Stories

Jon Batiste leaves Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show

After winning multiple Grammys this year, Jon Batiste is moving on after a seven-year run backing up host Stephen Colbert as bandleader of “The Late Show”.

Andi LamoreauxFebruary 7, 2017

Be the First to Know Lyric Opera of Chicago’s 2017-18 Line-Up of Operas, Concerts, and More

Stephen RaskauskasFebruary 2, 2017

Frederick Douglass Owned a Copy of a Stradivarius, His Grandson Played for Two Presidents

Stephen RaskauskasFebruary 2, 2017

Video: Renée Fleming’s Best Advice for Young Singers To Succeed in Opera Today

Alicia Alonso, the grande dame of Cuban ballet, has died

Associated PressOctober 17, 2019

Alicia Alonso, the revered ballerina and choreographer whose nearly 75-year career made her an icon of artistic loyalty to Cuba’s socialist system, died Thursday at age 98.

2020 Is the Year of Chicago Music, Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events Announces

Michael San GabinoOctober 17, 2019

DCASE Commissioner Mark Kelly stated that the year will highlight Chicago’s “big bold sounds” and show the world the city's “proudly undefined” music scene.

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How Angélique Kidjo Went from Hating Classical Music to Collaborating With Philip Glass

Stephen RaskauskasJanuary 30, 2017

Kidjo's curiosity about classical music was sparked in an unlikely way. Her father started playing Beethoven on the banjo.

At the 59th Annual Grammy Awards this February, Chicago Boasts Over 80 Nominees in 35 Categories

Mary MazurekJanuary 27, 2017

David Skidmore of Third Coast Percussion exclaimed, "It feels great to be nominated. We love this city, and we love the musical life of this city..."

Watch WFMT’s First Classical Cabaret

Stephen RaskauskasJanuary 26, 2017

In 2016, WFMT launched its Classical Cabaret, a brand new, live radio variety show. The first ever Classical Cabaret was hosted at the Uptown Underground, a burlesque longue in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood. Composer, musician, and WFMT announcer Robbie Ellis hosted a fun evening from the piano. He shared some of his own original compositions, including a very hilarious, very Chicago ...

Mornings with Jan Weller