The shofar, an instrument made from a ram’s horn, is heard in synagogues all over the world during the Jewish High Holidays. It has also been heard outside those confines for ages, as a call to battle, or a way for shepherds to summon their flocks.

There is a certain excitement that comes from a live broadcast because almost anything can happen.

To celebrate Leonard Bernstein’s 100th birthday, WFMT and the Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus presented a pop-up performance of “Somewhere” from the composer’s beloved musical West Side Story. The event was broadcast live from the Legacy Walk in Chicago’s Boystown neighborhood.

Food, fun, neighborhood charm: these are things that you’d expect at any Chicago street fair. But only one also features free, live classical music. The third annual Thirsty Ears Festival, Chicago’s only classical music street fair, takes place August 11-12 in Ravenswood on Wilson Street between Hermitage and Ravenswood. The festival is organized by Access Contemporary Music (ACM), and spearheaded …

When you wake up on Monday, August 6 and turn on WFMT, you’ll hear a new, yet familiar, voice as the host of the Morning Program. Longtime weekend morning host Dennis Moore will take over from Carl Grapentine, who hosted the program for 22 years. Maggie Clennon Reberg, who joined WFMT in 2015 as a part-time program host, will host …

Looking back on his many years experiencing great music in Chicago, Carl shares some of his very favorite performances.

On Saturday, July 14, 2018, hundreds of Carl Grapentine’s friends, family members, and colleagues gathered at the Ravinia Festival to celebrate his incredible career as the longtime host of WFMT’s Morning Program.

Composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky will be honored with a memorial exhibit as part of the Legacy Walk, Chicago’s outdoor LGBTQ history museum. Located along 3245–3705 Halsted Street in the heart of Boystown, the museum features rainbow pylons with biographical plaques that honor the diverse contributions of LGBTQ people. From any smartphone, visitors can access videos, study guides, and other resources …

We had a ball at our first WFMT beach party at Theater on the Lake. Check out video and photo highlights from our day of sun, fun, and great music.

On May 16, Richard Gray, a longtime supporter and member of the Board of Trustees of WTTW and WFMT, died peacefully in his sleep at home in Chicago, where he was surrounded by family. WFMT’s music library is named for Mr. Gray and his wife of 65 years, Mary, who survives him along with their three children and five grandchildren. …

Between 1952 and 1997, Studs Terkel invited some of the world’s best musicians to join him for his hour-long radio program on WFMT.

On May 16, 2018, what would have been Studs’s 106th birthday, listeners will have more access to this incredible gold mine of materials than ever before.

Help us send Carl off in style with a special champagne reception!

Window to the World Communications, Inc., the parent company of WTTW and WFMT, announced Thursday it has hired a new president and CEO.

Over the last sixty years, the Old Town School of Folk Music has grown from humble beginnings to become the largest nonprofit community arts school in the United States.

WFMT’s longtime Morning Program host Carl Grapentine landed what he describes as his “dream job” by chance. He first heard about WFMT in the early 1970s from his colleagues at WQRS, a classical radio station in Detroit that modeled itself after WFMT. Years later, while attending the Concert Music Broadcasters Association in Chicago, “I got up the courage to speak …

WFMT’s long-time resident “free spirit” Studs Terkel died near a decade ago, on Halloween in 2008, but he just made his Carnegie Hall debut. What brought about this feat of artistic time travel?

Einaudi explained how being a performer influences his compositional process and the most important advice Berio taught him about music… (which doesn’t exactly involve music).

On October 20, 1977, the first Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert was presented in Chicago, inspired by Dame Myra Hess’ passion to make music accessible for all.

Russia has been a place I’ve longed to visit for many years. I finally got my chance in September, joining a genial group of WFMT listeners and fellow music lovers for a fantastic adventure. Here are photos from our Russian adventure.

Earbuds, earphones, in-ear monitors. There are a lot of products that allow you to listen to music on the go. But what makes them different and which ones are the best for your needs?

I grew up with Leonard Bernstein. No, I didn’t live anywhere near Lawrence, Massachusetts where he was born August 25, 1918. And he was more than thirty years older than I. But as a child growing up in the 1950s, I was the perfect age to enjoy The Mickey Mouse Club and Leonard Bernstein’s Young People’s Concerts. I was 8 …

In this musical adventure with KAIA String Quartet, learn about one of Argentina’s most well-known styles of music and dance: tango. Tango originated in the towns and cities surrounding Río de la Plata, a wide river that forms part of the border between Argentina and Uruguay. The  rhythms of tango come from both African and European musical traditions, including Afro-Uruguayan candombe and French …

When Carl Grapentine, host of WFMT’s Morning Program, first visited Berlin in 1965 as a student he immediately felt at home.

WFMT is proud to present KAIA Kids Around the World, a new web series that explores music from across the globe. As WFMT’s first ensemble in residence, KAIA String Quartet is taking WFMT fans on a musical adventure throughout Latin America from May – July 2017. With nine different stops throughout Latin America, KAIA is exploring the music of Brazil from May …