How Classically Trained Navajo Pianist & Composer Connor Chee Weaves His Sound

“The more I studied music, the more I saw the similarities between weaving and what I do.”

From 2015: Ramsey Lewis On His Long Overdue CSO Debut

WFMT spoke to the Chicago-born Lewis in 2015, when, at the age of 80, his music received its first CSO performance.

Lars Vogt, Pianist & Conductor, Dead at 51

German pianist and conductor Lars Vogt has died. The musician was diagnosed with cancer in February 2021 after tumors were found on his throat and liver, and succumbed to his illness on September 5, 2022.

Video: Young Artist Elliot Wuu Plays Essential Early Beethoven and Schumann Works

Pianist Elliot Wuu, who is in his early 20s, visited Chicago to perform works by Ludwig van Beethoven and Robert Schumann that were both written when the composers were in their 20s.

Pianist Radu Lupu has Died, Aged 76

Lupu was renowned for his thoughtful interpretations of “19th-century German and Austrian piano works, especially those of Schubert, Schumann, and Brahms,” notes WFMT’s Candice Agree.

Video: Warm Up With This Concert of French Music by Geneva Lewis & Sahun Sam Hong

How about some musical bonbons for a cold winter day? With several inches of snow outside, violinist Geneva Lewis and pianist Sahun Sam Hong teamed up for a bright performance of French music confections.

Chopin’s last piano gets its 19th-century features back

The last piano on which Frederic Chopin played and composed is being renovated by a U.S. expert who is giving it back its original mid-19th century characteristics.

Canadian Wins 18th Chopin International Piano Competition

Pianist Bruce Xiaoyu Liu of Canada joins a pantheon of winners including Martha Argerich, Krystian Zimerman, and Seong-Jin Cho.

Artist Icebreaker: Pianist Lara Downes

Ahead of her appearance at Ravinia this week, we sat down to talk with Lara Downes about her efforts to broaden the classical canon, her first introduction to Black composers like Florence Price and Margaret Bonds, and why she loves to work with Rachel Barton Pine.

Jazz great Chick Corea with 23 Grammy Awards dies at 79

Corea, who won a staggering 23 Grammy Awards, pushed the boundaries of the genre and worked alongside Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock.

Killer Chops: Some Scary Celluloid Pianists for Halloween

As Halloween approaches, let’s look at a few horror films in which pianists, or at least the hands they are attached to, are the stars.

Pianist Jorge Federico Osorio: Selections from ‘The French Album’ at Home

Pianist Jorge Federico Osorio sits down with WFMT General Manager George Preston to discuss WFMT, what it is like to be an artist right now, and Jorge’s new recording, The French Album.

Playlist: 88 Piano Pieces for Piano Month

September is National Piano Month, so WFMT is sharing a supersized playlist – with one selection corresponding to each key on the keyboard.

Remembering Leon Fleisher

The renowned American pianist Leon Fleisher died on Sunday in Baltimore. He was 92. In a career spanning eight decades, he left an incredible legacy as a performer, teacher, and conductor.

Pianist Lara Downes Joins WFMT for a Moving and Timely Virtual Concert and Conversation

In troubled times, music is a source of hope and healing. In a virtual interview and concert with WFMT’s George Preston, pianist Lara Downes performs selections from her new album, Some of These Days.

WATCH: Pianist Aaron Diehl Plays Scott Joplin, Fats Waller, and Gershwin in Live Video Concert

WFMT is thrilled to bring you this upbeat, swinging concert livestream from pianist and composer Aaron Diehl featuring propulsive Harlem stride hits by James P. Johnson, Thomas “Fats” Waller, and Willie “the Lion” Smith, plus selections by Scott Joplin, Gershwin, and Massenet.

This Friday: A Swinging Stride Piano Livestream with Aaron Diehl

Pianist and composer Aaron Diehl shares virtuosic music by “Fats” Waller, Willie “the Lion” Smith, plus selections by Gershwin, Grieg, and Scott Joplin in a free upcoming livestream co-presented by WFMT.

Take In the Gleaming Tones of Multi-Instrumentalist & Composer Ólafur Arnalds

This prismatic NPR Tiny Desk Concert will challenge your view of what making music means in the digital age.

Son: Jazz great Ellis Marsalis Jr. dead at 85; fought virus

Marsalis was born in New Orleans, son of the operator of a hotel where he met touring Black musicians who couldn’t stay at the segregated downtown hotels where they performed.

Happy World Piano Day!

Today is World Piano Day! That’s because it is the 88th day of the year, a neat tie-in with the number of keys on a standard keyboard (on non-Leap Years, the holiday customarily takes place on March 29.) In celebration of the versatile, ubiquitous instrument, we’re sharing some of the finest piano performances and articles on the internet!

Quarantine Made Musical: YouTube Master Class Roundup

Looking for a productive, diverting way to spend your downtime? Why not hone your musical skills and learn from some of the greatest musicians in the world?

Video: Pianist Evan Wong shares an all-Chopin Recital

On a foggy mid-March day, pianist Evan Wong took the Preston Bradley Hall stage at the Chicago Cultural Center to share a program of Chopin favorites.

Playlist: Your Guide to Chopin’s Études

Explore Chopin’s études – some of the most beloved works in the piano repertoire – by listening to some of our favorites and learning more about them.

Video: Pianist Taek Gi Lee Shares a Dynamic Recital of Beethoven and Liszt

Pianist Taek Gi Lee, who hails from Seoul and studies at the Curtis Institute of Music, shared a sensitive performance of works by Beethoven and Liszt.

Video: Pianist Mayta Lerttamrab Plays Rachmaninoff and Moszkowski

Pianist-architect Mayta Liu Lerttamrab has taken a unique path in his musical endeavors. Studying and beginning his career as an architect, Lerttamrab decided to pursue music in his mid-20s.

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