Studs Terkel was committed to evolving, expanding, and interrogating our conception of who made up the US.

“Rarely do I pick up a CD from an artist who doesn’t pay homage to Rich Warren,” says Wanda Fischer, award-winning host of The Hudson River Sampler.

Hear from Hispanic artists, writers, activists, and more from Chicago and beyond.

Brennan was an active and engaged leader, serving on nearly every committee of the WTTW-WFMT board.

Grammy-winning conductor, pianist, and composer Charles Floyd and award-winning baritone Robert Sims reflect on the importance that Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass placed on spirituals as a beacon for freedom.

WFMT interviews conductor James Conlon, a tireless advocate for composers silenced by the Nazi regime, and musician Johnny Gandelsman, who produced the soundtrack to ‘The US and the Holocaust.’

Get a new view of summertime in Chicago… complete with some great classical music!

Finding the best speakers for classical music can be a serious proposition. Don’t spend your money without answering these questions!

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

Without the Grant Park Music Festival, summer in Chicago simply wouldn’t be … summer in Chicago.

On May 10, 2022, WFMT General Manager George Preston welcomed Ryan Opera Center performers Lunga Eric Hallam, tenor, and Chris Reynolds, pianist; along with ROC director Dan Novak, for an hour of conversation and music.

WFMT presenter LaRob K. Rafael interviews Dr. C. Charles Clency, music educator, author, and the last accompanist of Mahalia Jackson.

Bach wrote a lot of music! Here’s where to start…

For so many of us, WFMT is a reliable source of relaxation. But what if we could bring you more relaxation?

On March 22, WFMT presenter and Introductions producer and host Robbie Ellis moderated a discussion with CMPI project director James Hall and violinist Esme Arias-Kim.

The first movement of Camille Saint-Saëns’ Piano Concerto No. 2 — with its “unique suspenseful opening” — secured the young artist the prize.

In connection with Ken Burns’ newest documentary, WFMT interviews Ellen Cohn, editor-in-chief of The Papers of Benjamin Franklin and actor and historian Mitchell Kramer, who has been portraying Franklin for more than a decade.

In two expressive, charismatic works of cello repertoire, ascendant artist Gabriel Martins Brahms’ Cello Sonata No. 2.

Chicago Sinfonietta’s CEO Blake-Anthony Johnson and principal oboist Ricardo Castañeda discussed how participating in classical music has shaped their lives and look back on past performance highlights.

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.

Picking a favorite out of Mozart’s immense catalog of music is no small feat, so we asked all WFMT hosts, producers, and staff to weigh in on their best-loved compositions and recordings.

The season begins on June 15 with artistic director and principal conductor Carlos Kalmar leading music of Mozart, Wagner, and Price.

See pianist Hyejin Cho wow audiences with charismatic performances of works by Robert Schumann and Cécile Chaminade.

Labels really don’t work with Sondheim, who had one foot in the Golden Age and the other in what came next.

As we reflect on the year gone by, Classical WFMT salutes the contributions of members of the arts community who died this past year.