Stories

Ukrainian opera singer in Japan prays for peace in melody

When Oksana Stepanyuk, an award-winning soprano with the Japan Opera Foundation, performs “Melody,” composed by Myroslav Skoryk, a Ukrainian, her voice turns into a wail of mourning.

Stephen RaskauskasJuly 21, 2015

WFMT’s Favorite Beach Reads

Stephen RaskauskasJuly 13, 2015

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

Stephen RaskauskasJuly 10, 2015

“Gopher Tuna” — What ‘Carmina Burana’ Really Sounds Like

5 Conversations: Studs Terkel and LGBTQ+ Voices

Matthew ByrdJune 25, 2019

"Among the eminent broadcast journalists of his generation, Studs Terkel may well stand alone in his consistent compassion for lesbian and gay people and curiosity about their lives." Here are just a few testaments to that compassion.

Cellist Yo-Yo Ma Performs Bach’s Cello Suites in Free Concert for Chicago

Michael San GabinoJune 25, 2019

Yo-Yo Ma shared that Bach's cellos suites have served as "a sanctuary for [him in] good times and less good times."

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9 Living Black Composers You Need To Know

Stephen RaskauskasJune 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 RaskauskasJune 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” ...

What If Nina Simone Had Been a Classical Pianist?

Stephen RaskauskasJune 9, 2015

Before Nina Simone became one of America’s most iconic jazz musicians, she wanted to have a career as a classical pianist.

Dame Myra Hess Concerts