Juneteenth celebrations in Chicago this year include parades, historic walks, music concerts and more!

“Now that I am artistic director, I get to find excuses to make music with these amazing colleagues. They inspire not only our orchestra, but our audiences.”

Summertime is upon us! Make the most of Chicago’s most exciting season with this eclectic sampling of concerts, exhibitions, and events!

“This whole piece is like a representation of the assimilation happening in the 19th century; there were lots of changes to music and traditions with removal, even within different tribes. Not everybody had the same experiences, nor were they able to retain the same traditions.”

Sounds Classical’s Season 3 premiere features a playlist honoring our homebase: Chicago. Tune in for music inspired by the Windy City, including works by Shawn E. Okpebholo, Sofiane Pamart, Tomeka Reid, and more.

Frank Lloyd Wright recognized the connection between music and architecture, going so far as to claim, “They are practically one.”

Guest artists making their festival debuts with the CSO will include pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii, musical theater royalty Sutton Foster, violinist Himari, and cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason.

The company’s slate of presentations includes two world premieres, two Lyric premieres, and several new productions.

Open to early-career Chicago-based and Chicago-born classical musicians, the grand prize is a contract for a debut solo album worth almost $75k.

Classical and jazz interpretations, artmaking listening parties, and other innovative programming awaits.

“You could just take that first generation of migrants. You think about what came out of it musically. There is no genre that is untouched.”

Join the hosts of Sounds Classical as they take a dive into the breadth of art-making during the Harlem Renaissance and its impact on the classical world. Discover how Margaret Bonds brought her connections to Langston Hughes with her to Chicago and much more!

Chicago hosts a vibrant and eclectic mix of concerts and performances to honor Black artistry. Check out these events to take part in the celebrations!

Celebrations abound in and around Chicago, with performances and festivities from Chinese, Mongolian, Indonesian, Thai, Korean, and Filipino traditions, to name a few.

The festival’s premiere concert will be held at Lincoln Park’s historic St. Vincent de Paul Church.

Marking the free classical music festival’s first season led by Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Giancarlo Guerrero.

The 2025 season will run from March to October and feature an oratorio and three operas.

Join the hosts of Sounds Classical as they take a dive into the breadth of art-making during the Harlem Renaissance and its impact on the classical world. Discover how Margaret Bonds brought her connections to Langston Hughes with her to Chicago and much more!

“Dilla” has made a name for himself with his engaging content about his hometown — exemplified by his unofficial motto: “everything dope about America comes from Chicago.”

In his acceptance statement, Sagan reflected on the critical role of the arts “to the quality of life in our complex changing world,” as they serve to “both entertain us and educate us.”

During his reign in Chicago, Al Capone, who you may not know loved opera, was one of the city’s biggest jazz impresarios.

2024 concerts, festivals, celebrations, workshops, and more to celebrate Día de los Muertos in Chicago.

Klaus Mäkelä, CSO music director designate, is just 28 and is one of the world’s most respected conductors. Here’s his career in a timeline.

Delve into the rich legacy of one of Chicago’s most important activist/journalists (through the work of one of its premier sculptors), witness the life of one of opera’s most beloved divas, and take part in a celebration of Black film composers!

“One of the things about classical music is that when you buy a used record — it’s often in really good shape,” says Rick Wojcik.