After six years as music director, van Zweden’s will be the shortest tenure of anyone in a half-century.

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

Featured in the eleven new programs is a wide array of music conducted by Muti, including selections by Bruckner, Berlioz, and Verdi. Additional programs are dedicated to performances conducted by Fritz Reiner, Pierre Boulez, and Bernard Haitink.

Andrew Patner, WFMT’s late critic-at-large and music critic at the Chicago Sun-Times, passed away in 2015, but his characteristic wit and wisdom live on in his book, A Portrait in Four Movements: The Chicago Symphony under Barenboim, Boulez, Haitink, and Muti.

Katia and Marielle sat down to share their passion for rarely-performed gems, their love of new music, and how living composers have helped them find the freedom that fuels their artistry.

Concert halls today are so architecturally innovative that the buildings themselves draw visitors. The venues on this list are so spectacular, they’ll be sure to have you checking to see just how many more vacation days you have left.

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra recently announced the 2017-18 lineup for its acclaimed series MusicNOW, celebrating 20 years of bringing contemporary music to Chicago.

Sauer began her long tenure with the CSO in 1959 when Music Director Fritz Reiner invited her to perform with the orchestra. During the 1967-68 season, Music Director Jean Martinon officially added her to the roster. She was named principal piano at the start of the 2000-01 season.

This idea of hearing something new in live music underscores Nagano’s overall outlook of the concert experience.