Stories

Isaac Stern at 100 [Video]

As WFMT celebrates the centenary of Isaac Stern — who was born on July 21, 1920 — Michael Stern reflects on his father’s life in music.

Composer Jimmy López proudly displays the completed piano-vocal score of his first opera, “Bel Canto,” on the stage of the Ardis Krainik Theatre in the Civic Opera House, home of Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Hannah Edgar | July 27, 2015

From YouTube to Lyric: Composer Jimmy López on His Operatic Debut

Stephen Raskauskas | July 21, 2015

Quiz: Are You Secretly French? You Might Be If Get More Than 14/20 On This Music Quiz

8 US Presidents You Didn’t Know Were Musicians

Hannah Edgar | November 5, 2018

Did you know that some of our nation’s leaders past and present could hold their own at a conductor’s podium? Regardless of their political party, many presidents from Jefferson to Nixon to Obama might all agree on one thing: music is important in our lives.

‘Hear Us’ Showcases 3 Young Musicians Who Defy Boundaries to Collaborate and Perform

Keegan Morris | November 5, 2018

Clarissa Bevilacqua, a 15-year-old violinist living in Italy, describes the double-edged sword of being dubbed a “prodigy.” She is one of the three young classical musicians who come together to perform as a trio in Hear Us, an hourlong program that first airs on WTTW this Monday, November 5.

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Signifyin’ in Song: How the Sounds of Slavery Changed Music Forever

Stephen Raskauskas | June 24, 2015

Music and dance provided an outlet for enslaved people to express their sorrow, though often their cries of pain sounded quite the opposite to slave owners.

9 Living Black Composers You Need To Know

Stephen Raskauskas | June 22, 2015

If you’re not familiar with these 9 composers, we’ve got 2 things to say: 1. You’re missing out on a lot of great music. 2. Now’s your chance to catch up! June is African-American Music Appreciation Month, and while you shouldn’t limit your appreciation of music by African-American composers to the month of June, it’s a nice excuse to explore ...

How One Chord Changed the World: “Tristan” at 150

Stephen Raskauskas | June 10, 2015

If you’re a music lover, you may have heard of the so-called “Tristan chord” from Wagner’s opera Tristan und Isolde. Audiences were stunned to hear this infamous harmony when the opera premiered on June 10, 1865 in Munich, Germany. As Tristan turns 150, let’s take a look at what makes the Tristan chord so unique. The “Vorspiel,” or Prelude, to Tristan begins with with a “dissonant” chord. The terms “consonance” ...

Through the Night with Peter van de Graaff