Ear Taxi Festival to return in 2020
The Ear Taxi Festival, which offered a feast of contemporary classical music in Chicago three years ago—featuring 88 composers and 54 world premieres—-will return in 2020.
Flutist Jennie Oh Brown and conductor Michael Lewanski will take over festival leadership duties from composer Augusta Read Thomas—who spearheaded the project— and Stephen Burns. Brown is the new creative director and Lewanski lead curator for this sophomore installment of the festival.
Ear Taxi 2020 will take place from October 8-12 and once again will spotlight Chicago-based composers and ensembles. The five-day series will expand from the downtown emphasis of the inaugural festival with performances proposed at the University of Chicago, DePaul University’s Holtschneider Performance Center and other neighborhood venues, as well as at the Harris Theater and Chicago Cultural Center.
While plans are still being finalized, potential programs include works by John Dorhauer, Marc Mellits, Shawn Okpebholo, Elbio Barilari, Ryan Ingebritsen, and Janice Misurell-Mitchell. Among the world premieres will be new works by Stacy Garrop, Ayanna Woods, Tonia Ko and Tomeka Reid.
Participating organizations and ensembles will include Chicago Opera Theater, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s MusicNOW series, Spektral Quartet, Third Coast Percussion, Ensemble Dal Niente, Quince, Fifth House Ensemble, and others.
An official announcement with more specific program details will be made on December 1.
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