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2024 (138)

December 10 - Tallis Scholars evoke Christmases past at St. James Cathedral
December 6 - Conductor makes a fiery CSO debut with compelling program
November 26 - Glover leads MOB in a stylish and sensitive “Christmas Oratorio”
November 22 - Violinist Frang makes impressive CSO debut in Lintu’s eclectic program
November 19 - CSO’s Chen on the mend from pinched nerve
November 18 - Trifonov brings faultless virtuosity and insight to offbeat program
November 17 - Worthy cast and music buried by ramshackle libretto, heavy polemics in Lyric Opera’s “Blue”
November 17 - DeLeone brings lively spirit to Illinois Philharmonic return
November 16 - December 13
November 16 - Dunedin Consort marks a Bach anniversary with intimate “St. John Passion”
November 15 - Janowski returns to lead masterful Bruckner with CSO
November 10 - Gaines’ tasteless “Figaro” proves just as deadly the second time around
November 9 - Muti, CSO at their best in a silver-screen night of showpieces with Golijov premiere
November 4 - Blazing Copland, Kirchner highlight AMP’s 10th anniversary finale
November 2 - Chicago Fringe Opera’s “Hindsight” is a harrowing retell of Leopold and Loeb
November 1 - Muti returns with Uchida in CSO’s Beethoven bash
October 30 - Bates Piano Concerto proves an instant classic in Trifonov’s debut recording
October 29 - Cummings brings fresh vitality to rarities in auspicious MOB debut
October 27 - Apollo’s Fire brings theatrical verve to Bach’s Brandenburgs
October 25 - Runnicles returns and scores (again) with Strauss
October 19 - Newberry Consort kicks off season with a blast from the Jacobean past
October 18 - Superb singers boost CSO program of Handel and Mozart
October 17 - November 16
October 12 - Roomful of Teeth opens UC Presents season in eclectic vocal style
October 6 - Bella Voce illuminates with vocal rarities from New Spain
October 5 - Eschenbach returns and the Jussens make a fine CSO debut with Mozart
October 2 - COT unearths an enjoyable curio with Paër’s “Leonora”
October 1 - Guerrero tapped as new conductor of Grant Park Music Festival
September 28 - Dance and voice contrast affectingly in Chicago a cappella’s “Lamentations”
September 27 - A timely blow for freedom in Lyric Opera’s visually striking “Fidelio”
September 22 - Belated Diamond premiere shines in IPO’s American program
September 20 - Haymarket Opera’s engaging cast serves up a terrific “Tamerlano”
September 20 - CSO opens season with a light, eclectic program
September 18 - Music of the Baroque opens season with a vivid, exhilarating “Creation”
September 17 - A flurry of personnel moves as CSO opens new season
September 17 - October 17
September 15 - Stellar cast shines as Lyric Opera opens season with a near-great “Rigoletto”
September 12 - New CEO brings a fresh optimism as Lyric Opera opens 70th season
September 2 - Critic’s Choice for 2024-25
August 17 - Sonic overkill takes the luster off of Kalmar’s Mahler farewell
August 10 - Gluzman, Moser a simpatico Brahms duo on a noisy night at Grant Park
August 8 - Copland and Mozart shine brightly with Kalmar and Grant Park Orchestra
August 6 - September 17
August 3 - Kalmar returns, serves up season highlight with stirring Bruckner, kaleidoscopic Janáček
July 31 - John Mangum appointed new chief of Lyric Opera
July 30 - Jansen & Mäkelä make simpatico partners in new concerto disc
July 27 - A mixed final program for Jacobsen with Grant Park Orchestra
July 25 - Jacobsen continues strong Grant Park stand with Beethoven
July 24 - Gerald Fisher 1945-2024
July 18 - Jacobsen, pianist serve up a summer highlight at Grant Park Music Festival
July 13 - Guerrero displays can-do versatility with Grant Park Orchestra
July 12 - Opera Festival of Chicago closes strongly with dark yet compelling double-bill
July 4 - Meyers’ Mexican fiddle showpiece spices humdrum Grant Park program
June 29 - Morlot, Grant Park forces soar in Stravinsky, choral rarities
June 28 - “Manon Lescaut” proves a Puccini bridge too far for Opera Festival of Chicago
June 28 - August 6
June 27 - Morlot opens Grant Park residency with light program
June 22 - Kalmar, Grant Park Orchestra shine in music of Frank, Prokofiev
June 21 - Trifonov provides triumphant CSO finale with Bates concerto premiere
June 20 - Soprano Slack brings heartening spirit of freedom to Montgomery songs
June 18 - Eclectic Grant Park Chorus concert undermined by lack of programs
June 15 - Haymarket Opera triumphs with exciting account of Handel’s “Resurrezione”
June 15 - Rarities by Elgar and Holst soar at Grant Park Music Festival
June 14 - Bell, CSO make worthy case for quintuple-composer “Elements”
June 13 - Gerhardt’s fresh, expressive Dvořák highlights mixed Grant Park opener
June 11 - June 28
June 10 - Carlos Kalmar looks back on 25 years leading the Grant Park Music Festival
June 9 - Vibrant violin finale closes North Shore Chamber Music Festival
June 7 - French rarities shine brilliantly with Denève, Thibaudet and CSO
June 2 - Kontras Quartet brightens a rainy day with bracing array of American music
May 31 - Worlds collide at CSO, with percussion premiere and moving Bruckner
May 27 - Heggie’s brief “Before It All Goes Dark” makes a moving impact in Chicago premiere
May 24 - Axiom Brass serves up a varied array of new music at Epiphany
May 24 - Järvi, CSO scale the heights with a resounding Mahler “Resurrection”
May 19 - Stare at the Sun impressively delivers compelling world premieres
May 16 - June 11
May 14 - Music of the Baroque wraps season in varied, spirited fashion under Quigley
May 11 - Sinfonietta closes season with engaging and adventurous program
May 6 - Gallic charm abounds at Apollo Chorus’s French Festival, despite resonant acoustic
May 4 - Third Coast Percussion puts on spectacle with Montgomery, She-e Wu
April 29 - Rattle, Bavarian Symphony deliver a brilliant, devastating Mahler tragedy
April 28 - Bella Voce brings fascinating early rarities out of the shadows
April 27 - Isidore Quartet makes impressive Chicago debut at Mandel Hall
April 22 - EcoVoice Project, Loyola forces make musical plea for climate awareness
April 21 - Sir Andrew Davis 1944-2024
April 16 - Rashad adds star power to Gateways Festival’s Chicago debut
April 15 - Kraemer provides season highlight with a Baroque carnival of the animals
April 14 - Haydn provides the highlight in IPO’s classical-era program
April 13 - Newberry Consort closes season in high Venetian style
April 12 - “Elijah” rises again in fiery performance from Conlon, CSO Chorus and soloists
April 11 - May 16
April 5 - Tapped as music director, Mäkelä makes an exhilarating CSO stand with Shostakovich
April 3 - Ian Derrer is the leading candidate to become Lyric Opera general director
April 2 - Klaus Mäkelä to become CSO music director—in 2027
March 29 - Chen presides expertly over CSO’s warmly intimate Bach
March 25 - Apollo’s Fire wraps season with lively jam session of Spanish early music
March 25 - Chicago Chorale delivers a worthy performance of Martin mass
March 24 - Two fine fiddlers spark Bella Voce Sinfonia’s belated spotlight debut
March 23 - Haymarket Opera resurrects an intriguing Grimani oratorio
March 22 - Mälkki returns and an engaging flute concerto achieves liftoff with CSO
March 20 - April 11
March 15 - Hrůša, CSO deliver a season highlight with bracing central European works
March 12 - With Mazzola’s contract extended through 2031, Lyric Opera’s 2024-25 season to bring “Fidelio,” “Rigoletto” and “Blue”’
March 12 - Music of the Baroque provides timely balm with Bach’s “St. John Passion”
March 10 - Bradley provides fleeting highlights in Lyric Opera’s grim, militaristic “Aida”
March 10 - Apollo Chorus, Elmhurst Symphony join forces for expansive Bruckner
March 8 - Hrůša returns and ignites CSO in music of Strauss, Lutosławski
March 7 - “Theodora,” “The Creation” and “Christmas Oratorio” highlight MOB’s 2024-25 season
March 2 - Newberry Consort and friends take audience on engaging minstrel journey
March 2 - Sub conductor Popelka makes an unconvincing CSO debut
February 28 - CSO hits the snooze button for transitional 2024-25 season
February 25 - Illinois Philharmonic serves up high-stepping Gershwin and a Sierra premiere takes flight
February 24 - Lintu returns to CSO with iridescent Saariaho and satiric Shostakovich
February 24 - Natalie Clein brings ardent artistry to Jewish composers at Mandel Hall
February 23 - Fine cast brings warmth, youthful spirit to Northwestern’s traditional “Hänsel und Gretel”
February 21 - American Music Project to present three concerts in 2024 season
February 21 - March 20
February 19 - Lakeview Orchestra offers a worthy concert of German music
February 18 - Chicago a cappella branches out impressively with a program of English choral music
February 16 - Järvi makes a commanding CSO return as young cellist impresses in Elgar
February 10 - Gifted Schumann Quartet brings Viennese program to Logan Center
February 10 - Seiji Ozawa 1935-2024
February 9 - CSO returns from European tour with two debuts and uneven results
February 4 - A starry trio offers intimate evening of Beethoven at Symphony Center
January 30 - Cohen impressive in understated debut with MOB
January 29 - Pacifica Quartet wraps brief UChicago return with elevated artistry
January 28 - Lyric Opera’s “Champion” packs a powerful emotional punch
January 27 - COT’s “Book of Mountains and Seas” provides a unique theatrical experience but it’s not opera, Doc
January 23 - February 22
January 22 - Two stellar debuts spark Lyric’s stylish, scintillating “Cinderella”
January 22 - Jussen Brothers deliver stunning Stravinsky in Chicago debut
January 20 - Parker Quartet shines brightly at Winter Chamber Music Fest
January 17 - Third Coast Baroque shuts down after seven seasons
January 15 - Calder Quartet warms Chicago’s deep freeze with sterling concert
January 15 - Sinfonietta marks MLK Day with a joyous musical celebration
January 13 - With a new violist, the Dover Quartet delivers remarkable playing at Winter Chamber Music Festival
January 9 - Uncertainty reigns as Grant Park Music Festival announces details of Kalmar’s final season
January 6 - Balourdet Quartet opens Winter Chamber Music Festival with first-class Beethoven

2023 (156)

December 31 - DG recordings from four celebrated pianists to close the musical year
December 23 - Top Ten Performances of 2023
December 22 - CSO wraps year with a repackaged “Messiah” with all the trimmings
December 16 - Alltop is the conductor who saved Christmas for Music of the Baroque
December 15 - Violinist finds Gallic charm with exhumed Saint-Saëns in CSO debut
December 14 - January 25
December 10 - Bella Voce makes the season bright with Britten
December 10 - Apollo Chorus’s “Messiah” bedeviled by unholy acoustic
December 9 - COT sparks comic chaos with premiere of Shostakovich’s “The Nose”
December 9 - Apollo’s Fire serves up Irish holiday warmth with “Wassail!”
December 8 - Hahn returns to Chicago Symphony with fresh and individual Brahms
December 6 - Third Coast Percussion gives shining advocacy to epic Burritt premiere
December 4 - Geter’s passionate song cycle stands out amid tepid MusicNOW opener
December 1 - MTT makes a heartening CSO return with delightful, souped-up Brahms
November 29 - Hrůša, Staatskapelle Berlin strike sparks with fresh, exhilarating Brahms
November 22 - Bella Voce gets a jump on season with a trim and spirited “Messiah”
November 22 - December 14
November 21 - Wind soloists bring stylish verve to Music of the Baroque program
November 20 - Violinist Tashiro’s Piazzolla outing highlights a mixed IPO program
November 13 - Janáček’s drama, strong cast undermined by postmodern cliches in Lyric Opera’s “Jenůfa”
November 12 - Apollo’s Fire takes a varied and rewarding journey to Venice
November 10 - Storgårds returns to CSO with impressive results, from Glass to Rachmaninoff
November 8 - Carlos Chávez receives his belated due with Sony box set
November 5 - Delightful Donizetti: Led by Oropesa’s charismatic debut, Lyric Opera delivers a winner with “La Fille”
November 3 - Harding, CSO deliver sonic spectacle, celestial mystery with “The Planets”
October 27 - A cellist’s heartening debut and fast and furious Mahler with CSO
October 26 - Yankovskaya to leave COT; Chicago Ensemble’s long run comes to a close
October 25 - November 22
October 22 - Pacifica Quartet returns to UC in style for second Randel term
October 20 - Apollo’s Fire opens Chicago season with gripping, of-the-moment Handel
October 17 - MOB honors founder Wikman, offers vibrant Vivaldi
October 16 - Lakeview Orchestra shines in colorful “French Connections”
October 15 - Illinois Philharmonic opens season with a fiddle feast and world premiere
October 13 - Somber Mahler songs, fiery Beethoven make for a timely CSO program
October 13 - Thomas Wikman 1942-2023
October 8 - Bella Voce’s Byrd program takes flight at Ganz Hall
October 6 - COT opens 50th season with Little’s powerful “Soldier Songs”
October 2 - Third Eye Theatre calls it a wrap with Menotti’s powerful “Consul”
October 1 - Lubman leads Grossman Ensemble in thrilling contemporary fare
September 30 - Historic interest stronger than humdrum music in Haymarket Opera’s “La liberazione”
September 24 - Singers shipwrecked by staging in Lyric Opera’s disastrous “Dutchman”
September 23 - October 26
September 23 - Newberry Consort’s artistry upstaged in ramshackle season opener
September 19 - Stellar soloists, chorus provide highlights in MOB’s contrasted season opener
September 18 - CSO, musicians union reach agreement on new contract
September 15 - Impromptu Fest serves up a varied feast from solo violin to sax quartet
September 13 - Freud to depart Lyric Opera two years early at end of this season
September 13 - Whimsy, improvisation kick off Impromptu Fest
September 12 - CSO hires a new principal horn and a bevy of basses
September 4 - Critic’s Choice for 2023-24
August 19 - Kalmar, Grant Park Orchestra wrap season with a delightfully devilish finale
August 17 - Hough’s return highlights penultimate Grant Park program
August 12 - Kalmar, Grant Park Orchestra make a gripping event out of Shostakovich’s tragic Eighth
August 8 - Hahn delivers gleaming performance of Ysaÿe sonatas
August 8 - September 23
August 5 - Montgomery premiere upstages the showpieces at Harris Theater
August 3 - Danzmayr returns to Grant Park Orchestra with mixed results
July 31 - A dazzling desert season bears rich fruit with Santa Fe Opera’s Debussy, Monteverdi
July 27 - A neglected American masterpiece and a commanding solo debut at Grant Park
July 22 - Two contrasted yet equally moving meditations on loss at Grant Park Music Festival
July 21 - Opera Festival of Chicago serves up an arresting “Attila”
July 20 - Russian rarities take flight at the Grant Park Music Festival
July 20 - CSO, Alsop present an evening with the Mahlers at Ravinia
July 19 - August 8
July 17 - André Watts 1946-2023
July 16 - Fried swansong proves a moving occasion at Ravinia
July 15 - Edusei excels in impressive Grant Park Orchestra debut
July 13 - Furlanetto recital cancelled; two CSO members retire
July 8 - Worlds collide engagingly with choral works and an American concerto at Grant Park Music Festival
July 8 - July 19
July 7 - Opera Festival of Chicago provides compelling local premiere for “Murder in the Cathedral”
June 29 - Jackiw quiets downtown Chicago with extraordinary Beethoven
June 27 - Grant Park Chorus brings an emotional American program to South Shore
June 25 - Haymarket Opera exhumes a melodic gem with Hasse’s “Cleopatra”
June 24 - Muti wraps his CSO tenure with a noble and dramatic “Missa Solemnis”
June 24 - Kalmar, GPO brush up on their Shakespeare at Harris Theater
June 23 - Riccardo Muti honored with new CSO title
June 22 - Foley’s standout debut highlights mixed Grant Park Orchestra program
June 17 - Kalmar, Grant Park forces deliver rich advocacy for a neglected Dvořák masterwork
June 16 - From Strauss to Schifrin to Schubert, an eclectic program from Muti & CSO
June 16 - Midori to leads Steans Institute at Ravinia
June 15 - Grant Park Music Festival opens summer season in spirited fashion
June 14 - July 8
June 12 - The Riccardo Muti era at CSO: First-class hires, memorable opera nights, and bland, repetitive programs
June 11 - North Shore Chamber Fest closes with family affair, à la française
June 11 - Chicago Chorale adds jewel to crown of English choral gems
June 9 - CSO musicians shine in a resplendent Mahler farewell with Hrůša
June 8 - North Shore Chamber Fest opens with offbeat rep and a Russian chestnut
June 8 - Kontras Quartet unearths wide-ranging rep for American Music Project
June 5 - Emerson Quartet bids an elegiac farewell in final Chicago concert
June 4 - Kaija Saariaho 1952-2023
June 2 - More force than finesse in Afkham’s French program with CSO
May 26 - A concerto for a rare instrument and a sonic spectacular from Muti and CSO
May 24 - Furlanetto to star in summer opera; Elgin Symphony chooses new conductor
May 19 - CSO musicians take the spotlight in a winning night of Mozart
May 19 - Worthy new music by Chicago composers receives uneven advocacy at Epiphany
May 15 - Fleming and Kissin enhance each other’s art in Orchestra Hall recital
May 15 - June 14
May 14 - Illinois Philharmonic offers moving premiere, neglected American gem
May 14 - Malamut closes first Newberry Consort season with a Praetorius epic
May 12 - Muti opens his final CSO weeks with a mixed program
May 8 - Ólafsson brings fresh insight to late Mozart in sensational Chicago debut
May 8 - MOB wraps season with enjoyable music among friends
May 5 - A variable Vivaldi evening with Antonini, CSO
April 28 - Desolation row: Shattering Shostakovich from Jurowski and CSO
April 25 - MusicNOW’s bite-sized finale proves light on musical substance
April 21 - A Rachmaninoff night to remember with Trifonov and CSO
April 20 - May 16
April 18 - Lakeview Orchestra makes a game showing from Bach to Brahms
April 17 - Kissin marks Rachmaninoff year, along with masterful Bach and Chopin
April 16 - IPO pays tribute to a beloved colleague with no strings attached
April 14 - A final score from a Finnish master with Hahn, Adès and CSO
April 11 - A call for new Chicago opera
April 11 - Adès to lead this week’s CSO concerts for ailing Franck
April 7 - Power on for Adès’ blazing concerto premiere, CSO debut
April 4 - Music of the Baroque marks Holy Week with a moving and dramatic “St. Matthew Passion”
April 2 - Conductor Amsel makes impressive stand with Elgin Symphony
March 31 - Boccherini, guitar rarities on tap in low-key CSO program
March 26 - Chicago Chorale winningly mixes the sacred and sultry with “Misatango”
March 25 - Compelling music vies with chaotic librettos in Lyric Opera’s “Proximity”
March 24 - Williamson’s Copland sparks CSO program
March 23 - April 20
March 22 - Chicago Sinfonietta marks the month by celebrating women (and Rimsky)
March 20 - Hahn provides a season highlight with intimate and individual Bach
March 20 - Paul Hillier, Bella Voce reunite to celebrate choir’s 40^th anniversary in style
March 19 - Newberry Consort hits its stride under Malamut with de Lassus
March 17 - Chicago Symphony Chorus takes flight in Orff’s “Carmina Burana”
March 16 - Dramatic sparks are few in Lyric Opera’s low-energy “Carmen”
March 14 - “Dutchman,” “Jenůfa” and “Aida” on tap in Lyric Opera’s 2023-24 season
March 13 - Apollo’s Fire wraps Chicago season in lively style with music of exile
March 6 - Chicago a cappella makes a convincing return to classical rep in “From Behind Closed Doors”
February 28 - Under Kraemer, MOB’s London program swings like the pendulum do
February 28 - With Glover’s contract renewed through 2026, MOB sticks to familiar formula for 2023-24 season
February 28 - March 23
February 25 - Gender and German get some updating in Northwestern Opera Theater’s “Magic Flute”
February 24 - Chicago Symphony does wonders for a pair of Schumann and Tchaikovsky orphans
February 20 - Lakeview Orchestra revives an American gem with Hanson symphony
February 17 - A compelling premiere and near-great Mahler from Mäkelä, CSO
February 16 - Dover Quartet brings humor, passion, and tranquility to an E-flat evening
February 15 - CSO conductor search to reach cruising speed in 2023-24 with a wide array of podium guests
February 10 - CSO returns and marks Rachmaninoff 150 year with two debuts
February 5 - Lively Schumann, dark Mahler show the Chicago Philharmonic at their classical best
February 5 - Conductor and pianist fail to impress in lackluster Elgin Symphony concert
January 30 - Andsnes’ consummate artistry illuminates Dvořák rarity and our times
January 26 - Lyric Opera’s darkly Freudian “Hansel and Gretel” returns in worthy revival
January 23 - Jupiter Quartet ends Winter Chamber festival on the right note
January 23 - March 3
January 22 - Montero pushes Music of the Baroque with a spirited Mozart
January 21 - Horszowski Trio brings virtuosity and finesse to Winter Chamber Festival
January 17 - Chicago Sinfonietta’s King Day concert is a rousing classical and gospel showcase
January 16 - Seasonal shades of light and dark from New Orford strings at Winter Chamber Festival
January 15 - The soloists save a mixed night of Chicago Philharmonic premieres
January 14 - Isidore Quartet excels in Winter Chamber Festival debut
January 10 - Grant Park Music Festival announces 2023 season
January 9 - Brahms program warms up January at Winter Chamber Music Festival
January 7 - Powerful Wolfe work highlights CSO program of women composers

