Haymarket’s 2022 Return to Live Performance: Bologne, Monteverdi, Cabell

Haymarket Opera Company has announced its 2022 lineup; the March-September season will feature three works.

Grant Park Music Festival Announces Full 2022 Season

The season begins on June 15 with artistic director and principal conductor Carlos Kalmar leading music of Mozart, Wagner, and Price.

WFMT’s Classical Conversations With Pianist Norman Malone and the Creators of the ‘For the Left Hand’ Doc

At the tender age of 79, Norman Malone made his orchestral debut. We welcomed him to our Classical Conversation series to hear his incredible story.

Blues & Roots Artist Anne Harris on Alchemy, Music, and Improv

“I made a very concerted deal with myself that I wanted to take the instrument the route of improvisation in the idioms of American roots music, folk music, Americana, blues.”

Playlist: 7 Native American Musicians You Should Know

Meet seven Indigenous American musicians spanning genres (hip hop, punk, rock) and states (Illinois, California, Arizona).

Chicago Classical Music Makes A Strong Showing at 2021 Grammy Nominations

It’s another great year for the city’s classical music community with Chicago-born and based artists, producers, and engineers receiving recognition.

Saxophonist Julian Velasco Wins Cedille Records Emerging Artist Competition

This past weekend, WFMT teamed up with Cedille Records to stream the finals of the venerable Chicago label’s first-ever Emerging Artist Competition. Now, a winner has been named…

WFMT Joins Forces with Cedille to Share Stream of Emerging Artist Competition

The first such event in Cedille’s history, the competition is being held in honor of the label’s 30th anniversary. The first place artist will get to create a record that will be produced and released by Cedille.

Verismo Meets Lyrical Flow: Chicago Composer Creates Opera from Classic Nas Track

It was a rap song by Nas that directly influenced Chicago composer Steve Wallace’s newest chamber opera, Undying Love.

Chilling Concerts: 4 Performance Hall Hauntings In and Around Chicago

As Halloween creeps closer and closer… so do the ghosts. Let’s take a look at some haunted music venues that you can visit in and around Chicago.

Honoring Your Ancestors: 6 Chicago Celebrations for Día de los Muertos

Celebrated from October 31 to November 2, the holiday honors loved ones who have died and is an intergenerational coming together of families. Find some of the many offerings Chicago has to offer to celebrate these days of remembrance.

Stream 10 Hilarious Studs Conversations With Top Comedians & Humorists

Never were Studs Terkel’s legendary gregariousness, curiosity, and generosity more evident on-air than when a comedian, comic actor, or humorist stopped by the studio.

From 2013: Legendary Chicagoan Timuel Black Reflects on Studs Terkel

Timuel Black, who died on October 13, 2021 at age 102, lived a truly extraordinary life. Hear an excerpt of a 2013 WFMT interview with the influential historian, activist, veteran, and teacher.

Enrique Mazzola on Returning to the Stage, Taking the Reins at Lyric

Mazzola speaks with WFMT general manager George Preston about returning to live performance, Giuseppe Verdi’s Macbeth, Gaetano Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love, and what he loves most about being a Chicagoan.

Audiences to Return, Venue to Move for Weekly Hess Concerts

After a nearly-18-month absence, the concert series will welcome in-person audiences at a new venue: the Seventeenth Church of Christ, Scientist, Chicago.

Mayor Lightfoot Designates ‘Riccardo Muti Day’ To Honor Maestro’s 80th Birthday

July 28, 2021, the 80th birthday of the CSO music director, is Riccardo Muti Day in Chicago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot has proclaimed.

First Planned for 2020, Opera Festival of Chicago Finally Opens Inaugural Season

The new company launches with fully staged works by Puccini and Wolf-Ferrari, plus a concert inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy.

Hop In! Ear Taxi Festival Announces Fall 2021 Return

When it comes to getting around a bustling city like Chicago to see the sights, jumping in a cab is a great place to start. But hearing the city? Turns out, a taxi can take you on a listening journey, too.

Prokofiev, Hahn, Lang Lang Headline CSO’s 2021-22 Return To Stage

The CSO announces an array of concerts from September to January.

From WTTW: 2021 Chicago Summer Festival Guide

As Chicago continues its emergence from the COVID-19 pandemic, residents can look forward to a relatively normal summer.

Backstage at the Grant Park Music Festival, WFMT Catches Up With Christopher Bell

Ahead of the season premiere of the 2021 Grant Park Music Festival, WFMT met up with chorus director Christopher Bell, who reflects on returning to live music, previews the opening Independence Day Salute, and talks about a summer of great music to come.

Terell Johnson on Extending the ‘Great Path’ of the Chicago Phil

Johnson, the incoming director of the Chicago Phil, reflects that he “can’t stress enough how important it is to champion those voices that haven’t been heard.”

Carlos Kalmar Extends With Grant Park Through 2024, Will Step Down After

A fixture of the Grant Park Music Festival since 1998, Carlos Kalmar has extended his contract as the festival’s principal conductor and artistic director through 2024.

6 Chicago Concerts and Celebrations for Juneteenth 2021

Many have their Juneteenth parades and celebrations all ready to go, but if you’re on the hunt for some plans, consider attending one of these six unique events.

After 18+ Months, Muti Will Return To Chicago To Kick Off 2021-22 CSO Season

Riccardo Muti will return to Chicago this September to launch the 2021-22 CSO season, his first stint conducting the CSO in Symphony Center since February 2020.