Introductions | WFMT
127 episodes - English - Latest episode: 27 days ago - ★★★★★ - 9 ratingsIntroductions is WFMT’s weekly Saturday morning program that features talented pre-college classical musicians in the Chicago area. Soloists and chamber ensembles perform live in WFMT’s Levin Performance Studio. Large ensembles, including orchestras, choirs, and bands, are recorded at their home venues and broadcast at later dates. The program also features youth music competition winners. While many students who appear on Introductions pursue other careers, some have gone on to study music at some of the most prestigious music schools around the world and pursue careers as professional musicians.
Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
2024 Crain-Maling Foundation CSO Young Artists Competition
April 20, 2024 16:00 - 31 minutes - 43.6 MBThis morning we hear from all three finalists in the 2024 Crain-Maling Foundation CSO Young Artists Competition, including the winner, steelpan soloist Jaden Teague-Núñez, with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. The post 2024 Crain-Maling Foundation CSO Young Artists Competition appeared first on WFMT.
LIVE | Zarin Mehta, 16, piano and composer
March 30, 2024 16:00 - 54 minutes - 74.2 MBReturn guest Zarin Mehta presents premieres of his own music and Augusta Read Thomas's, plus pieces by Bach, Beethoven, and Lyapunov. The post LIVE | Zarin Mehta, 16, piano and composer appeared first on WFMT.
LIVE | Kené Obiaya, 17, piano
March 23, 2024 16:00 - 43 minutes - 59.6 MBChicago-raised pianist Kené Obiaya is an alum of the Hyde Park Suzuki Institute and is now a high school senior at Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan. He presents music of Chopin, Bach, Still and Brahms. Kené Obiaya is 17 years old and began taking piano lessons at age 3. Kené currently attends Interlochen Arts Academy where he studies piano with ... The post LIVE | Kené Obiaya, 17, piano appeared first on WFMT.
LIVE | Clara Zhang, 16, piano
February 17, 2024 17:00 - 37 minutes - 51.9 MBPianist Clara Zhang plays a recital of Bach, Chopin, Ravel, Haydn, Walker, Rachmaninoff, and Bowen. The post LIVE | Clara Zhang, 16, piano appeared first on WFMT.
Encore broadcast | Ma’ayan Kertcher, 18, cello
January 27, 2024 17:00 - 39 minutes - 53.6 MBMa’ayan Kertcher plays the music of Reena Esmail and Johannes Brahms, joined by Shirley Trissell on piano. The post Encore broadcast | Ma’ayan Kertcher, 18, cello appeared first on WFMT.
Encore broadcast | Samuel Lam, 18, piano
January 20, 2024 17:00 - 37 minutes - 52.1 MBToday, a piano recital from Samuel Lam presenting works by Domenico Scarlatti, Ludwig van Beethoven, Johannes Brahms, Béla Bartók, and Tan Dun. The post Encore broadcast | Samuel Lam, 18, piano appeared first on WFMT.
Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras Fall 2023 concert
January 06, 2024 17:00 - 44 minutes - 60.5 MBThis week, the latest performance from the CYSO Symphony Orchestra in Orchestra Hall in downtown Chicago. Allen Tinkham conducts the Chicago premiere of a new Augusta Read Thomas piece, followed by works of Claude Debussy and Gustav Mahler. The post Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras Fall 2023 concert appeared first on WFMT.
LIVE | Noah Kim, 17, piano
December 09, 2023 17:00 - 46 minutes - 63.4 MBFollowing his win in the 2022 Crain-Maling Foundation CSO Young Artist Competition, Vernon Hills pianist Noah Kim returns to Introductions for a second solo recital playing Bach, Mozart, Schumann and Kapustin. The post LIVE | Noah Kim, 17, piano appeared first on WFMT.
Isabel Edgcomb, 18, flute & Anna Edgcomb, 18, oboe
November 25, 2023 17:00 - 42 minutes - 58.3 MBWe’re featuring twin sisters on Introductions today: Isabel and Anna Edgcomb are joined by pianist Lyudmila Lakisova in music of Telemann, Kalliwoda, Liebermann, Poulenc, Taffanel and Cimarosa. The post Isabel Edgcomb, 18, flute & Anna Edgcomb, 18, oboe appeared first on WFMT.
