Meet Organist Lori Moreland, One of the Chicago White Sox’s Most Valuable Players

When organist Lori Moreland grew up rooting for the White Sox, she never thought that one day she would be one of the team’s most valuable players.

Chicago’s top classical, jazz, and hip hop artists gather for a night of musical improvisation

Thursday, August 30, some of Chicago’s most acclaimed musicians gather at Thalia Hall in Pilsen for a night of completely improvised music.

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.

A look back at Thirsty Ears 2018, Chicago’s only classical music street festival

Last weekend, Access Contemporary Music presented its third annual Thirsty Ears Festival: Chicago’s only classical music street festival.

Thirsty Ears, Chicago’s Only Classical Music Street Fest, Returns to Ravenswood for Third Year

Food, fun, neighborhood charm: these are things that you’d expect at any Chicago street fair. But only one also features free, live classical music. The third annual Thirsty Ears Festival, Chicago’s only classical music street fair, takes place August 11-12 in Ravenswood on Wilson Street between Hermitage and Ravenswood. The festival is organized by Access Contemporary Music (ACM), and spearheaded …

Carl Grapentine’s 10 Favorite Musical Performances During His 32 Years in Chicago

Looking back on his many years experiencing great music in Chicago, Carl shares some of his very favorite performances.

Tchaikovsky Memorial to Be Installed in the Heart of Chicago’s Boystown

Composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky will be honored with a memorial exhibit as part of the Legacy Walk, Chicago’s outdoor LGBTQ history museum. Located along 3245–3705 Halsted Street in the heart of Boystown, the museum features rainbow pylons with biographical plaques that honor the diverse contributions of LGBTQ people. From any smartphone, visitors can access videos, study guides, and other resources …

Yo-Yo Ma Performs at South Side’s St. Sabina Church to Raise Awareness About Gun Violence

Yo-Yo Ma, the CSO’s creative consultant, learned about the decades-long commitment to social justice and outreach within the Faith Community of St. Sabina, and wanted to see how he could honor its work through music.

Lyric Invites South and West Side Chicago Students To Tell Their Stories on a Grand Stage

17-year-old Jai Bartley used to think that opera was “really long and boring.” Now, she’s producing and performing in EMPOWER, an original opera set to have its world-premiere performance at Lyric Opera of Chicago.

The Studs Terkel Radio Archive, One of the World’s Great Spoken-Word Collections, Goes Public

On May 16, 2018, what would have been Studs’s 106th birthday, listeners will have more access to this incredible gold mine of materials than ever before.

How food and friendship inspired a Chicago musician to compose again

Longtime friends, musician Frank Orrall (Poi Dog Pondering and Thievery Corporation) and chef John Manion have inspired and shared each other’s passion for music and cooking. And one of their favorite subjects to talk about is the relationship between these two art forms.

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.

The Old Town School of Folk Music at 60: Music tonight and every night since 1957

Over the last sixty years, the Old Town School of Folk Music has grown from humble beginnings to become the largest nonprofit community arts school in the United States.

How WFMT legend Studs Terkel just made his Carnegie Hall debut (alongside the Kronos Quartet and his old friend Mahalia Jackson)

WFMT’s long-time resident “free spirit” Studs Terkel died near a decade ago, on Halloween in 2008, but he just made his Carnegie Hall debut. What brought about this feat of artistic time travel?

Lyric Opera of Chicago Star Janai Brugger Shares Her Favorite Things to Do in Her Hometown

Since the soprano’s career takes her around the country and the world, her time in Chicago between gigs can be limited. But there are four things she has to do whenever she’s back home.

Hess Concerts Celebrates 40 Years of Presenting Free Music in Downtown Chicago

On October 20, 1977, the first Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert was presented in Chicago, inspired by Dame Myra Hess’ passion to make music accessible for all.

Anish Kapoor, the Artist Who Created ‘The Bean,’ Just Took His Very First Selfie with It

When Anish Kapoor visited his iconic sculpture or the first time since it was completed in 2006, he had to take his first selfies with it.

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.

Video | Hear the Young Mariachi Ensemble from Chicago That’s Topping Charts and Winning Hearts

Chicago-based Mariachi Herencia de México released its debut album, “Nuestra Herenica” (“Our Heritage”), in early 2017 and it ranked No. 2 on the iTunes Latin chart in its first week. Since the ensemble is composed of pre-college musicians, the album may be the first major mariachi recording released in the United States by students.

Lyric Opera, Blu Rhythm Collective Honor Slain Chicago Teen Kevin Ambrose with Song, Dance, and Spoken Word

Kevin Ambrose, a theater student at Columbia College, loved to perform ever since he was a child, explained his mother Ebony. “I kind of grew up on Columbia’s campus, because my mom worked there,” Ebony said, “so I also grew up around the arts and always loved it. When it came time for me to have kids, I wanted them …

From 17th Century Spectacle to Contemporary Classics, a First Look at Chicago’s Fall Opera Season

Whether you’re new to opera or consider yourself a connoisseur, there’s something for everyone to enjoy this fall in Chicago. Here are four operas we are excited to see in the coming months.

Check Out the Sights and Sounds of Chicago’s Only Classical Music Street Fest

In the summer, Chicago is teeming with block parties and street fests. Over the weekend, the Thirsty Ears Classical Music Street Festival filled the block of Wilson Avenue between Ravenswood and Hermitage with music you won’t likely hear at other Chicago street fests – or at least, not in this format. Thirsty Ears, a two-year-old project of the Chicago organization …

Chicago Celebrates 50 Years of ‘Everyone’s Picasso’ with Music and More

For 50 years, the sculpture, known simply as the Chicago Picasso, has delighted and baffled passersby. The artist never revealed his inspiration.

Maestro Muti’s Most Memorable Chicago Moments

Since Riccardo Muti became the CSO’s music director in 2010, Chicagoans have enjoyed many magical moments with the maestro.

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

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 …