Did you know that some of our nation’s leaders past and present could hold their own at a conductor’s podium? Regardless of their political party, many presidents from Jefferson to Nixon to Obama might all agree on one thing: music is important in our lives.

Actress and comedian Retta grabbed classical music lovers’ attention when she appeared on Conan O’Brien’s late night talk show, Conan when she revealed that she loves to treat herself to classical music. We spoke with Retta to find out what classical works she wants you to treat yo self to and why.

What makes a piece popular? How does a piece survive its first few performances? What makes something a warhorse, played over and over again, easily marketed from decade to decade? Who decides what’s good, anyway? Here are 17 underrated concertos – ones that don’t get played all that much, but maybe should be more widely known.

Gary Pressy, an organist and lifelong Cubs fan, has been a signature part of games at Wrigley Field for over 30 years.

When organist Lori Moreland grew up rooting for the White Sox, she never thought that one day she would be one of the team’s most valuable players.

Bach’s Minuet in G major from the Notebooks for Anna Magdalena Bach is famous enough today that you may have had it as your cell phone ringtone. One arrangement, recorded by a ’60s girl group called The Toys, was a #1 single in the US and reached #5 on the UK Global charts.

While we all love the classics like the “Autumn” concerto from Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons,” here are some works that are a little less… common to cozy up with this fall.

Mozart’s 22 operas each have their own unique personalities. Are you fun and lovable like The Magic Flute? Are you passionate and dark like Don Giovanni? Find out what Mozart opera YOU are!

Making it as a musician is tricky — just ask these guys. All of these composers found ways to make ends meet, and some of them may surprise you!

Tom, of Wilmette, IL, has had German Shepherds for almost forty years, and most of them have been named after characters from Wagner’s “Ring Cycle.” Hear his opera-loving dog Loge sing along to Siegfried’s horn call.

Few birds have inspired more composers than the cuckoo. Lisa Flynn selects some of her favorite works inspired by the cuckoo, from intimate chamber works to grand symphonies.

Composers have been inspired by all aspects of nature, and the changing of the seasons is no exception. As the weather warms up and the birds begin to chirp, here are some classical works to put a little spring in your step.

Take this quiz and we’ll reveal which composer is your soulmate this Valentine’s Day.

Find out what classical music you should serve as a Thanksgiving side dish

Jerry, Río, and Gratia are three of the most beautiful dancers you’ll ever see. But unlike most dancers, they perform on four legs, not two.

Chopin wrote his Nocturne Op. 9, No. 2 in E-flat major between 1830 and 1832 and the piece was first published in 1833. The Nocturne Op. 9, No. 2 is one of the most popular of Chopin’s 21 nocturnes as evidenced by the number of arrangements made for other instruments. Karol Lipiński made the first arrangement during Chopin’s lifetime for …

Frédéric Chopin’s Étude Op. 10, No. 4 and Prelude Op. 28, No. 16 are notorious for being among the composer’s most challenging works to play. And when pianist Aldric Gozon learned these two pieces, he didn’t stop at getting the notes right – he played both blindfolded. Chopin wrote Étude Op. 10, No. 4 in 1830 as part of his …

When Frédéric Chopin composed his Fantaisie-Impromptu, he probably didn’t expect for the work to serve as the music for a breakdance duet. But at Arabesque 2014, an international ballet competition hosted by the Perm Ballet Opera Theatre, one entry in the “modern choreography” category used Fantaisie-Impromptu for just that purpose. Fantaisie-Impromptu was written in 1834, but it wasn’t published until …

The third movement of Frédéric Chopin’s Sonata No. 2 in B Flat Minor, Op. 35 – better known as his “Marche funèbre,” or funeral march – is one of the most iconic pieces of music ever written about death. Historians believe this somber movement was inspired, at least in part, by the November Uprising, a Polish rebellion against the Russian …

Put your musical knowledge to the test: can you guess the piece of music just by looking at an excerpt of the score?

J.S. Bach is one of the most celebrated figures in the history of music. American composer John Knowles Paine declared that Bach’s music “cannot grow antiquated,” and many modern musicians have arranged his compositions for instruments that had not yet been invented during Bach’s lifetime. Wendy Carlos changed music when she arranged Bach’s works for Moog synthesizers and helped popularize …

Anyone who’s ever studied a keyboard instrument knows it takes years of dedicated practice to play with accuracy. But one robot is programmed to bypass all of that, as shown in a video on Facebook.

If you get “so emotional” every time you hear Whitney Houston sing, this video may make you reach for the tissues. This video will have you wondering just what Whitney Houston couldn’t do as a singer. She steals the show from opera powerhouse Luciano Pavarotti, and renowned musicians Sting and Elton John in this video of the singers sharing a …

Even the biggest Björk fan might not know that she admires Estonian composer Arvo Pärt. However, listening to Pärt’s music, which many describe as “holy minimalism,” and then Björk’s, it’s easy to understand why.

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.