LIVE | Simon Updegraff, 16, cello
November 11, 2023 17:00 - 39 minutes - 54.5 MBCellist Simon Updegraff presents Elgar's Cello Concerto, followed by works of Bach and Bloch; a cello suite of Chad "Sir Wick" Hughes, and Monti's Csárdás. The post LIVE | Simon Updegraff, 16, cello appeared first on WFMT.
Respirazione Trio & Aurum Quartet
November 04, 2023 16:00 - 34 minutes - 46.8 MBToday we feature two chamber groups from Midwest Young Artists Conservatory – one piano trio, and one string quartet. The post Respirazione Trio & Aurum Quartet appeared first on WFMT.
Scaleno Trio & Luminos Piano Trio
October 21, 2023 16:00 - 50 minutes - 69.1 MBTwo chamber trios from the Music Institute of Chicago Academy in movements by Mendelssohn, Dvořák, Beethoven, and Tchaikovsky. The post Scaleno Trio & Luminos Piano Trio appeared first on WFMT.
LIVE | Amelia Zitoun, 17, cello
October 14, 2023 16:00 - 50 minutes - 69.2 MBAmelia Zitoun, a student of the Music Institute of Chicago Academy, joins us for the first live recital of the new school year. The post LIVE | Amelia Zitoun, 17, cello appeared first on WFMT.
Trio Nuvola & Goya Piano Trio
October 07, 2023 16:00 - 30 minutes - 42.6 MBToday we're featuring two piano trios from the Music Institute of Chicago Academy's 2022-23 school year, in music of Beethoven, Esmail, Clarke, Mendelssohn, and Shostakovich. The post Trio Nuvola & Goya Piano Trio appeared first on WFMT.
Joseph Kim, 15, guitar and Samuel Kim, 17, piano
September 09, 2023 16:00 - 36 minutes - 50.4 MBTwo brothers appear, both as soloists and as a duo. The post Joseph Kim, 15, guitar and Samuel Kim, 17, piano appeared first on WFMT.
Introductions Class of 2023
September 02, 2023 16:00 - 51 minutes - 71.3 MBIt’s our annual Labor Day Weekend round-up of graduating seniors, their highlight performances, and what they’re doing next. Today’s episode features 26 young musicians in total. The post Introductions Class of 2023 appeared first on WFMT.
Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative Class of 2023
August 26, 2023 16:00 - 29 minutes - 40.4 MBFour graduating seniors from Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative: a violinist, a horn player, and two percussionists. The post Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative Class of 2023 appeared first on WFMT.
Soloists from Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras
August 12, 2023 16:00 - 48 minutes - 66.2 MBToday on Introductions, we feature four soloists from within Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras. The post Soloists from Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras appeared first on WFMT.
Pelios String Quartet; Sofia Radovic & Miriam Kessler
August 05, 2023 16:00 - 39 minutes - 54.7 MBMusic by Debussy, Bartók, Haydn, and Saint-Saëns. The post Pelios String Quartet; Sofia Radovic & Miriam Kessler appeared first on WFMT.
Double Double Bass – Jacob Fisher, 18 & Ian King, 18
July 22, 2023 16:00 - 46 minutes - 63.4 MBThis week we feature two double bassists, both of whom have just graduated from both high school and Midwest Young Artists Conservatory. The post Double Double Bass – Jacob Fisher, 18 & Ian King, 18 appeared first on WFMT.
Ma’ayan Kertcher, 18, cello
July 15, 2023 16:00 - 39 minutes - 53.7 MBMa’ayan Kertcher plays the music of Reena Esmail and Johannes Brahms, joined by Shirley Trissell on piano. The post Ma’ayan Kertcher, 18, cello appeared first on WFMT.
Samuel Lam, 18, piano
July 08, 2023 16:00 - 38 minutes - 52.2 MBToday, a piano recital from Samuel Lam presenting works by Domenico Scarlatti, Ludwig van Beethoven, Johannes Brahms, Béla Bartók, and Tan Dun. The post Samuel Lam, 18, piano appeared first on WFMT.
LIVE | Louis Auxenfans, 18, clarinet
June 10, 2023 16:00 - 49 minutes - 68.3 MBIntroductions welcomes a return guest for a full clarinet recital: Louis Auxenfans of Chicago’s South Loop neighborhood. The post LIVE | Louis Auxenfans, 18, clarinet appeared first on WFMT.
