and create a welcoming on-ramp for new listeners. As we approach this celebratory and evolutionary moment, we sat down with George Preston and Oliver Camacho to discuss the 70th anniversary festivities and how they plan to kickstart the next seventy years of WFMT. The Guide: WFMT’s 70th anniversary will be marked with a “Day of Celebration” on Monday, December 13 (see page 24 for details). 70 years is a lot of time to encapsulate into one day of programming. Tell us about how you approached putting the day together.
as programmers to really listen to the music we are putting on the radio with fresh ears, and think to ourselves, “What are the most exciting things that we can put in the mix?” I think that new audiences for classical music do not necessarily know what the most famous pieces are in the same way that folks did 30 and 40 years ago. And so, in a way, we have a great opportunity to put music on the air that just sounds wonderful and resonates emotionally with people, whether it is famous or not. What we hear from our listeners very consistently is that they love the wide variety of the music that we play. We are hearing from people that they really appreciate the mix they are hearing, that they are understanding in a new way that classical music is a living and evolving artform.
George Preston: Part of it was highlighting the important institutional relationships that WFMT has. And of course, we wanted a good mix of perforCamacho: I am also really trying to mances. We’ve got two string quartets; emphasize the local ties of our music. George Preston and Oliver Camacho a piano trio; two singers from Ryan This month, we’ll play the Messiah, Opera Center; the Music of the Baroque starring a soprano who is a homechorus in a smaller configuration than usual; Anne Harris, a grown Baroque diva who now has a thriving international career. wonderful folk crossover violinist; and a wind quintet from the Robbie is doing a Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative show on Chicago Sinfonietta. We wanted to make sure that the repertoire Introductions, and then we’ll play Christmas From DePaul for for the day reflects a rich mix of different creators. the first time. The Guide: How does this anniversary fit into the ongoing work of the station?
The Guide: Why do you think this work is especially important today?
Oliver Camacho: Thinking about legacy and traditions, this anniversary coincides with our really taking a look at the library and deciding which are the pieces we want to make sure we are centering. Removing old-fashioned interpretations and making sure that we hold on to the historical performances that are categorically agreed upon as a master interpretation. Part of that is asking, “Who are the new artists that are coming through?” And of course, “Who are the new composers that we are adding to that mix?”
Preston: A lot of the problems facing the world are extremely daunting, and the resolution of these problems is not clear. But one thing we can do to help is make sure that the world has easy access to great music and great art, whether it is for reassurance, solace, inspiration, or beauty. People have always turned to art to find their way through dark places. The Guide: Finally, how do you feel now, as we approach this exciting celebration?
The 70th anniversary also coincides with an exciting time for our host team. We have the anchors of our veteran hosts, and we also have new paths of programming that are happening because of collaborations with LaRob K. Rafael, Kristina Lynn, and Robbie Ellis.
Preston: Right now, I am grateful for the amazing team that we have at WFMT for all the work they put in, and for our long legacy of respecting listeners and presenting a broad range of music. I am more excited than I have ever been to be working in classical music and seeing what lies ahead.
Preston: I think this moment also sees us challenging ourselves
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
2021
DECEMBER
5
