Grace Bumbry, 1st Black singer at Bayreuth, dies at 86
Bumbry was among the winners of the 1958 Met National Council Auditions. She had a recital debut in Paris that same year and made her Paris Opéra debut in 1960.
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VIDEO: “A Shot of Malört” Is the Song Every Chicagoan Needs to Hear
Two of the most famous songs about the Windy City have been recorded by Frank Sinatra: “Chicago” and “My Kind of Town.” WFMT host Robbie Ellis has composed his own Chicago song, “A Shot of Malört,” that he shared during the station’s first Classical Cabaret, hosted at the Uptown Underground nightclub and broadcast live. For those who aren’t familiar, Jeppson’s ...
Pianist Mary Sauer Retires from Chicago Symphony Orchestra After 57 Years of Service
Sauer began her long tenure with the CSO in 1959 when Music Director Fritz Reiner invited her to perform with the orchestra. During the 1967-68 season, Music Director Jean Martinon officially added her to the roster. She was named principal piano at the start of the 2000-01 season.
6 Times Orchestras Scored at Major Sporting Events
Memorable performances by orchestras at recent sporting events.
Baroque Opera Discovered in Bolivian Jungles Has Midwest Premiere
When exploring the jungles of South America, perhaps one of the last things you would expect to find are centuries old scores by European composers like Scarlatti, Vivaldi, Bassani, and Hasse. But that’s exactly what Father Piotr Nawrot encountered in Jesuit Missions located in modern-day Bolivia, along with the score to an opera, San Ignacio, which receives its Midwestern premiere ...
Powder sprinkled into opera pit may have been human ashes
NEW YORK (AP) — A powdery substance a man sprinkled into the orchestra pit at New York’s Metropolitan Opera may have been an opera lover’s ashes, police said Saturday. The freakish incident during an afternoon performance of Rossini’s “Guillaume Tell” forced Met officials to cancel the rest of the show as well as an evening performance of a second opera. ...
Second City and Lyric Look for the Lighter Side of Wagner with “LONGER! LOUDER! WAGNER!”
The latest collaboration between Lyric Opera of Chicago and Second City is LONGER! LOUDER! WAGNER!, which runs through Sunday, October 30 at the Civic Opera House. Actor Tim Ryder, who appeared in The Second City Guide to the Opera (also in collaboration with Lyric), said: “This show tells two stories in parallel: the story of Richard Wagner as he creates the Ring ...
Joan Baez Talks Trump, Taxes, and Dylan
Joan Baez has always said she is an activist first and an artist second. At 75 years old, her priorities have not changed. This fall, Baez is on a tour of major cities throughout the United States to, in part, raise awareness about the nation’s criminal justice system.
Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association Reports Ticket Sales Up, Deficit Slightly Down
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association announced the results from the 2015-2016 fiscal year at its Annual Meeting, which took place October 26, 2016 at Symphony Center. The organization posted a deficit of $1.1 million, though ticket sales for the CSO Main series hit record highs. The CSOA reported that overall ticket sales were down slightly to $22.2 million from last ...
Batter Up! 10 Tunes to Enjoy Between Baseball Innings
Got baseball on the brain? You’re definitely not alone! Here are some tunes you can enjoy in between innings this baseball season.
3 New-to-Chicago Contemporary Operas You Can See During National Opera Week
National Opera Week 2016 is from October 28 to November 6. Why not celebrate by experiencing the Chicago premiere of a contemporary opera? You can see not one, not two, but three new-to-Chicago operas.
