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.

Andrew Lloyd Webber has launched a virtual competition that could lead to one fan singing on Broadway or the West End when musicals resume playing.

NEW YORK (AP) — The coronavirus silenced Broadway. It could not silence two of its rising stars: Samantha Pauly and Brittney Mack, who play two wives of Henry VIII in the musical “Six.”

Marching bands are art in motion. But you have to see the intricate formations – moving images, clever phrases, and more – to truly believe their artistic capabilities.

A North American premiere, a Midwest premiere, and a special opening night concert with Renée Fleming are among the highlights. The 2020-2021 season will also be Sir Andrew’s last as music director.

The 2010s were a tumultuous decade, replete with astounding artistic highlights, superlative new voices, and watershed moments of reckoning. WFMT hosts and staff reflect on what the past decade brought for classical music, and what the new decade may have in store.

The Band’s Visit begins with a mistake. An Egyptian police orchestra is on tour in Israel accidentally books tickets to the tiny, fictional desert town of Bet Hatikva. While “it could be about two sides that don’t get along,” says Chilina Kennedy, who portrays the enigmatic café owner in Bet Hatikva, “the show is not about conflict. It’s about human connection.”

When you think of the trombone, what comes to mind? A particular classical work, or more likely, “Seventy-Six Trombones” leading a big parade? Although The Music Man brings the instrument into the spotlight in Meredith Willson’s hallmark song, the musical leaves a lot of room to explore the wide world of trombone repertoire.

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.

Previn was a child prodigy whose family fled Nazi Germany. As a teenager, he found work as a composer and arranger in Hollywood, mostly at MGM, winning four Oscars for his orchestrations of such stylish musicals as 1964’s “My Fair Lady.”

Lyric’s 2019-2020 season will include seven mainstage operas (three of which are company premieres), three full performances of Lyric’s new Ring cycle, and the Broadway at Lyric premiere of 42nd Street.

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.

CHICAGO (AP) — A Gettysburg Address rap by Broadway in Chicago’s Hamilton star Miguel Cervantes, Illinois-bred rockers REO Speedwagon and a cast of Prairie State celebrities will highlight the state’s 200th birthday party Dec. 3. The bicentennial extravaganza ‘s lineup was announced Thursday. The theme of the party at Chicago’s United Center is “Born, Built and Grown in Illinois.” A tribute …

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

The national arts center also announced Wednesday a special award for the genre-bending musical Hamilton, as part of the gala set for December 2.

Did you know Broadway’s Mykal Kilgore is a classically trained opera singer? He spoke about opera, activism, and singing for Maxine Waters backstage at Lyric Opera of Chicago.

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

If you’re not in the holiday spirit yet, you will be after hearing the newest generation of von Trapps perform “Edelweiss” from “The Sound of Music.”

Judy Garland introduced “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” in The Wizard of Oz, and she sang it for the rest of her life. Operatic soprano Renata Scotto used it as her signature encore at solo recitals. And more recently, and very memorably, Ariana Grande sang it to end One Love Manchester, her benefit for the victims of terrorism in the British …

As a composer, conductor, and educator, Leonard Bernstein’s contributions left a tremendous impact on American classical and popular music. Ravinia celebrates his centenary.

A new production of Gluck’s Orphée et Eurydice, in partnership with the Joffrey Ballet, and the second installment of Wagner’s Ring, will highlight the 2017-2018 season at Lyric Opera of Chicago.

All Grant Park Music Festival concerts are free. WFMT will have several live broadcasts from the festival, including opening night and the Beethoven Ninth concerts. See a full listing of performances.

Lyric Opera of Chicago’s American Musical Initiative has brought four productions to the Civic Opera House. Today, Lyric announced casting for its fifth musical in the series, “My Fair Lady.”

If you’ve read the original novella or seen adaptations onstage or onscreen, you may have wondered which Christmas carols characters in A Christmas Carol would have actually heard.

As WFMT’s Music Director, Andi Lamoreaux got to share some of her favorite music with audiences around the world. Here are some of her favorite pieces and performers, along with suggested recordings.