2022 (171)

December 24 - January 25
December 20 - Top Ten Performances of 2022
December 17 - Megill hits his stride with MOB’s holiday program
December 16 - CSO wraps the year with festive program of French showpieces
December 11 - Apollo Chorus continues its venerable “Messiah” tradition
December 10 - Sorrell leads Apollo’s Fire in a vital, transcendent “Messiah”
December 9 - Hahn returns with refined Tchaikovsky, and a worthy CSO podium debut
December 8 - Third Coast Percussion shows dynamic versatility in three varied premieres
December 6 - CSO principal horn denied tenure
December 2 - Piemontesi shines in CSO debut, making familiar Beethoven fresh and fun
December 1 - Orion Ensemble celebrates 30 years with a typically venturesome program
November 23 - Remembering the renowned American composer and diarist Ned Rorem
November 21 - Countertenor Mobley proves a light presence in MOB concert
November 21 - December 30
November 18 - A dark, compelling premiere and potent Shostakovich from Honeck, CSO
November 17 - Berlin Philharmonic delivers gleaming, high-powered Mahler
November 15 - Stylish singing, only fitful funny in Lyric Opera’s “Le Comte Ory”
November 14 - La Caccina’s ambitious program of new vocal music explores the “Extraordinary Machine”
November 13 - Young cellist and a world premiere light up Illinois Philharmonic concert
November 11 - CSO and Joffrey join forces for two ballet premieres
November 10 - Women spark “Don Carlos” to elevate Lyric’s low-voltage Verdi
November 9 - Rough edges need polishing in new opera of cult film “La Jetée”
November 8 - November 21
November 4 - Tetzlaff delivers combustible Bartók, Gardner glowing Vaughan Williams with CSO
October 29 - Newberry Consort enters a new era with rich program highlighting singer Europa di Rossi
October 27 - Quatuor Diotima opens French festival with sterling Debussy and a quiet blast of modernism
October 21 - Thielemann makes a triumphant return, leading CSO in thrilling and majestic Bruckner
October 17 - Apollo’s Fire strikes sparks with exuberant take on Monteverdi “Vespers”
October 14 - Chicago Philharmonic opens season with lively works by composers of color
October 10 - Quigley returns to Music of the Baroque with impressive stand, from Praetorius to C.P.E. Bach
October 7 - A young pianist debuts with CSO, as Muti leads a mixed program
October 5 - Patrick Dupre Quigley returns to lead Music of the Baroque
October 2 - Grossman Ensemble opens UChicago Presents season with bracing tribute to Knussen and Benjamin
September 30 - Muti draws fresh, powerful results with new music from old composer friends
September 25 - Harmonica virtuoso Levy opens Elmhurst Symphony season with a blast
September 24 - Haymarket Opera delivers a worthy performance of Monteverdi’s “Poppea”
September 23 - Bronfman opens CSO season with powerful and dramatic Brahms
September 21 - October 24
September 20 - Sinfonietta opens with Italian pines, a somber tribute and the joy of sax
September 19 - Glover, first-class cast open MOB season in thrilling fashion with Handel’s “Jephtha”
September 15 - Glover set to launch Music of the Baroque season with a Handel rarity
September 14 - Third Coast Percussion’s respun Glass makes a captivating Amazon journey
September 10 - An outstanding cast rides over the rough edges of “Ernani” to open Lyric Opera season
September 10 - Third Eye Theatre delivers a powerful modern retooling of “Beowulf”
September 5 - Critic’s Choice for 2022-23
August 20 - Superb soloists soar in Haydn’s “Creation” at Grant Park finale
August 20 - Artistic grace under pressure exquisitely displayed at Evanston Chamber Music Festival
August 18 - Grant Park’s belated Vine premiere proves so-so with ZOFO
August 16 - September 21
August 14 - Tech issues apart, Thirsty Ears Festival serves up a wide range of music in relaxed, al fresco setting
August 13 - Kalmar, Tetzlaff and Grant Park Chorus deliver a summer highlight with Shostakovich, Vaughan Williams
August 12 - Larry Rachleff, 1955-2022
August 11 - Piccinini, GPO give stellar advocacy to premiere of Theofanidis Flute Concerto
August 9 - William Jon Gray 1955-2022
August 6 - Kalmar unearths intriguing rarity in GPO’s kaleidoscopic French program
August 5 - Malofeev makes worthy Ravinia debut in over-generous program
August 5 - Grant Park Chorus celebrates 60 years with a program for a summer evening
August 2 - Xiaoya Liu provides powerful advocacy for Vine piano sonatas
July 30 - Kalmar, Grant Park Orchestra scale the tragic heights of Mahler’s Ninth
July 30 - Women conductors spotlighted in “Breaking Barriers” festival at Ravinia
July 26 - New song-cycle spotlights Chicago Ensemble’s wide-ranging season finale
July 25 - Michael Cameron 1959-2022
July 23 - Stenz, Trpčeski light up 20th-century program with Grant Park Orchestra
July 21 - Cleveland’s clarinetist impresses as new Baltimore maestro leads Grant Park concert
July 16 - Pine, Grant Park Orchestra deliver a powerful local premiere for Childs concerto
July 16 - Alsop, CSO open Ravinia with poignant tribute, Romantic favorites
July 11 - August 16
July 9 - Opera Festival of Chicago opens second season with a Rossini rarity
June 30 - Bell, Grant Park forces shed brilliant light on a neglected Britten masterpiece
June 25 - Violinist Lamsma delivers exciting and individual Korngold with Grant Park Orchestra
June 24 - Verdi vittoria: Muti, CSO wrap season with a thrilling “Un ballo in maschera”
June 23 - Kalmar tests positive for Covid, bows out; Alltop capably steps in with GPO
June 21 - Armenian music spotlighted in style by the Aznavoorian Duo
June 20 - Muti tests negative for Covid, is back on the job with CSO
June 18 - Haymarket Opera revives a romantic gem with Bologne’s “L’Amant anonyme”
June 18 - Grant Park Chorus makes its first appearance of the summer in two Chicago premieres
June 17 - Mutter delivers luminous Beethoven with CSO; Muti tests positive for Covid again, withdraws from concert
June 16 - July 13
June 16 - Michelle Cann lights up Grant Park opener with Price concerto
June 14 - Apollo Chorus gives powerful advocacy to Garrop’s ecological oratorio
June 12 - Chicago Chorale celebrates 20 years with a luminous, wide-ranging program
June 11 - Italian-Russian connections strike sparks at North Shore Chamber Music Festival
June 9 - North Shore Chamber Fest opens with masterful Mendelssohn
June 6 - Wurtz premiere the clear highlight of American Music Project concert
June 3 - Salonen leads CSO in brilliant showpieces by Ravel and Salonen
May 27 - Salonen returns to CSO in top style with a rock & roll concerto
May 24 - Weinberg’s “Caligo” provides a compelling highlight in engaging MusicNOW finale
May 22 - Grams returns, wraps Elgin Symphony season in style
May 20 - Canellakis strikes sparks with heroic Strauss in CSO debut
May 20 - Nevermore Festival takes first flight with joyful ~Nois
May 17 - Dancers, an interactive dress and audience participation enhance, detract in Chicago Sinfonietta finale
May 15 - Young pianist saves the day for Illinois Philharmonic with thrilling Prokofiev
May 14 - Apollo’s Fire wraps Chicago season with music of Mozart and Bologne
May 14 - Ensemble Correspondances brings the court of Louis XIII to Logan Center
May 13 - Triple-threat Rachlin performs with CSO in stylish Mozart
May 12 - June 16
May 10 - Music of the Baroque wraps season with soaring performance of Haydn mass
May 10 - Dover Quartet returns with polish, expressive intensity intact
May 6 - Muti, CSO give Florence Price symphony its belated local debut
May 4 - MOB hires chorus director; longtime CSO flutist dies
May 1 - Principals take the spotlight in Illinois Philharmonic’s Brahms program
May 1 - Pianist Achúcarro, at 90, shows a master’s subtle artistry on farewell tour
April 29 - Muti returns, with a heartening premiere and charming Beethoven
April 27 - Bella Voce wraps season in high style with a luminous English program
April 25 - Newberry Consort directors sign off with a charming, convivial farewell
April 24 - COT’s “Quamino” premiere an uplifting tale undone by weak libretto and music
April 23 - Montrose Trio proves a mixed bag in return to Mandel Hall
April 22 - Van Zweden, CSO deliver a powerful, devastating Mahler Sixth
April 21 - May 12
April 19 - Newberry Consort leaders will close the score with season finale
April 15 - Mäkelä makes impressive CSO debut in iridescent music by Stravinsky and Hillborg
April 12 - Music of the Baroque brings out the joy and consolation of Bach’s “Easter Oratorio”
April 11 - Quatuor Diotima closes Korngold festival in admirable style
April 11 - Lakeview Orchestra serves up dramatic Tchaikovsky, Coleridge-Taylor rarity
April 8 - UC’s Korngold Festival soars with belated U.S. premiere of “Die Kathrin”
April 8 - Andsnes smoothly takes the CSO reins in a retooled Mozart program
April 4 - Muti tests positive for Covid; Tuesday’s CSO concert cancelled
April 3 - Folks Operetta serves up a wide array of Korngold songs at UC festival
April 2 - Korngold Festival opens with a stylish, enjoyable program light on Korngold
April 2 - Davis closes two decades at Lyric Opera with a stirring Beethoven Ninth
April 1 - Dark Mahler songs and bracing Bruckner from Muti, Garanča and CSO
March 31 - Spektral Quartet bids farewell with a remarkable score at the Planetarium
March 30 - The Chicago Ensemble serves up a varied menu from Beethoven to Hindemith
March 29 - Thielemann, Hrůša, Honeck among the podium guests in Muti’s final CSO season
March 28 - Avital lights up U.S. premiere of Higdon’s Mandolin Concerto with Chicago Philharmonic
March 27 - Haymarket Opera returns with a superb cast in Stradella’s “La Susanna”
March 25 - Weak music fails to ignite a compelling story in Lyric Opera’s “Fire Shut Up in My Bones”
March 25 - Rakitina makes mixed CSO debut in lightweight Tchaikovsky program
March 24 - Mozart operas, populist CSO programs on tap at Ravinia Festival this summer
March 22 - April 21
March 22 - Forsythe brings “Classical Heroines” to vibrant life with Kraemer, MOB
March 21 - Uchida leads luminous Mozart with Mahler Chamber Orchestra
March 20 - “St. Matthew Passion,” “Jeptha” highlight MOB’s 2022-23 season
March 19 - Composer Marta Ptaszyńska is feted in style by the Zafa Collective
March 18 - A pair of superb soloists highlight Glover’s CSO debut
March 16 - Okpebholo works stand out in mixed MusicNOW program
March 14 - Apollo Chorus rises to the heights with Bach’s “St. John Passion”
March 13 - With two remarkable debuts, Lyric Opera delivers a rich and compelling “Tosca”
March 11 - Powerful Bruckner, engaging Mozart from Blomstedt, Helmchen and CSO
March 10 - American Music Project to return in June with wide-ranging concert by Kontras Quartet
March 5 - Järvi helms vivid Berlioz with a strong CSO debut for pianist Grosvenor
March 1 - McGill’s free and stylish playing highlights MOB’s Mozart program
February 27 - March 23
February 27 - Young cast provides worthy advocacy for Heggie’s uneven “If I Were You” at Northwestern Opera Theater
February 26 - After pandemic delay, Quatuor Diotima finally arrives at UC with compelling Bartók and Beethoven
February 26 - Nearing the end of a 45-year run, the Emerson Quartet makes a final Chicago stop at DePaul
February 25 - CSO Chorus shines in Duain Wolfe’s Beethoven swansong
February 24 - Beethoven fares best in Chicago Ensemble’s mixed return to live music
February 23 - MOB’s “Chevalier” turns the life of Joseph Bologne into fascinating “concert theater”
February 23 - Violinist Pine gives Bologne concerto sterling advocacy with IPO
February 22 - Muti breaks CSO’s Glass ceiling with surging performance of Eleventh Symphony
February 22 - Newberry Consort explores the unique music of the Medici court
February 14 - Lakeview Orchestra returns to the sea in committed style
February 11 - With a new Ravinia contract in pocket, Alsop pumps up the volume with CSO
February 7 - George Crumb 1929-2022
February 6 - Rising violinist Goosby brings fresh charm to Mendelssohn with Elgin Symphony
February 4 - Lyric Opera down to five mainstage operas in 2022-23 season
February 1 - Who should get the CSO baton after Muti? A choice short list—if the job is still open
January 31 - Haymarket Opera unveils an ambitious 2022 season
January 30 - Apollo’s Fire lights a winter blaze with lively Bach and Vivaldi
January 29 - February 27
January 25 - Ying Quartet brings venturesome program to Winter Chamber Music Festival
January 23 - Abridged Winter Chamber Music Fest opens with rewarding concert by the Miró Quartet
January 21 - Muti leads CSO in a belated, balletic New Year’s Day program
January 18 - Sinfonietta marks MLK birthday with a wide array of music
January 17 - Organ music by two Chicago composers, past and present, given excellent advocacy
January 14 - Muti’s CSO new year opens with taut Beethoven, tightened restrictions
January 11 - Six world premieres to highlight 2022 Grant Park Music Festival
January 9 - Elgin Symphony serves up intriguing rarity with Clara Schumann concerto
January 7 - Dale Clevenger 1940-2022
January 5 - Lyric cancels Mazzoli’s “Proving Up” due to Covid surge

2021 (137)

