Chicago Opera Theater ’25-26 Season Announced
Including titles by Kurt Weill and Antonio Salieri.
Don't Miss a Beat
Pulitzer-Winning Librettist Mark Campbell Explains How to Write an Opera
Mark Campbell has written the words to over fifteen operas to date, making him one of the most active librettists alive. When Campbell visited the Windy City, he spoke about his work and explained, “how do you write an opera?”
Ravinia Announces 2-Year Bernstein Celebration, Curated by Conductor Marin Alsop
As a composer, conductor, and educator, Leonard Bernstein’s contributions left a tremendous impact on American classical and popular music. Ravinia celebrates his centenary.
Composer Rodrigo Cadet Creates World-Premiere Works for Chicago Students to Teach About Mexico & Its Music
“Music is the perfect way to get to know other parts of the world,” said composer Rodrigo Cadet during a visit to Chicago from his native Mexico. “Sometimes you don’t have the time or means to travel to another place, but music can help you to do that.” As part of a yearlong residency, Cadet has been sharing his music ...
Conductor, MacArthur ‘Genius’ Marin Alsop Explains Why There Aren’t More Women on the Podiums
Marin Alsop is a woman of many firsts; she spoke to WFMT about how she’s inspired young women, why there aren't more women on the podiums, and more.
This Waltz Once Attributed to Strauss Is Actually by Indigenous Mexican Composer Juventino Rosas
Perhaps the next time you hear a waltz, you'll think Mexico City instead of Vienna.
How Lydia Mendoza, the First Queen of Tejano Music, Crossed Borders and Shaped a Tradition
Decades before fans called Selena Quintanilla-Pérez the Queen of Tejano music, singer and 12-string guitarist Lydia Mendoza held the crown as Tejano music’s first female icon. Born in 1916 to parents who migrated to Texas during the Mexican Revolution, Mendoza began her music career in a family band that performed on street corners and in open-air markets to make ends ...
The Women of Nordic Affect Share What Makes the Music of Iceland Some of the Coolest Stuff on Earth
Learn about what makes Iceland's music scene so unique from the only group that's performed with both Björk and The English Concert.
Just TRY Not to Weep Listening to Lila Downs Sing This Classic Canción Ranchera, “La Cruz de Olvido”
“I love to sing for people, and that helps with my mood swings too – especially folk music. Folk music is the mother of all music. It’s the people’s music. I am very grateful to express my views through the music. Music can make people confront reality and confront themselves.”
“Females Disrupting The Tap World” Explore Dance, Art, and Gender with New “Hansel and Gretel”
For jorsTap Chicago, a company that describes itself as “females disrupting the tap world,” dance functions not only as a storytelling medium but as a way to create safe spaces. The company’s latest project is a gender-inclusive re-telling of Hansel and Gretel created in collaboration with multimedia artist David Lee Csicsko. The original tale of a brother and sister who ...
This Amazon Parrot Singing “‘O Sole Mio” Along With Pavarotti Is All of Us When We Try to Sing Opera
Many musicians have performed the internationally beloved Italian song “‘O Sole Mio.” One songbird, a parrot in fact, performs the Neapolitan tune as a duet with the great Luciano Pavarotti. Composer Eduardo di Capua and lyricist Giovanni Capurro published their composition “‘O Sole Mio” in 1898. Since, it has been recorded by many artists including Andrea Bocelli and Elvis Presley. ...
