WETA Classical

11/24/2025

It's the week of Thanksgiving, and that means one thing - Classical Countdown is here!

Tune in all week through Thanksgiving to enjoy our listeners' Top 100 favorite pieces, with the #1 spot airing at 8PM on Thanksgiving evening. Will the status quo of Beethoven or Dvorak's 9th symphony reign supreme? Or will we have another shocking upset?

Follow the Countdown at weta.org/countdown

11/24/2025

On a very special bonus episode of the Classical Breakdown podcast, we’re thrilled to share a recent live performance of Adolphus Hailstork’s An American Port of Call by Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra conducted by Ken-David Masur. Listen from your podcast app or from this link: https://weta.org/fm/features/classical-breakdown/milwaukee-symphony-orchestra-performs-hailstorks-american-port-call

Be sure to also check out our episode exploring the life and music of Adolphus Hailstork, an American treasure writing music reflecting America today.

11/21/2025

A haiku from Chip, inspired by the tree outside our studio window

Grateful Tree 🪾

Pale tired leaves still cling.
Cold branches swaying, Thank you.
We're good now, 'til Spring.

11/20/2025

We conclude our series on Celebrating a Century of Concerts at The Library of Congress tonight at 8PM with a showcase on the Juilliard String Quartet's 40 years of residency, including a historic recording of their performance of Robert Schumann’s Piano Quintet with Leonard Bernstein.

To learn more about the Juilliard Quartet at the Library of Congress, check out James Jacobs' blog below.

https://weta.org/fm/classical-score/juilliard-string-quartet-celebrating-century-concerts-library-congress

11/13/2025

The Budapest Quartet performed over 400 times at The Library of Congress between 1938 and 1962 as the resident quartet. They played a big part in the LOC's mission to become a refuge for great European artists displaced by the war, a place its culture could be preserved while its countries of origin were embroiled in conflict.

The great cellist Gregor Piatigorsky pictured below is one of those many artists, who, at age 18 in 1921, waded into the river separating the USSR from Poland carrying his cello over his head dodging the bullets of border guards so he could continue his studies in the West. He eventually made his forever home in Southern California, and in 1960, collaborated with the Budapest Quartet in Schubert’s C major String Quintet at The Library of Congress.

Join us tonight at 8PM to hear this performance. To learn more about the legacy of the Budapest Quartet at the Library of Congress, check out our blog linked below.

https://weta.org/fm/classical-score/budapest-quartet-century-music-library-congress

11/12/2025

Ahead of The Thirteen's upcoming program highlighting five centuries of music in an intimate quartet setting, Artistic Director Matthew Robertson joins us to chat about the program. Catch the interview on WETA VivaLaVoce and WETA Virtuoso, times below. You can listen from the WETA Classical app, on the listen live player at wetaclassical.org, or on HD2 and HD 3 respectively.

WETA VivaLaVoce
11/12 at 10:03AM
11/13 at 2:57PM
11/14 at 11:00AM

WETA Virtuoso
11/12 at 8:59PM
11/13 at 10:03AM
11/14 at 2:00PM

Concert info: https://www.thethirteenchoir.org/

11/11/2025

Some of the most beloved and enduring works in classical music were written as composers responded to history being made during their time.

Living American composer Adolphus Hailstork is one of those composers, leaving a lasting legacy with his music. He has been writing music and teaching for over 5 decades, and his work has documented in music major American moments, from the bicentennial, 9/11, George Floyd, and even infrastructure.

On the latest episode of Classical Breakdown, John Banther and Evan Keely explore his life, studies with Boulanger, his military experience, and look at 3 works ranging from orchestral to choral that demonstrate his style.

Listen from your favorite podcast app or from the link below:
https://weta.org/fm/features/classical-breakdown/adolphus-hailstork-american-composer-writing-our-time

11/10/2025

It's here! Voting for Classical Countdown 2025!

The last couple of years have been a wild ride, with Beethoven and Dvorak losing their status quo with surprise upsets, from Vivaldi's The Four Seasons to Pictures at an Exhibition. Will more surprises continue this year? It's all in your hands!

Voting ends this Sunday.

An annual WETA Classical tradition. Listeners vote for their favorite classical music pieces and we play back the top 100 pieces during Thanksgiving week.

11/06/2025

Hear the historic performance of Béla Bartók and violinist Joseph Szigeti from a 1940 recital at The Library of Congress tonight at 8PM as we continue our celebration of A Century of Concerts at the Library of Congress with James Jacobs!

Learn more about this historically significant recital which began with Beethoven's Kreutzer Sonata.

https://weta.org/fm/classical-score/bela-bartok-and-joseph-szigeti-april-13-1940-celebrating-century-music-library

11/05/2025

The National Symphony Orchestra returns to WETA Classical with NSO Showcase tonight at 9PM ET! Join us and National Symphony Orchestra Musicians for a program of Beethoven, Prokofiev, Ravel, and Tchaikovsky with conductors Gianandrea Noseda and Karina Canellakis.

Read below for an insight to the program and an overview of the new NSO Showcase season from Nicole Lacroix.

Nicole Lacroix celebrates the return of NSO Showcase on WETA Classical with a sneak peek into upcoming programs of archival recordings from the National Symphony Orchestra.

10/31/2025

Happy Halloween!!

Guess witch 🧙‍♂️ 🧙‍♀️ WETA Classical host carved this trick or treat 🎃

10/30/2025

Today marks the 81st anniversary of the premiere of Copland's Appalachian Spring at The Library of Congress. Join us tonight at 8PM for a special program with James Jacobs, exploring the treasured history of the LOC's Coolidge Audiotorium, the story behind the premiere with Martha Graham, and enjoy the historic recording of the performance.

On Thursday nights at 8PM throughout November, James Jacobs will continue to present further programs showcasing historic recordings from the Library of Congress concert series, showcasing the impact it had in shaping classical music in the US and beyond.