Highlights include rarely-heard gems, beloved holiday concerts, and the 80th birthday celebration of Nicholas Kraemer.

During Keene’s too-short career, he served as the music director of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, the founder and music director of the Long Island Philharmonic, and the general director of the New York City Opera.

“It’s the right time for Bach Week to bid adieu, and on a high note.”

Jordi Savall and Le Concert des Nations take us on a journey through a variety of sound environments of the eighteenth century.

Conductor and harpsichordist Jonathan Cohen on Handel opera and the sacred music of Bach in advance of his debut with Music of the Baroque.

The Chicago early-music ensemble faced diminishing audience sizes and reduced grant funding possibilities after years of concert disruptions by COVID-19.

Holiday music conducted by Sir Georg Solti and Fritz Reiner.

A performance of one of the season’s musical crown jewels, Handel’s Messiah.

Across three flagship performances, Haymarket continues to plumb the expressive depths of early music repertoire.

Handel recast the story of Judas Maccabeus as a celebratory ode to King George II, with music of unprecedented refinement, gripping suspense, and drama.

Stunning renditions of contemporary works, stirring early music performances, and more.

Wind and water are at the heart of Chicago’s identity; Dame Jane Glover leads a program inspired by our hometown.

Highlighting the influential genius of George Frideric Handel in works for string ensembles, vocalists, and winds.

Dame Jane Glover makes her CSO debut leading Haydn and Mozart.

The Grammy Award-winning tenor shares his approach to the repertoire for which he is in high demand.

“I’ve been with this group now for over 20 years. It is glorious.”

Nicholas McGegan conducts a program inspired by water and Milwaukee’s relationship with it.

Music of the Baroque’s first performance in over three decades of Handel’s final oratorio.

The Cleveland-based baroque orchestra shares its new program, a sequel to their popular Sugarloaf Mountain: An Appalachian Gathering.

An interview with the early (and contemporary) music specialist in advance of WFMT’s broadcast of Handel’s Jephtha from Music of the Baroque.

We all came to love classical music in different ways. Here are some of the musical first loves of our WFMT listeners, in their own words.

Founded in 1984, Concerto Italiano has earned the reputation as one of the finest ensembles to specialize in Baroque music. On this week’s edition of Baroque&Before, we’re treated to a select chamber group from Concerto Italiano, joined by soprano Sonia Tedla and bass Gabriele Lombardi, in works by Handel, three works by Handel’s older contemporary Alessandro Scarlatti plus another, formerly …

The Cleveland-based Baroque orchestra made its Chicago debut in 2016 and has since established a strong presence in the city.

Wanderers, farewells, and sightseeing; people are always on the go. This week, Bill calls up, “A Little Traveling Music, Please” from the pens of Handel, Smetana, Duke Ellington, and more. Reflections from such travels infuse themselves into their works, as we will discover throughout the week. We will hear selections from Beethoven’s Les Adieux, Schubert’s Die Schöne Mullerin, and Haydn’s …

A program of well-known works by Handel and Vivaldi.