Stories

No Maestro, No Problem for Chicago’s Conductorless Orchestra

Conductors are all but a given in symphonic performance today. Front and center, they provide a dynamic focal point for the audience while guiding the artistic experience onstage. But what if there were no conductor? Who would run the show? In chamber music, the artists themselves are usually tasked with determining the artistic interpretation and then communicating together to play ...

Harris Theater Announces 2020-2021 Season

The season, which runs from August 19, 2020, to May 6, 2021, features 36 performances including vocal recitals, symphonic concerts, and ballet performances.

Meet Stilian Kirov, the New Music Director of the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra

The Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO), based in south suburban Park Forest, is celebrating its 40th season, and the orchestra welcomes a new face to the podium: conductor Stilian Kirov.

Musicians Share Why Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival Is the Gig That Gives Them “All Any of Us Really Want”

As the WFMT Radio Network’s series from the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival returns, we asked participants what makes this location so enchanting.

Is Verdi’s Last Opera, ‘Falstaff,’ Also His Best?

Sometimes, composers save their best work for last. Is Verdi’s last opera, "Falstaff," his best?