December 23 - January 29
December 22 - Top Ten Performances of 2021
December 18 - COT spikes the holiday brew with a delightful “Becoming Santa Claus”
December 18 - Rough edges, muted singing dilute the holiday cheer with MOB
December 17 - CSO closes a pandemic year with a cut and middling “Messiah”
December 12 - Chicago Chorale marks 20 years with festive Christmas program
December 10 - Hilary Hahn launches her CSO residency with poised and playful Dvořák
December 9 - Lyric Opera quietly renews Freud’s contract through 2026
December 8 - Chanticleer returns, bringing warm holiday cheer on a chilly night
December 4 - Newberry Consort’s lively “Mexican Christmas” warms up a chilly night
December 3 - Lintu, CSO provide a season highlight with explosive Lindberg premiere
November 29 - Worthy is Music of the Baroque’s first “Messiah” in a decade
November 22 - December 26
November 22 - Chicago Philharmonic tucks an appealing premiere between Brahms and Dvořák Serenades
November 21 - La Caccina celebrates womanhood and women composers with “Matriarchy”
November 15 - Third Coast Baroque returns with an intimate program of love songs
November 14 - Catán’s glorious music makes up for fitful vocal magic in Lyric Opera’s “Florencia”
November 12 - In a rousing return, Hrůša ignites with CSO in Dvořák rarity
November 12 - Spektral Quartet to disband after current season
November 7 - Young conductor makes impressive stand with Elgin Symphony Orchestra
November 6 - Chen delivers consummate Bruch performance with Janowski, CSO
November 4 - Mozart for Dummies: Lyric Opera chops up, dumbs down “Magic Flute” in animated travesty
November 2 - MusicNOW begins the Montgomery era with a fresh and eclectic mix
October 31 - 176 keys to a successful partnership with pianists Bax & Chung
October 29 - A musical anniversary marked in thrilling fashion by Matsuev, Honeck and CSO
October 28 - Apollo’s Fire opens new Chicago series with rock-n’-roll Vivaldi
October 26 - November 26
October 26 - Jeannette Sorrell hopes to spark an abiding flame for Apollo’s Fire in Chicago
October 25 - Lakeview Orchestra makes the shock of Beethoven fresh again in season opener
October 25 - Lutenist Nigel North brings grace, individuality to 16th-century songs
October 22 - Bernard Haitink, 1929-2021
October 22 - Conlon and CSO excel in Russian music, honor Haitink
October 19 - Worthy wind playing lifts conductor Butt’s uneven MOB debut
October 17 - Illinois Philharmonic opens season with an American triptych
October 12 - Salonen, Blomstedt and Glover among guest conductors in CSO’s 2022 lineup
October 10 - CAIC wraps festival with far-roving survey of folk songs
October 9 - From Berlin to Weill, Collaborative Works Festival presents music by immigrant composers
October 8 - Collaborative Works Festival returns with compelling songs reflecting the immigrant experience
October 8 - A pair of farewells in CSO program of Mazzoli and Tchaikovsky
October 5 - Ear Taxi goes back to the future for festival finale
October 4 - Parker’s “City Beautiful” set and Ted Moore’s dreamscape highlight Ear Taxi marathon at Epiphany
October 3 - From Shapey to bubble wrap and music for Chicago neighborhoods, the Ear Taxi Festival hits its eclectic stride
October 2 - Assad and Choi works stand out in Ear Taxi’s day at DePaul Museum
October 1 - Women artists take the spotlight at Ear Taxi Festival
October 1 - Kavakos, Muti and CSO make beautiful Brahms together
September 27 - A charming cast sparks the frothy fun in Lyric’s lively “Elixir”
September 24 - After a 19-month absence, Muti returns to open CSO season with stoic, memorable Beethoven
September 23 - Muti to remain as CSO music director through 2023
September 23 - October 27
September 20 - Glover brings crisp stylistic authority to Music of the Baroque’s Handelian opener
September 20 - Chicago Sinfonietta returns with bluegrass fiddling and a neglected symphonic gem
September 19 - Third Eye Theatre’s double bill celebrates women tech pioneers
September 18 - After 18-month Covid hiatus, Lyric Opera reopens with a murky, monastic “Macbeth”
September 17 - Haymarket Opera reaches new heights with a magnificent “Orlando”
September 14 - Enrique Mazzola eager to finally take the Lyric Opera reins with “Macbeth”
September 13 - A superb violinist sparks the Chicago Philharmonic’s enjoyable return to live music
September 11 - “Death of Ivan Ilych” receives stirring premiere from Thompson Street Opera
September 1 - Davóne Tines’ “Mass” brings intimacy, power to Ravinia recital
August 21 - Kalmar, Grant Park forces wrap season in magnificent style with Handel rarity
August 19 - Rarities by Schubert and Britten get tender loving care from Kalmar, Grant Park Chorus
August 17 - CSO, Lyric Opera will require proof of vaccination and masks this fall
August 16 - September 23
August 14 - Bell’s urgent Beethoven draws a crowd at Ravinia
August 12 - “Animals” far too tame at Grant Park’s Family Night
August 7 - A Northern night at Grant Park Festival with Tchaikovsky and Sibelius
August 7 - Conlon returns to Ravinia with a mixed evening of Mozart
August 6 - DeYoung, Murphy illuminate dark songs at Ravinia
August 6 - Michael Tilson Thomas recovering from surgery for brain tumor
August 5 - Bell, Grant Park Chorus go green for Irish program
August 4 - UChicago Presents announces fall events for 2021-22 season
July 31 - Kalmar, Grant Park Orchestra members shine brightly in festival premieres
July 30 - Zukerman returns to Ravinia for double-duty act with CSO
July 29 - Flutes to the fore on a hot night with Grant Park Orchestra
July 24 - Conductor Kim proves she is the real deal in impressive Grant Park debut
July 24 - Fiery Copland and witty Haydn from Alsop, McGill and CSO
July 23 - Mixed midsummer Mahler from Alsop and CSO at Ravinia
July 22 - Grant Park Chorus program reflects on the loss and hope of a pandemic year
July 20 - Clarinetist Anthony McGill returns home for his belated CSO debut
July 20 - Ear Taxi Festival announces program and venue details
July 18 - Pianist Vondráček delivers fresh and individual Beethoven in CSO debut
July 17 - Kalmar, Grant Park Orchestra hit their stride with Bernstein, Sibelius and Brouwer
July 17 - A superb violinist sub and a compelling Montgomery work spark Alsop and CSO at Ravinia
July 15 - Grant Park Orchestra program offers varied program, mixed results
July 14 - August 17
July 13 - Chicago Symphony Orchestra announces program details for fall concerts
July 11 - Alsop opens CSO’s Ravinia return with salutes to women and black composers
July 10 - Superb soloists, Grant Park forces take flight in Vivaldi’s “Gloria”
July 8 - Yang’s mesmerizing Grieg highlights Grant Park Orchestra’s classical return
July 2 - Insight and virtuosity to the fore as Garrick Ohlsson reopens Ravinia with Brahms
July 1 - UChicago Presents leader departing for New Mexico
June 28 - Ravinia’s new low-key chief brings people skills, flexibility to challenging times
June 26 - Impromptu Festival brings back the intimacy and thrills of new music in the flesh
June 25 - Mazzoli concludes MusicNOW tenure with typically varied and eclectic swan song
June 22 - Hilary Hahn to join CSO as first artist-in-residence
June 22 - Carlos Kalmar will depart the Grant Park Music Festival after 2024 season
June 16 - CSO releases program details for Muti’s opening weeks
June 14 - Grant Park Music Fest now open to full capacity; Montgomery premiere cancelled
June 14 - July 14
June 13 - North Shore Chamber Fest closes with brilliance and sensitivity
June 12 - Young musicians in the spotlight for middle program of North Shore Chamber Fest
June 11 - Mazzoli’s brilliant bass concerto lights up MusicNOW stream
June 10 - North Shore Chamber Fest marks a decade with stylish and spirited Beethoven
June 7 - Music of the Baroque finale reflects a pandemic season with progress from darkness to light
June 6 - “Messiah” and “Easter Oratorio” on tap in MOB’s 2021-22 season
June 4 - CSO returns to full strength with fiery brilliance in wide-ranging program
June 2 - Sublime Schubert opens Rush Hour Concerts’ summer series
May 28 - The Chicago Symphony Orchestra makes a bold and brassy return
May 23 - June events
May 21 - CSO choral director Duain Wolfe to retire
May 19 - Lyric Opera trims down 2021-22 season; announces Joffrey lineup
May 10 - MOB shines spotlight on talented principals in lively concerto program
May 6 - After a Covid hiatus, the Ravinia Festival will return in July
May 5 - Grant Park Music Festival to reopen with July 4th celebration
May 4 - Chicago Symphony Orchestra to return to live concerts with spring mini-series
April 27 - Kraemer, MOB bring fresh vitality to Bach’s Brandenburgs
April 25 - Daniel Catán’s music soars in COT’s “Rappaccini” premiere
April 20 - CSO names Jessie Montgomery composer in residence
April 17 - Ian Bostridge delivers first-class artistry in German lieder
April 14 - Chicago Symphony winds return with a Mozart masterpiece
April 12 - New composers, young singers take the spotlight in Fourth Coast Ensemble’s songSlam finale
April 12 - North Shore Chamber Fest showcases gifted young duo, announces return of June series
April 10 - Esfahani’s Bach “Variations” illuminating but not exactly live
March 30 - May events
March 30 - Barnatan’s stylish debut sparks Glover’s return to Music of the Baroque
March 21 - Fourth Coast singers explore musical heritages in winning duo-recital
March 20 - Vintage Defauw broadcast helps plugs a gap in CSO history
March 16 - Ravinia will be open for business this summer
March 6 - Haymarket Opera’s Handel season hits its virtual stride with “Apollo e Dafne”
March 1 - Music of the Baroque stream offers a program of mixed doubles
February 28 - COT’s offbeat “Taking Up Serpents” gives notice of a talented new composer
February 24 - COT to premiere expanded version of Sankaram’s “Taking Up Serpents”
February 21 - Female voices lead off Fourth Coast Ensemble’s streaming season
February 21 - Young winners show impressive artistry at NSCMF benefit
January 25 - Music of the Baroque opens 50th anniversary season with polished and familiar Vivaldi
January 24 - Illinois Philharmonic winds most in synch with Mozart
January 14 - CSO cancels rest of season
January 12 - Howard Reich to retire from Tribune

2020 (95)

December 24 - Top Five Performances of 2020
December 17 - Streaming CSO Sessions provide aural, visual balm to listeners in lockdown
December 16 - Dover Quartet launches Beethoven cycle with quicksilver elegance
December 2 - Polenzani kicks off a virtual Vocal Arts DC season with strong program
November 11 - CSO posts $4.4 million deficit in Covid-impacted season
November 5 - With Covid resurgent, Music of the Baroque revises its season again
October 31 - Haymarket Opera goes to Hollywood, opening 10th season with a filmic “Acis and Galatea”
October 25 - Evanston Chamber Music Festival provides musical warmth on a chilly afternoon
October 21 - Lyric Opera cancels rest of season, announces most of 2021-22 lineup
October 18 - Illinois Philharmonic opens season in exhilarating form with strings attached
October 15 - CSO cancels all concerts through March 31
October 11 - New Music Chicago celebrates 15th anniversary with pungent panache
October 10 - Erin Wall 1975-2020
September 11 - North Shore Chamber Fest opens new fall series with a Jewish musical feast
September 6 - CSO to offer online pay-per-view chamber series
August 31 - A welcome return to live music, courtesy of Evanston Chamber Festival
August 12 - North Shore Chamber Fest to go live and public this fall; Haymarket, CAIC announce online seasons
August 3 - Retooled Music of the Baroque season hews to populist side
August 2 - Pacifica Quartet serves up a bracing disc of women composers
July 18 - Music of the Baroque cancels fall concerts
July 16 - Chicago Symphony Orchestra cancels all events through end of year
July 10 - Ravinia Festival announces new CEO
July 6 - New disc offers ideal introduction to Arvo Pärt
July 2 - Two longtime CSO members have retired
June 25 - New music for new times
June 16 - Lyric Opera cancels all fall performances in wake of pandemic
June 15 - Ear Taxi Festival pushed back to 2021
June 8 - Ten Recordings for Challenging Times
June 5 - Grant Park Music Festival to offer a virtual summer season
May 26 - Eighty-eight reasons to seek music online during the shutdown
May 21 - COT to present season of Chicago premieres
May 18 - CSO radio series extended through June 30
May 11 - What will the fall music season look like? Smaller, less epic and more soloistic—if it happens
May 8 - Pritzker plan dooms rest of CSO season; opposition grows to slow-walked Illinois reopening
May 4 - Grant Park Music Festival axes season due to Covid-19
May 1 - Ravinia cancels entire 2020 season
April 24 - With Illinois quarantine extended, all May concerts cancelled
April 9 - Muti, CSO musicians take salary cuts to aid orchestra’s financial stability
April 8 - Ten Recordings to get you through the shutdown (Part II)
April 2 - CSO to launch new radio series to fill concert void
April 1 - Krzysztof Penderecki 1933-2020
March 27 - Ten Recordings to get you through the shutdown (Part I)
March 24 - CSO cancels all events through May 10 due to Covid-19 pandemic
March 19 - Music of the Baroque, Third Coast Percussion plan to fill the void with free livestreaming
March 19 - UC Presents, Chicago Opera Theater cancel rest of season
March 17 - Streaming links to get your music fix during the COVID-19 quarantine
March 14 - A note on the coronavirus
March 13 - Lyric cancels “Götterdämmerung,” all three Ring cycles
March 13 - As concert venues close, Apollo’s Fire lights a candle in Evanston
March 12 - CSO cancels Thursday night’s concert, all events through mid-April
March 10 - Critic’s Choice
March 7 - A modern gem highlights Marlboro’s mixed program at Mandel Hall
March 6 - Blomstedt returns to CSO, leading rich and spirited Brahms
March 5 - UChicago Presents to serve up a rich, deep and varied 77th season
March 4 - Critic’s Choice
March 3 - Beethoven among friends with Ma, Ax, and Kavakos
March 3 - Classical and popular songs gracefully rendered by Fourth Coast Ensemble
March 2 - Trifonov’s rare artistry illuminates Bach’s rarely heard “Art of Fugue”
March 2 - Eric Owens withdraws from Lyric Opera’s “Ring”
March 1 - Gardiner, ORR shed revelatory light on Beethoven symphonies
February 29 - With a new home, Haymarket Opera, DeShong mark the Lenten season with Bach
February 28 - With two debuts, CSO presents a rare Northern night of Nielsen and Sibelius
February 27 - Critic’s Choice
February 25 - Divas duel delightfully in entertaining Music of the Baroque program
February 21 - With Bloom’s subtle artistry, a low instrument soars high in CSO premiere
February 20 - Music of the Baroque to mark 50th anniversary with the festive and familiar
February 19 - Critic’s Choice
February 18 - Yuja rocks a full house with keyboard fireworks and artistry
February 17 - Tchaikovsky trashed: Lyric audience dealt a losing hand by disastrous staging of “Queen of Spades”
February 12 - A varied lineup and passing of the baton in Lyric Opera’s 2020-21 season
February 12 - Critic’s Choice
February 10 - Lyric Opera’s tepid “Butterfly” takes belated flight
February 10 - Piffaro joins Newberry Consort to explore the world of Isabella d’Este
February 9 - COT’s trivial “Freedom Ride” reduces Civil Rights heroes to soap opera cliches
February 9 - Violinist Hagen lights up Illinois Philharmonic’s Tchaikovsky night
February 8 - JACK Quartet’s artistry illuminates the darkness of Haas quartet
February 7 - Tenor’s impressive debut highlights magnificent Mascagni from Muti, CSO
February 5 - Critic’s Choice
February 2 - MIC’s George Crumb Festival closes with a varied feast
February 1 - George Crumb Festival opens with a triumphant foray into the composer’s delicate, haunting soundscapes
February 1 - Danish Quartet brings dramatic bite to Beethoven program at Mandel Hall
January 31 - A lethargic homecoming for Chicago Symphony
January 29 - Terfel cancels Lyric Opera recital due to injury
January 28 - Season of renewal: Marquee names carry Chicago Symphony for 2020-2021
January 26 - Trumpeter Balsom’s Haydn steals the show at Mozart birthday party
January 25 - Bach specialist Podger: Impeccable playing, debatable picks
January 20 - Dudok Quartet steps outside the canon for inspired Winter Chamber Music Festival performance
January 20 - Barber’s “Knoxville” the high point in Chicago Ensemble’s Americana survey
January 18 - Aizuri Quartet’s insightful Beethoven caps impressive Winter Chamber Festival debut
January 14 - Escher Quartet’s Debussy makes time stand still in CMS program
January 11 - Exquisite Beethoven from Ehnes and Armstrong to open Winter Chamber Music Festival
January 11 - A prosaic night of duo piano music at Mandel Hall
January 9 - Critic’s Choice
January 8 - UC taps French quartet as ensemble-in-residence
January 7 - Grant Park Music Festival to offer two premieres, spotlight city’s diversity

2019 (207)