LIVE | John Lee, 18, violin
May 20, 2023 16:00 - 44 minutes - 60.5 MBAfter solo pieces by Eugène Ysaÿe and Jessie Montgomery, John Lee is joined by pianist Milana Pavchinskaya in music of Johannes Brahms and Fritz Kreisler. The post LIVE | John Lee, 18, violin appeared first on WFMT.
Hanna Oyasu, 18, flute
May 13, 2023 16:00 - 31 minutes - 43.5 MBMusic of Ibert, Chaminade, Telemann, Enescu, and Prokofiev; before collaborating with 18-year-old singer Sophia Katsma on two Japanese songs. The post Hanna Oyasu, 18, flute appeared first on WFMT.
Introductions Turns 15
April 08, 2023 16:00 - 58 minutes - 80.8 MBIt’s 15 years (and three days) since the very first episode of Introductions. Join host and producer Robbie Ellis and Weekend Morning host LaRob K. Rafael for a look back on great past performances. The post Introductions Turns 15 appeared first on WFMT.
2023 Crain-Maling Foundation CSO Young Artists Competition
April 01, 2023 16:00 - 56 minutes - 77.1 MBViolinist Esme Arias-Kim and cellist Jan Vargas Nedvetsky perform with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago at Symphony Center, plus a look back at Esme & Jan's past solo radio recitals. The post 2023 Crain-Maling Foundation CSO Young Artists Competition appeared first on WFMT.
LIVE | Miriam Kessler, 17, harp, piano, and composer
March 25, 2023 16:00 - 38 minutes - 52.4 MBLive, an unusual two-instrument recital: Miriam Kessler is an accomplished performer on harp and piano. The post LIVE | Miriam Kessler, 17, harp, piano, and composer appeared first on WFMT.
Tyler Wang, 17, piano
March 18, 2023 16:00 - 40 minutes - 56.1 MBMusic by Fanny Mendelssohn, Ludwig van Beethoven, Frédéric Chopin, and Maurice Ravel. The post Tyler Wang, 17, piano appeared first on WFMT.
Ethan Zheng, 16, piano
March 11, 2023 17:00 - 39 minutes - 54.8 MBToday on Introductions, Ethan Zheng, a piano student of Marta Aznavoorian. His recital features the music of Brahms, Chopin, Chen Yi, and Prokofiev. The post Ethan Zheng, 16, piano appeared first on WFMT.
Women’s History Month Highlights
March 04, 2023 17:00 - 37 minutes - 51.8 MBEnjoy highlights from the last twelve months of Introductions performances, with music by eight different women composers. The post Women’s History Month Highlights appeared first on WFMT.
Anna Knight, 19, piano
February 25, 2023 17:00 - 37 minutes - 51.3 MBA year ago, Anna Knight was studying at a specialist music high school in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. She's now living in the Chicago area, and brings us a recital of Chopin, Bach, Beethoven, Frolyak, Ravel, and Dunayevsky. The post Anna Knight, 19, piano appeared first on WFMT.
LIVE | Sameer Agrawal, 17, violin
December 10, 2022 17:00 - 32 minutes - 45.1 MBSameer Agrawal is a multi-year member of the Music Institute of Chicago Academy and Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative. He joins pianist Milana Pavchinskaya for a live recital of Arutiunian, Perkinson, Bach and Ravel. The post LIVE | Sameer Agrawal, 17, violin appeared first on WFMT.
Tabitha Mo, 16, flute
October 22, 2022 16:00 - 38 minutes - 52.7 MBTabitha plays music by Nielsen, Mozart, Still, and Sarasate in WFMT's Fay and Daniel Levin Performance Studio, joined by pianist Inah Chiu. The post Tabitha Mo, 16, flute appeared first on WFMT.
LIVE | Shivshankar Prasad, 17, piano
October 15, 2022 16:00 - 46 minutes - 64.4 MBPrasad's live recital in WFMT’s Fay and Daniel Levin Performance Studio features music of Rachmaninoff, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, and Danielpour. The post LIVE | Shivshankar Prasad, 17, piano appeared first on WFMT.
LIVE | Bianca Ciubancan, 16, violin
September 24, 2022 16:00 - 47 minutes - 64.7 MBJoined by pianist Qi Kong, Bianca presents music of Bach, Beethoven, Montgomery, and Ysaÿe. The post LIVE | Bianca Ciubancan, 16, violin appeared first on WFMT.
