WRTI-FM (Philadelphia, PA)

Charles Ellerbe, a guitarist whose R&B and rock roots helped lend a funky frisson to Ornette Coleman’s electric Prime Time band, died at home in North Philadelphia in the hours between Sunday, Oct. 4, and Monday, Oct. 5. He was 76. His death, following a long illness, was confirmed by his lifelong friend and collaborator, drummer G. Calvin Weston. Ellerbe was one of three members of Prime Time who grew up within a mile of one another in North Philly.

Join us on Sunday, Oct. 11 at 1 p.m. on WRTI 90.1 and Monday, Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. on WRTI HD-2 as The Philadelphia Orchestra in Concert brings you an eclectic program of works chosen by the musicians, including Mozart, Bartok, Hindemith, Caroline Shaw, and Tan Dun. Throughout the concert, musicians speak from the stage about the works they’ll play, led by Naomi Woo, Assistant Conductor of The Philadelphia Orchestra.

Tune into WRTI on Saturday, Oct. 10 at 1 p.m. to hear the China National Center for the Performing Arts’ 2023 production of Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata. Conductor Yu Long leads the NCPA Orchestra & Chorus in Verdi’s acclaimed tragedy. WRTI will broadcast this recording as a part of the WFMT Opera Series. La Traviata — which translates to “the fallen woman” — follows Violetta Valery, a woman exhausted by her frantic lifestyle as a courtesan.

Eleven gifted young singers from around the globe will compete in the Herbie Hancock Institute International Jazz Vocals Competition this weekend at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris. Watch a livestream of the semifinals on Saturday, Oct. 10, from 7 to 11:30 a.m. EDT. And learn more about the semifinalists in our announcement.

If you follow Philly jazz, you know Alexander Claffy. He's a bassist and bandleader with one of the busiest schedules on the scene, whether he's leading his own groups or working with everyone from Kurt Rosenwinkel to Louis Hayes. For Claffy (as everyone calls him), it's all part of a creative pathway that started in Philadelphia. Claffy has a new album, Alive in Philadelphia, Vol. 1, recorded at his regular haunt, Chris' Jazz Cafe.

Piano Week at Moment’s Notice? That’s not officially a thing, but maybe it should be, given the week we have ahead. In the Spotlight is Caelan Cardello, a shining talent now at Juilliard, where Joe Block also studied. Also in the mix are Farid Barron and Adam Birnbaum — and oh yes, also Jeff Goldblum, in moonlighting mode.

From little monsters getting their first taste of The Philadelphia Orchestra to some of the finest young musicians in the country tackling a modern American masterpiece, there’s plenty to choose from this week. Add an all-American evening at the ballet, the glorious orchestral colors of Respighi, one of my favorite composers getting the all-star treatment, and we have a particularly enticing week ahead. Here are some handpicked recommendations.

Opera fanatics are persnickety — especially when it comes to singers.

Michael Blake has worked his share of Halloween parties. “They’re always super fun,” he says. “But I don’t remember any of them having really interesting music. I definitely played ‘Monster Mash’ more times than I’d care to.” Blake, a multi-reedist known for inspired eclecticism, now has his own grab bag of tunes for the occasion. His engaging new album Halloween Tales features a selection of seasonal themes, by composers like Duke Ellington, Vince Guaraldi, even John Carpenter.

"I'm writing music about how humans interact with each other," Immanuel Wilkins declares in a new video interview with the MacArthur Foundation. This artist statement significantly undersells the intrigue in Wilkins' work, though it conveys a basic truth. Today Wilkins, 29, was officially announced as one of the 2026 MacArthur Fellows. The fellowship, known as the "Genius Grant," comes with an unrestricted $800,000 award.