December 23 - Top Ten Performances of 2019
December 21 - Quigley makes admirable debut with MOB in holiday program
December 20 - CSO closes year in mixed style, going from dull to dramatic with de Waart
December 16 - Rising conductor Patrick Dupré Quigley to make MOB debut
December 13 - An enjoyably varied night in Vienna from Honeck, CSO
December 9 - Chicago Philharmonic’s jazzed-up program proves a mixed holiday bag
December 7 - Newberry Consort mixes the sacred and secular with flair in “A Mexican Christmas”
December 7 - Ferris Chorale delivers customary Christmas cheer in a transitional season
December 6 - Storgårds, CSO bring explosive urgency to a Tchaikovsky standard
December 5 - Lakeview Orchestra unearths a neglected gem by Louise Farrenc
December 4 - With a new Don, Lyric’s “Don Giovanni” remains a stellar night of Mozart
December 3 - Compelling gifts in small packages make for rewarding MusicNOW night
December 2 - Radvanovsky in regal form for Lyric’s triple crown of Donizetti queens
November 26 - Principals shine in the solo spotlight with MOB’s “Bach and the Italians”
November 22 - Barber opera excerpts prove most heavenly in cosmic CSO program
November 20 - Nézet-Séguin, Montreal orchestra make strong impact in Chicago debut
November 18 - Leclair provides the highlights in Third Coast Baroque’s French fête
November 18 - Kirov, IPO and Birsan give thoughtful advocacy to Mahler, Thomas
November 17 - Chicago Opera Theater scales the heights with “Everest,” “Aleko”
November 15 - First-class cast, stylish staging make a “Don Giovanni” to die for at Lyric
November 13 - Opera checks all the boxes for COT’s Lidiya Yankovskaya
November 13 - Chicago Ensemble chills out with venturesome chamber program
November 12 - Flutist Brown launches CD with contemporary program
November 11 - Ear Taxi Festival to return in 2020
November 11 - Hornist Gingrich honored at CSO concert
November 9 - vision string quartet makes a memorable U.S. debut at Mandel Hall
November 8 - Intimately scaled Brahms for two warms up a chilly night at CSO
November 8 - Fourth Coast Ensemble fetes American women in Evanston
November 7 - Buchbinder’s “Appassionata” highlights round two of Beethoven sonata series
November 5 - Elgin Symphony plants its downtown flag at Harris Theater
November 3 - Lyric Opera’s powerful “Dead Man Walking” comes to life with searing impact
November 2 - A world premiere, quirky Beethoven and noisy Liszt fill up a CSO matinee
October 30 - Heggie’s acclaimed “Dead Man Walking” to receive Lyric Opera debut
October 28 - Haymarket Opera stylishly revives a comic gem with “Dragon of Wantley”
October 28 - An afternoon of sweet melancholy with Iestyn Davies and Fretwork
October 26 - Gerhaher and Huber illuminate the darkness in an evening of Mahler songs
October 25 - Afkham makes an admirable CSO return with Haydn, Strauss and Brahms
October 24 - Chamber Music Society delivers youthful Mozart, sublime Schubert
October 24 - CSO strike had minimal effect on orchestra’s bottom line
October 23 - Kraemer, MOB bring home the venison with engaging “hunt” program
October 21 - Christian Gerhaher to explore the dark world of Mahler’s songs at UC
October 20 - A bounteous American feast served up with panache by the Illinois Philharmonic
October 19 - Witty works for an empress open Newberry Consort season
October 18 - Composer Rouse writes his epitaph in final masterpiece unveiled in Cincinnati
October 14 - Gerstein launches Beethoven sonata cycle with insight, panache
October 14 - With a new tenor, Fourth Coast Ensemble offers an offbeat mix
October 13 - Uneven singing, lack of dramatic fire make for low-voltage Verdi in Lyric’s “Luisa Miller”
October 13 - Haas premiere highlights Third Coast Percussion’s UC concert
October 12 - Academy Chamber Ensemble triumphs in UChicago Presents opener
October 11 - Two impressive CSO debuts and a rousing Polish rarity
October 9 - Trumpet guest lifts a mixed opener for Lakeview Orchestra
October 8 - From code to stones, MusicNOW offers an eclectic mix
October 7 - Chicago Philharmonic marks 30th anniversary with ode to “Life”
October 4 - A percussion debut and powerful Shostakovich from Gaffigan, CSO
October 3 - Critic’s Choice
October 2 - Picosa opens new DePaul series with a varied chamber feast
September 29 - Lyric Opera opens season with a bright and delightful “Barber of Seville”
September 27 - Muti, CSO launch Beethoven series, going from First to Third with mixed results
September 26 - CSO appoints principal trumpet
September 25 - Critic’s Choice
September 22 - Christopher Rouse 1949-2019
September 20 - Muti opens 10th CSO season with whirlwind brilliance, and a piano warhorse blooms anew
September 17 - Prepping for Beethoven 250 birthday bash: A selective CD guide
September 15 - Inspired soloists lift MOB’s mixed Bach opener
September 13 - Thompson Street Opera opens season with compelling U.S. premiere of tasing tragedy
September 12 - Enrique Mazzola named music director of Lyric Opera
September 9 - Collaborative Works Fest embraces art songs of the world in final program
September 8 - Third Coast Baroque opens with a trifecta of sopranos in Handel rarities
September 8 - Collaborative Works Fest showcases wide range of American song
September 6 - Collaborative Works Festival opens with bracing music by Chicago women
September 5 - Florence Price work provides a highlight with Nexus Chamber Music
August 29 - Nexus Chamber Music nestles into tight quarters with an avian program
August 20 - Critic’s Choice for 2019-20
August 17 - Grant Park Music Festival wraps season with heavenly Mahler
August 15 - Grant Park Festival’s massive Jumbotron upstages the music
August 11 - His Majesty’s Men span the centuries, from Byrd to a world premiere
August 10 - Kalmar, Grant Park colleagues provide a summer high point with Delius’s majestic “Mass of Life”
August 9 - Music of the Baroque makes some history with Glover’s contract extended through 2023
August 3 - Gluzman’s commanding Bernstein highlights Grant Park Orchestra’s Harris program
August 1 - Kalmar leads Grant Park Orchestra in exuberant American works
July 30 - Goerne, Trifonov bring simpatico artistry to dark songs at Ravinia
July 29 - Previn’s texty swan song gets royal treatment from Fleming and friends in Ravinia premiere
July 27 - Hometown soloists shine brightly; Danzmayr, Grant Park Orchestra deliver dramatic Dvořák
July 25 - Gulda’s eclectic concerto gets game advocacy from French cellist
July 23 - MOB’s longtime concertmaster dies; Masur to lead Civic Orchestra
July 20 - Brabbins, Grant Park Orchestra master heat, humidity, and helicopters with rewarding program
July 19 - Music of women composers shines in wide-ranging Grant Park Chorus program
July 18 - Villaume leads a winning program with Grant Park Orchestra
July 9 - Grant Park musicians downsize for folk-flavored program in South Shore
July 6 - Gershwin concerto takes flight while Kahane oratorio stays earthbound at Grant Park Music Festival
June 29 - Grant Park Music Festival delivers a powerful “Missa Solemnis” on another rainy night
June 22 - “Aida” wraps an operatic CSO season with high-voltage Verdi
June 22 - Memorable Brahms and lively Garrop premiere spark Grant Park concert
June 20 - Barnatan, Grant Park Orchestra warm up a cold, wet night
June 19 - OTSL brings brilliant fresh life to “Poppea,” while “Rigoletto” is hobbled by inept direction
June 18 - Opera Theater of St. Louis premiere is well crafted but lacking dramatic spark
June 15 - Grant Park Chorus soars in Carl Vine’s resplendent “Choral Symphony”
June 14 - Six octaves of separation in CSO marathon concert with piccolo, bass trombone concertos
June 13 - North Shore Chamber Fest opens with eruptive Beethoven by Escher Quartet
June 13 - Despite traditional rain, Grant Park Music Festival opens season brightly
June 12 - Lakeview Orchestra closes season with a French feast
June 10 - Chicago Chorale brings glowing advocacy to Duruflé Requiem
June 7 - Simone Young makes an exuberant debut with Chicago Symphony
June 5 - Chicago Ensemble closes with a varied feast as Rush Hour opens 20th season
June 3 - UC forces deliver shattering account of Tippett’s “A Child of Our Time”
May 20 - Bella Voce closes its season with exultant Vivaldi along with Purcell and Handel rarities
May 19 - Fringe Opera fetes rising composer Cerrone with “Love Wounds”
May 19 - Kirov, Illinois Philharmonic wrap season with sumptuous Strauss
May 18 - Eighth Blackbird serves up a varied menu of new music at Steppenwolf
May 17 - Hahn’s spacious, searching Sibelius a highlight with CSO
May 16 - Prokofiev fares best in uneven Orion Ensemble finale
May 14 - Kraemer, MOB close season with the sacred, secular and spectacular
May 10 - Muti leads CSO in an evening of populist Mozart and Stravinsky
May 9 - Janai Brugger brings versatility, artistic depth to CAIC recital
May 8 - Marking ten years of CCR with a note of gratitude
May 7 - Barnatan and friends bring esoterica alive in absorbing Harris program
May 5 - A star-making performance and Bernstein’s magnificent score boost Lyric Opera’s “West Side Story”
May 5 - Trapani’s musical islands are joined in Spektral Quartet program
May 3 - Muti, CSO back in business with DiDonato radiant in Berlioz
May 2 - Dark rarities offer bright rewards in Chamber Music Society season finale
May 1 - Lakeview Orchestra offers Strauss, Beethoven and a world premiere
April 29 - Strike over, the Chicago Symphony Winds put the focus back on the music
April 27 - CSO strike is over as trustees and musicians approve new five-year contract
April 27 - CSO musicians approve new contract; goes to board of trustees tonight
April 27 - Pine and Vinikour make beautiful Bach together in UC debut
April 27 - Bach Week Festival opens 46th season in style
April 26 - CSO musicians, management make joint statement on tentative agreement
April 26 - Mayor Emanuel announces “agreement in principle” to end CSO strike
April 26 - COT wraps season in epic fashion with Heggie’s majestic “Moby-Dick”
April 25 - Critic’s Choice
April 22 - Human drama to the fore in COT’s Chicago premiere of “Moby-Dick”
April 16 - Critic’s Choice
April 13 - A retooled Pacifica Quartet returns to Mandel Hall with a world premiere
April 13 - Third Coast Baroque is first class in a triumphant “Il trionfo”
April 10 - CSO musicians, management need to end strike now–for the good of Chicago and themselves
April 10 - Critic’s Choice
April 9 - Striking CSO musicians reject “final” contract offer; two more weeks of concerts cancelled
April 8 - Chicago Philharmonic raises the roof with timpani concerto, Russian blockbusters
April 6 - Newberry Consort wraps season with a delightful French banquet
April 5 - Worlds collide with Arendt, Heidegger and a homicidal cat in Thompson Street Opera’s double bill
April 3 - Critic’s Choice
April 2 - Glover, MOB offer rare comical Bach and not too funny Haydn
April 1 - Crossing Borders offers a bracing mix of music by African-American women
March 31 - “Pimpinone” revival proves a stylish battle of the sexes at Haymarket Opera
March 31 - Chicago Chorale soars in memorable night of Scandinavian music
March 30 - Ferris Chorale marks the Lenten season with ecumenical meditations on loss
March 29 - A bracing mix after a baffling start at Impromptu Fest
March 27 - Critic’s Choice
March 26 - Sinfonietta finds a new hall, revives a famous Górecki work
March 24 - Costars, sentiment reign in Lyric Opera’s hodgepodge Fleming tribute
March 22 - Impromptu Fest opens with wide array of music in cramped quarters
March 21 - Chaminade trio proves a discovery in mixed Orion Ensemble program
March 20 - Critic’s Choice
March 20 - Lakeview Orchestra tests its heavy mettle with “Rite of Spring”
March 18 - More CSO concerts are cancelled as musicians strike goes into second week
March 17 - Kirov, Illinois Philharmonic hit their stride with resplendent Rachmaninoff
March 16 - No contract agreement reached; CSO strike will continue
March 16 - Lyric Unlimited presents heartfelt human drama with “An American Dream”
March 16 - Diderot Quartet, Bicket offer a lively program of Baroque rarities
March 15 - CSO musicians, management may be getting close to an agreement
March 14 - Critic’s Choice
March 13 - A tragic expedition and a world premiere on tap in COT’s 2019-20 season
March 12 - Muti joins striking CSO musicians on picket line in show of support
March 11 - Sides remain far apart as striking CSO musicians take to the picket line
March 11 - Chicago Ensemble serves up a varied menu with some rough edges
March 10 - CSO musicians are on strike; will begin picketing outside hall Monday morning
March 10 - Iestyn Davies delivers radiant Bach in Haymarket Opera concert
March 10 - Negotiations continue Sunday in an attempt to avert CSO strike
March 9 - On eve of CSO strike, management makes public its latest contract offer; musicians call it “snake oil”
March 8 - As a musicians strike looms, CSO returns to town with a routine outing
March 7 - Bicket takes Music of the Baroque on an engaging “Grand Tour”
March 6 - Critic’s Choice
March 5 - University of Chicago Presents to offer a varied mix in 2019-20
March 3 - Worthy Handel singing buried by scabrous excess in Lyric Opera’s “Ariodante”
March 2 - Music of the Baroque looks towards the future in 2019-20 season
March 1 - Northwestern Opera Theater serves up a visually striking, vocally underserved “Rake’s Progress”
February 27 - Critic’s Choice
February 22 - A funky fortepiano makes for a challenging night of Beethoven
February 22 - Muti, CSO mark an Italian tragedy in searing Schuman premiere
February 21 - Soprano sub lifts Lyric Opera’s lukewarm “Traviata”
February 20 - Critic’s Choice
February 19 - Gardiner to lead Beethoven cycle at Harris Theater in 2020
February 18 - Spektral Quartet serves music of the past and present with confidence
February 17 - COT brings an affecting family tale to compelling life with “The Scarlet Ibis”
February 15 - A wild Rachmaninoff ride and a Tchaikovsky rarity from Heras-Casado, CSO and Trpčeski
February 14 - Critic’s Choice
February 14 - CSO musicians authorize a strike for March 10
February 13 - Concertgebouw Orchestra lives up to its reputation with brilliant Brahms and Strauss
February 12 - Chamber Music Society avoids the usual suspects in engaging program of Mozart rarities
February 10 - Debussy shines brightest in Illinois Philharmonic’s celestial program
February 7 - Critic’s Choice
February 5 - Music and speech cohere and collide in ACM program
February 3 - Revenge is sweet and thrilling in Lyric Opera’s magnificent “Elektra”
February 2 - Polished yet cool, the Parker Quartet (and friends) make a mixed UC debut
January 30 - Critic’s Choice
January 29 - Beethoven in the spotlight in CSO’s 2019-20 season
January 28 - A mixed Mozart birthday bash from Hewitt, Music of the Baroque
January 24 - “Ring” cycle, “Don Giovanni,” “Dead Man Walking” highlight Lyric Opera’s 2019-20 season
January 19 - Gryphon Trio provides shelter from the storm in Winter Chamber debut
January 16 - Critic’s Choice
January 12 - Dover Quartet illumines the darkness at Winter Chamber Music Festival
January 12 - Trio Céleste makes impressive Mandel Hall debut
January 12 - Newberry Consort excavates 15th-century songs with mixed results
January 11 - Hampson brings swagger, sensitivity to American songs with CSO
January 9 - Critic’s Choice
January 7 - Grant Park Music Festival to go from Bach to Zwilich in 85th season
January 7 - Zafa Collective opens new year with virtuosic diversity

2018 (212)

