Illinois Classical

Illinois Classical Illinois Classical is central Illinois' dedicated classical station, broadcasting on 90.9 FM and streaming at illinoisclassical.org.

Part of Illinois Public Media in the College of Media, we are licensed to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

06/06/2026

If you missed last night's broadcast of Atomic Age Cocktail Party featuring Hi Fi Big Brass Sound, you've got another chance to tune in. Hear the episode tonight at 10 PM on Illinois Classical 90.9 FM following Tiny Desk Radio.

Can't make it then? Listen anytime using the link in the comments.

On this week's episode of Prairie Performances, we celebrate the life, music, and collaborations of jazz titan Sonny Rol...
06/03/2026

On this week's episode of Prairie Performances, we celebrate the life, music, and collaborations of jazz titan Sonny Rollins, who passed away on May 25, 2026, at the age of 95.

Join us Thursday June 4 at 7pm CST on Illinois Classical 90.9 or stream now on our website!

Clef Notes Editor Katie Buzard had the pleasure of interviewing composer Ilya Demutsky and attending a special preview e...
06/01/2026

Clef Notes Editor Katie Buzard had the pleasure of interviewing composer Ilya Demutsky and attending a special preview event for Yuri Possokhov’s “Eugene Onegin,” a brand-new ballet co-commissioned by The Joffrey Ballet.

🩰 Read the article linked in the comments below to learn more about Demutsky’s original score, his approach to composing for ballet, and his time as a George A. Miller Visiting Artist at the University of Illinois’ Center for Advanced Study.

🗓️ Mark your calendars! Check out our list of classical events taking place in Central Illinois this week. This week, we...
06/01/2026

🗓️ Mark your calendars! Check out our list of classical events taking place in Central Illinois this week. This week, we’re highlighting the Peoria Bach Festival, the first of two baroque music festivals to light up the region’s music scene this month.

For more information, see the June edition of the Clef Notes Blog, or visit the festival’s website: https://peoriabachfestival.org

🎼 Not a subscriber yet? Sign up today at https://will.illinois.edu/signup to get the classical calendar straight to your inbox each month.

06/01/2026

Exciting season ahead for our friends at Krannert Center! Check it out 👇

Congratulations, Maestro!
05/30/2026

Congratulations, Maestro!

Tune into Afternoon at the Opera this Saturday at noon for Gabriela Lena Frank’s “El Último Sueño de Frida e Diego,” a m...
05/29/2026

Tune into Afternoon at the Opera this Saturday at noon for Gabriela Lena Frank’s “El Último Sueño de Frida e Diego,” a magical-realist portrait of Mexico’s artistic power couple Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. The libretto by Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright Nilo Cruz reverses the Orpheus and Euridice myth, depicting Frida (sung by mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard) leaving the underworld on the Day of the Dead and reuniting briefly with Diego (baritone Carlos Álvarez). Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts the Met premiere of Frank’s debut opera, a “confident, richly imagined score” (The New Yorker) that “bursts with color and fresh individuality” (Los Angeles Times).

On this week’s episode of Prairie Performances, we dust off a few recordings from the Illinois Classical archive featuri...
05/27/2026

On this week’s episode of Prairie Performances, we dust off a few recordings from the Illinois Classical archive featuring winds and brass performers from the University of Illinois. Our program includes performances from the University of Illinois Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band, along with faculty soloists Ronald Romm, Timothy McGovern, and Debra Richtmeyer.

Join us Thursday, May 28 at 7pm CST on Illinois Classical 90.9, or stream now at our website.

Tune in this Saturday at noon on Illinois Classical 90.9 for Puccini’s “Turandot,” broadcast live from the Metropolitan ...
05/22/2026

Tune in this Saturday at noon on Illinois Classical 90.9 for Puccini’s “Turandot,” broadcast live from the Metropolitan Opera. Anna Pirozzi stars in the title role of the vengeful princess, whose frozen heart is thawed by the courageous prince Calàf, portrayed by Brian Jagde. Oksana Lyniv conducts the cast, which also features Angel Blue as the slave girl Liù, and John Relyea as Timur, Calàf’s long-lost father.

05/21/2026

The Chorale is celebrating its annual spring concert with a variety of songs all about love. Kathie Spegal is the director of Illinois Radio Reader at Illinois Public Media and a longtime member of The Chorale. Morning Edition host Kimberly Schofield spoke with Spegal about The Chorale and its upcoming concert.

Listen to or read the interview through the link in the comments.

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