CSO Unveils ’25-26 Season, New Artist-in-Residence
With a characteristically star-studded lineup of conductors and soloists.
Don't Miss a Beat
Why Pianist Hélène Grimaud Flooded the Park Avenue Armory with 122,000 Gallons of Water
“We could have made a program with only pieces by Ravel, Debussy, and Liszt,” Grimaud said. “But I wanted to represent as many composers as possible, which meant only one piece per composer..."
Playlist: 11 More Rossini Operas You Should Know (Beyond ‘Barber’)
Gioachino Rossini made so much money from the 39 original operas he created between 1810 and 1829 that he retired in his late 30s.
Pulitzer-Winning Composer David Lang on Composing for the Silver Screen
"One of the things I really like about film is the size of the audience. There are potentially millions and millions of people who want to see film, who are open to hearing music, and who know that music can be an important part of the film experience."
Bartlett Sher on Shakespeare in the Opera House
“Opera is deeply satisfying in a way that Shakespeare cannot be,” stage director Barlett Sher said backstage at Lyric Opera of Chicago during rehearsals for Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette.
Grammy-Winning Violinist Gil Shaham’s Advice for Young Musicians
Grammy Award-winning violinist Gil Shaham made his professional debut at age 10, an age when most are hardly even thinking about professional work of any kind.
‘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.
