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.

Many composers have also answered the call of springtime’s riotous colors during this, the blooming season.

In the hour leading up to the premiere of the Ravinia Festival recording of Bernstein‘s MASS on PBS‘s Great Performances, we invite you to join us for this free panel.

Award-winning composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz, who created hit musicals like Wicked and Godspell, was just 23 years old when he teamed up with Leonard Bernstein. In a video chat interview with WFMT’s George Preston, Schwartz recounts how he came to contribute to MASS, and what he learned from Bernstein.

The classical crossover has not always had the best reputation, but there’s no shortage of ambitious, energizing takes on genre-mixing. Composer and conductor Teddy Abrams, who collaborated with indie-rocker Jim James on a recent album, breaks down the perils and payoffs of the crossover.

Anniversaries make up many of the highlights of the CSO’s annual summer residency.

From its premiere more than 75 years ago, this music and ballet continue to speak to the American soul. Dive into the score of Appalachian Spring with Bill McGlaughlin.

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!

Summer is upon us! Whatever your plans, we have the perfect musical accompaniment: summery classical music selected by WFMT hosts and staff!

Mahler’s “Symphony of a Thousand,” the continued celebration of the music and influence of Leonard Bernstein, and four films accompanied by live orchestra await festivalgoers this summer at Ravinia, which released its 2019 summer schedule this morning.

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.

The shofar, an instrument made from a ram’s horn, is heard in synagogues all over the world during the Jewish High Holidays. It has also been heard outside those confines for ages, as a call to battle, or a way for shepherds to summon their flocks.

Fiesta celebrates the centenary of Leonard Bernstein’s birth with a look at the maestro’s love for Latin American music. 

To celebrate Leonard Bernstein’s 100th birthday, WFMT and the Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus presented a pop-up performance of “Somewhere” from the composer’s beloved musical West Side Story. The event was broadcast live from the Legacy Walk in Chicago’s Boystown neighborhood.

In celebration of the centenary of her father’s birth, Jamie Bernstein shares some of her favorite family photos – including a couple shared exclusively with WFMT.

As the world celebrates the centennial of Leonard Bernstein’s birth, one of his protégés, conductor Marin Alsop has a busy schedule conducting his works around the world.

On Saturday, July 14, 2018, hundreds of Carl Grapentine’s friends, family members, and colleagues gathered at the Ravinia Festival to celebrate his incredible career as the longtime host of WFMT’s Morning Program.

Composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky will be honored with a memorial exhibit as part of the Legacy Walk, Chicago’s outdoor LGBTQ history museum. Located along 3245–3705 Halsted Street in the heart of Boystown, the museum features rainbow pylons with biographical plaques that honor the diverse contributions of LGBTQ people. From any smartphone, visitors can access videos, study guides, and other resources …

Help us send Carl off in style with a special champagne reception!

Highlighting Ravinia 2018 is a celebration of the Leonard Bernstein centennial, being organized by the festival’s first-ever artistic curator, conductor, and former Bernstein student Marin Alsop.

The summer festival’s 2018 season of concerts runs for 10 weeks from June 13 to August 18.

I grew up with Leonard Bernstein. No, I didn’t live anywhere near Lawrence, Massachusetts where he was born August 25, 1918. And he was more than thirty years older than I. But as a child growing up in the 1950s, I was the perfect age to enjoy The Mickey Mouse Club and Leonard Bernstein’s Young People’s Concerts. I was 8 …

When Carl Grapentine, host of WFMT’s Morning Program, first visited Berlin in 1965 as a student he immediately felt at home.

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.

Whether bosom buddies or esteemed colleagues, there’s no doubt that these composers enjoyed genuine friendships that would influence their personal and professional lives.