Pianist Lara Downes is passionate about casting light on forgotten and unsung figures in classical music’s history. Downes’ discography signals this — A Billie Holiday Songbook, 13 Ways of Looking at the Goldberg, Exiles’ Cafe, and multiple records focusing on different traditions of American music denote a keen interest in reimagining the canon. Downes’ latest record, entitled Holes in the …
This morning, Zell Music Director Riccardo Muti and Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association president Jeff Alexander announced the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s 2019-2020 season. It will mark Muti’s tenth-anniversary season as music director as well as the 250th birthday of Beethoven. Muti conducts all of Beethoven’s symphonies over the course of the season, culminating in the triumphant Symphony No. 9 in June …
Happy 200th Birthday, Illinois! On December 3, 1818, Illinois became the 21st state in the union. You might know about the Prairie State’s most famous resident, Abraham Lincoln, but did you know these 5 facts about Illinois music?
Though African Americans have faced oppression throughout American history and the arts, Black composers’ contributions to music have been nothing short of history-changing.
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.
