American Music Project Boosts Repertory Rarities in 10th Chicago Season

This AMP season’s lineup showcases neglected repertoire in chamber, solo piano, and orchestral settings.

Playlist: Classical Music for Reading

Whether you’re poring over a biography, traversing a novel, or perhaps writing something yourself, WFMT’s reading playlist is made to help you relax, focus, and get lost in literature.

Playlist: Classical Music for Beach Days

Need some music for a day at the beach? These classical plays are the perfect soundtrack as you’re catching rays.

Playlist: Loud Classical Music

Whether you are looking to rev up for the race or drown out the din, this playlist of cacophonous classical music is for you.

CSO 2023-24 Season Announced: Myriad Guest Conductors as Muti Era Closes

The season will be the first following the departure of Riccardo Muti as music director. But the maestro will be close at hand as he continues his association with the CSO.

Playlist: Classical Fire and Flames

The Great Chicago Fire began on October 8, 1871. Here’s some music that takes inspiration from flames.

These Quotes From Classical Composers Will Make You Fall in Love With Music All Over Again!

Not only are these composers’ musical works an inspiration, but their words are, too! Here are some of the most beautiful insights you’ll read all day.

Musical Tails: 6 Composers Who Wrote Music for Pets

Meet the incredible pets who inspired some of our favorite music!

Playlist: Classical Music for Travel

WFMT brings you a “musical getaway,” whether you’re enjoying the comfort of your cushiest armchair or exploring somewhere new!

Jennifer Higdon Tackles New Instruments, Breaks Boundaries

“I thought that this was a piece that needed good tunes. And also, because it’s a concerto, you have to have some fast music in there. There are parts where I’m like, ‘Okay, let’s let it rip.'”

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.

Chicago Phil ‘Rejoices’ in Return for 2021-22 Season

The ensemble’s return to live performance features four programs which all will be conducted by artistic director and principal conductor Scott Speck.

Playlist: 88 Piano Pieces for Piano Month

September is National Piano Month, so WFMT is sharing a supersized playlist – with one selection corresponding to each key on the keyboard.

Playlist: Celebrating the New American Canon

We all love Sousa, Gershwin, and Copland. But what about the vanguard voices redefining what American classical music sounds like?

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.

Higdon opera for Philadelphia to have 3 different endings

The opera is a fictionalized account inspired by the theft of seven artworks from a museum in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

2020 Grammys: Classical Music Nominees and Winners

“Music’s biggest night” is right around the corner, and the classical music community has a lot to look forward to at the 2020 Grammys.

Playlist: Classical Music for an Abundant Autumn, Selected by WFMT

In the gap between a languid summer and a long winter, there’s just enough room left for fall. It’s a season for transformation, comfort, reflection, and growth. In other words, it’s the perfect time to grab some cider, take in that brilliant fall foliage, and enjoy this playlist created for you by WFMT staff and hosts!

Where Are the Women Composers? How Classical Music is Faring in the Fight for Gender Equality

Over the span of just 9 months, Philadelphia Orchestra went from being one of the least representative orchestras of women composers to being the most.

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Announces ’19-20 Season

It will mark Muti’s tenth-anniversary season as music director as well as the 250th birthday of Beethoven. Muti conducts all of Beethoven’s symphonies over the course of the season, culminating in the triumphant Symphony No. 9 in June 2020.

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.

Meet Missy Mazzoli, the CSO’s New Composer-in-Residence

Missy Mazzoli is a composer who is inspired by “weird stories,” and that’s a good thing. Her fascination with “humans who support, undermine, and love each other” has paved the way for opportunities in nearly every realm of the music industry. She is one of two women composers commissioned to write an opera for the Metropolitan Opera in New York …

Of All US Orchestras, Chicago Sinfonietta Has Programmed the Highest Percentage of Works by Women

The Chicago Sinfonietta has been devoted to diversity and inclusion since it was founded by pioneering African-American conductor Paul Freeman, and that legacy continues to this day.

Riccardo Muti and Chicago Symphony dedicate Florida concert to victims of school shooting

“The musicians of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and I extend our condolences to the families of the victims of today’s tragedy.”

Playlist: The Best Classical Music to Serve at Your Next Cookout

As you fire up the grill, we have the perfect soundtrack for you: some of our favorite American works, from classics like Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue to modern masterpieces like John Adams’ City Noir.