Every January, the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University hosts renowned chamber groups at its Winter Chamber Music Festival. The concert on January 27, 2019, in Pick-Staiger Hall featured faculty members in a wide-ranging program, including Samuel Zyman’s 1997 Flute Sonata with flutist John Thorne and pianist Kay Kim.

Hailed for “artistry of poetic and observant sensitivity” (Gramophone), internationally acclaimed pianist Rasa Vitkauskaite performed in the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series on April 3, 2019. Her program included works by Rachmaninoff, Ravel, Moszkowski, Guastavino, and a composer from her native country of Lithuania – Mikalojus Čiurlionis.

Georgian-born Sophiko Simsive started to play the piano at the age of three and began her studies with her mother. At the age of eleven, she performed Beethoven’s Second Piano Concerto with the student orchestra of Georgia at the Beethoven Festival in Bonn, Germany. Most recently she was selected as the winner of the Music Academy of the West’s second …

Named “Orchestra of the Year” an unprecedented four times by the Illinois Council of Orchestras and winner of a 2010 Elgin Image Award, the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, now in its 67th season, is respected for exceptional performance, innovative education programs, and community outreach initiatives. In 2013, after a two-year international search in which over 250 applicants were reviewed, Andrew Grams …

Completed in the summer of 2018, the Holtschneider Performance Center is the first phase of a new music complex for the DePaul University School of Music, serving as the eastern gateway to the Lincoln Park Campus. The new center houses four concert halls of varying sizes along with state-of-the-art rehearsal spaces, a sound recording technology suite, box office, and dynamic …

Chicago’s acclaimed vocal ensemble Chicago a cappella spotlighted songwriting and performing duos on their April 2019 program, “Dynamic Duos: The Greatest Musical Partnerships.” Veteran pop arranger Paul Langford provided music direction and new arrangements of songs by Elton John & Bernie Taupin, the Carpenters, Hall & Oates, Simon & Garfunkel, and more.  The ten professional vocalists of Chicago a cappella also …

The Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra performs major literature from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. It is conducted and administered by Victor Yampolsky, director of orchestras. Under his baton, the ensemble has evolved into one of the nation’s great collegiate orchestras that has placed many alumni in top orchestras and opera companies. In January 2019, the NUSO presented a program …

Brasil Guitar Duo, a 2006 winner of the Concert Artists Guild International Competition, and hailed by Classical Guitar magazine for its “maturity of musicianship and technical virtuosity,” is equally at home on a classical or a world-music series. Its innovative programming features a seamless blend of traditional and Brazilian works, resulting in a full global touring schedule and a growing …

Currently celebrating its 100th season, the Civic Orchestra of Chicago is the nation’s premier orchestral training program for emerging professional musicians. Since 1919, young artists have sought membership in the orchestra to develop their musicianship and to further prepare for their careers. Benefiting from a unique alliance with the world-renowned Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Civic members refine their skills under the …

Third Coast Baroque is a versatile ensemble comprised of “Chicago’s most accomplished period instrumentalists and singers” (Chicago Tribune) under the artistic direction of conductor Rubén Dubrovsky. The ensemble seeks to take Baroque music to the people of Chicago and beyond by removing barriers of location and setting, focusing on accessibility, educating audiences about the diverse influences that underlie the Baroque aesthetic, …

Grammy Award nominee Philippe Quint has established himself as one of the leading violinists of his generation. Constantly in demand, he regularly appears at venues around the world. “Truly phenomenal” is how BBC Music Magazine recently described him. For his recital on January 16, 2019, at the Chicago Cultural Center, Quint was joined by pianist Marta Aznavoorian. Their program featured music from …

Many musicians dream of performing on the stage of Orchestra Hall with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The Crain-Maling Foundation Chicago Symphony Orchestra Young Artists Competition makes this dream come true for one young musician every year. On February 23, four young musicians competed on that famous stage for the opportunity to perform with the CSO during the 2019-2020 season. This year, the competition …

Founded during the 1919-20 season, the Civic Orchestra of Chicago has trained thousands of the nation’s finest emerging professional musicians while presenting free concerts at Symphony Center and in schools and other neighborhood venues throughout Greater Chicago. It is the only training orchestra of its kind affiliated with a major American orchestra. In April 2018, the Civic Orchestra was led …