December 24 - Top Ten Performances of 2018
December 21 - Worthy is Matthew Halls’ “Messiah” in conductor’s impressive CSO debut
December 21 - Chamber Music Society brings great polish, less spontaneity to Bach’s Brandenburgs
December 16 - Apollo Chorus continues 140-year tradition with a characterful “Messiah”
December 15 - Newberry Consort marks the season with festive Mexican baroque program
December 15 - Music of the Baroque roves widely in holiday program
December 14 - Tilson Thomas leads CSO in a fresh and powerful take on Tchaikovsky’s “Pathetique”
December 10 - Tallis Scholars bring polish and purity to Renaissance Christmas program
December 9 - Two fine singers vie with uninspired score in “When Adonis Calls”
December 8 - Grossman Ensemble makes impressive debut in a new era for new music at UC
December 7 - Gardner, CSO take flight with Nielsen symphony
December 4 - Netrebko brings dollops of diva and Russian drama to Lyric Opera recital
December 3 - Little romantic charm, Massenet magic in Lyric Opera’s silly “Cendrillon”
December 3 - Tiberghien explores piano music of the First World War
November 30 - Two principals take the solo spotlight in CSO’s all-Mozart program
November 26 - Glover leads MOB in a meticulous and exuberant “Christmas Oratorio”
November 25 - Chicago Ensemble explores new chamber music in “Discover America”
November 20 - Chicago composers display an array of individual voices at MusicNow
November 18 - Big voices bring visceral Verdi thunder to Lyric’s “Trovatore”
November 17 - Fringe Opera uncovers a masterwork with Hindemith’s “Christmas Dinner”
November 17 - Fiterstein, colleagues bring light to musical darkness at Mandel Hall
November 16 - Opera Atelier makes an admirable debut with French Baroque double bill
November 16 - Two remarkable debuts highlight CSO’s mostly Russian program
November 14 - Phillip Bush brings insight, blazing virtuosity to American piano music
November 12 - Opera Atelier to make Chicago debut with French Baroque double bill
November 12 - Cappella Pratensis serves up a clever twist on Josquin for UC Presents
November 11 - COT illuminates “Iolanta” with ardent vocalism, rich Russian flavor
November 11 - Rembrandt Chamber Musicians’ unfocused Armistice program misses the historical mark
November 9 - Muti, CSO turn tragedy into spiritual transcendence with Verdi “Requiem”
November 8 - Silesian Quartet opens Polish music festival with world-class artistry
November 7 - Chicago Ensemble at its best in fiery, youthful Beethoven
November 6 - DiBello, MOB bring striking freshness to Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons”
November 5 - Inspired singing wins out over trivial staging in Lyric Opera’s “Siegfried”
November 2 - Barenboim returns to CSO for a mixed night of Smetana
October 31 - Chamber Music Society brings a refining fire to artful Kreutzer program
October 29 - Collaborative Arts commemorates the Armistice with Mahler and war poetry
October 27 - Chopin winner Seong-Jin Cho makes a rock-star Chicago debut
October 26 - Thrilling, memorable Bruckner, and a scary moment from Haitink, CSO
October 23 - Missy Mazzoli masterful in multitasking MusicNOW debut
October 23 - CSO shaves deficit to $900,000
October 21 - Simone Porter’s ravishing Korngold highlights Illinois Philharmonic opener
October 20 - A powerful premiere and a great American symphony from Alsop, CSO
October 20 - Rowdy and wry, “Will Kemp” returns to Newberry Consort
October 19 - An inspired cast brings out the human drama in Lyric Opera’s “Idomeneo”
October 16 - At a career height, Matthew Polenzani is still looking for new paths to explore
October 16 - Lyric management is short-term winner with new musicians contract
October 14 - Composer Missy Mazzoli hopes to bring new voices to MusicNOW
October 13 - Lyric Opera, striking musicians reach agreement
October 13 - Takács Quartet open UC Presents season with supreme artistry
October 12 - Inspired moments on a mixed Mahler journey from CSO, Orozco-Estrada
October 11 - Striking musicians reject new contract proposal from Lyric Opera; company claims survival is at stake
October 10 - Lyric Opera responds to union charges on Day 2 of musicians strike
October 9 - Thursday’s “Boheme” matinee and Saturday’s “Idomeneo” opener cancelled; no talks between Lyric Opera and musicians until Friday
October 9 - Charges fly between Lyric Opera and striking musicians as cancelled performances loom
October 9 - Lyric Opera Orchestra goes out on strike
October 7 - Soprano’s moving Mimi, fresh staging lift Lyric Opera’s “Bohème”
October 6 - Spektral Quartet fetes an American original with Gloria Coates premiere
October 6 - Lyric Opera season to open tonight on schedule
October 6 - Third Eye cast and staging impress in musically uneven “Patience & Sarah”
October 5 - Muti, CSO bring respect and brillance to Hindemith symphony
October 4 - David Finckel and Wu Han mark Harris Theater’s 15th anniversary in Romantic style
October 3 - Lyric Opera, musician unions going down to the wire with contract negotiations
October 3 - Lakeview Orchestra is on the rise with impressive season opener
September 30 - Haymarket Opera’s uneven “Serse” proves a mixed bag of Baroque
September 28 - CSO principals knock it out of the park in a thrillingly virtuosic “Sheherazade”
September 26 - Critic’s Choice
September 25 - Chicago Sinfonietta celebrates the American immigration experience in Boyer’s uplifting “Ellis Island”
September 24 - Orion Ensemble serves up a Strauss discovery in season opener
September 22 - Muti, CSO open season with dark Shostakovich, delightful Prokofiev
September 21 - Spektral Quartet gives a tasting of new album with saxophonist Miguel Zenón
September 19 - Critic’s Choice
September 16 - Music of the Baroque serves up joyous Handel, valedictory Mozart in season opener
September 12 - Critic’s Choice
September 9 - Tales of romantic obsession conclude Collaborative Works Festival
September 7 - Superb Brahms singing undermined by narration at Collaborative Works Festival
September 6 - From Mahler to Mazzoli, Collaborative Works Festival casts a wide net in opener
August 22 - Critic Picks for 2018-19 season
August 18 - A rousing “Carmina Burana” closes Grant Park Music Festival in style
August 16 - Grant Park Music Festival offers lively performance of Menotti comic opera
August 11 - Ferrández gives a stunning Prokofiev premiere with Grant Park Orchestra
August 9 - A pianist’s poetic debut and an American symphony revived at the Grant Park Music Festival
August 4 - Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus go deep, soar high with Haydn, Debussy
August 2 - Kalmar, Grant Park Orchestra provide stellar advocacy in a basically Bardic program
July 29 - Alsop, Szot and colleagues make a theatrical happening out of Bernstein’s problematic “MASS”
July 28 - Danzmayr makes admirable podium debut with Grant Park Orchestra
July 26 - New returns to lead Grant Park Orchestra in compelling Sibelius
July 21 - Conductor Stenz makes auspicious Grant Park debut on a rainy night
July 20 - Grant Park Chorus brings fluency and fervor to wide-ranging program
July 19 - After a long absence, Dudamel and CSO strike sparks in Beethoven
July 19 - Cox leads Grant Park Orchestra in lighter works by Beethoven, Haydn
July 17 - Utah Arts Review to launch this fall
July 11 - Yes, celebrate Leonard Bernstein’s 100th birthday. But what about other, better American composers?
July 10 - Grant Park strings move indoors for a light program of Grieg and Vivaldi
July 7 - Davies, Grant Park Orchestra offer Bolcom tribute, fresh Tchaikovsky
June 30 - Grant Park Orchestra, cellist Moser beat the heat with Czech program
June 28 - Flutist offers a dazzling double turn at Grant Park Music Festval
June 26 - CSO announces new composer in residence, principal oboe
June 25 - With best wishes and gratitude to John von Rhein on his retirement
June 24 - Grant Park Orchestra mixes it up with American rarity, Russian warhorse
June 22 - Muti, CSO wrap season in resplendent style with rare vocal masterworks
June 21 - “The Pleiades” receives a rousing and effective premiere at Grant Park Music Festival
June 16 - Grant Park Orchestra vies with a Northerly disturbance in Mozart, Elgar
June 16 - Brahms, Shostakovich and retooled Dvořák mingle at the North Shore Chamber Festival
June 15 - Russian rarities make for a dark and noisy night with Muti, Ma and CSO
June 14 - Grant Park Music Festival opens season with a powerful Walton punch
June 11 - Chicago Chorale’s “Sealed Angel” once again touches the soul
June 10 - Music Theater Works opens season with a lively “Pirates of Penzance”
June 3 - Haymarket Opera’s excellent cast lifts Cesti’s “L’Orontea”
June 1 - Janowski leads CSO in a program of opera without words
May 30 - Chicago Ensemble closes season with Beethoven and Brahms
May 26 - Bells are ringing at UC’s Carillon New Music Festival
May 25 - Salonen and Uchida team with CSO in an evening of Bartók and Schoenberg
May 23 - MusicNOW closes 20th anniversary season on a high note with Salonen leading Adams, Ogonek premieres
May 21 - Spektral Quartet wraps Schoenberg series with metal virtuosity
May 20 - A tragic anniversary observed with powerful premiere of “Ukrainian Requiem”
May 18 - A majestic, moving Mahler farewell from Salonen, CSO
May 15 - Bracing ACM closer welcomes audience to the machine
May 14 - Kraemer, Music of the Baroque wrap season with game of threes
May 12 - A belated Schumann premiere and a Saint-Saëns spectacular from Krivine, CSO
May 11 - Illinois Philharmonic names composer in residence
May 8 - MusicNOW concert blends art, American works with imaginative flair
May 8 - Chamber Music Society closes season with major works in a minor key
May 4 - An underrated “Manfred” outshines a forgotten Bruch in Bychkov’s CSO turn
April 28 - How do I love thee? Newberry counts the ways in “Dangerous” program
April 25 - Critic’s Choice
April 24 - Countertenor’s subtle artistry provides the highlights in uneven MOB program
April 23 - Contempo marks Earth Day with bracing “nature” program
April 22 - Chicago Chamber Choir polished and impressive under new conductor
April 21 - Montrose Trio provides a season highlight in Chicago debut
April 20 - Muti and CSO bring fiery brilliance to French and Russian showpieces
April 19 - Critic’s Choice
April 17 - Kissin, Emerson Quartet banish the winter chill with chamber warmth
April 16 - COT closes season with uneven Donizetti double bill
April 15 - Kirov, Illinois Philharmonic close season with dynamic Tchaikovsky
April 13 - “American” program proves a mixed bag from Muti and CSO
April 12 - Critic’s Choice
April 10 - Chicago Philharmonic lives up to its “Orchestra of the Year” award in Russian program
April 9 - Philharmonia Baroque’s worthy advocacy fails to make a case for Rossi’s music
April 8 - Three sopranos take the stage at Resonant Bodies Festival
April 7 - Vocal virtuosity and imagination open Resonant Bodies Festival
April 6 - Pintscher, Thibaudet and CSO fete Ravel in resplendent style
April 5 - Critic’s Choice
April 4 - Resonant Bodies Festival to bring array of experimental vocal music to Chicago
April 3 - Moments of haunting beauty amid new-music cliches in “Savior” premiere
March 30 - Nagano, Vonsattel and CSO fete Bernstein in style
March 28 - Critic’s Choice
March 27 - Glover leads Music of the Baroque in a vivid, dramatic “St. John Passion”
March 26 - Chicago Chorale singers deliver in a mixed Mozart/Levin Requiem
March 24 - Rembrandt Chamber Musicians unearth a gem in Eastern European program
March 23 - CSO Chorus marks 60 years of excellence with Schubert mass
March 21 - Critic’s Choice
March 19 - A subbing Shaham brings wide-ranging program to Chicago
March 18 - Lyric’s “Fellow Travelers” offers soaring music and affecting humanity in Chicago premiere
March 16 - Muti, CSO bring style and gracious charm to Mozart, Haydn
March 15 - Critic’s Choice
March 13 - Chicago Fringe Opera gives the problematic “Great God Pan” a worthy world premiere
March 11 - Kirov leads the Illinois Philharmonic in a rich and rousing Mahler First
March 11 - Lyric Opera highlights Bernstein’s yearning lost souls in centennial tribute
March 9 - Kavakos provides a season highlight with Shostakovich
March 9 - Haymarket Opera marks the Lenten season with a curio by Anonymous
March 8 - Critic’s Choice
March 8 - Orion Ensemble serves up chamber rarities and a world premiere
March 7 - Aimard wraps UC’s Ligeti series with precision and intensity
March 4 - Strong cast overwhelmed by staging idiocies in Lyric Opera’s hellish “Faust”
March 3 - Quatuor Ebène makes impassioned Chicago debut at Mandel Hall
March 1 - At 90, Blomstedt leads CSO in performances of youthful vitality
March 1 - Critic’s Choice
February 28 - Heggie’s “Moby-Dick” comes to Chicago in COT’s 2018-19 season
February 28 - Phan’s belated entrance provides boost to Music of the Baroque’s “Esther”
February 27 - Amid changes, UC Presents sticks with classical emphasis in 2018-19 season
February 26 - Early Brahms proves best from Ma, Ax and Kavakos
February 26 - “Christmas Oratorio,” “Four Seasons” on tap in Music of the Baroque’s 2018-19 season
February 23 - With the CSO’s return, Eschenbach leads youthful music of Chopin and Mendelssohn
February 20 - Critic’s Choice
February 19 - Prégardien, Drake deliver rare artistry at Mandel Hall
February 18 - Lyric Opera is back in the Mozart high life with a delightful “Così fan tutte”
February 17 - 100 metronomes can’t be wrong, but Cerrone premiere impresses most in Ligeti program
February 17 - Love hurts in rare Newberry Consort misfire with Héloïse and Abélard program
February 15 - Critic’s Choice
February 13 - Tenor Prégardien to light a path through Schubert’s darkest lieder
February 11 - COT scores with the unsettling, darkly brilliant “Elizabeth Cree”
February 11 - Pianist Choi brings illumination to IPO’s blackout night
February 10 - Evanston Chamber Opera debuts with a lightweight lighthouse premiere
February 9 - Critic’s Choice
February 7 - COT to take a walk on the Gothic side with “Elizabeth Cree”
February 6 - A trio of rarities, Italian favorites and the Ring continues in Lyric Opera’s 2018-19 season
February 5 - Inspired cast delivers the vocal thrills in Lyric’s picturesque “Puritani”
February 3 - A whole lot of percussion going on with Eighth Blackbird and Amadinda
February 2 - CSO brass, mezzo in the spotlight with world premiere, French rarity
February 1 - Critic’s Choice
January 31 - CSO’s low brass rise to top billing with Higdon concerto premiere
January 30 - Music of the Baroque members shine brightly in a Mozart birthday feast
January 30 - Muti’s CSO contract extended two years through 2022
January 30 - War, remembrance and “Aida” on tap in CSO’s 2018-19 season
January 29 - Melnikov delivers a memorable afternoon of rare Shostakovich at Mandel Hall
January 29 - Koh closes Winter Chamber Music Festival with bite-sized violin “madness”
January 29 - Reborn and revitalized, the Minnesota Orchestra returns to Chicago
January 27 - Dover Quartet brings fire and elegance to adventurous program
January 26 - Honeck leads CSO in an individual and triumphant Mahler Fifth
January 24 - Critic’s Choice
January 22 - A substitute singer saves the day for slenderized Mahler at Winter Chamber Festival
January 22 - Boston Camerata brings modern theatrical flair to ancient “Play of Daniel”
January 21 - Desolation Row: Soprano, Dal Niente give searing advocacy to Hersch’s operatic meditation on death
January 19 - Venezuelan conductor makes an admirable downtown debut with CSO
January 18 - The more players the merrier with Chamber Music Society
January 18 - Erin Wall withdraws from Lyric’s “Faust” due to cancer treatment
January 16 - Critic’s Choice
January 15 - Rolston Quartet makes a refined debut at Winter Chamber Music Festival
January 13 - Dutch quartet opens Winter Chamber Music Festival in compelling style
January 10 - Critic’s Choice
January 9 - Choral works, American music in the spotlight at 2018 Grant Park Music Festival
January 8 - Violinist Hristova provides the highlights in Elgin Symphony’s “Hungarian” program

2017 (217)

