Bizet’s Carmen

The Met begins the New Year with a vital new production of one of opera’s most enduringly powerful works.

Playlist: Classical Music You Probably Know (But Can’t Name): Vol. 2

Whether it’s cartoons, famous commercials, or cross-genre collaborations, you may be surprised to learn that you recognize this batch of music.

de Ridder & Barnatan

André de Ridder leads the CSO in music from Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, along with Rhapsody in Blue and Ravel’s Piano Concerto with Inon Barnatan.

Superstar Baritone Nathan Gunn on American Opera, Stage Presence, and Versatility

“My job as a singer, if I’m doing my job correctly, is no different than what a curator does with a beautiful work of art.”

Playlist: Classical Music To Dance To

This ain’t your average classical music dance playlist: dance along to new pieces, old grooves, treasured tangos, and winsome waltzes.

Video: Violinist Maya Buchanan Plays Beethoven & Music Inspired by ‘Carmen’

Ascendant violinist Maya Buchanan joined WFMT and pianist Milana Pavchinskaya to share the “Spring” Violin Sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven and the Carmen Fantasie Brillante by Jenő Hubay.

Lyric’s ’22-23 Season: Verdi, ‘Fiddler,’ Fleming, & ‘Carmen’

Plus a world premiere, Chicago-set take on ‘The Barber of Seville’ and the return of ‘West Side Story’

Jamie Barton: Opera Must “embrace the move towards feminine power”

WFMT talks with the outspoken mezzo-soprano about what it means to take on the role of Carmen, why she’s excited to open the COT season, and how modern-day audiences and artists can best confront the more outdated aspects of Carmen and other beloved operas.

Chicago Opera Theater Announces Live, In-Person 2021-22 Season

From Carmen to Claus, learn what is in store for the next season of Chicago Opera Theater.

Announcing the Grant Park Music Festival 2021 Broadcasts

With the Grant Park Music Festival’s long-awaited return to live programming in sight, WFMT is thrilled to resume the annual series of live radio broadcasts from the Pritzker Pavilion.

Playlist: Electrifying Classical Music Fireworks

With many of the major annual fireworks displays on hold this year because of COVID-19, WFMT is bringing you the fire with a curated playlist of pyrotechnic music.

Renowned Italian soprano Mirella Freni dies at age 84

The famed soprano, who enthralled audiences for half a century, at her home in Modena, Italy from a degenerative muscular disease and a series of strokes.

Marcello Giordani, tenor of beauty and heft, dies at 56

Giordani had a heart attack at his home in Sicily.

CSO Contract Ratified, Strike Ends After 7 Weeks

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra strike has ended and a new, five-year contract through September 2023 has been ratified, the CSO musicians and management have confirmed.

Grant Park Music Festival Announces 2019 Season

The eighty-fifth annual season opens June 12 and will run through August 17, with most performances taking place at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park.

Video: Mezzo-Soprano J’Nai Bridges Performs Live in the WFMT Studios

Mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges is known for her interpretations of classic and contemporary works, and she shared both with us live in the WFMT studios – including a world premiere!

Lyric Opera of Chicago Announces 2016-17 Season

Lyric Opera of Chicago announced its 2016-17 season, scheduled to include eight opera productions on its main stage, one opera production at the Harris Theater, and one musical.