Stories

man in blue suit smiles brilliantly in front of weathered wall

Tenor Piotr Beczała sings different productions of Wagner’s ‘Lohengrin’ 41 hours apart

First he was in Munich with the Bavarian State Opera. Then he was performing the same role at the Bayreuth Wagner festival in a different production.

Hannah De Priest

Keegan MorrisJuly 1, 2024

Bella Voce’s ’24–25 Season Charts Vocal Voyages Across Musical Traditions

Studs Terkel bus stop artwork

Keegan MorrisJune 21, 2024

Unsung Heroes of Uptown Promotes Connection in the Name of Community, Studs Terkel

A goldent sunset with Eiffel tower in the background and pedestrians on a bridge in the forground

Associated PressJune 20, 2024

Paris gets into the groove for historic Olympic opening ceremony, adapted to its iconic cityscape

view of the Kennedy Center on the Potomac River

Trump has purged the Kennedy Center’s board, which in turn made him its chair – why does that matter?

Associated PressFebruary 17, 2025

No U.S. president has served as a member of the Kennedy Center board before, let alone its chair.

Jon Batiste

Breaking Boundaries: The Genre-Defying Legacies of Black Musicians

Keegan MorrisFebruary 14, 2025

These musicians didn’t just navigate the classical and jazz realms… they transcended and redefined them.

Playlists

Trombone Shorty rests his instrument on a car with a colorful mural in the background

Juneteenth Events in Chicago 2024

Keegan MorrisJune 14, 2024

Concerts, festivals, and more to celebrate Juneteenth in Chicago.

Brandee Younger poses with her harp

Chicago Music and Arts Events for Summer 2024

Malcolm BambaJune 7, 2024

Summer arts riches — from open air concerts to music legends passing through our great city.

composite image of photo portraits of two composers: DBR on the left and Jimmy López Bellido on the right

CSO MusicNOW & Curator-Composers Announced for ’24–25

Keegan MorrisJune 5, 2024

Two composers with strong Chicago ties...