Introductions Class of 2022
September 03, 2022 16:00 - 47 minutes - 64.6 MBIt’s a graduation special for Labor Day Weekend: we mark 18-year-olds who are now our alumni, having performed on Introductions in the past few years. The post Introductions Class of 2022 appeared first on WFMT.
Omaggio String Quartet & Peresson String Quartet
August 27, 2022 16:00 - 35 minutes - 49.3 MBTwo prize-winning string quartets perform Haydn, Hindemith, Puccini, Ravel, and Bartók. The post Omaggio String Quartet & Peresson String Quartet appeared first on WFMT.
Hermes Piano Trio & Hyacinth Quartet
August 20, 2022 16:00 - 40 minutes - 54.9 MBPiano trio movements by Beethoven and Arensky and string quartet movements by Haydn and Grieg. The post Hermes Piano Trio & Hyacinth Quartet appeared first on WFMT.
Ukrainian Music with Myroslav Mykhailenko and friends
August 06, 2022 16:00 - 39 minutes - 54.7 MB18-year-old pianist Myroslav Mykhailenko is joined by young friends and colleagues with selections by five different Ukrainian composers. The post Ukrainian Music with Myroslav Mykhailenko and friends appeared first on WFMT.
Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras performs Mahler 1
July 30, 2022 16:00 - 56 minutes - 77.1 MBThis week on Introductions, the flagship group of Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras performs Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 1, the Titan. This was recorded on May 22, 2022 in Orchestra Hall in downtown Chicago. The post Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras performs Mahler 1 appeared first on WFMT.
Hanna Choi, 18, flute
July 16, 2022 16:00 - 23 minutes - 32.1 MBToday we feature flute player Hanna Choi before she heads off to U of I. The post Hanna Choi, 18, flute appeared first on WFMT.
Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras Class of 2022
July 09, 2022 16:00 - 40 minutes - 55.2 MBToday on Introductions, we hear from four departing seniors from the flagship group of Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras, all featured as soloists. The post Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras Class of 2022 appeared first on WFMT.
Catherine Woods, 18, violin
June 25, 2022 16:00 - 54 minutes - 74.8 MBCatherine is already an active violin and piano teacher, and in this recital she presents music by Bach, Beethoven, Boulanger, and Saint-Saëns. The post Catherine Woods, 18, violin appeared first on WFMT.
LIVE | Tara Hagle, 18, violin
June 18, 2022 16:00 - 43 minutes - 60.2 MBIn this recital of Brahms, Bacewicz, Messiaen and Wieniawski, Tara Hagle is joined by her father, Matthew Hagle, on piano. The post LIVE | Tara Hagle, 18, violin appeared first on WFMT.
Noah Jung, 17, clarinet
June 11, 2022 16:00 - 42 minutes - 58 MBStarting the clarinet at age three, Noah Jung is a graduate of the Colburn Music Academy, where he studied with professor Yehuda Gilad. The post Noah Jung, 17, clarinet appeared first on WFMT.
Bazyli Siwek, 17, piano and composer
June 04, 2022 16:00 - 53 minutes - 73.3 MBAlong with three of his own pieces, he presents music by Clara Schumann, Robert Nathaniel Dett, Maurice Ravel, and Lowell Liebermann. The post Bazyli Siwek, 17, piano and composer appeared first on WFMT.
Ella Wimbiscus, 11, cello
May 28, 2022 16:00 - 52 minutes - 72.2 MBOnly 11 years old, Ella Wimbiscus has already been playing the cello for nearly a decade. The post Ella Wimbiscus, 11, cello appeared first on WFMT.
CYSO Jubilee Woodwind Quintet with Taki Salameh, 18, composer
May 21, 2022 16:00 - 58 minutes - 80.2 MBFive principal players from the CYSO present wind quintet music by Paul Taffanel, Carl Nielsen, and Paul Hindemith. The post CYSO Jubilee Woodwind Quintet with Taki Salameh, 18, composer appeared first on WFMT.
LIVE | Elinor Detmer, 17, violin
May 07, 2022 16:00 - 41 minutes - 57 MBA live broadcast of Beethoven, Bach, Perkinson, Gershwin and Sibelius from the Rhapsody Theater. The post LIVE | Elinor Detmer, 17, violin appeared first on WFMT.