Video Premiere: Exciting Brass Ensemble The Westerlies Plays ‘This is Water’

How a speech by David Foster Wallace inspired a new triptych for brass quartet.

Classical Music Aerial Adventure: Winter in Chicago

With spellbinding aerial footage of Chicago, you’ll hear acclaimed artists playing wonderful, wintry classical music.

Watch Star Trumpeter Mary Elizabeth Bowden Play Beach & Debussy

Beautiful renditions of works inspired by poetry.

11 Studs Terkel Conversations for Black History Month

Just a few of the Black voices from the Studs Terkel Radio Archive.

In Their Own Words: Inspiring Quotes From Classical Artists and Friends Who Died in 2022

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

Listening Party: WFMT’s New Show Prizes Fresh Takes on Classical Sounds

“It’s just something you don’t often hear in classical settings. The music ends and we’re laughing. The music ends and we’re singing.”

The Rich Warren Connection

“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.

John Brennan, 18-year WTTW-WFMT Trustee, Has Died, Age 60

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

WFMT’s Classical Conversations: ‘Becoming Frederick Douglass’ & ‘Harriet Tubman Visions of Freedom’

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.

Video: James Conlon & Johnny Gandelsman Reflect on Music of the Holocaust

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.’

A Classical Music Aerial Adventure: Summer in Chicago

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

How To Choose the Best Speakers to Listen to WFMT (and All Your Favorite Music!)

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

Pianist Stewart Goodyear on the Magic of Music

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

Now Announcing: WFMT’s 2022 Grant Park Music Festival Live Broadcasts

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

Video: WFMT’s Bach to School Virtual Assembly with the Ryan Opera Center

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 Classical Conversations: Dr. C. Charles Clency

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

Bach’s Top 10 Works

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

Playlist: Relaxing Classical Music for Calm and Wonder

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

Watch WFMT’s Bach to School Virtual Assembly with Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative

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.

15-Year-Old Pianist Noah Kim’s Saint-Saëns Wins Him the 2022 CSO Young Artists Competition

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

Watch WFMT Classical Conversations: Benjamin Franklin and Music

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.

Video: Beethoven and Brahms Masterworks With Gabriel Martins & Victor Asunción

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

Catch Up With WFMT’s Latest Bach to School Event with Chicago Sinfonietta Wind Quintet

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.

Video: Warm Up With This Concert of French Music by Geneva Lewis & Sahun Sam Hong

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.

Mozart’s Top 10 Works

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.