Illinois Public Media

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2026-27 Orchestral Season Round-Up

2026-27 Orchestral Season Round-Up

 Central Illinois is fortunate to be home to a number of stellar professional orchestras, from Danville to Springfield, Champaign-Urbana to Bloomington-Normal. Click for a full list of concerts. If you're only able to attend one concert this season, you'll find “Clef Notes” Editor Katie Buzard’s top pick for each ensemble, marked by a star.
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America The Bountiful: America's 250th Anniversary Special
Illinois Classical
Illinois Classical 90.9

Your home for Classical and more in Central Illinois.
Atomic Age Cocktail Party
Atomic Age logo with an illustration of a man racing up to a group of stars. Text reads

Stairway to the Stars (170)
This time, on the Atomic Age Cocktail Party, we’re taking a Stairway to the Stars! It’s song from the hi-fi era focusing on “stars.” We’ll hear from Nat King Cole,…
Dialogue
two people

He traveled for justice and found tragedy: unpacking the death of Antonio Mays in Seattle’s CHOP
Discover the truth behind a utopian protest turned deadly with a new podcast investigating the 2020 unsolved murder of a Black teenager in Seattle's autonomous zone.
Weather Realness

How MTD operates under severe weather conditions
The Champaign Urbana Mass Transit District has driven passengers from stop to stop for decades. But how do they continue their services under severe weather?
Weather Realness

How weather can impact baseball, from summer heat to cold winters
Weather shapes our daily lives in numerous ways, but what about its effect on baseball? Explore the science behind how rising temperatures can boost home runs.
The 21st Show
a black-and-white photo of the author shows a white woman in a white blouse; the book cover features an indigo background dotted by golden stars and clouds, radiating from a green baseball diamond; in the background is a photo of the famous red sign at Wrigley Field; and in the bottom corner a small goat peeks its head up and looks directly into the camera, as if to say,

The true story of the Billy Goat Curse, and other tales of baseball magic
From the Billy Goat to the Black Sox, the idea that the Cubs and White Sox were cursed is a key part of Illinois baseball lore. Author Addy Baird explores those stories and…
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

Propagation, Hail Recovery & Summer Garden Tips
In this episode of Mid-American Gardener, Tinisha is joined by horticulturists Karen Ruckle and Ella Maxwell for hands-on advice on how to keep your garden thriving all…
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…