Folk singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot dies at 84
“I simply write the songs about where I am and where I’m from,” Lightfoot once said. “I take situations and write poems about them.”
Don't Miss a Beat
‘I’m a white composer, living in white privilege, setting the poetry of Langston Hughes’
When Karpman encountered Langston Hughes' poem, she was instantly fascinated.
New Opera Exposes Horrors of My Lai Massacre
Growing up, composer Jonathan Berger reflects, "there was an enormous amount of talk in my house about what really constitutes patriotism, what is a right war and a wrong war..."
How Stevie Wonder’s Hit Songs Got to Chicago’s Symphony Center
Because the names Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, and Wagner are inscribed on the façade of Symphony Center, it may come as a surprise to some that the music of Stevie Wonder will pour out of Orchestra Hall.
Everything You Always Wanted to Know about the Lute but Were Afraid to Ask – with Paul O’Dette
Paul O’Dette is one of the most sought-after lute players in the world. In addition to being an active soloist, O’Dette is the co-artistic director of the Boston Early Music Festival, teaches at the Eastman School of Music, and records extensively, with credits on over 120 albums. His recording of Charpentier’s La Descente d’Orphée aux Enfer won the 2015 Grammy for Best Opera Recording. ...
Barbara Gaines, Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Artistic Director, Shares Her Favorite Theater Music
We spoke with the Chicago theater institution's founder and artistic director about the music that inspires her.
Why Vijay Iyer, DownBeat’s Jazz Artist of the Year, Doesn’t Like the Word ‘Jazz’
DownBeat magazine gave Vijay Iyer the honors of Jazz Artist & Jazz Group of the Year in its 63rd Annual Critics Poll. But to Iyer, jazz is a bit of a four-letter word.
Tech at the symphony: Boston orchestra loaning patrons iPads
BOSTON (AP) — A night at the symphony usually means silencing cellphones and mobile devices before the music starts. But as part of an effort to draw in a younger audience, the Boston Symphony Orchestra is loaning select patrons iPads loaded with content specific to each performance. They’ll be able to view sheet music for the pieces being played, video ...
How Handel’s Messiah Got a Gospel Makeover
Handel’s Messiah has been a perennial favorite since the oratorio premiered in Dublin in 1742. Like any beloved classic, the work has also been a favorite for composers to adapt. Too Hot to Handel: The Gospel Messiah offers a contemporary, American interpretation of Handel’s original.
Mystery Writer Sara Paretsky’s 5 Favorite Pieces of ‘Mysterious’ Classical Music
Chicago-based author Sara Paretsky is known for her crime and detective novels, but what may be less well-known is that Paretsky is a longtime fan of classical music.
Blair Tindall, Author of ‘Mozart in the Jungle,’ on Her Best-Selling Book and the Hit TV Series
Blair Tindall’s Mozart in the Jungle: Sex, Drugs, and Classical Music shocked readers when it exposed some of the low points of high culture.
