WFMT now gives you a daily connection to the amazing wealth and variety of classical music in the Chicago region. Music in Chicago is heard weekdays at noon, featuring recordings and live performances by area soloists and ensembles and visiting artists. This Monday, we pay tribute to the late violinist Elliott Golub. On Tuesday, we’ll hear the Civitas Ensemble from the Rush Hour Concert Series. On Wednesday, we’ll take you downtown for a live Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert with pianist Huiping Cai. On Thursday, Chicago Sinfonietta will be featured from their recent recording, and Friday we’ll hear a piece performed in concert by the Wicker Park Choral Singers.
Elliott Golub with the Music of the Baroque Orchestra
Monday, July 29 — Elliott Golub
Renowned Chicago violinist Elliott Golub died July 14 at the age of 85. He was the founding concertmaster of Music of the Baroque, holding the position from the ensemble’s establishment in 1972 until his retirement in 2006. Over the course of his career, Golub performed at the Kennedy Center, the Library of Congress, and the White House. He was the recipient of numerous rewards, including the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Cleveland Institute of Music and the Otto Wirth Award from Roosevelt University.
Music
Concerto for Violin and 3 Violins (in echo) in A Major, RV 552 by Antonio Vivaldi
Civitas Ensemble
Tuesday, July 30 — Civitas Ensemble
Founded in 2011, Civitas is a chamber music ensemble with a threefold mission: to present engaging live performances of new and traditional works; to inspire a young generation of classical musicians; and to bring the healing power of music to those with limited access to live performances. The ensemble performed music of Chen Yi and Beethoven on July 23 at St. James Cathedral’s Rush Hour Concert Series.
Music
Piano Trio in B-flat Major, Op. 11 by Ludwig van Beethoven
Huiping Cai, pianist
Wednesday, July 31 — Huiping Cai
Twenty-one-year-old Huiping Cai is one of the most exciting young talents coming from China today. Winner of numerous national and international competitions, her performances have been highly praised for their lyricism, musicality, as well as formidable technique. She will perform Wednesday at 12:15 p.m. in the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series at the Chicago Cultural Center.
Music
Sonatine by Maurice Ravel
Au Soir; Caprice-Valse by Ignacy Jan Paderewski
Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 35 by Frédéric Chopin
Project W – Works By Diverse Women Composers
Thursday, August 1 — Chicago Sinfonietta
Conductor Mei-Ann Chen and the Chicago Sinfonietta — the adventurous, MacArthur Award-winning orchestra that champions racial, ethnic, and gender diversity in classical music — give world-premiere recordings of newly commissioned American works by Jennifer Higdon, Clarice Assad, Jessie Montgomery, and Reena Esmail on Project W: Works by Diverse Women Composers, the capstone project of its 30th anniversary season.
Music
Sin Fronteras by Clarice Assad
Wicker Park Choral Singers
Friday, August 2 — Wicker Park Choral Singers
In April 2019, the Wicker Park Choral Singers presented the program “Journey to Begin,” exploring the themes of travel and movement across a range of contexts and situations. It featured living composers who are using their music to address issues facing an increasingly complex world.
Music
The Baths of the Western Stars by Tabes Bridges
