Summer 2025 marks 50 years since the loss of one of the most consequential composers in history: Dmitri Shostakovich. To commemorate the occasion, Peter van de Graaff hosts a special two-hour exploration of the man and his music, through the eyes of people who knew him and worked with him. Interview moments with artists including Rudolf Barshai, Elisabeth Leonskaya, Mstislav …
NEW - Jazz Network Special: The Jazz Men
Join Jazz Network host Dave Schwan for a deep dive into the lives, times, and monumental music of three jazz giants. Schwan talks with veteran journalist and author Larry Tye about his recent book exploring the pathways of Ellington, Armstrong, and Basie, and how their actions and music helped pave the way for the Civil Rights Movement. Moments from this …
Ravel 150th Anniversary Celebration
To mark the 150th birthday of the great French composer Maurice Ravel on March 7, 2025, we offer a special program produced and hosted by Jon Tolansky. In Maurice Ravel: Artist and Man – An Anniversary Portrait, Tolansky brings Ravel’s inspired genius and quirky personality vibrantly to life in a mix of musical highlights and commentary from acclaimed artists with unique …
Dinah Washington at 100
Audio is available now on PRX! Take a listen here! In celebration of the centennial of the influential and iconic artist, Dinah Washington, WFMT Radio Network Jazz Network host Dee Alexander takes us on a two-hour special journey through her timeless musical legacy in Dinah Washington at 100: Celebrating the Queen of the Blues. A pioneering figure in jazz and blues, …
The Folks of These United States
The Midnight Special takes a tour of The United States in folk songs. This special episode is an all-American extravaganza that the whole country and every generation can enjoy for the July 4th holiday or any time we get together. Host and producer Marilyn Rea Beyer has dug into the archives and her personal collection for songs that mention every …
Maria Callas: The Enduring Icon
In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Maria Callas, the WFMT Radio Network and Jon Tolansky present an exclusive documentary memoir celebrating the legendary diva. Through interviews and commentary, this special explores how after all this time Callas’s work still mesmerizes the musical world in such a unique way. In this documentary, we hear from Maria Callas …
The Girl From Arles – A Visit to Provence
Credit: The producer extends his gratitude and appreciation to the artist Chrissie Skelding for providing her beautifully evocative sketch LADY WITH BUTTERFLIES for this commissioned feature, which he dedicates to her. “On the way down to the village from my windmill, you pass a farmhouse.…” That is how Alphonse Daudet begins his evocative and poignant tale about broken love set …
Rachmaninoff 150: A Celebration
The WFMT Radio Network is delighted to present a new special celebrating the 150th anniversary of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s birth this April. In this special, acclaimed musicians discuss and perform his compositions and Rachmaninoff himself is heard performing one of his works. The special weaves together music, interviews, and stories to present an exquisite portrait of the influential composer and performer. …