December 22 - Top Ten Performances of 2017
December 22 - In duo roles, Znaider brings out fire and fantasy with CSO
December 21 - Singers, Civic Orchestra member accuse Dutoit of predatory sexual behavior; major orchestras cut ties
December 21 - Chamber Music Society closes year with fresh and gratifying Bach
December 16 - Music of the Baroque’s brass and chorus excel in holiday fare
December 15 - Winter fire: Kozhukhin, van Zweden and CSO heat things up with Russian program
December 10 - No local charges for Levine; conductor says abuse allegations are “unfounded”
December 8 - Järvi, Weilerstein join forces for Czech and American rarities with CSO
December 6 - La Colla, Wagner and chorus pack a Puccini punch in Lyric Opera’s “Turandot”
December 4 - As fourth Levine victim comes forward, Ravinia Festival severs all ties with conductor
December 3 - Metropolitan Opera suspends Levine as two more victims come forward
December 2 - Levine accused of molesting underaged teen during Ravinia tenure
December 1 - Shaham provides the highlight of CSO program with engaging Mendelssohn
November 22 - Dmitri Hvorostovsky 1962-2017
November 20 - A first-rate cast finds treasure in Lyric Opera’s colorful “Pearl Fishers”
November 18 - Sensitive portrayals, compelling music highlight Fringe Opera’s “As One”
November 18 - A shining night of spiritual music from the Chicago Chorale
November 17 - Muti returns with Puccini rarity and delightful Strauss confection
November 14 - “Sonorous Earth” makes a heavenly noise with Third Coast Percussion, Chicago Philharmonic
November 11 - UC Presents serves up a bracing array of chamber works in Ligeti series
November 11 - Third Coast Baroque parties like it’s 1685
November 10 - Otherworldly Berg, exhilarating Schubert from Honeck and Steinbacher with CSO
November 9 - Former COT staffer arrested for embezzling over $100,000
November 9 - Gergiev, Mariinsky Orchestra return with revelatory Shostakovich
November 9 - Bernstein and Schumann works fare best in Orion Ensemble program
November 8 - CSO posts a $1.4 million deficit for 2017
November 5 - Racette soars in Menotti’s powerful “Consul” at Chicago Opera Theater
November 5 - Early Sephardic music proves timeless in Newberry Consort program
November 4 - Josefowicz takes audience on a journey of discovery at Mandel Hall
November 3 - After a long absence, Schiff and the CSO strike sparks in a lively return
November 2 - Magnificent singing vies with directorial excess in Lyric Opera’s variable “Walküre”
November 1 - Back to the Future: Leila Josefowicz finds fresh treasure in arrangements and rarities
October 30 - Spektral Quartet packs the house for Schoenberg
October 28 - Cliburn winner Sunwoo makes a mixed impression in local debut
October 28 - Talea Ensemble spotlights young composers in Contempo season opener
October 27 - Gaffigan leads the CSO in a pair of American classics
October 25 - Chamber Music Society opens Harris series with American and German vocal music
October 23 - Anderszewski brings insight, poetic touch to thoughtful program
October 22 - Young soprano a bright spot in Third Eye’s uneven “With Blood, With Ink”
October 21 - Arditti Quartet launches UC’s Ligeti series in style
October 20 - Critic’s Choice
October 17 - “Play Like Crazy!”: Ligeti series kicks off Friday at UC Presents
October 16 - Gardiner and colleagues wrap Monteverdi series with the cynical, glorious “Poppea”
October 16 - Chicago Philharmonic celebrates ancient inspirations from Orff to Theofanidis
October 15 - Illinois Philharmonic opens 40th anniversay season with a new conductor and new home
October 14 - Gardiner’s Monteverdi cycle continues with a noble and comical “Ulisse”
October 13 - Monteverdi to the max: Harris Theater kicks off rare opera cycle with a captivating, revelatory “L’Orfeo”
October 10 - Critic’s Choice
October 8 - Feola, Polenzani soar in Lyric Opera’s “Rigoletto”
October 7 - UC Presents opens season with a musical night at a 17th-century pub
October 6 - A glorious French rediscovery from CSO and a veteran musician’s adieu
October 3 - MusicNOW marks 20 years with a varied and enjoyable feast
October 2 - Alex Klein joins Orion Ensemble for season opener
October 1 - Haymarket Opera makes history delightfully with “Ariane et Bachus”
September 29 - A world premiere and powerful Bruckner from Muti and CSO
September 27 - MusicNOW series to lead off 20th anniversary season with a rich retrospective
September 24 - Lyric Opera and Joffrey Ballet join forces for a stylish, imaginative “Orphée”
September 24 - Mutter lights a fire with Tchaikovsky in CSO’s season-opener
September 22 - Barretto named permanent CEO and president of Harris Theater
September 17 - Soloists bring operatic drama to MOB’s season-opening “Elijah”
September 12 - Music of the Baroque’s new chief plans to steer a steady course
September 10 - Lieder festival wraps with inspired evening of myth and fantasy
September 8 - Phillips and Huang a close-knit team at Collaborative Works Festival
September 7 - Schubert rarities open Collaborative Works Festival in style
August 28 - Critic’s Choice for the 2017-18 season
August 19 - Grant Park Music Festival wraps season with timely Beethoven
August 17 - A cellist’s impressive debut and a neglected American composer at Grant Park Music Festival
August 12 - Music and political worlds collide with Grant Park Festival premiere
August 9 - Terrific soloists highlight a delightful “Creation” with Levine and CSO
August 6 - Santa Fe Opera crashes with Bates’ inert “(R)evolution of Steve Jobs”
August 5 - Grant Park Orchestra goes underground for engaging program
August 3 - Villegas and Kalmar bring Spanish flair to Grant Park program
July 29 - Superb soloists and chorus highlight Martin rarity at Grant Park Music Festival
July 27 - Hough brings power, poetry to Brahms with Kalmar, Grant Park Orchestra
July 25 - Conlon to replace ailing Eschenbach at Ravinia
July 22 - Mälkki, CSO ignite a summer storm with epic Sibelius at Ravinia
July 21 - Repin uneven in Sibelius, but Mälkki leads CSO in a notably fresh “Eroica” at Ravinia
July 20 - From prison to ponies at the Grant Park Music Festival
July 15 - Sub conductor New makes outstanding debut at Grant Park Music Festival
July 14 - Bell, Grant Park Chorus deliver a remarkable evening of Rachmaninoff
July 13 - Late conductor switch at Grant Park
July 13 - Chicago-born conductor makes strong Grant Park debut
July 12 - Wang’s flashy Brahms falls short while Bringuier makes impressive podium debut in CSO’s Ravinia opener
June 29 - Sierra’s “Missa Latina” proves less than heavenly at Grant Park Festival
June 24 - Pianist Tao makes impressive Grant Park debut with Khachaturian concerto
June 23 - Muti closes CSO season with operatic blood and thunder, Italian style
June 22 - Phillips shines in Copland song cycle with the Grant Park Orchestra
June 17 - Kalmar, Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus set sail with Vaughan Williams’ “Sea Symphony”
June 16 - Mälkki and the CSO serve up a powerful world premiere
June 14 - Despite heavy rain, the show goes on with Grant Park Music Festival’s superb season opener
June 11 - Viola mishap apart, North Shore Chamber Fest ends in style with Mozart
June 10 - Epic Brahms and an engaging premiere at North Shore Chamber Festival
June 9 - Honeck and CSO provide the highlights in Mozart evening
June 8 - North Shore Chamber Festival opens in stellar fashion
June 8 - Barretto appointed interim president of Harris Theater
June 5 - North Shore Chamber Fest lines up a varied feast for its seventh season
June 5 - Moscow Virtuosi return for a familial evening with friends
June 2 - Tetzlaff provides the highlight in CSO’s lightish Viennese program
May 31 - Irish administrator chosen as new Music of the Baroque chief
May 30 - Spivakov, Moscow Virtuosi mark nearly 40 years of a successful partnership
May 26 - Gershwin’s neglected concerto given blazing performance by Barnatan in CSO debut
May 25 - Oboist Alex Klein denied CSO tenure; threatens to sue, says report
May 25 - Orion Ensemble closes season with beloved Brahms, rare Françaix
May 23 - Ogonek premiere offers a violin concerto for our time at MusicNOW
May 19 - Bohemian rhapsody: Jakub Hrůša makes superb CSO debut with a brilliant “Má vlast”
May 16 - Music of the Baroque wraps season with an exhilarating “Day of Judgment”
May 15 - Chicago Ensemble closes 40th season with music from the war years
May 13 - Karen Fishman looks back at 18 years with Music of the Baroque
May 12 - Muti, CSO close series with deep and powerful Brahms
May 10 - Critic’s Choice
May 9 - Illinois Philharmonic names Kirov as music director
May 8 - Perahia returns with vital Bach and epic Beethoven
May 7 - Chicago Fringe Opera gets down and funny with a night of Bolcom
May 5 - Muti brings out the drama in Brahms symphonies with CSO
May 4 - Imani Winds close first UC season with homage to Gwendolyn Brooks
May 3 - Critic’s Choice
May 1 - COT closes the Mitisek era with Glass’s dismal Disney downer
April 28 - Muti, CSO go to hell with Liszt’s “Dante” Symphony
April 27 - Critic’s Choice
April 25 - MCA has got the beat with premiere of work for 100 percussionists
April 25 - Glover leads MOB in music of Mozart and Haydn
April 22 - Pacifica Quartet makes a triumphant return to Mandel Hall
April 21 - Concertmaster Chen gets double turn in spotlight with Järvi, CSO
April 18 - Critic’s Choice
April 14 - Dutoit, CSO bring glowing spiritual warmth to Easter program
April 12 - Critic’s Choice
April 10 - Saariaho and Gubaidulina works stand out in Contempo program
April 10 - Rockefeller Chapel offers a well-balanced program with Schütz rarity
April 10 - Chicago Philharmonic closes its season with romantic mix
April 9 - Conductor Newhouse closes IPO “audition” season with strong showing
April 8 - Ran Dank makes a triumphant Chicago debut with Rzewski epic
April 7 - Dutoit, CSO make musical history with a belated Stravinsky premiere
April 6 - Critic’s Choice
April 5 - The Chicago Ensemble marks 40 years of adventurous chamber music
April 4 - Chicago Opera Theater to offer a shorter but promising 2017-18 season
April 4 - Rembrandt Chamber Musicians warm up a rainy night
April 4 - MusicNOW tribute rightly celebrates Boulez legacy with new music
April 3 - Roomful of Teeth makes a memorable Chicago debut at Logan Center
April 2 - Lake Forest Symphony strings prove rich and resplendent in varied program
March 31 - Mezzo’s affecting vocalism lifts CSO’s Mahler
March 30 - Mutter and Orkis warm up a rainy night with communicative artistry
March 29 - Critic’s Choice
March 28 - Music of the Baroque Chorus takes the spotlight at Harris Theater
March 27 - Trifonov serves up a season highlight with mature artistry, thrilling bravura
March 27 - Chicago Chorale’s rough-edged Bach lost in space at Rockefeller Chapel
March 26 - Fifth House Ensemble closes season with Garrop premiere, Crumb classic
March 25 - “Yardbird” takes flight, mixing opera and jazz with skill, panache
March 24 - Conlon to replace ailing Haitink with CSO
March 21 - Critic’s Choice
March 20 - Järvi to replace Dohnányi in April CSO stand
March 17 - Muti returns to CSO with Uchida playing Beethoven and a premiere by Adams (not that one)
March 16 - Bolcom’s “Dinner at Eight” has a mixed premiere at Minnesota Opera
March 16 - Orion Ensemble delivers energetic concert of chamber rarities
March 15 - Harris Theater to present Monteverdi cycle in 2017-18
March 14 - Critic’s Choice
March 13 - Music of Ligeti, Josefowicz and Aimard on tap in UC Presents’ 2017-18 season
March 13 - Igor Levit triumphs in belated Chicago debut
March 12 - Spektral Quartet brings refined artistry, impressive stamina to Feldman work
March 11 - CCO offers a pleasing mix with premiere of Boustead concerto
March 10 - Ma, CSO give Salonen’s Cello Concerto a rousing premiere
March 10 - Plácido Domingo is feted in style at Lyric Opera
March 9 - A world premiere and intense Mendelssohn from Chamber Music Society
March 8 - Critic’s Choice
March 8 - From Raff to Copland, the Chicago Ensemble delivers a varied feast
March 8 - Handel’s “Esther” and Mendelssohn’s “Elijah”on tap for Music of the Baroque’s 2017-18 season
March 7 - Spektral Quartet preps for Feldman’s six-hour String Quartet No. 2
March 6 - Lugansky, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, bring power and poetry to Brahms, Shostakovich
March 4 - Newberry Consort closes season with a tribute to a singular Swedish queen
March 4 - Stile Antico soars high with Elizabethan music in Chicago debut
March 3 - Josefowicz, Salonen and CSO deliver compelling virtuosity in Adams premiere
March 2 - Pianist Lugansky in synch with today’s St. Petersburg Philharmonic
March 1 - Critic’s Choice
February 28 - Kraemer, MOB explore orchestral origins with elan
February 27 - Lyric Opera wraps the season with a compelling, visually striking “Onegin”
February 27 - Civitas Ensemble excels in American program
February 25 - Multimedia misfire at Mandel Hall with Rushdie, American Quartet
February 24 - Prokofiev’s “Ivan the Terrible” proves a magnificent discovery in CSO premiere
February 22 - Critic’s Choice
February 19 - Scant musical invention in COT’s “Invention of Morel”
February 18 - French soprano makes a worthy Chicago debut in Mandel Hall recital
February 17 - Muti and CSO are back and in peak form with Rossini, Mendelssohn
February 16 - Pianist Benjamin Grosvenor charts his own adventurous musical path
February 16 - Critic’s Choice
February 14 - Amid change at the top, COT prepares for world premiere of “Morel”
February 14 - Mendelssohn’s music shines anew with Chamber Music Society
February 13 - Chicago Philharmonic tees up an enjoyable game of musical pairs
February 12 - Inept direction, miscast mezzo plunge a knife into Lyric Opera’s lightweight “Carmen”
February 10 - Uneven conducting, soaring vocalism in CSO’s Baroque program
February 9 - Budapest Festival Orchestra brings its sonic splendor to Orchestra Hall
February 8 - Critic’s Choice
February 7 - Lyric Opera retrenches to largely populist fare in 2017-18 season
February 4 - Mitisek to depart Chicago Opera Theater
February 4 - Bruckner Orchester Linz offers a populist program at the Harris Theater
February 4 - Bramwell Tovey excels with colorful showpieces in downtown CSO debut
February 2 - Fine playing and odd presentation collide in Kremerata Baltica concert
February 1 - Critic’s Choice
January 31 - CSO casts a wider net next season with rarities, American music
January 29 - Even with Radvanovsky, Lyric Opera’s routine “Norma” fails to catch fire
January 29 - With a new violinist, Spektral Quartet still at the top of their game
January 26 - Critic’s Choice
January 24 - Two star sopranos light up Mozart with Music of the Baroque
January 22 - Cleveland Orchestra shows its refined mettle in Beethoven, Sibelius
January 22 - Pianist Chen brings a fresh approach to Rachmaninoff with IPO
January 21 - Imani Winds serve up energy in mixed UC debut
January 20 - Singers’ versatile artistry warms up a rainy night at Beyond the Aria
January 19 - Marking 15 years, Welser-Möst is in a good place with Cleveland Orchestra
January 19 - Music of the Baroque exec director to retire
January 18 - Lyric Opera to present Gluck’s “Orphée” in September
January 18 - Critic’s Choice
January 15 - Change is in the air with Imani Winds set to make their UC debut
January 14 - Newberry Consort pays homage to the versatile Count von Wolkenstein
January 12 - Polenzani adds his outstanding vocalism to Lyric’s “Magic Flute”
January 11 - The Chicago Ensemble goes back to its Beethoven roots with mixed results
January 10 - Critic’s Choice
January 9 - New Orford Quartet opens Winter Chamber Festival in admirable style
January 9 - UC Presents opens 2017 with a delightful afternoon of lute music
January 4 - Kalmar’s Grant Park contract renewed through 2021; festival lineup announced for this summer

2016 (224)

