WFMT-FM (Chicago, IL)

Rumon Gamba and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra present an album of works by Sir Granville Bantock, featuring his Hebridean Symphony, Prelude to The Bacchae of Euripides, and English Scenes. Born into a wealthy family in central London in 1868, Granville Bantock studied music at both Trinity College and at the Royal Academy of Music.

Maria Duenas. (Photo: Allan Cabral) Precision. Elegance. Control. Discipline. These qualities are difficult to separate from the legacy of Jascha Heifetz, one of the most prominent violinists of the 20th century. Even at the most impassioned moments of a performance, Heifetz was known for his restrained manner and largely expressionless demeanor, dressed in concert black.

Addio Amore Jeanine De Bique, Basel Chamber Orchestra, Julia Schröder, Antonio Viñuales, Terry Wey See this release Soprano Jeanine De Bique, countertenor Terry Wey, and the Basel Chamber Orchestra present an album of arias and duets from an array of Baroque composers: Geminiano Giacomelli, Johann Adolphe Hasse, Nicoloa Porpora, Tomaso Albinoni, and George Frideric Handel.

Apollo’s Fire (Photo: Hilary Scott) Apollo’s Fire returns for its sixth season in Chicago and its 35th season overall. The ensemble’s 2026-27 season will coincide with two anniversaries: the 250th anniversary of the United States and the 300th anniversary of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion. The Chicago season begins Nov. 7 and 8 with Echoes Across the Atlantic, a new program exploring historical connections between Europe and the Caribbean colonies in the 18th century.

Phillip Huscher’s ‘Passing the Baton’ tells the “unusually good” story of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra over 135 years between Theodore Thomas’ founding of it and Klaus Mäkelä’s appointment as music director. Photo: (Book cover provided and Phillip Huscher by Lis Christie) On October 9, 1871, Theodore Thomas and his traveling orchestra arrived in Chicago to perform at the reopening of Chicago’s Crosby Opera House.

Despite having languished for so long in the shadow of her male peers, Emilie Mayer’s compositions bear witness to an indomitable personality. The musicians of the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin have resolved to do her justice by presenting a series of recordings dedicated to her symphonic works.

With schools across the country back in session, it’s a fitting time for WFMT listeners to do a little learning of their own. This A-to-Z guide highlights composers worth knowing in the world of classical music, with one for every letter of the alphabet.

Beethoven: The Six Piano Trios David Finckel, Wu Han, CMS violinists See this release Cellist David Finckel and pianist Wu Han (artistic directors of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (CMS), founders and directors of Music@Menlo festival, and founders of the classical record label ArtistLed) present Beethoven’s six Piano Trios in a landmark new recording project bringing together six of today’s leading violinists — Benjamin Beilman, Chad Hoopes, Paul Huang, Kristin Lee, Arnaud...

Four star violinists present special recordings near and dear to their hearts. Violinist Théotime Langlois de Swarte and keyboardist William Christie present an imaginary concert in which the violin and harpsichord or organ vie with each other in work by Rameau. Spanish violinist María Dueñas pays tribute to Jascha Heifetz alongside Gustavo Dudamel and Itamar Golan. Violinist Midori and the chamber orchestra A Far Cry present Derek Bermel’s violin concerto Spring Cadenzas.

Born in Chicago, Oliver Talukder is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, and teaching artist of Mexican and Bengali heritage and winner of Cedille’s 2025 Emerging Artist Competition. Joined by pianist Moriah Trenk, Talukder’s solo debut album on Cedille Records celebrates family, identity, home, and the many musical traditions that have shaped his life.