Stories

Music for Her Majesty: Important Musical Moments in the Life of Queen Elizabeth II of England

Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8, 2022, at the age of 96. In memoriam, we take a look at the royal monarch’s life through a musical lens…

Angelica LasalaJune 26, 2017

Listen to the One Cuban Singer That Omara Portuondo of Buena Vista Social Club Wants Everyone to Hear

Angelica LasalaJune 23, 2017

Quiz: Latin American Food or Instrument?

Andi LamoreauxJune 23, 2017

6 Songs to Send You “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”

Joel Thompson, the composer of Seven Last Words of the Unarmed, in a suit and glasses

Composer Joel Thompson On Anti-Police Brutality, Racism Oratorio ‘Seven Last Words of the Unarmed’

Daniel GoldbergDecember 11, 2019

Thompson's 2015 piece brings to light an issue that hits close to home in Chicago and countrywide: the killing of unarmed African American men. Thompson parallels Haydn’s Seven Last Words of Christ; using the liturgy as a guide, he weaves a piece that prompts conversation about race and social injustice.

Playlist: Classical Recorder Pieces You Should Know

Cydne GillardDecember 10, 2019

The recorder may call to mind tortured performances of "Hot Cross Buns" or "Jingle Bells" from your elementary school days, but these pieces make use of the instrument's virtuosic potential.

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This Chicagoan Never Expected To Sing Opera. Now She’s Singing on One of the World’s Largest Stages.

Galilee AbdullahJune 14, 2017

Soprano Whitney Morrison began singing before she could even speak. Through her early years of singing in church, she never thought she would pursue a career in opera. Now, Morrison is one of 12 young artists selected for the 2017/2018 ensemble at Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center. The Ryan Opera Center is one ...

Video: This Is What It Sounds like When 100 Percussionists Play Together

Stephen RaskauskasJune 13, 2017

The thought of 100 percussionists may evoke up cacophonous clanging, but the soundscape is more peaceful than you might expect.

Yo-Yo Ma, CSO’s ‘Concert for Peace’ Takes a Stand against Violence at South Side’s St. Sabina Church

Michael San GabinoJune 12, 2017

"Yo-Yo Ma wanted to meet with me, and I thought it was a joke," Reverend Michael L. Pfleger said to an audience of over 1,000 people at St. Sabina Church.

Fiesta! with Elbio Barilari