Bill McGlaughlin — musician, teacher, composer, conductor, and the founding host of WFMT's globally syndicated program Exploring Music — has passed away. He leaves behind a body of work that reshaped the way generations of listeners came to know and love classical music.
For more than twenty years, McGlaughlin was the voice listeners associated with discovery. Exploring Music first aired on WFMT in Chicago in 2003, and across its weekday run, the show walked audiences through classical music theme by theme — connecting composers, history, literature, and culture into weekly explorations that drew in newcomers and lifelong devotees alike.
His work reached well beyond the microphone. A graduate of Temple University, McGlaughlin spent his early career as a trombonist with the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Pittsburgh Symphony. He went on to serve as music director for the Kansas City Symphony, the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, and the Tucson Symphony, and he led the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra as conductor while regularly guest-conducting orchestras nationwide.
His years hosting Saint Paul Sunday earned him both a Peabody Award and a Deems Taylor Award, and made him a recognizable presence across radio and television programming built around bringing classical music to wider audiences.
McGlaughlin also composed original works, several of them rooted in personal relationships and tribute. Among them: Three Dreams and a Question: Choral Songs on E. E. Cummings, written in memory of pianist and composer Kevin Oldham; Aaron's Horizons, a tribute to Aaron Copland; Walt Whitman's Dream, scored for chorus and orchestra; and Surveying Lake Wobegon, composed alongside Garrison Keillor.
Beyond his musicianship, McGlaughlin was widely admired as a teacher at heart. He had a knack for uncovering the human stories behind a piece of music, and that gift made even the most familiar classical works feel new again — drawing listeners deeper into music they thought they already knew.
WFMT's Head of Programming & Operations, Roger Wight, reflected on that impact: "Bill McGlaughlin's artistry, curiosity, and generosity touched countless people throughout the classical music community." He added that the station remains grateful for McGlaughlin's decades of partnership and the mark he left on listeners and colleagues alike.
WFMT President and CEO Sandra Cordova Micek echoed that sentiment, saying McGlaughlin's talents as a broadcaster, musician, and educator "transformed the way generations of listeners experienced classical music." She noted that his warmth and depth of knowledge made Exploring Music a cornerstone of WFMT's programming, and that his legacy will keep inspiring audiences for years to come.
More than anything, Bill McGlaughlin taught people how to listen. Through his performances, his compositions, his broadcasts, and especially through Exploring Music, he gave millions of listeners a way into classical music — leaving behind a passion for discovery that will continue to resonate for generations.
The final week of episodes featuring McGlaughlin will air starting August 17, 2026, centered on the theme "Curse of the Ninth! Ninth Symphonies." After that, the program moves forward under new host Peter van de Graaff.
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