Playlist: Beethoven For Bad Days

Feeling down? Beethoven gets it.

Playlist: Crazy Concertos

From concert hall classics to obscure showpieces.

Scoring Plays: Iconic NFL Anthems

Music plays an unheralded — but vital — role in the ritual of football. The iconic fanfares, anthems, and themes set the tone for excitement, priming fans for game day.

Forward Motion: Chicago Sinfonietta’s ’24–25 Season

The season’s theme, Propel, taps into the Sinfonietta’s ongoing mission to foster change and progress in classical music.

7 Musicians You Didn’t Know Were Athletes

Music and sports may seem diametrically opposed, but these artists — including a pitching ace-turned composer and an aspiring goalkeeper-turned opera sensation — prove otherwise

Playlist: Electrifying Classical Music Fireworks

WFMT is bringing you the fire with a curated playlist of pyrotechnic music.

Playlist: Classical Music for a Quick, Confidence-Boosting Commute

Whether you’re headed to work, school, or home, get to where you need to go with this propulsive, positive playlist.

Playlist: How Video Game Music Has Leveled Up

The first video games were completely silent — now they have full orchestral scores that adapt and respond to on-screen action.

Playlist: Classical Music for Chores

With this upbeat, energizing playlist, you may actually find yourself enjoying your chores!

Playlist: Loud Classical Music

Whether you are looking to rev up for the race or drown out the din, this playlist of cacophonous classical music is for you.

NHL’s Kraken get original music from Oscar winner Zimmer

An NHL team with a Hollywood connection gets a new musical score, and it’s from Oscar and Grammy winner Hans Zimmer.

Wynton Marsalis joins forces with Michigan Marching Band

“I’ve never seen a jazz band like ours play with a marching band, where the actual music we’re playing is integrated into the music the band is playing,” Marsalis said.

Playlist: Classical Music To Dance To

This ain’t your average classical music dance playlist: dance along to new pieces, old grooves, treasured tangos, and winsome waltzes.

Playlist: Classical Workout Music

Get your heart pumping with some Holst. Practice pushups with some Prokofiev. Take down those deadlifts with Tan Dun.

10 Woman Conductors You Should Know

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

Playlist: Classical Fire and Flames

The Great Chicago Fire began on October 8, 1871. Here’s some music that takes inspiration from flames.

Beats & Boxing: How Music Adds Power to Ken Burns’s ‘Muhammad Ali’

Jennifer Dunnington creates emotions for a living. For Ken Burns’ latest film, Muhammad Ali, Dunnington, an Emmy-winning music producer and music editor, used music to convey emotions, introduce momentum, and ratchet up drama in the rink.

Watch WFMT’s Classical Conversation With ‘Approaching Ali’ Composer D. J. Sparr and Star Soloman Howard

Ali was among the most important, most charismatic, most unique figures in American (not just sports) history. So how do you adapt the monumental life of the People’s Champion into an opera?

Olympics ceremony uses music from Japanese video games

An orchestral medley of songs from iconic Japanese video games served as the soundtrack for the parade of countries.

The Curious Stories Behind 10 National Anthems You Might Hear This Olympics

National anthems are some of the most iconic pieces of music from around the world. What you might not know, is they also contain some of the most interesting backstories.

When Worlds Collided: Classical Music Inspired by the Beautiful Game

With this year’s Euro Cup Finals nearly upon us, chants and songs are breathing life into the stadiums. Yet as it turns out, the relationship between music and football extends way beyond chants and national anthems.

Playlist: This Music Has Kept Joffrey Dancers Active and Inspired in the Pandemic

With this month’s Boléro, a digital-only world premiere set to the piece of the same name by Ravel, Joffrey dancers are finally back to performing together.

Playlist: 14 Marching Band Videos You Have to See to Believe

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.

Playlist: Listening to the ‘L’, CTA-Centric Music from Classical to Hip-Hop

For many of us, the ‘L’ is more than just a means of getting around the city. It’s a social network, concert venue, observation deck, and roving reading room, uniting Chicago’s cosmopolitan mix over 224 miles of track.

Playlist: Classical-Inspired Favorites from the Looney Tunes

Brilliant animation and slapstick humor certainly define the Looney Tunes, but it is impossible to imagine the images on screen without classical music.