Rhiannon Giddens, Francis Johnson to get Americana award

The Americana Music Association said the new award has been created to honor those who have “either made a lasting impression through music or inspired art to recognize the legacy of Americana music traditions.”

Anthony Davis’ The Central Park Five: Opera as Mirror of Modern Society

Classical and jazz composer-pianist Anthony Davis’ latest opera, The Central Park Five, with a libretto by Richard Wesley, premiered in June 2019. We spoke with the composer and members of the creative team about bringing the opera to life.

Pianist Lara Downes on Drawing Courage, Joy From Women Composers and Artists

“You have these pieces of music that are part of you, part of your DNA, and every time you return to them, it just comes out differently because you are different.”

Finding James Baldwin: Chicago’s Renée Baker Composes Opera Inspired By the Great Writer

Renée Baker’s interest in Baldwin began when she first heard recordings of his voice. “The person that I’d only accessed from books became quite real once I was able to actually hear and listen to him speak.” She notes.

How Violinist Rachel Barton Pine Is Working To #ExpandTheCanon

In addition to the acclaim she has won for her interpretations of music by well-known composers like Bach, Handel, and Paganini, Rachel Barton Pine has long sought to include underrepresented composers in her repertoire.

How a Bach Minuet Got a Motown Makeover

Bach’s Minuet in G major from the Notebooks for Anna Magdalena Bach is famous enough today that you may have had it as your cell phone ringtone. One arrangement, recorded by a ’60s girl group called The Toys, was a #1 single in the US and reached #5 on the UK Global charts.

How D-Composed Aims to Re-Compose the Experience of Classical Concerts

“We want to dismantle the notion that classical music is reserved for a certain group of people,” said D-Composed Chicago founder Kori Coleman.

Playlist: 19 African American Composers to Celebrate on Juneteenth (and Every Day of the Year)

Though African Americans have faced oppression throughout American history and the arts, Black composers’ contributions to music have been nothing short of history-changing.

“I’m reclaiming my time” — Broadway’s Mykal Kilgore talks opera, activism, and singing for Congresswoman Maxine Waters

Did you know Broadway’s Mykal Kilgore is a classically trained opera singer? He spoke about opera, activism, and singing for Maxine Waters backstage at Lyric Opera of Chicago.

How Women of the Chicago Black Renaissance Changed Classical Music Around the World

Florence Price, Margaret Bonds, Irene Britton Smith, Nora Holt, and countless other women of color contributed to the Chicago Black Renaissance and changed classical music around the world.

Of All US Orchestras, Chicago Sinfonietta Has Programmed the Highest Percentage of Works by Women

The Chicago Sinfonietta has been devoted to diversity and inclusion since it was founded by pioneering African-American conductor Paul Freeman, and that legacy continues to this day.

Tenor Lawrence Brownlee on the Artists Who Have Inspired Him the Most and Why Black Composers Matter

Learn how Lawrence Brownlee, hailed as one of the world’s leading tenors, is developing new works that respond to issues facing men of color today.

Playlist: The Best Classical Music to Serve at Your Next Cookout

As you fire up the grill, we have the perfect soundtrack for you: some of our favorite American works, from classics like Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue to modern masterpieces like John Adams’ City Noir.

Chicago Sinfonietta’s 30th Anniversary Season Showcases ‘Full Spectrum of Voices and Identities’

The Chicago Sinfonietta recently announced its 30th season line-up, as well as the launch of its Commissions by Women Composers Project, a season-long effort to close music’s gender equality gap by commissioning, performing, and recording, works by women composers.

Watch ‘Invitation to a Die-In,’ A Moving Musical Memorial to Unarmed Black Men Killed by Police

“My heart began to race when I was listening to this piece for the first time. It’s upsetting for me to listen to. I don’t like this piece,” composer Nkeiru Okoye said.

Stream: This Rare Live Recording of ‘Queen of Gospel’ Mahalia Jackson Will Take You to Church

Hear a rarely-heard live performance by Mahalia Jackson’s broadcast from the Morrison Hotel in 1975 courtesy of the Studs Terkel Radio Archive.

Playlist: 10 Composers Changing Classical Music (Who Also Happen to Be Women)

If you’re looking to expand your own repertoire, why not explore the music of living composers? Check out these 10 composers changing contemporary classical music today who also all happen to be women.

Hear What Maya Angelou, ‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’ Author, Sounds Like Singing the Blues

Author and activist Maya Angelou is best for her autobiographical memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. But have you heard Angelou sing?

The 1 Concert That Inspired Riccardo Muti to Create the CSO’s African American Network

Maestro Muti sat down with Sheila Jones, coordinator of the CSO’s African American Network, years ago to ask, “How do we bring the African American community into Symphony Center?”

‘The Black Composer Speaks’ Celebrates 3 Generations of Composers in 1 Night on Chicago’s South Side

Composer and cellist Tomeka Reid presents the world premiere of “Present Awareness” alongside the works of Alvin Singleton, Olly Wilson, and Kahil El’ Zabar.

“High Priestess” or “Master of an Art of Singing”? Changing the Conversation about Mahalia Jackson

Mahalia Jackson is undoubtedly one of the most influential singers of the 20th century. Learn about how musicians and music historians are changing the conversation about the “Queen of Gospel.”

Signifyin’ in Song: How the Sounds of Slavery Changed Music Forever

Music and dance provided an outlet for enslaved people to express their sorrow, though often their cries of pain sounded quite the opposite to slave owners.

What If Nina Simone Had Been a Classical Pianist?

Before Nina Simone became one of America’s most iconic jazz musicians, she wanted to have a career as a classical pianist.