Illinois Public Media

Music

Terracotta plaque (ca. 460–450 BCE, Greek) depicting Odysseus disguised as a beggar comforting his grieving wife, Penelope.

“The Odyssey” as told through music

 One of the oldest surviving works of literature and a bedrock of Western culture, “The Odyssey” continues to move and enthrall audiences nearly 2,700 years after its supposed composition by the blind poet, Homer. Christopher Nolan’s recent film is just the latest take on a text that has inspired countless adaptations and works of art. On the latest from “Clef Notes,” editor Katie Buzard explores the musical adaptations of the Homeric epic from operas and oratorios to intimate art songs.
IPM Newsroom
Tickets go on sale AUGUST 13 for Kindred the Family Soul for Illinois Soul's third anniversary celebration
Illinois Classical
Illinois Classical 90.9

Your home for Classical and more in Central Illinois.
Prairie Performances
Stuart Davis's

Noisy Neighbors
This week on Prairie Performances, it’s our monthly jazz episode! The title is “Noisy Neighbors”—except in this case, we like having noisy neighbors. You will hear…
Dialogue

Dialogue Roundup: Data Center Debate, Champaign Youth Summer Job Program, and Dire Results of a Hospital Shutdown
A push to regulate data centers, Champaign Unit 4 students tell us what they've learned in their summer jobs, and it’s been more than three months since a West Side hospital…
The 21st Show
Alli Schroder, Captain of the Boston Hunters, with teammates at Springfield's Robin Roberts Stadium during the inaugural season of the Women's Pro Baseball Leaugue

A new women’s pro baseball league is playing in Springfield. But Illinois has always been part of the women’s baseball scene
Two years after the launch of the Women’s Pro Baseball League, the inaugural season is taking place right now — in Springfield, Illinois. We’ll talk about the…
The 21st Show

Why corn production could become a challenge
Illinois is one of the top corn producers in the country but producing it could be more difficult in the near future. Researchers at the University of Illinois…
The 21st Show

Democratic congressional candidate Julie Fortier on economy, gun laws, and Southern Illinois voters
Republican Congressman Mike Bost has a challenger this year in the mid-terms. Democratic congressional candidate Julie Fortier discusses the needs of Southern Illinois…
Prairie Fire

Prairie Fire: Season 3 - Episode 7 - May 2026
For this month's Prairie Fire, students from the University of Illinois’ College of Media spent a semester producing five short documentaries highlighting food, skating,…
Mid-American Gardener

We Visit Tranquility…A Backyard Garden Inspired by the Beauty of Japan
Tour a peaceful Champaign garden where Japanese design, bonsai, maples, and hundreds of hostas come together in a landscape more than 25 years in the making.
State of Change

Small gestures to make a big difference in preserving our planet
We visit a zero-waste general store, a garden bringing a community together in a Chicago food desert, a program protecting pollinators, and advice to increase sustainability…