The recorder may call to mind tortured performances of “Hot Cross Buns” or “Jingle Bells” from your elementary school days, but these pieces make use of the instrument’s virtuosic potential.

Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker isn’t just a popular holiday ballet. The composer grouped eight pieces in his Nutcracker Suite, which is often performed in concert. But, which movement of the “Nutcracker Suite” are you? Are you the “Spanish Dance?” “The Waltz of the Flowers?” Take the quiz and find out!

“Mozart led a hectic life — he was basically an overcommitted freelancer,” says Josh Davidoff, program coordinator at 92nd Street Y in New York.

Halloween is almost here, which means that it might time to start thinking about a costume. If you’ve been putting off that task, here are some easy, clever classical music-themed costume ideas to get you in the spooky spirit!

Need some classical inspiration for your pumpkin carving this Halloween? Look no further, WFMT has found some of the most creative and spooky carvings across the internet!

When beloved satirist and musician “Weird Al” Yankovic visited Ravinia, WFMT spoke with him about his tour… and then challenged him to a classical music speed round!

Frédéric Chopin is one of the most beloved composers of all time. Here are 10 jazz versions of Chopin that will have you listening to old favorites with new ears.

Since there is a type of musical composition named for studying — études, for you non French-speakers — we have the perfect musical accompaniment while you hit the books.

Just because the school year is right around the corner doesn’t mean that you have to stop playing (or writing) music. As proof, here are 16 pieces from composers written when they were still students!

Regardless of his relationship to Mozart, Salieri was a successful composer in his own right, and we should not forget his music – particularly his operas!

We know that music makes our lives better, but sometimes, it can make funny things even funnier! Take Charles Cornell, for instance, who is turning viral tweets and videos into songs.

Welcome to the wonderful world of medieval manuscripts! You’ll find that medieval manuscripts are not nearly as inaccessible as you might think. They are true multimedia events: for the sports lover, there are depictions of cats playing tennis. Music aficionados will find illustrations of rabbits and foxes playing viols and flutes. From the sacred to the profane, they prove without a doubt that the Dark Ages were anything but.

We’d like to share some information worth celebrating — literally! Here are 23 holidays and celebrations to make sure you have classical music on your calendar!

While kitties are favored in contemporary popular culture (memes, viral videos, #Instagram), they have also long dominated the hearts of humans throughout history and are reflected through past art and music.

Is your hearing pitch-perfect? Play each of the videos below and see if you can identify the correct pitch.

We can’t guarantee that you’ll love (or even like) each and every rendition, but we promise that you will be amazed by the beauty and the broad appeal of Schubert’s “Ave Maria.”

The Handel & Haydn Society had just finished its rendition of Mozart’s “Masonic Funeral” at Boston’s Symphony Hall on Sunday when a youngster blurted out loudly: “WOW!”

The Philadelphia Orchestra’s music director has gone to the dogs. And the cats.

Lang Lang’s latest solo record Piano Book is out now. Have you ever dreamed of taking the stage with one of the world’s leading piano players? Even if Carnegie Hall is a bit out of your reach, you still have the opportunity to play — and learn — with Lang Lang. In conjunction with the recent release of hist newest …

You made it; the frigid, blustery days of winter have finally passed, and spring is here! Here is some music that captures the season’s irrepressible spirit.

If given the task to assemble a collection of music that reflects humanity, what would you choose?

Today’s Google Doodle pays homage to Johann Sebastian Bach, who was born on March 21, 1685. To celebrate the illustrious Baroque composer, Google gives you the opportunity to do your best Bach impression. The interactive doodle invites you to build the soprano line of your own composition, and then the program creates complementary harmonies to emulate Bach’s music. Google says …

We never thought we’d be writing this, but a new comedy sketch and song from Merle Hazard has atonal music at its center. The song, called “(Gimme Some of That) Ol’ Atonal Music,” riffs on staples of the country and bluegrass traditions, but with lyrics like “his music always made you think; it never made you smile,” some very discordant banjo soloing, and an interlude inspired by John Cage.

Think you know classical composers? Can you guess them by their facial hair?

Some composers ate to live, others lived to eat. Can you match the composer to his favorite food?