Music: External Music Resources

The Lester S. Levy Sheet Music Collection is a valuable resource for both amateur and professional musicians, with over 20,000 sheet music scores available to download and play.

The Music Division is one of the world's preeminent music collections—documenting the art of music in all its diversity—classical and opera as well as the whole spectrum of popular music including spirituals, ragtime, jazz, musical theater, film, rock and world music. While the division contains many scores and manuscripts from centuries past, its curatorial mandate is an activist one, placing major emphasis on capturing the creative output of contemporary composers.

An index to traditional folk songs of the world with an emphasis on English-language songs. Each entry includes the song title, first line of chorus, first line of verse, and full bibliographic information on the source. The index contains over 62,000 entries, and, to date indexes over 2,400 anthologies.

View digitized copies of manuscripts, sheet music, interviews on a wide range of topics. Collections include: Amazing Grace - 51 items relating to the history of this hymn; the Franz List collection containing primary source materials on the life and work of this composer; and The Library of Congress Celebrates The Songs of America

Experience the magic of Lyric with $20 discount student tickets to select performances of operas, musicals, and special events. This free program is available to all full-time, degree-seeking college and graduate students.

Symphony Center welcomes students with special offers and opportunities to connect with other music lovers. Selected seats in all sections available for $15.00. Check the website for full instructions.

During the 2023-2024 season, student tickets are available free of charge for any of Music of the Baroque’s performances at the Harris Theater. Students can reserve up to two complimentary tickets per valid student ID. Free student tickets are also available at the Harris Theater box office starting two hours prior to the performance.

Chicago Sinfonietta believes classical music should be accessible to everyone. To help make performing arts a part of daily life, we we offer a variety of ticket options, with prices starting at $5. We are excited to have you join us. (Offer valid while supplies last, tickets are available online or by calling our box office)

Student tickets - $15.00
Performing at “an exceptionally high caliber” (Chicago Classical Reviews), Civitas Ensemble started in 2011 with four friends who shared the same visions and values of using their music to serve and impact the Chicago community through the transformative power of their art. Civitas presents engaging live performances of new and traditional works. The Ensemble members teach and inspire the next generation of classical musicians, and bring live performances to those with limited access.

All of Bach is a project of the Netherlands Bach Society. High-quality recordings of the works by Johann Sebastian Bach are made freely available for everyone.

The Bach Cantatas Website (BCW) is a comprehensive site covering all aspects of J.S. Bach's cantatas and his other vocal works and many of his instrumental works. The BCW is an international collective project. The boxes below describe the main sections of the BCW.

Classic FM is a 100 per cent classical music radio station. Since we began broadcasting in September 1992, the station has brought classical music to millions of people across the UK. Classic FM has around 5.2 million listeners tuning in each week, making it the biggest classical music radio station in the world.

Guide article about Bach's cantatas

Discogs is an online database and marketplace of music releases that helps any enthusiast — from casual fan to professional collector — savor music in a more personal and meaningful way.

The American Folk Song Collection launched in 2004 with the support of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Field recordings, along with transcriptions and analysis, now form the heart of this online, multimedia collection, created by noted arts website producer Larry R. Larson. The collection contains folk songs representing many geographic areas and cultures present in the United States. Each song has been selected for its beauty, musical versatility and suitability for teaching.

Limited free access. News, reports, blogs, lists of competitions for the musical performing arts community

The largest repository of materials related to the viola in the world. Named in honor of William Primrose (1904-1982), the Scottish viola virtuoso who helped establish the viola as a concert instrument.

Smithsonian Folkways Recordings is the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution, the national museum of the United States. We are dedicated to supporting cultural diversity and increased understanding among peoples through the documentation, preservation, and dissemination of sound. We believe that musical and cultural diversity contributes to the vitality and quality of life throughout the world. Through the dissemination of audio recordings and educational materials we seek to strengthen people's engagement with their own cultural heritage and to enhance their awareness and appreciation of the cultural heritage of others. Smithsonian Folkways is part of the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.

The University of California at Santa Barbara launched its Early Recording Initiative in 2022, aimed at archiving our earliest recordings of the sound era. Browse the collection of Edison cylinder recordings created between 1877 and 1929, or listen to curated playlists.

WFMT is committed to producing and presenting trusted, best-in-class content fueled by a distinctly Chicago sensibility. We engage our audiences by entertaining, inspiring, educating, and reflecting a diversity of perspectives.