Playlist: Beginner Concertos to Excite the Senses

Classical concertos are a great entry point for beginners. High-flying, exciting, virtuosic, they are often a pinnacle of solo performance.

Playlist: 8 Works You Should Know by Lili Boulanger

Lili Boulanger died tragically at age 24, but luckily, appreciation for her prodigious music catalog is on the rise…

Playlist: Classical Music You Probably Know (But Can’t Name): Vol. 2

Whether it’s cartoons, famous commercials, or cross-genre collaborations, you may be surprised to learn that you recognize this batch of music.

Playlist: Classical Music You Probably Know (But Can’t Name): Vol. 1

Classical music can be nigh on impossible to find unless you know exactly what you’re looking for. Let us help!

9 Things To Know About Monteverdi’s Vespers

Even though his compositions were well known across Europe during his time, one of Claudio Monteverdi‘s most enduring works was likely not performed (in its entirety, at least) in his lifetime!

Playlist: 11 Lithuanian Composers You Should Know

During and following periods of suppression and foreign occupation, many composers have made it their duty to preserve and strengthen a Lithuanian national identity.

Playlist: 13 Canadian Composers You Should Know

Americans, get to know the music of our neighbors to the north with this curated playlist.

Playlist: 7 Native American Musicians You Should Know

Meet seven Indigenous American musicians spanning genres (hip hop, punk, rock) and states (Illinois, California, Arizona).

Playlist: 12 Black Film & TV Composers You Should Know

From Duke Ellington to Tamar-kali, these 12 composers have shaped what movies and TV sound like.

Playlist: 19 Latin American Composers You Should Know

From Cuba to Argentina, Uruguay to Mexico, Latin America has had no shortage of phenomenal composers. And while we are huge fans of Piazzolla and Villa-Lobos, we also love these lesser-known composers — and we think you will, too!

Playlist: 12 Irish Composers You Should Know

From folk and traditional to punk, rock, and pop, Ireland is the source of much incredible music. But the Emerald Isle has played host to no shortage of classical music ranging from the 16th century to today.

Playlist: 10 Trailblazing Composers You Should Know (…Who Also Happen to Be Women)

From medieval times to modernity, women have made important contributions to all aspects of music, including as composers.

Playlist: Your Guide to Chopin’s Études

Explore Chopin’s études – some of the most beloved works in the piano repertoire – by listening to some of our favorites and learning more about them.

Playlist: Classical Recorder Pieces You Should Know

The recorder may call to mind tortured performances of “Hot Cross Buns” or “Jingle Bells” from your elementary school days, but these pieces make use of the instrument’s virtuosic potential.

Playlist: 12 Clara Schumann Pieces You Should Know

Clara Schumann was one of the 19th century’s most celebrated composers and performers for the piano. Ahead of the 200th anniversary of her birth, celebrate her with a playlist of some of her greatest compositions.

Playlist: 5 Salieri Operas You Should Know

Regardless of his relationship to Mozart, Salieri was a successful composer in his own right, and we should not forget his music – particularly his operas!

Add These 23 Holidays to Your Calendar and Celebrate Classical Music Year-Round!

We’d like to share some information worth celebrating — literally! Here are 23 holidays and celebrations to make sure you have classical music on your calendar!

Playlist: 10 Piano Concertos You Need to Know But Probably Don’t

You voted on your 10 favorite piano concertos and we aired them on WFMT along with 10 piano concertos that might be less familiar to you. Which of the concertos below are discoveries to you? Which of your favorites would you add to the list?

11 New Chicago Ensembles You Should Know

For naysayers who think classical music is on the decline, these Chicago-based performing groups offer the perfect response. All founded in the past three years, they’re offering fresh takes on repertoire familiar and unfamiliar, expanding the musical canon and enlivening the musical life of our city.

Playlist: Leonard Slatkin’s 10 Forgotten American Masterpieces

Many composers and pieces were received enthusiastically upon their premiere, only to have been forgotten or overlooked years later. Esteemed conductor Leonard Slatkin shares 10 forgotten works that deserve greater recognition.

Playlist: 10 Latvian Composers You Should Know

Andris Nelsons, Mariss Jansons, Kristine Opolais: when we think of classical music in Latvia, most are either conductors or musicians. But Latvia also has an abundance of composers whose works you will want to hear.

Playlist: Classical Saxophone Music You Need to Hear

hough it seems like we can only count on our hands the number of times we see the saxophone in the concert hall, the instrument does have a robust and diverse classical repertoire.

Playlist: 10 Czech Composers You Should Know (Who Aren’t Dvořák)

When it comes to Czech composers, most are familiar only with Antonín Dvořák. Here are ten more Czech composers that we think you should know!

Playlist: 18 Underrated Concertos We Should Hear More Often

What makes a piece popular? How does a piece survive its first few performances? What makes something a warhorse, played over and over again, easily marketed from decade to decade? Who decides what’s good, anyway? Here are 18 underrated concertos – ones that don’t get played all that much, but maybe should be more widely known.

Playlist: 14 Fantastic French Composers You Might Not Know (But You Should!)

Here are just a few of our many favorite French composers, from medieval to modern, that might be new to you.