Stories

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

Think you know a lot about classical music? Robbie Ellis, WFMT host, composer, music director, and comedy songmaker extraordinaire shares four untold musical revelations that will have your head spinning!

Lisa Flynn | December 17, 2015

Your Top 10 Favorite Piano Concertos

Stephen Raskauskas | December 10, 2015

Rufus Wainwright’s 3 Favorite Opera Composers

Carl Grapentine | December 8, 2015

How a Modern Orchestra Plays a Period-Perfect ‘Messiah’

Andris Nelsons, the music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra (Photo: Marco Borggreve)

‘Show must go on:’ Stranded in Europe, Boston Symphony Orchestra improvises

Associated Press | September 18, 2018

The renowned orchestra very nearly missed the last stop on its 12-concert, eight-city European tour when it got stuck in Paris en route to the Dutch capital.

Sound the Shofar!

Kerry Frumkin | September 14, 2018

The shofar, an instrument made from a ram's horn, is heard in synagogues all over the world during the Jewish High Holidays. It has also been heard outside those confines for ages, as a call to battle, or a way for shepherds to summon their flocks.

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Itzhak Perlman’s 5 Most Memorable Moments at 70 Years Old

Stephen Raskauskas | November 12, 2015

Violinist Itzhak Perlman is one of the most famous names in classical music. The Israeli-American, now 70 years old, has collaborated with some of the greatest musicians of our time in his long and illustrious career. Here, he reflects on five of the most memorable moments in his career.

The Many Colors of American Indian Music

Stephen Raskauskas | November 6, 2015

What do you hear in your mind’s ear when you hear the phrase “American Indian Music”? Your ideas about American Indian music might be rooted in general stereotypes many people have about American Indians. Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate, a Chickasaw composer, said, “American Indians have been involved in the fine arts for a long time, in every genre from literature to dance ...

How ‘Wozzeck’ Changed Opera Forever

Stephen Raskauskas | November 5, 2015

Alban Berg’s opera Wozzeck revolutionized the art form when it premiered in 1925. When Berg saw Georg Büchner’s play Woyzeck, he knew that he wanted to compose an opera based upon it. But an opera based upon this revolutionary expressionist play “demanded a new kind of operatic language as well,” according to The Metropolitan Opera Guide to Recorded Opera. Sir Andrew Davis, music director and principal ...

Midday with Lisa Flynn