Since 1919, young artists have sought membership in the Civic Orchestra of Chicago to develop their musicianship and to further prepare for professional careers. Founded by Frederick Stock, second music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Civic Orchestra is the only training orchestra of its kind affiliated with a major American orchestra. The Civic provides its members with opportunities …

Founded by gambists Eric Miller and Phillip Serna, the duo of ViolMedium bridges contemporary and historically-informed performance with experimental and innovative programming for violas da gamba. Their concert in February 2019 at LaGrange’s Emmanuel Episcopal Church was titled, “Façades and Duplicities: Beguiling Curiosities and Excursions for Dueling Gambas.” The program offered an exploration of the rich harmonic, timbral, and dramatic potentials offered …

Conductor Stephen Squires led the Elgin Symphony Orchestra in three works in January 2019. The program featured Haydn’s Symphony No. 94, nicknamed the “Surprise” Symphony. ESO concertmaster Isabella Lippi performed Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1, considered one of the greatest and most difficult of its kind. Hungarian composer Zoltán Kodály was fascinated with the folk songs of his region. His …

Hailed as “a first-class ensemble” (Orange County Register), “unfailingly stylish” (The Strad), “technically dazzling” (Long Beach Gazette), “flawless” (New York Concert Review), and “the epitome of what chamber musicians should be” (Palm Beach Daily News), Trio Céleste has firmly established itself as one of the most dynamic chamber music ensembles on the classical music scene today. In January 2019, Trio Céleste shared …

Pianist Henry Kramer is establishing himself as one of the foremost pianists of his generation. The winner of the 2015 William Petschek Recital Debut Award from the Juilliard School and the Second Prize winner of the 2016 Queen Elisabeth Competition, Kramer has been praised by critics as “triumphant” and “thrilling” (The New York Times), “technically effortless” (La Presse, Montreal), and the Philadelphia …

In February 2019, Chicago a cappella presented a program on the theme “Polish Splendor: Songs and Traditions from the Crossroads of Europe.” The ensemble explored the rich variety of music from Poland, old and new. The singers brought to life traditional folk songs and compelling new works by rising Polish composers—including many in their North American debut.

The Cavatina Duo — Eugenia Moliner, flute (from Spain) and Denis Azabagic, guitar (from Bosnia) — has captivated audiences with their electrifying performances in such major venues and festivals as the Ravinia Festival, Aix-en-Provence Summer Festival (France), and Symphony Center Chicago, among many others. Moliner and Azabagic are both on the faculty of the Chicago College of the Performing Arts at Roosevelt …

This year’s Chicago Latino Music Festival featured a concert in collaboration with the Instituto Cervantes by guitarists Eduardo Fernández and Iván Reséndez. Considered among the top five classical guitars players in the world, Fernández performed a program of Latin American and Spanish pieces based on folk and popular music as well us some of the most important works from the …

In 2006, a small group of musicians formed the International Chamber Artists. ICA has grown steadily, bringing emerging artists and great music to Chicago. What started out as an idea among friends has grown to become one of the premier chamber music organizations in Chicago. ICA is a non-profit chamber music ensemble currently made up of 21 musicians. On September 9, …

On October 13, 2018, St. John Cantius Church of Chicago presented a concert featuring Stradivarius violins from Italy. Sponsored by the Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago, violinists Henry Criz and Sergio Lamberto and pianist Giacomo Fuga performed music by Tartini, Brahms, and Willan.

During its 68th season, the Elgin Symphony Orchestra presented the music of Beethoven, Strauss, and Wagner in a program titled “Titans.” The three influential German composers were showcased in November 2018 at the Hemmens Cultural Center. ESO Music Director Andrew Grams led the program featuring soprano Laura Wilde, a graduate of the Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago, in Richard Strauss’s Four Last Songs. …

15-year-old pianist Yerin Yang started piano at the age of 5. Among her many prizes, she took First Prize, Best Performance of Solo Work Award, and the Young Jury Award at the 2018 Arthur Fraser International Piano Competition. In March 2018, Yang won the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Young Artists Competition. She has also appeared on WFMT’s “Introductions” series profiling young …