Introductions | WFMT

About Introductions | WFMT

Introductions 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.

Publisher

WFMT

Category

music

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

29 Jun 2024

Latest episode

4 Oct 2025

Latest episodes

30 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   4 Oct 2025

   2025 CSO Young Composers Initiative

   The Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Negaunee Music Institute and mentor Jessie Montgomery took six young composers and guided them through workshops of new pieces throughout the year. The Young Composers Initiative culminated in a concert featuring fellows of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago as performers. Two of the composers have previously appeared on WFMT: – Sylvia Pine performed as a violinist on Live from WFMT in May 2025 (https://www.wfmt.com/2025/05/12/rachel-barton-pine-violin-and-sylvia-pine-violin-with-matthew-hagle-piano/); – Clara Frantzen was featured in two Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras Introductions episodes: as a violinist and composer in July 2025 (https://www.wfmt.com/2025/07/12/chicago-youth-symphony-orchestras-class-of-2025/) and as an interviewee about Lollapalooza in August 2025 (https://www.wfmt.com/2025/08/23/chicago-youth-symphony-orchestras-at-lollapalooza/).

2. 

   20 Sept 2025

   LIVE | Elle Cho, 16, violin

   Today we hear from 16-year-old violinist Elle Cho. She plays Bach, Beach and Tchaikovsky with pianist Milana Pavchinskaya. Elle Cho began violin studies at the age of three and is a Fellow at the Music Institute of Chicago Academy, a training center for advanced pre-college musicians. As a winner of the DePaul Concerto Competition, she made her solo debut at age eight with the Oistrakh Symphony of Chicago. Since then, Elle has been a prizewinner in numerous competitions and was awarded the prestigious Anthony Quinn Foundation Scholarship in recognition of her artistic excellence. She has performed in masterclasses with leading artists including Martin Beaver, Midori, Ani Kavafian, Rachel Barton Pine, Boris Garlitsky, Yair Kless, James Ehnes, Vadim Gluzman, and Ilya Kaler. Elle has also participated in renowned summer festivals such as the Aspen Music Festival, the Bowdoin International Music Festival, the Heifetz International Music Institute, the Encore Chamber Music Institute, Musica Mundi, Mozarteum Summer Masterclasses, and the Menton Summer Festival. A dedicated chamber musician, Elle is a member of Quartet Meraviglia, which was awarded Bronze Medal at the 2024 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, the 2024 St. Paul String Quartet Competition, and the Grand Prize at the Chicago National Chamber Music Competition. She currently studies violin with Almita Vamos.

3. 

   6 Sept 2025

   Porphyrion String Quartet and The Hemingway Quartet

   This week, two string quartets from the Music Institute of Chicago Academy play Haas, Dvořák, Brahms, Prokofiev, and a double helping of C major Haydn. Some players have previously appeared on Introductions: – Mingshi Xia and Simon Updegraff played with Trioscuro in September 2024 (https://www.wfmt.com/2024/09/21/the-purple-hippopotami-and-trioscuro/) – Simon Updegraff additionally did a live solo recital in November 2023 (https://www.wfmt.com/2023/11/11/live-simon-updegraff-16-cello/) – Lucy Wu has been broadcast in previous Academy chamber groups in November 2024 (https://www.wfmt.com/2024/11/09/three-academy-string-quartets/) and

Who has been a guest on Introductions | WFMT

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Lily Yoshihara
• Jacob Cornejo
• Henry Auxenfans
• Jesse Perez
• David Roche

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 3 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

6

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

0

Contact Introductions | WFMT

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.