Samuel Adams and Elizabeth Ogonek shared 20 modern and contemporary works that have most inspired them in celebration of 20 years of CSO’s MusicNOW series.

If you’re looking to add a classical touch to your nuptials, but would like to avoid the ubiquitous “Canon,” we’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite pieces to match the mood of each moment in the ceremony.

This article was originally published on February 23, 2016.

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.

If you’re looking to set the mood this Valentine’s Day, here are 10 favorite romantic works that are sure to tug are your heart strings.

Osmo Vänskä, the Finnish music director of the Minnesota Orchestra, shared 10 Finnish composers that everyone should know who aren’t Sibelius.

These nine recordings are sure to make your spirits bright this holiday season.

The opera house can be a scary place – and we’re not talking about all those crazy singers and their shenanigans backstage! Many operas contain ghastly ghouls, ghosts, goblins, witches, dragons, and all kinds of crazy creatures. Here are some of the most frightening pieces from the history of opera.

Day of the Dead is about honoring friends and family who have left us. Enjoy these 13 pieces as you celebrate Día de los Muertos and remember your loved ones.

Whether you’re looking for spooky music as you wait for trick-or-treaters, or you need some music to accompany your own “danse macabre,” we have your perfect Halloween soundtrack.

Though Chopin did not compose many works for piano and orchestra — just six! — he kept them in his concert repertoire throughout his career.

Composers have long looked to the sky for inspiration. Here are some of our favorite classical works inspired by the moon and night.

Everyone loves the music of Frédéric Chopin, Poland’s most well-known composer. But, how many other Polish composers do you know?

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.

There are three Latino composers who have often been compared to Mozart. Two of them were called “Mozart” by their contemporaries:  Chevalier de Saint Georges, born in the French-Caribbean island of Guadeloupe in the 18th century and the 19th-century composer Spanish-Basque Juan Crisóstomo Arriaga. The third is the 20th-century Brazilian composer Camargo Guarnieri whose first name was actually Mozart! Learn …

If “Music oft hath such a charm / To make bad good, and good provoke to harm,” perhaps these 10 Shakespeare-inspired operas will charm you.

If you’re looking to expand your own repertoire, why not explore the music of living composers? Check out these 10 composers changing contemporary classical music today who also all happen to be women.

Host Maggie Reberg shares the music that’s captivated her imagination this Hanukkah.

Tonight’s full moon will be the biggest in 68 years since it will be at its closest point in relation to Earth’s orbit – 221,524 miles away. Why is it closer to Earth now? NASA’s website explains: “The moon’s orbit around Earth is slightly elliptical so sometimes it is closer and sometimes it’s farther away. When the moon is full as …

Got baseball on the brain? You’re definitely not alone! Here are some tunes you can enjoy in between innings this baseball season.

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.

If you love the music of Frédéric Chopin and are looking to expand your recording collection, here are a few albums you might want to consider. These 8 recordings feature 8 different pianists performing 8 different genres, giving you an appreciation for the diversity of Chopin’s works and the musicians who perform them.

Need some music to help you warm up this fall? We’ve got the perfect soundtrack.

For every cherished Beethoven or Tchaikovsky violin concerto, there’s a concerto by Szymanowski or a Berwald that deserves some more love!