Der Wein and Mahler’s Third Symphony

Pierre Boulez conducts two historic performances taken from the orchestra’s archives, with one featuring the great Jessye Norman.

Musical Events for Black History Month

Honor Black artistry with an entire month of exciting musical events — operas, chamber concerts, jazz orchestras, broadcasts, and more!

Let Freedom Ring: A Musical Celebration of Juneteenth with Lara Downes

A special program featuring the music of Black composers from Florence Price to Bob Marley, and performers like Jessye Norman and the Kanneh-Mason.

When Opera Singers Sing Christmas

Favorite interpretations of carols — sometimes camp, sometimes sublime.

Playlist: 11 Black Performers Instrumental to Classical Music

Here are just a few Black performers who changed the course of classical music… and continue to inspire us today!

2021 Grammys: Classical Music Nominees and Winners

It’s been a strange, difficult year for the music world, which is all the more reason to celebrate musical excellence.

Playlist: Black and Latino Voices On Stage

To coincide with exciting new additions to the WTTW slate, WFMT has compiled a playlist celebrating the pinnacles of Black and Latino artistry in vocal music.

In Their Own Words: Inspiring and evocative quotes from classical artists who died in 2019 

2019 was a year of great loss in the worlds of classical music and the arts. WFMT commemorates and celebrates the lives of these artists as they speak directly to us.

Dalton Baldwin, Pianist Who Shared Stage With Gérard Souzay for 30 Years, Has Died

Baldwin’s association with singers Elly Ameling, Jessye Norman, José van Dam, Teresa Berganza, Mady Mesplé, and above all, Gérard Souzay, defines the history of German art song performance in the second half of the twentieth century.

The Diva Gets Her Way: Larry Johnson Recalls a Signature Jessye Norman Recital

On a sweltering summer evening in the early 1990s, Jessye Norman visited the Chicago area for an intimate recital at Ravinia. Host Larry Johnson recalls the singular concert experience.

Met Opera to hold celebration of Jessye Norman on Nov. 24

Latonia Moore, Eric Owens, Lise Davidsen, J’Nai Bridges, and Leah Hawkins are scheduled to perform, the company said Wednesday, along with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

Late opera star Jessye Norman’s US hometown honors her life

City officials of Augusta, Georgia, plan to name the street outside the arts school Norman opened in 2003 after the beloved soprano.

From 2014: Jessye Norman Visits WFMT

WFMT is deeply saddened to learn that soprano Jessye Norman has died at age 74. As a tribute to her inspiring life and career, we are re-sharing this story from when Ms. Norman herself visited WFMT.

Jessye Norman, the international opera star, dead at 74

The renowned international opera star, whose passionate soprano voice won her four Grammy Awards and the National Medal of Arts, has died.

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!

‘No path is easy’: Black opera singers detail struggles

More than 60 years after Marian Anderson broke the color barrier at the Met, Black singers still face unique obstacles within the opera industry. “We’ve made some strides, but not a whole lot,” said Professor Naomi Andre.

Tenor Lawrence Brownlee on the Artists Who Have Inspired Him the Most and Why Black Composers Matter

Learn how Lawrence Brownlee, hailed as one of the world’s leading tenors, is developing new works that respond to issues facing men of color today.

Does Classical Music Have a Clapping Problem?

As classical organizations seek to bring more newcomers to the concert hall, have traditions of audience silence worn out their welcome?

‘I’m a white composer, living in white privilege, setting the poetry of Langston Hughes’

When Karpman encountered Langston Hughes’ poem, she was instantly fascinated.

Signifyin’ in Song: How the Sounds of Slavery Changed Music Forever

Music and dance provided an outlet for enslaved people to express their sorrow, though often their cries of pain sounded quite the opposite to slave owners.