Stories

Tenor Jonas Kaufmann takes on Tristan, opera’s voice killer

Ten years ago, tenor Jonas Kaufmann was hesitant about taking on heavy Wagnerian roles like the hero of “Tristan und Isolde.” Now, at age 51, Kaufmann is ready to perform a role so challenging, it’s known as a voice killer.

Stephen Raskauskas | May 23, 2017

CSO’s MusicNOW Announces 20th Anniversary Season: Vijay Iyer, Salonen, Evening-Length Theatrical Work

Candice Agree | May 22, 2017

A biography, a documentary, and an archive celebrate Spanish pianist Alicia de Larrocha

Galilee Abdullah | May 19, 2017

Watching This “Bubble Smith” Blow Big Bubbles to Bach on a Beach Is Your Moment of Zen for the Week

Elliott Golub, founding concertmaster of Music of the Baroque, dies at 85

Keegan Morris | July 16, 2019

Respected Chicago violinist Elliott Golub has died at age 85. He was the founding concertmaster of Music of the Baroque, holding the position from the ensemble’s establishment in 1972 until his retirement in 2006.

VIDEO | Harpist Yolanda Kondonassis discusses her Chicago ties and the wide world of harp repertoire

Keegan Morris | July 16, 2019

It all started in Chicago. As a child, Yolanda Kondonassis and her family visited the Windy City. During the trip, her mother, a piano instructor, brought the family to the Lyon & Healy showroom, which was at that time sort of a "music department store," Kondonassis recalls. "Because it was Valentine's Day... they had a very kind of 'dream love' ...

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Hear Big Sadie Blend American Folk Traditions in New Tunes, Live at the Pregnant Buffalo Lounge

Angelica Lasala | May 15, 2017

Chicago-based band Big Sadie performed at the third WFMT Cabaret hosted in the Pregnant Buffalo Lounge at the Chopin Theatre. Big Sadie is influenced by music from across America, with its core members Elise Bergman and Collin Moore hailing from the Midwest and Appalachia respectively. Rounding out the band’s current lineup are banjo player Andy Malloy and fiddler Matt Brown. Big Sadie ...

KAIA Kids Around the World: The Music of Venezuela

Stephen Raskauskas | May 13, 2017

The cultural traditions of Venezuela are as rich as its biodiversity. In the KAIA Kids adventure to Venezuela, learn about a special style of Venezuelan music and dance called joropo.

Composer, Comedian Robbie Ellis Sings Original Tunes That’ll Have You in Stitches