Press Release

VOICES: A COLLECTION OF ILLINOIS STORIES RADIO SERIES FEATURES VOICES OF PRISONERS, YOUNG WRITERS, AND MUSICIANS

Illinois Humanities Council-sponsored series will air on 98.7WFMT April 6 – May 2.

CHICAGO – The Illinois Humanities Council (IHC) is pleased to announce that Voices: A Collection of Illinois Stories, a radio series produced in partnership with 98.7WFMT, Chicago’s Classical Experience, will air beginning Monday, April 6. Voices: A Collection of Illinois Stories is a four-part radio series that features programs funded and created by the IHC.

This original documentary series can be heard on 98.7WFMT every Monday at 6:50 p.m. and every Saturday morning at 7:00 a.m. from April 6 through May 2.  Each segment can also be heard, as they air, via WFMT’s enhanced web streaming and will be archived for on-demand listening at http://www.wfmt.com/. The series is also being offered to radio stations across the state (please check local listings) through The WFMT Radio Network.

Voices: A Collection of Illinois Stories showcases the talents of the state’s youth, artists, musicians, and volunteers in programs funded or created by the IHC.

  • Abraham Lincoln in Song – IHC Road Scholar Chris Vallillo takes an audience on a musical journey through Abraham Lincoln’s life in Elgin, IL. Airs Monday, April 6 at 6:50 p.m.; repeats Saturday, April 11 at 7:00 a.m.
  • Beyond Bars: The Stateville Book Club – a book club for prisoners at Stateville maximum security prison who are serving actual or defacto life sentences, run by the John Howard Association. Airs Monday, April 13 at 6:50 p.m.; repeats Saturday, April 18 at 7:00 a.m.
  • How A Voice Slams – a program combining soccer training and writing clinics run by America SCORES that is creating some of Chicago’s fiercest poets. Airs Monday, April 20 at 6:50 p.m.; repeats Saturday, April 25 at 7:00 a.m.
  • Museum on Main Street: Between Fences – the Pinckneyville, IL opening of an exhibit exploring how neighbors and nations divide, protect, offend, and defend through the boundaries they build, as part of the IHC’s Museum on Main Street program. Airs Monday, April 27 at 6:50 p.m.; repeats Saturday, May 2 at 7:00 a.m.

Voices: A Collection of Illinois Stories is underwritten by the Illinois Humanities Council. The series was produced and reported by Anne Glickman for the WFMT Radio Network, and edited and mixed in the studios of 98.7WFMT. For more information on the series, visit www.prairie.org/Voices.

About the Illinois Humanities Council

The Illinois Humanities Council is a nonprofit educational organization [501 (c) [3] dedicated to fostering a culture in which the humanities are a vital part of the lives of individuals and communities.  Organized in 1973 as the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the IHC creates programs and funds organizations that promote greater understanding of, appreciation for, and involvement in the humanities by all Illinoisans, regardless of their economic resources, cultural background, or geographic location. The IHC is supported by state, federal, and private funds.  For more information about the Illinois Humanities Council, please call (312) 422-5580, write ihc@prairie.org, or visit http://www.prairie.org/.

About 98.7WFMT

98.7WFMT, Chicago’s Classical Experience, provides the best and broadest selection of classical music and fine arts programming in the country.  A broadcasting force for more than 55 years, the station’s appeal continues to widen.  98.7WFMT is currently serving the largest audience in the station’s history.  Via WFMT’s enhanced streaming service at wfmt.com/streaming, the station’s programming is now available to a global audience.  More information about 98.7WFMT is available at http://www.wfmt.com/. 

About The WFMT Radio Network

The WFMT Radio Network, the international syndication division of award-winning Chicago classical music station 98.7WFMT, is one of the world’s most well-regarded sources for classical, jazz and folk music programming. The WFMT Radio Network syndicates performances by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, as well as ongoing series and documentary specials such as Exploring Music with Bill McGlaughlin and Leonard Bernstein: An American Life. The WFMT Radio Network also offers exclusive programming from Germany’s Deutsche Welle Radio, the British Broadcasting Corporation, and dozens of classical, folk, jazz, news series, and specials to radio outlets around the world.  Many of the WFMT Radio Network’s series and specials are available for on-demand listening for a nominal fee at www.wfmt.com/streaming.

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