News

WFMT broadcast: American Music with Thomas Hampson and Bramwell Tovey

WFMT’s Chicago Symphony Orchestra Radio Broadcast Series will broadcast a live performance featuring Thomas Hampson and the CSO, led by Bramwell Tovey, on June 30 at 8 PM (CT). Hosted by Lisa Simeone, the two-hour Chicago Symphony Orchestra broadcasts include dynamic and innovative commentary, which takes the listener behind the scenes and into the music. The performance features a program of American songs and orchestral music by Ives, Copland, Still, and more. Learn more about the broadcast here.

Hampson, who joined the CSO for the performances at the beginning of the year, garnered critical praise for his brilliant performance:

“The eminent baritone Thomas Hampson was the featured soloist in the evening’s all-American opening, a superb choice considering that few singers have done more to champion art songs of this country. Better still, Hampson famously delivers this material with the polished tones one expects of European lieder but also with a distinctly American rhythmic lilt and cadence.

He proved the point in a suite of three of Aaron Copland’s “Old American Songs,” traditional tunes set to Copland’s original accompaniment. “Simple Gifts” stands as the most famous of these, thanks to its prominent appearance in Copland’s “Appalachian Spring” ballet score, but Hampson shed light on this familiar music. The sheer tenderness of his long-held notes, the crisp articulation of his every syllable and his subtly changing tonal shades brought new meanings to a universally known song.” (Chicago Tribune)