Saturdays at 9:00 am
An hour of stirring music written for movies, TV and screens of all sizes!
Every Saturday morning, Soundtrack highlights adventurous new work written for film, television and the occasional video game, as well as beloved big-screen favorites bringing back so many memories. Introduced by Chicago film critic Michael Phillips, Soundtrack showcases both original and existing themes evoking love, suspense, powerful imagery and rollicking fun rendered in some truly memorable sounds. Come to the movies with us!
Portions of the music heard on Soundtrack comes from the Fred Holmes Jr. Memorial Film Score Library.
There are no upcoming broadcasts at the moment.
Memorial Day Special
May 23, 2026
Looking back at soundtracks honoring the men and women of the armed forces.
Waltzes
May 16, 2026
Fred Astaire and Ginger Roger in Swing Time. The waltz scene from Madame Bovary. Sample iconic waltzes from movies and TV during this hour of Soundtrack, and hear how they were composed to fit certain scenes.
Star Wars and Star Trek
May 9, 2026
Celebrating May the 4th and the birth of George Lucas in one show! Sountrack begins with the opening of Korngold’s “King’s Row,” which was the temporary first track for the famous Star Wars opening title crawl, before diving into Star Wars music selections by John Williams. Later, we will explore Michael Giacchino’s music for Star Wars: Rogue One, as well ...
On The Cutting Room Floor
May 2, 2026
With Michael Phillips taking the week off, Kristina and Weston take it upon themselves to air some film music from the backlog – selections put together for previous episodes of Soundtrack that never got aired, but whose masterful musicality demands a moment in the spotlight.
Elmer Bernstein
April 4, 2026
It’s a birthday celebration of Elmer Bernstein – one of the most prolific American composers of film music. Credited with created some of the most iconic scores in Hollywood, Bernstein has worked on over 150 films and 80 television shows, including among others The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape, and To Kill a Mockingbird.
April Fools!
March 28, 2026
A collection of music about zany hijinks, plots going wrong, and themes that just sound a little goofy.
A Tribute to Stephen Sondheim
March 21, 2026
Key American composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim was born on March 22nd, 1930. We celebrate his birthday with a collection of his best music written for film and TV!
The Music of John Barry
January 31, 2026
John Barry is perhaps best known for creating one of the catchiest ear worms of all time: the theme song to James Bond. In fact, he created the scores to 11 films in the franchise! Yet the decorated film composer and conductor has many other soundtracks under his belt. From Dances with Wolves to Midnight Cowboy and many more titles, the ...
Music of Elmer Bernstein
January 17, 2026
Elmer Bernstein was a 20th century American composer and conductor whose staggering musical output includes over 150 film scores and music for 80 television programs. Listen through some of his most iconic scores, including music for Some Came Running, The Black Cauldron, and Staccato. Plus, enjoy music by Prokofiev for a movie that never got made.
Unused Film Scores
January 10, 2026
From movies that never got made, to composers whose work was passed over, there are a lot of recordings of movie music that never made it on to the big screen. Today, we celebrate some of these great works – including what was supposed to be the original score to 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Dragons!
January 3, 2026
Dive into the music surrounding one of fantasy’s most iconic and epic creatures. This week features music from movies, video games, and TV shows about dragons, mentioning dragons, or simply having dragons in the title!
Year in Review!
December 27, 2025
The team behind Soundtrack look back at all of the film music they’ve discovered in 2025. Hear highlights from Kristina Lynn, Michael Phillips, Jan Weller, and Weston Williams, and find out what they might be looking forward to in 2026.
Snow and Ice
December 13, 2025
As we get closer to the Winter Solstice, explore the best music of wintry movies from a variety of genres: from the 2011 documentary March of the Penguins to Disney’s cult-classic Frozen.
Joe Hisaishi’s 75th
December 6, 2025
Mamoru Fujisawa, also known as Joe Hisaishi, celebrates his 75th birthday on December 6th, 2025. To celebrate the occasion, we revisit some of his most iconic compositions, including Ghibli film soundtracks, electronic experiments, and lesser known works.
Happy Birthday, Ennio Morricone!
November 8, 2025
We celebrate the legacy of legendary Italian film composer Ennio Morricone with a program dedicated to some of his most beloved scores.
Music of Nicholas Britell
October 11, 2025
American film composer Nicholas Britell has created the soundtrack for many highly-lauded films, including HBO’s Emmy-winning series Succession, and the Academy Award Best Picture winner Moonlight.
A Birthday Salute to Guillermo del Toro
October 4, 2025
In honor of the esteemed filmmaker’s birthday, we dive into the music of the sometimes odd, sometimes terrifying, and always fascinating world of Guillermo del Toro films.
Ludovico Einaudi’s The Summer Portaits
September 27, 2025
Italian pianist and composer Ludovico Einaudi chats with WFMT’s Kristina Lynn about his career in film and television scores. Plus, enjoy insights into his new album The Summer Portraits in advance of the Chicago stop on his ongoing North American concert tour.
Autumn Themes
September 20, 2025
A special fall-themed episode explores music from the movies, TV shows, and video games that call to mind crisp autumn months.
Music of Leonard Rosenman
September 6, 2025
Highlights from the film composers career, including music from Rebel Without a Cause, East of Eden, and much more.
