Works by Florence Price and other women composers, including unpublished songs by Margaret Bonds.

The dynamic ensemble performs works by Haydn, Bach, and Shostakovich as well as their crowd-pleasing arrangements of folk music.

Programming highlighting electric composers, masterful performers, and the classical stars of tomorrow.

Ravinia Steans Music Institute alumni Ariel Quartet, violinist Ayano Ninomiya, cellist Karen Ouzounian, and pianist Henry Kramer pay tribute to the retiring director of the RSMI program for piano & strings.

In this new program, haunting ballads and legends give way to driving reels.

The faculty of Ravinia Festival’s Steans Music Institute — including violinist and program director Miriam Fried, pianist Alessio Bax, and violist Kim Kashkashian — perform works by Haydn, Brahms, and Busoni.

The duo performs their program “Broken Branches” with music ranging from Dowland, Monteverdi, Britten, Rodrigo, Takemitsu, Harvey, and Chakerto traditional songs from the Middle East, scrutinizing the close cultural and musical ties between East and West. Recorded on June 21 in Bennett Gordon Hall.

Two alumni of the Ravinia Steans Music Institute — Arnaud Sussmann, violin, and Michael Stephen Brown, piano — join forces for a wide-ranging program of music from the 18th century to today.

Marin Alsop reflects that “courage is important in leadership, but accountability is, too.”

Artists from the Ravinia Steans Music Institute — Ravinia’s training ensemble — join the program’s director, violinist Miriam Fried, to play a medley of quartets.

Chicago abounds with exciting activities, concerts, exhibitions, and more. Here are some ideas to make sure your summer is filled with art and music!

The American soprano performs her signature role in The Magic Flute next month at Ravinia Festival.

Opening night of CSO’s annual summer residency at Ravinia features Marin Alsop leading the chorus and orchestra in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.

Midori will succeed Miriam Fried, who’s led the program for the past 30 years.

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s 2023 Ravinia residency features conductor Marin Alsop and a lineup of other leading conductors.

When beloved satirist and musician “Weird Al” Yankovic visited Ravinia, WFMT spoke with him about his tour… and then challenged him to a classical music speed round!

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

“Every time I play a piece of music, I train my mind to look at a score fresh.”

The new season will kick off with a live concert performance and screening of Ghostbusters.

In addition to the annual CSO residency, Ravinia will play host to a spate of guest ensembles, including Music of the Baroque, The Knights, the Lincoln Trio, Chanticleer, the Chicago Philharmonic, and the Chicago Sinfonietta.

Though there is a long way still to go, today’s stages are richer because these pioneering conductors are on them.

In her role as chief conductor, Alsop curates and conducts a three-week stretch of programs with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Embedded within that residency will be the Breaking Barriers Festival.

We’re still soaring from our big day last week, when we welcomed some of Chicago’s leading artists to take part in a daylong celebration of WFMT and the music we’ve been presenting for the last 70 years!

How better to mark 70 years of WFMT than with a party!?

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.