor, and friend

Kerry FrumkinFebruary 17, 2020

When Jamie Gilson came into this world there were fireworks, her website explains. She was born on the Fourth of July 1933. She died quietly at her home on February 11, 2020, with her family around her. She was known primarily as a writer of children’s books, but she also wrote for radio, magazines, and film – WFMT, WBEZ, Chicago ...

New Music, Deep Listening: Chicago’s Frequency Festival Celebrates 5 Years

Estlin UsherFebruary 17, 2020

With all the incredible performances that happen every year around this city, it can be easy to forget: Chicago is a hub for new music. This year, one of the cornerstones of Chicago's contemporary classical music scene — Frequency Festival — celebrates its fifth year in a week of new music concerts.

Odysseys of Movement, Music in Joffrey Program

Keegan MorrisFebruary 14, 2020

Culminating in “The Times Are Racing” by choreographer Justin Peck, Joffrey's mixed-rep program features “ballet, contemporary, comic, and a ‘sneaker ballet,’” artistic director Ashley Wheater describes.

Through the Night with Peter van de Graaff