New Releases Mar. 11: Composer Focuses
Explore landmark works by Jean Sibelius and Aram Khachaturian, plus unheralded repertoire by Gaetano Donizetti, Ernest Chausson, John Field, and Marie de Grandval.
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Playlist: 5 of Alisa Weilerstein’s Favorite New Works for Cello
"I try to take Rostropovich’s example, who had incredible relationships with composers and of course was the muse to Shostakovich and Prokofiev," Alisa Weilerstein said. "Without him, we might not have these titanic 20th century cello works."
Stanisław Moniuszko: The Most Famous Polish Composer You Don’t Know (But Should)
Stanisław Moniuszko may not be a household name today, the composer is literally the face of Polish opera... a statue of him rests outside of the Warsaw Opera House.
How Grammy Award-Winning Jazz Singer Kurt Elling Developed His Chops Singing Motets by J.S. Bach
As Elling returned to his native Chicago for performances at City Winery, he spoke about how classical music has influenced him throughout his life.
5 Rising Stars in Classical Music Who Got Their Start in Chicago
Many musicians have started their careers in Chicago, and some of them have also studied at the Academy of the Music Institute of Chicago. Founded in 2006, the Academy was established to serve as a training center for gifted pre-college classical musicians. The program is designed for piano and strings. “The Academy was modeled after another program, the oldest of its ...
Chicago Fringe Opera Brings Rarely Performed Glass Opera ‘In the Penal Colony’ to the Windy City
At 79 years old, Philip Glass has composed 27 operas. Yet, only a handful have been performed in Chicago, though the composer spent formative years in the Windy City as a student.
How Stephen King’s ‘The Shining’ Became an Opera
Pulitzer-winning composer Paul Moravec: “A supernatural story makes total sense for an opera...”
Conductor Mariss Jansons on Shostakovich’s “Leningrad” Symphony, Music, and Politics
Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 7, titled “Leningrad,” was written during one of the most horrific sieges in history. From 1941 to 1944, Hitler’s army surrounded Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), and over one million civilians died. Conductor Mariss Jansons, renowned for his interpretations of Shostakovich symphonies, has a particularly interesting connection to Leningrad. Jansons was born in Soviet-controlled Latvia. Later, he would ...
Leif Ove Andsnes on Becoming Beethoven, Brahms
"I just finished a four year Beethoven journey where I immersed myself in the music of this great composer, especially his five piano concertos," says Andsnes. "I basically just played Beethoven for years."
The Truth About the “Worst Singer of All Time,” Florence Foster Jenkins, Told by Her Accompanist
Florence Foster Jenkins couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket. Yet, she made her Carnegie Hall debut to a completely sold-out house on October 25, 1944.
Tenor Javier Camarena on His History-Making Met Encore
Tenor Javier Camarena made history on March 12, 2016, when he performed an encore during a performance of Donizetti’s Don Pasquale at the Metropolitan Opera, making him one of three singers to offer encores so in the company’s recent history. He spoke about performing the encore, the music itself, and other exciting moments in his career in anticipation of his upcoming performance in ...