December 23 - Top Ten Performances of 2016
December 19 - Feldman’s spare, searching music illuminates a frigid night
December 17 - On a snowy night, Music of the Baroque sings the Christmas season
December 16 - MTT, CSO wrap the year in style with Russian-French program
December 14 - Critic’s Choice
December 12 - French goes out on a high holiday note with William Ferris Chorale
December 11 - Superb cast supplies the magic in Lyric Opera’s suburban 60s’ “Magic Flute”
December 10 - Sensational singing wins out over campy theatrics in DiDonato’s “harmony” program
December 9 - Neeme Järvi makes a rewarding return to CSO
December 7 - Critic’s Choice
December 6 - Three Chicago groups nominated for classical Grammy awards
December 5 - Poppe’s music proves a compelling discovery with Dal Niente
December 4 - Contempo takes a walk on the wild side with 20th-century theatrical works
December 2 - Kraemer leads CSO in a vital, varied Handel feast
November 29 - Critic’s Choice
November 23 - Two soloists shine brightly in MOB’s Bach Family get-together
November 22 - MusicNOW celebrates Steve Reich’s 80th birthday in style
November 20 - Furlanetto moving and magnificent in Lyric Opera’s “Don Quichotte”
November 20 - Alastair Willis makes a strong showing with Illinois Philharmonic
November 19 - Chicago Chorale unearths musical gold with Steinberg’s “Passion Week”
November 18 - Krivine, Kozhukhin light separate fires with CSO
November 17 - Paul French to leave Ferris Chorale
November 17 - Orion Ensemble explores their roots in diverse program
November 16 - Lyric Opera posts $22 million loss in “break-even year”
November 14 - Graham, Jovanovich bring belated fire to Lyric Opera’s epic “Troyens”
November 12 - Faust and Melnikov bring close rapport, top artistry to Beethoven at Mandel Hall
November 11 - Van Zweden leads a program of grief and transcendence with CSO
November 8 - Rock and classical worlds collide and converge in Mills’ violin concerto
November 7 - Third Coast Baroque debuts with a unique, illuminating Spanish program
November 6 - Purcell’s music, likable cast win out over theatrical excess in COT’s Sin City “Fairy Queen”
November 4 - Levine and CSO ignite in conductor’s return to Orchestra Hall
November 1 - Chicago Philharmonic serves up a smart and spooky Halloween program
October 31 - Mazzoli’s “Uproar” makes noise with impressive music, charismatic singer at Chicago Fringe Opera
October 29 - Danish Quartet brings an introspective program to Mandel Hall
October 28 - With a pair of debuts, a mixed night out for CSO
October 27 - Critic’s Choice
October 27 - Graham replaces Koch in Lyric “Troyens”; CSO reports another deficit year
October 25 - Music of the Baroque opens season with a rare Handel “Feast”
October 22 - Muhly’s “Dark Sisters” receives powerful Chicago premiere from Third Eye Theatre Ensemble
October 22 - Newberry Consort opens 30th season with delightful “stage jigs”
October 21 - Lyric Opera renews Anthony Freud contract through 2021
October 21 - Conductor Afkham strikes sparks with CSO, Ax in impressive debut
October 20 - Emerson Quartet marks 40th anniversary at the Harris Theater
October 19 - Critic’s Choice
October 16 - Triumphant vocalism lights up Lyric Opera’s dark-hued “Lucia”
October 16 - Illinois Philharmonic launches a season of music director auditions
October 15 - Muti closes CSO fall residency with Hindemith, Mussorgsky
October 15 - Apollo’s Fire makes a blazing Chicago debut at Mandel Hall
October 12 - Critic’s Choice
October 11 - Ear Taxi wraps and MusicNOW opens with a diverting array of music
October 10 - Ear Taxi celebrates a successful mission at Constellation
October 10 - Ran, Clark and Visconti works stand out at Sunday’s Ear Taxi marathon
October 9 - Third Coast Percussion provides an Ear Taxi highlight with jointly composed premiere
October 9 - Ear Taxi’s Saturday marathon serves up a wide stylistic range from Chicago composers
October 8 - Ear Taxi hits cruising speed and a few bumps with six premieres
October 7 - Ear Taxi continues with music of Cheung, Balter and Hearne
October 7 - No illusions about successful Vine premiere from Mulcahy, CSO
October 6 - Ear Taxi hits the street with compelling music by Malmquist and Ogonek
October 3 - Inaugural Ear Taxi Festival to hit cruising speed for new music
October 2 - A terrific cast shines brightly amid the mixed mechanics of Lyric Opera’s “Rheingold”
October 1 - Chicago Opera Theater makes a case for Martin’s austere “Le vin herbé”
September 30 - A great singer’s debut and full-blooded Beethoven from Muti, CSO
September 29 - Shanghai opera company serves up a colorful, exhilarating “Hamlet”
September 29 - Critic’s Choice
September 26 - The play’s the thing for Lyric Opera’s much-anticipated “Rheingold”
September 26 - Orion Ensemble leads off season in genial fashion
September 23 - Muti, CSO open season with rich and eloquent Bruckner
September 20 - Critic’s Choice
September 12 - Critic’s Choice for the 2016-17 season
September 11 - French song proves tres bon at Collaborative Works Festival finale
September 10 - Stars of Lyric Opera bring down the house at Millennium Park
September 8 - Collaborative Works Festival opens with evening of inspired French song
August 25 - Pianist Debargue makes an indifferent Ravinia debut
August 20 - Grant Park Music Festival closes in heavenly style with Berlioz’s “Damnation of Faust”
August 18 - Tetzlaff and Kalmar bring quirky engagement to Mendelssohn, Schubert
August 16 - Classical Review to expand to Texas and Washington D.C. this fall
August 13 - Gerstein brings fire and poetry to a Tchaikovsky warhorse in fresh armor
August 11 - Kalmar, Grant Park Orchestra deliver rare gold with two American symphonies
August 10 - WFMT chief to depart after 16 years
August 6 - Kalmar leads Grant Park forces in engaging premiere, majestic Mozart
August 4 - Hough provides the highlights in varied Grant Park program
July 28 - Ryan Center artists shine brightly in Floyd’s dark “Of Mice and Men”
July 25 - Bell, Grant Park Chorus serve up a varied, delightful Shakespeare tribute
July 24 - Levine creates a Mahlerian storm in triumphant return to Ravinia
July 23 - Alsop’s crossover program offers mixed rewards at Grant Park
July 21 - Grant Park Orchestra program offers piquant blend of music and nature
July 16 - König brings integrity and excitement to Bruckner with Grant Park Orchestra
July 14 - Pine shows grace under meteorological pressure at Grant Park
July 13 - Benedetti, CSO give Marsalis premiere impassioned advocacy at Ravinia
July 6 - Emerson Quartet’s marathon Haydn program shines fresh light at Ravinia
July 2 - On a cool night, Grant Park Music Festival serves up cool Czech rarities
June 30 - From Mozart to Martinů, Christopher Bell relishes the versatility of the Grant Park Chorus
June 30 - A Russian rarity and impressive debut highlight Grant Park concert
June 28 - Juilliard Quartet notches another bow passing at Ravinia
June 25 - CSO goes back to the future, appointing Alex Klein principal oboe
June 25 - Despite distractions, Kalmar and Grant Park Orchestra deliver a strong Mahler Sixth
June 24 - Muti, CSO close anniversary season with majestic Bruckner
June 18 - Torke’s engaging “Book of Proverbs” gets Grant Park season on track
June 17 - A somber tribute, then Beethoven and Brahms from Muti, CSO
June 15 - Kalmar, Grant Park Orchestra open summer concert season in worthy style
June 14 - Crisis averted: Grant Park Music Festival will open as scheduled
June 14 - Grant Park opening night cancelled due to musician strike
June 13 - Critic’s Choice
June 12 - Chicago Chorale marks anniversary with Howells favorite and new works
June 11 - Epic works by Schubert, Shostakovich satisfy at North Shore Chamber Fest
June 10 - Pianist Helmchen delivers fresh Beethoven in outstanding CSO debut
June 9 - North Shore Chamber Festival opens with music old and new
June 7 - Critic’s Choice
June 7 - MusicNOW wraps up season with plugged-in finale
June 6 - Fray shows compelling artistry in intelligent program
June 3 - Gingrich shines brightly in CSO’s Viennese program
June 2 - Orion Ensemble closes season with a timely tribute to Amy Beach
May 31 - Critic’s Choice
May 29 - As pianist and composer, Hamelin delivers a distinctive program with panache
May 27 - Even with Weilerstein’s strong advocacy, static Dusapin premiere disappoints
May 24 - Music of the Baroque wraps season with a bittersweet concerto feast
May 22 - Too much Lang Lang and too little Prokofiev in superstar pianist’s return to CSO
May 21 - Chicago Fringe Opera delivers a powerful staging of Glass’s “Penal Colony”
May 21 - Contempo showcases bracing new works by young composers
May 20 - Dutoit, CSO take flight with full-feathered “Firebird”
May 18 - Brewer and colleagues close “Beyond the Aria” in enjoyable fashion
May 17 - Critic’s Choice
May 17 - De Waart to take over Dohnanyi CSO program
May 13 - Dutoit leads CSO in vibrant Spanish program
May 12 - CSO announces European tour details; Kulenovic reups in Lake Forest
May 10 - MusicNOW sings the blues in Trapani’s powerful “Waterlines”
May 9 - Danzmayr leads Illinois Philharmonic in dramatic farewell concert
May 9 - Baroque Band to disband for good
May 7 - Haymarket Opera scores big with imaginative “La Calisto”
May 7 - Pianist Phillips serves up a program of American music
May 6 - Runnicles, CSO team up for inspired program
May 5 - Chris Martin to leave CSO for New York Philharmonic
May 3 - Critic’s Choice
May 2 - Civitas Ensemble brings polish and vitality to reshuffled program
May 2 - Janowski concert pays tribute to Chicago composer’s legacy
May 1 - Kallembach’s “St. John Passion” provides mixed rewards at Rockefeller Chapel
April 29 - Haitink, CSO reach the summit in Strauss’s “Alpine Symphony”
April 27 - Critic’s Choice
April 26 - Music of the Baroque pays homage to Purcell
April 25 - Pacifica Quartet bids a bittersweet farewell to University of Chicago
April 22 - Muti, CSO and singers deliver a delightful, world-class “Falstaff”
April 22 - Chamber Music Society closes Harris season with an American feast
April 18 - Jansons and Bavarian orchestra deliver a “Leningrad” for the ages
April 15 - Muti leads CSO in dramatic Tchaikovsky, sunny Mahler
April 11 - Andsnes and friends serve up a memorable afternoon of Brahms
April 9 - Artemis Quartet excels in belated Chicago debut
April 8 - Muti, CSO give elegant advocacy to Berlioz’s bizarro “Romeo and Juliet”
April 7 - Dance and singing effective but fail to cohere in Mark Morris “Dido”
April 6 - Critic’s Choice
April 4 - Richard Goode’s poised, expressive Bach restores civility to Orchestra Hall
April 4 - Speck, Chicago Philharmonic deliver a fierce Tchaikovsky Fourth
April 3 - Student protesters try to disrupt CSO concert
April 2 - Glover leads a memorable Monteverdi “Vespers” with Music of the Baroque
April 2 - Recorder virtuoso makes triumphant Chicago debut
April 1 - Mälkki, CSO shine brightly in “Sheherazade”
March 31 - Tenor Camarena ignites a fire in high-flying Chicago debut
March 28 - Critic’s Choice
March 25 - Politics apart, Russians make an impression with CSO
March 22 - Debuts and contemporary works on tap in UC Presents’ 2016-17 season
March 21 - Chicago Chorale soars high and goes deep in Rachmaninoff “Vespers”
March 21 - Soloists lift Bach’s “St. John Passion” at Rockefeller Chapel
March 19 - Montreal Symphony makes a triumphant return to Chicago
March 18 - Tilson Thomas, CSO soar with Sibelius Second Symphony
March 16 - Critic’s Choice
March 15 - Chicago Opera Theater plans adventurous season with world premiere
March 13 - Ferris Chorale delivers atmospheric performance of Pärt’s “Berliner Messe”
March 13 - Joshua Bell leads ASMF in dynamic performances at Harris Theater
March 12 - New tenor boosts Lyric’s “Romeo et Juliette”
March 12 - Without Nelson at the helm, Mass in B minor proves a mixed bag of Bach
March 11 - Elder, CSO deliver powerful performances with Slavic program
March 9 - Critic’s Choice
March 9 - Handel and Telemann rarities slated for Music of the Baroque’s 2016-17 season
March 8 - Ogonek’s elegant music rises above the din at MusicNOW
March 7 - JACK Quartet and McGill bring fire to edgy American Music Project program
March 5 - Coote brings an extra dose of passion to Lyric’s “Rosenkavalier”
March 5 - Jordi Savall channels the English Renaissance at Mandel Hall
March 4 - Elder leads CSO in a neglected Elgar masterpiece
March 2 - Critic’s Choice
March 1 - Contempo program serves up a bracing array of European music
February 27 - Hvorostovsky’s artistry casts a spell at Lyric Opera recital
February 26 - Salonen, Ma and CSO deliver 20th-century sound and fury
February 24 - UC’s Contempo series to take a more European look under Marta Ptaszynska
February 23 - Singers fail to reach the heights in Lyric Opera’s “Roméo et Juliette”
February 21 - Jackiw’s solo playing is the highlight in uneven Illinois Philharmonic concert
February 19 - Honeck and CSO deliver an explosive Tchaikovsky Sixth
February 19 - Shaham joins the Knights for lively program at Harris Theater
February 19 - Chicago Opera Theater gets $800,000 MacArthur grant
February 17 - Critic’s Choice
February 17 - Chamber Music Society serves up rewarding program of piano trios
February 15 - Racette shines in COT’s mixed double bill
February 12 - Strings to the fore with a Mozart centerpiece from Rozhdestvensky, CSO
February 11 - Critic’s Choice
February 10 - Honeck to conduct CSO next week
February 9 - Lyric Opera voices soar gloriously in Strauss’s “Rosenkavalier”
February 8 - Chicago Ensemble unearths two piano quintets worthy of rediscovery
February 7 - From first to last, Rozhdestvensky, CSO deliver memorable Shostakovich
February 6 - Rozhdestvensky to replace ailing Muti; Tiknis to leave Harris Theater
February 3 - Critic’s Choice
February 2 - Muti withdraws from CSO concerts following hip surgery
February 1 - Spektral Quartet plays it for laughs at the Logan Center
January 31 - Grams, Elgin Symphony excel in Shostakovich
January 30 - Uneven “My Lai” proves a work in progress at Harris Theater
January 27 - Kronos Quartet to revisit horrors of Vietnam with “My Lai”
January 26 - Patronage rules in Music of the Baroque program
January 26 - Muti to spotlight Beethoven, Brahms and Prokofiev in CSO’s 2016-17 season
January 25 - Pressler shows flashes of old magic despite the march of time
January 24 - An electrifying Serjan ignites Lyric’s “Nabucco”
January 23 - Musicians from Marlboro proves golden in anniversary season
January 19 - Critic’s Choice
January 18 - Pacifica Quartet’s dark, thoughtful program feels timely at the Logan Center
January 16 - “Bel Canto” singers relish showing a lighter side at the Harris Theater
January 14 - Lyric Opera to launch Ring, along with Berlioz, Bizet and bel canto in 2016-17 season
January 14 - Elgar fares best in uneven night with Zukerman, Royal Philharmonic
January 13 - Critic’s Choice
January 12 - Grant Park Music Festival to offer a deftly balanced summer season
January 11 - Lyric Opera announces non-opera initiative; CSO composer in residence blows deadline for first work
January 10 - Domingo and Martinez soar in festive Lyric Opera concert
January 10 - Newberry Consort brings scholarship and horse sense to delightful “Le roman de Fauvel”
January 9 - Lincoln Quartet opens Winter Chamber Music Festival in mixed fashion
January 8 - Nott, Moser strike sparks to open CSO’s new year
January 7 - Imani Winds to succeed Pacifica Quartet as UC ensemble in residence
January 7 - Juilliard Orchestra makes impressive showing under Perlman at Harris Theater
January 6 - Pierre Boulez 1925-2016
January 4 - Critic’s Choice

2015 (244)

