Stories

Ryuichi Sakamoto gazes pensively at the camera

‘Opus,’ the farewell of Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, will premiere at Venice Film Festival

Sakamoto had been battling cancer since 2014, and could no longer do concert performances, and so he turned to film. The filming took place over several days, just a half year before his death on March 28 at 71.

Keegan MorrisApril 1, 2019

Why Composer and Chicago Children’s Choir Alum Ted Hearne Embraces Politics in His Art

Graham MeyerMarch 29, 2019

How To Land 300-Year-Old Jokes: Tackling Telemann’s Pimpinone

Michael San GabinoMarch 29, 2019

Lang Lang Shares His Wisdom with Music Lovers of All Ages

Video: Avalon String Quartet Honors Beethoven 250 with a Dynamic Performance

Keegan MorrisDecember 16, 2020

On the 250th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven's birth, the Avalon String Quartet gave a deft and passionate performance of one of Beethoven's finest chamber works.

portrait of Beethoven with a 10 and text "top ten" superimposed

Beethoven’s Top 10 Works

WFMTDecember 16, 2020

WFMT looks back on the eminent composer's most important works. Here is our ranking of Beethoven's top 10 most important compositions.

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VIDEO | Award-winning Russian Renaissance shares music for balalaika, domra, and accordion in a WFMT Facebook Live

Keegan MorrisMarch 23, 2019

On Saturday, March 23, 2019, WFMT hosted Russian Renaissance in a Facebook Live from Wheaton College’s Edman Chapel. The versatile quartet, which won the $100,000 Grand Prize at the 2017 M-Prize competition at the University of Michigan, shared music by Zequinha de Abreu, Monti, and Tchaikovsky arranged for balalaika, domra, and accordion. Enjoy their performance below!

Renée Fleming Celebrates 25 Years With Lyric Opera of Chicago

WFMTMarch 22, 2019

The “People’s Diva” first delighted Chicago audiences as she performed the title role in Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah in 1993.

Playlist: The Voyager Golden Record — The True Story Behind Earth’s Greatest Hits

Becky NystedtMarch 22, 2019

If given the task to assemble a collection of music that reflects humanity, what would you choose?

Through the Night with Peter van de Graaff