Stories

Bargain hunter scores 700-year-old medieval times document

Instead of a kitchen appliance, Will Sideri stumbled upon a framed document hanging on a wall. It had elaborate script in Latin, along with musical notes and gold flourishes. A sticker said 1285 AD.

Galilee AbdullahMay 3, 2017

This Amazon Parrot Singing “‘O Sole Mio” Along With Pavarotti Is All of Us When We Try to Sing Opera

Stephen RaskauskasMay 1, 2017

Hearing These Merry Lads Sing “Now Is the Month of Maying” Is the Best Way to Start Your Month

Angelica LasalaApril 27, 2017

Watch This Talented Chicken Peck Out Puccini

Death row inmate Terence Andrus and Ryan McKinny talking via phone through a glass window at prison visitation. Both smiling, Andrus holds up a piece sign with his hand.

Opera’s Ryan McKinny on Friendship, Artistic Bond with Death-row Inmate: ‘We’re Human Just Like Him’

Keegan MorrisNovember 22, 2019

Terence Andrus has been on death row since 2012. Through a penpal program, celebrated bass-baritone Ryan McKinny has become a friend and artistic collaborator.

Grammy Nominations Announced with Nods for Third Coast Percussion and Cedille Records

Mary MazurekNovember 20, 2019

The 2020 Grammy Nominations were announced this morning, and several members of the Chicago classical community received recognition as nominees.

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From Polka to Mariachi, Discover Why Pilsen is One of Chicago’s Most Diverse Musical Melting Pots

Galilee AbdullahApril 27, 2017

If there’s any neighborhood in Chicago where a Czech swing orchestra and an Afro-Latin funk band can share a stage, it’s Pilsen. The neighborhood has been home to diverse music and musicians since its early history and today it remains a musical melting pot of traditions from around the world.

Video: You’ll Go Bananas for This DIY Keyboard

Angelica LasalaApril 25, 2017

You don’t need an expensive piano sitting in your living room to impress your friends and family when they come to visit. Instead, wow them with a keyboard you made yourself. Stian Eikeland, a “developer, hacker, techno-foodie, diver, hobby-photographer” from Bergen, Norway, found a way to turn bananas into a fully functioning touch-sensor keyboard. The banana keyboard’s hardware consists of ...

Playlist: 10 Shakespeare-Inspired Operas You Should Know

Stephen RaskauskasApril 21, 2017

If “Music oft hath such a charm / To make bad good, and good provoke to harm,” perhaps these 10 Shakespeare-inspired operas will charm you.

Mornings with Jan Weller