December 23 - The Top Ten Performances of 2015
December 21 - Anonymous 4 rings down the curtain with a final holiday concert
December 19 - With a conductor sub, Music of the Baroque makes its joyous seasonal sound
December 18 - Conlon wraps CSO’s year with a program of choice rarities
December 18 - Bracing Bach fit for the season from Chamber Music Society
December 11 - Labadie returns to CSO with a stylish and spirited “Messiah”
December 10 - Cabell brings romantic spark and vocal gleam to Lyric’s “Merry Widow”
December 8 - Despite compelling music, muddled scenario proves fatal to Lyric Opera’s “Bel Canto”
December 7 - Successful Ferko premiere sparks Ferris Chorale’s Christmas program
December 5 - Guerrilla theater: Current events make Lyric Opera’s “Bel Canto” a timely premiere
December 4 - Vibrant Beethoven highlights Muti’s final CSO program of year
December 3 - Harpist joins Orion Ensemble for French and English rarities
December 2 - “Beyond the Aria” offers fine artistry in problematic acoustic
December 1 - Music of the Baroque provides spirited advocacy for Handel rarity
November 28 - Alsop’s belated CSO debut proves something to be thankful for
November 24 - Worlds collide, compellingly, in a new era for MusicNOW
November 23 - Chicago Chorale marks Arvo Pärt’s 80th with wide-ranging tribute
November 22 - Pianist’s sublime Rachmaninoff highlights Illinois Philharmonic program
November 22 - Bezuidenhout offers a revelatory fortepiano program at the Logan Center
November 20 - Sparks are few in Zukerman’s CSO program
November 17 - CSO’s new bicoastal composers find common musical ground
November 16 - Chicago Philharmonic turns a corner with “Turning Points” program
November 15 - After a somber tribute, Lyric Opera serves up an elegant and exuberant “Merry Widow”
November 14 - Arcanto Quartet displays high-caliber artistry at Mandel Hall
November 12 - De Waart, CSO bring it home with Adams’ resounding “Harmonielehre”
November 9 - Rockefeller Chapel Choir casts a wide musical net in Kristallnacht homage
November 8 - Kulenovic, Lake Forest Symphony take flight with exuberant Beethoven
November 7 - Haymarket Opera opens fifth season with magical Handel
November 2 - Konieczny, Denoke make powerful Lyric debuts in Berg’s harrowing “Wozzeck”
November 1 - Third Eye Theatre provides a strong local premiere for Fairouz opera
October 30 - Bach Collegium Japan makes intimate Chicago debut at Rockefeller Chapel
October 29 - Soprano Areyzaga warms up a rainy night in Chicago Ensemble opener
October 28 - Contempo opens sixth decade with a farewell to Shulamit Ran
October 27 - Conductor makes free-wheeling debut with Chicago Composers Orchestra
October 26 - CSO stays at par financially in 2015 FY
October 22 - Cabell to replace Futral in Lyric’s “Merry Widow”
October 21 - CSO’s Chris Martin shines brightly in Haydn concerto
October 20 - Music of the Baroque leads off with a winning trio of Bach cantatas
October 19 - Pacifica Quartet, Hamelin inhabit parallel worlds at Logan Center
October 18 - Roman’s compelling concerto given successful premiere by Illinois Philharmonic
October 17 - Despite last-minute drama, Academy Chamber Ensemble opens UC Presents season in spirited style
October 17 - Civitas Ensemble serves up vitality and emotion in season opener
October 16 - Kissin brings fresh poetry to Tchaikovsky with Davis, CSO
October 14 - Critic’s Choice
October 12 - Cellist Joshua Roman set to premiere his new concerto with Illinois Philharmonic
October 11 - Up close and plugged in, Spektral Quartet kicks off season in edgy, adventurous fashion
October 9 - Capuçon’s fiery playing sparks Bychkov’s Brahms program with CSO
October 8 - American premiere is the highlight of Orion Ensemble’s mixed opener
October 5 - With a superb cast and charming production, Lyric hits several high notes in delightful “Cenerentola”
October 5 - Fifth House Ensemble opens tenth season with raucous, rewarding program
October 5 - Lynn Harrell joins Elgin Symphony to open season in style
October 4 - Bella Voce Camerata do their part for Arvo Pärt’s 80th
October 2 - With a new principal flute, Muti and CSO mix it up with winning results
October 1 - Critic’s Choice
September 29 - CSO musicians ratify contract, get 5% raise and no reduction in health benefits
September 29 - CSO, musicians reach tentative agreement
September 27 - Pleasures are few in Lyric Opera’s garish, charmless “Figaro”
September 25 - Harpist provides a highlight with CSO as the clock ticks on contract
September 24 - Singers provide fleeting pleasures in COT’s revisionist “Lucio”
September 22 - Lyric Opera team anticipates a joyous opening with new production of “Figaro”
September 20 - With storm clouds on the horizon, CSO closes opening week with Italian flavor
September 18 - Muti, CSO open season with Italianate Mozart and incendiary Beethoven
September 17 - CSO opening concert will go on tonight; contract talks continue
September 15 - Critic’s Choice
September 14 - Pianissimo! offers a mixed bag of multiple-piano music
September 13 - Vocal festival closes with moving meditations on the spiritual
September 12 - Stars of Lyric Opera shine brightly in Mozart and Rossini at Millennium Park
September 11 - Collaborative Works Festival serves up a stellar evening of American song
September 10 - Pisaroni opens vocal festival in style with Italian song
September 8 - Critic’s Choice
September 1 - A new opera, Philip Glass and a CSO “Falstaff” are among the riches in Chicago’s music season
August 22 - Slack final concert leaves Grant Park Music Festival outside the gates of Elgar’s “Kingdom”
August 20 - Ehnes’ elegant Beethoven highlights Grant Park program
August 16 - Conlon closes his Ravinia decade with a grand and dramatic “Dutchman”
August 15 - Kalmar, Paremski and Grant Park Orchestra take flight with life stories
August 14 - Anthony McGill to perform American Music Project premiere in Chicago
August 12 - Bronfman ignites a Prokofiev storm at Ravinia
August 11 - Mattila brings an operatic dimension to song recital at Ravinia
August 8 - Music of Adams and Haydn makes a lakefront summer highlight
August 6 - Kalmar returns to Grant Park with spirited Mozart and two American symphonies
August 5 - Lugansky shows mastery at Ravinia with exquisite Schubert and Grieg
August 1 - Grant Park Orchestra goes underground but soars with Bruckner
July 30 - Conlon, CSO and Osorio vivid and stylish in Brahms and Zemlinsky
July 30 - Wilkins, Grant Park offer a mixed night of lighter fare
July 29 - Hampson brings power and eloquence to German lied and American song at Ravinia
July 27 - Khristenko brings fitful Russian flair to American program
July 25 - Villaume, von Oeyen bring exhilarating élan to Grant Park travelogue
July 24 - Paul Freeman 1936-2015
July 23 - Trains, planes and rough-edged Mahler at Ravinia
July 23 - Ryan Center artists, Grant Park Orchestra excel in American program
July 22 - Bell, Grant Park Chorus get to the heart of the matter in South Shore
July 20 - Europe-bound, James Conlon departs Ravinia after 11 years with no regrets
July 19 - Ravinia may jettison music director post after Conlon, says Kauffman
July 18 - Fischer, Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus deliver a sturdy Brahms Requiem
July 17 - It was a dull and stormy night with Znaider’s double-duty Ravinia debut
July 16 - A memorable night at Ravinia with Igor Levit and Bach
July 15 - American song to be spotlighted in Collaborative Works Festival
July 9 - Young conductor makes strong Grant Park debut with Bernstein, Franck
July 6 - Yundi and The Knights make for rich and rewarding double bill at Ravinia
July 4 - Kalmar, Grant Park Orchestra shine on with Diamond premiere
June 30 - Juilliard Quartet shows trademark vigor and intensity at Ravinia
June 27 - A stormy yet brilliant birth for MacMillan premiere at Grant Park
June 25 - Diaz provides sterling advocacy in belated Walton premiere at Grant Park
June 24 - Grant Park Music Festival scrambles due to visa problem; Levine to return to Ravinia in 2016
June 20 - Weather chills, but performances warm up Grant Park Music Festival
June 19 - Muti, CSO wrap the season in style with Tchaikovsky, Bates premiere and “Chelsea Dagger”
June 18 - Chicago Opera Theater retrenchment raises questions
June 18 - Sun finally smiles on a Grant Park Music Festival opening night
June 17 - Critic’s Choice
June 15 - Bunch premiere to highlight opening week of Grant Park Music Festival
June 14 - Chicago Chorale offers music of peace and reflection in Lincoln Park
June 12 - Muti, CSO deliver power and poetry with Russian rarities
June 10 - Critic’s Choice
June 9 - Chicago Philharmonic wraps season in resounding fashion with visual program
June 6 - Bach and Schumann works shine at North Shore Chamber Music Festival
June 5 - Morlot, CSO serve up program with clever French twist
June 4 - Memorable Tchaikovsky opens North Shore Chamber Music Festival
June 3 - Critic’s Choice
June 2 - Bates and Clyne wrap five years with final MusicNOW program
June 1 - Orli Shaham offers superb program of Brahms and works inspired by him
May 31 - With questions ahead, Illinois Philharmonic closes season in eclectic fashion
May 30 - Cantate Chicago shines a moving light on infinity
May 29 - Clyne’s “Seamstress” could use more stitchwork in mixed CSO premiere
May 28 - 20th-century works fare best in Orion Ensemble’s mixed season finale
May 27 - Critic’s Choice
May 24 - Chicago Composers Orchestra closes season in bittersweet fashion with Arvo Pӓrt and three premieres
May 22 - Northwestern serves up enjoyable G&S rarity with “Ruddigore”
May 22 - CSO closes French festival with rafter-raising Messiaen
May 21 - Liebermann premiere makes strong impact with Emerson Quartet
May 21 - Critic’s Choice
May 19 - Music of the Baroque wraps season powerfully with war-inspired works
May 18 - Heatherington, Ars Viva go out on top with stirring final concert
May 18 - Yo-Yo Ma and CSO members offer diverting range of French chamber works
May 15 - Salonen, CSO and stellar cast deliver a haunting and memorable “Pelléas”
May 14 - Fleming’s contract as Lyric creative consultant extended through 2017
May 12 - Critic’s Choice
May 11 - CSO announces subs for “Pelleas” due to illness
May 10 - Aggressive virtuosity and fitful poetry in Lang Lang’s return to Lyric Opera
May 8 - Salonen opens CSO’s French festival with vocal rarities by Ravel, Debussy
May 6 - Critic’s Choice
May 4 - Tiberghien’s superlative pianism opens CSO’s French festival in style
May 4 - The Chicago Ensemble roves, enjoyably, from Bach to Bloch
May 2 - Bagby brings “Beowulf” to vital life at the Logan Center
May 1 - Bicket, CSO achieve mixed results in basically Baroque program
April 28 - Critic’s Choice
April 26 - A radiant von Stade can’t raise COT’s “Coffin in Egypt”
April 25 - Chicago Master Singers serve up a generous program of English rarities
April 24 - Bychkov, CSO deliver strong and sturdy Bruckner
April 24 - UC composers shine in rewarding Contempo program
April 22 - Critic’s Choice
April 21 - Picosa explores the music of Augusta Read Thomas
April 21 - Osorio’s Ravel provides the highlight with Chicago Philharmonic
April 20 - Kissin’s distinctive mastery brings illumination on a rainy afternoon
April 20 - Music of the Baroque Chorus takes the spotlight in Renaissance program
April 19 - Blue Heron takes flight at Rockefeller Chapel
April 17 - Bychkov, Trifonov and CSO serve up a Russian night to remember
April 15 - Critic’s Choice
April 14 - Northbrook Symphony gives neglected Czech symphony its belated American debut
April 13 - Hahn and Smythe shine in Bach and Auerbach
April 13 - Ars Viva to draw the curtain after two decades
April 13 - Pacifica Quartet and friends close UC Presents’ WW I series on high note
April 12 - UC Presents’ retrospective offers a mixed program of Debussy sonatas
April 11 - Clarinetist Fiterstein sparks opening event in UC Presents’ WW I festival
April 10 - Haitink’s sober integrity tames Mahler’s Seventh with CSO
April 7 - Critic’s Choice
April 3 - Uchida and CSO offer engaging evening of Mozart and Schumann
April 1 - Critic’s Choice
March 31 - Glover, MOB serve up spirited Mozart and Haydn
March 30 - Chicago Chorale delivers a memorable “St. Matthew Passion”
March 28 - Requiem for a great friend who also happened to be a great composer
March 27 - A gifted young composer apart, few sparks fly with de Waart and CSO
March 26 - Critic’s Choice
March 25 - Chicago Ensemble offers chamber rarities by d’Indy and Hindemith
March 24 - Clyne and Bates works outshine interminable Boulez at MusicNOW
March 23 - Perahia shows the art that conceals art in cornerstone repertory
March 21 - Nelson leads Chicago Bach Project in an inspired “St. John Passion”
March 20 - Dutoit, Ma illuminate French rarities with CSO
March 19 - Critic’s Choice
March 18 - UC Presents announces eclectic schedule for 2015-16
March 17 - Orion Ensemble offers familiar Beethoven, along with rarities, past and present
March 16 - Boulez’s piano music is a cold dish best served in small helpings
March 16 - Civitas Ensemble serves up new music of Chinese-American composers
March 14 - Haymarket Opera delights with Telemann’s “Don Quichotte”
March 13 - Dutoit exhumes two intriguing semi-concertos for CSO’s mostly French program.
March 11 - Harris Theater’s “Beyond the Aria” series closes with big voices in light music
March 11 - Music of the Baroque to offer a varied lineup in 2015-16
March 10 - Critic’s Choice
March 9 - Schiff illuminates four Viennese masters’ late keyboard works
March 9 - Chicago Ensemble makes up a snow day with enjoyably varied program
March 6 - Muti and CSO score with Ligeti and Tchaik rarities
March 5 - Conlon’s final Ravinia season to offer a look back
March 4 - Critic’s Choice
March 3 - Lyric’s “Tannhäuser” tenor ailing; Ryan Center mezzo makes Cardiff finals
March 2 - World premieres by Schuller and Gubaidulina headline wide-ranging Contempo program
March 1 - The spiritual and environmental qualities of water are wide at Rockefeller Chapel concert
March 1 - Ferris Chorale gives glowing expression to two Italian rarities
February 28 - Soprano shines brightly in Lyric’s dark, second-cast “Tosca”
February 28 - Jerusalem Quartet displays extraordinary artistry at Mandel Hall
February 27 - Muti and CSO deliver gripping and intense Tchaikovsky
February 26 - Lyric Unlimited scores with premiere of klezmer-flavored “Property”
February 25 - Lyric Opera closes season with Weinberg’s moving, powerful “Passenger”
February 25 - John Vorrasi, 1948-2015
February 24 - Kraemer, Music of the Baroque showcase invention in varied program
February 23 - Northwestern presents Heggie’s “Dead Man Walking” in riveting local premiere
February 21 - COT delivers effective staging of Picker’s compelling “Thérèse Raquin”
February 21 - Rotterdam Philharmonic shimmers under Nézet-Séguin
February 20 - Muti leads CSO in a grandly scaled and emotionally distant Mozart “Requiem”
February 18 - After a long exile, Weinberg’s “Passenger” to arrive at Lyric Opera
February 17 - Critic’s Choice
February 12 - Critic’s Choice
February 11 - Magnificent singing triumphs over drab, postmodern staging in Lyric’s “Tannhäuser”
February 9 - Marvin David Levy 1932-2015
February 9 - “Bel Canto” premiere, “Wozzeck” and Fleming’s “Merry Widow’ on tap for Lyric Opera in 2015-16
February 7 - Chicago Jazz Philharmonic engagingly bridges the genres in “Third Stream” homage
February 7 - Jackiw, Polonsky offer compelling and intelligent program at Mandel Hall
February 6 - Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center shines brightly in percussion program
February 6 - CSO, Goerne and van Zweden join forces for unconventional night of symphony and song
February 4 - Critic’s Choice
February 3 - Andrew Patner 1959-2015
February 1 - St. Olaf Choir brings luster and individuality to wide range of music
January 31 - Alba Consort opens intimate window on the past at Logan Center
January 27 - Susanna Phillips lights up a trio of composers with Music of the Baroque
January 27 - Caroline Shaw’s music given superb advocacy by Chicago Q Ensemble
January 27 - Pacifica Quartet finds common ground with Carter and Beethoven
January 27 - Ohlsson brings wide range of expression to Russian program
January 26 - CSO’s 125th season to include a look back, another Asian tour and more standard repertory
January 26 - Contempo marks 50 years with a variety of new music
January 25 - Serjan’s sensational debut lifts Lyric’s bleak “Tosca”
January 23 - Muti, CSO soar in Russian music of art and war
January 22 - CSO hires 21-year-old as principal bassoon
January 21 - Critic’s Choice
January 20 - MusicNOW’s mixed techno program could use more blood
January 19 - Lamsma, CSO members make fine team at Winter Chamber Music Festival
January 18 - Violinist’s deep Brahms, terrific Elgar spark Illinois Philharmonic concert
January 16 - Muti, CSO serve up winning account of rare Tchaikovsky gem
January 14 - Critic’s Choice
January 12 - Lyric lends itself a new tenor for “Tosca”
January 12 - Von Otter and Hewitt offer anticipations of spring in delightful afternoon of song
January 10 - New Orford String Quartet opens Winter Chamber Music Festival with impressive new work
January 9 - Petrenko, CSO deliver the musical heat in a chilly new year
January 8 - Critic’s Choice
January 8 - CSO announces new programming director
January 6 - Grant Park Music Festival to serve up a smorgasbord in 2015
January 5 - Anne Sofie von Otter still looking for new musical worlds to conquer

2014 (249)

December 23 - Top Ten Performances of 2014
December 20 - Gray finds fifty shades of Christmas in MOB’s holiday program
December 20 - Light Opera Works serves up a stylish and exuberant “Merry Widow”
December 19 - Cynthia Yeh’s solo tour de force ends the CSO’s year with bells ringing
December 16 - Geoffrey Gordon is second composer commissioned by the American Music Project
December 14 - Ferris Chorale returns “home” for the holidays with rewarding Christmas program
December 12 - Honeck ignites CSO with fiery and revelatory Beethoven
December 10 - Conductor Manfred Honeck searches for a vital blend of the scholarly and spiritual
December 9 - Fourth Symphony provides the highlight in Ars Viva’s Beethoven program
December 8 - Oboist Izotov leaving CSO for San Francisco Symphony
December 7 - Lyric Opera’s uneven “Anna Bolena” lacks a sharp cutting edge
December 5 - Metzmacher makes mixed impression in CSO’s Russian program
December 4 - Grand Torino: Noseda, inspired cast and Italian musicians hit the bullseye in a thrilling “William Tell”
December 3 - Lyric Opera’s “Ring” to emphasize the story-telling and theatricality of Wagner’s tetralogy
December 2 - Nothing sacred in Music of the Baroque’s routine “Christmas Oratorio”
November 24 - Huydts premiere, Prokofiev fare best in varied Orion Ensemble program
November 22 - Pianist Kozhukhin makes spellbinding Chicago debut at Mandel Hall
November 21 - CSO’s Brandenburgs make for a mixed bag of Bach
November 20 - Mutter and young colleagues deliver fresh, exhilarating Vivaldi
November 19 - Pianist Denis Kozhukhin searches for harmony in a wide range of music
November 18 - Lyric Opera has plenty of something with a moving, vocally resplendent “Porgy and Bess”
November 17 - Haydn provides the highlight in Chicago Philharmonic program
November 16 - Dal Niente throws an exhilarating and wide-ranging musical party
November 15 - Danzmayr, Illinois Philharmonic soar with Sibelius
November 14 - The phantom of Boulez is honored by CSO, with superb direction from Heras-Casado
November 13 - Chicago Ensemble is uncaged in music of Brahms and Wendy Lee
November 11 - Composer Gordon Getty is finally getting his moment in the sun
November 10 - Aimard’s mild-tempered Bach offers mixed rewards
November 9 - Chicago Master Singers take flight in Dvořák rarity
November 8 - Lyric’s “Ring” designer dies; CSO gathers its tour kudos
November 8 - Exquisite Tafelmusik playing upstaged by unheavenly sensory overload
November 4 - Barnatan shows top-flight artistry in Barber and Schubert
November 3 - Beijing orchestra makes impressive showing in Chicago debut
November 2 - Lyric Opera serves up the glitz and glitter in Diamond Anniversary bash
November 2 - Third Coast Percussion gets political with American program at Logan Center
November 1 - Third Eye Theatre makes outstanding debut with Menotti’s “The Medium”
October 31 - ACM serves up a bracing Brazilian program
October 28 - Lyric Opera delivers the vocal thunder in a dark and combustible “Trovatore”
October 27 - Chicago Chamber Choir opens season with a look back and news on its future
October 27 - Pollini’s magisterial art remains at its finest in Chopin
October 25 - With tedious Scarlatti pastoral, Haymarket Opera’s Baroque repertory needs fixing
October 22 - Lyric Opera artists take flight “Beyond the Aria” at Harris Theater
October 21 - Kraemer opens MOB season with well-tempered Mozart
October 19 - Jurowski, London Philharmonic deliver powerful Shostakovich
October 18 - Takács Quartet at their peak in wide-ranging program
October 17 - Lee Hyla receives a zealous musical tribute at Northwestern
October 15 - Dal niente’s stars unevenly aligned at Constellation
October 15 - CSO posts its largest deficit in over a decade
October 13 - Pacifica Quartet offers Ran premiere in Logan Center program
October 11 - Danish String Quartet opens UC Presents season with intense premiere
October 10 - Runnicles, CSO team up for a fresh, majestic Mahler 5
October 7 - Conductor Davis, radiant Fleming make a case for Strauss’s talky “Capriccio”
October 7 - van Zweden out, Runnicles in for this week’s CSO concerts
October 6 - American Music Project launches with epic Wurtz quintet and vigorous performances
October 3 - Muti, CSO hit their stride with Russian-Polish program
October 2 - Jazz pieces provide the highlights in Orion Ensemble’s season opener
October 1 - Dufour to leave CSO for Berlin Philharmonic
September 30 - Plugged-in opener gets MusicNOW season off on mixed note
September 29 - Strong, eloquent Brahms highlights Ars Viva opener
September 29 - Rembrandt Chamber Players open 25th season with eclectic program
September 28 - Magnificent Mozart: With a brilliant cast and edgy staging, Lyric Opera scores a triumph in “Don Giovanni”
September 26 - Muti, CSO prep for tour with Debussy, Tchaikovsky
September 23 - Mariusz Kwiecien to open Lyric Opera season with “Don Giovanni”
September 22 - Fiery Nielsen sparks Nordic opener from Chicago Philharmonic
September 20 - Muti, CSO knock their Tchaik program out of the park
September 20 - Lincoln Trio opens “Jewel Box” series with music of Turina
September 19 - Muti, CSO open new season with a mixed Beethoven Ninth
September 18 - Critic’s Choice
September 16 - At 25, Chicago Philharmonic is looking to a bright and adventurous future under Scott Speck
September 15 - Collaborative Arts Festival closes with Schumann and Brahms for all
September 14 - COT’s worthy revival of Bloch’s “Macbeth” undone by distracting video and unkind cuts
September 13 - Michelle DeYoung illuminates a wide range of lieder at Collaborative Arts Festival
September 12 - Collaborative Arts Festival leads off with intimate Schumann evening
September 8 - From Adams to Zorn, Chicago’s music season brings a wealth of riches across all genres
September 8 - Critic’s Choice
September 7 - Lyric Opera sparks its own fireworks at Millennium Park
September 6 - CSO’s new chief: a consensus guy, eager to hit the ground running
September 3 - CSO names its new president
August 27 - Conlon re-ups for a final Ravinia season; Orion Ensemble violist departs
August 21 - Dawn Upshaw and The Knights offer a worthy and eclectic evening at Ravinia
August 16 - Ravinia’s intimate Mozart magic remains with Conlon’s well-cast “Figaro”
August 16 - Kalmar, Grant Park Orchestra wrap 80th season with resounding Ravel and a Bolcom premiere
August 15 - Conlon restores a welcome intimacy to “Don Giovanni” at Ravinia
August 14 - Grant Park leads off final week with Bolcom’s “Cabaret Songs”
August 13 - Takács Quartet in tune with Janáček and Barber at Ravinia
August 11 - Grant Park Music Festival to wrap season with Bill Bolcom premiere
August 9 - Grant Park’s “Northern Lights” premiere proves less than the sum of its multimedia parts
August 8 - Spektral Quartet pushes the envelope with an adventurous season lineup
August 7 - A night of “Sins” and Schubert shows versatility of Kalmar, Grant Park Orchestra
August 4 - American Music Project to launch with world premiere by Chicago composer
August 3 - Strauss’s “Salome” rocks the house at Ravinia
August 2 - Grant Park Orchestra goes deep with Mozart and Brahms
August 1 - Martha Gilmer leaves CSO after 35 years for top post in San Diego
July 31 - Kalmar returns to Grant Park with music of French charm and Spanish fury
July 29 - Matsuev thunders in Russian program at Ravinia
July 26 - Slatkin returns to Grant Park with a riveting Shostakovich reprise
July 23 - Conlon, CSO members excavate chamber rarities at Ravinia
July 22 - Joan Harris to receive the National Medal of Arts
July 19 - Hugh Wolff returns to Grant Park for Dvořák, Beethoven
July 18 - Grant Park Chorus offers stunning artistry in contemporary program
July 17 - Susanna Mälkki makes resounding Ravinia debut
July 14 - Lyric Opera lifts the veil on its work-in-progress “Bel Canto”
July 11 - Weinberg’s “The Passenger” proves a powerful experience in New York
July 10 - Lyric Opera “clarifies” budget numbers
July 9 - Even with Galway and CSO, new flute concerto mostly a bit of the blarney
July 8 - Death (and the Maiden) becomes Emerson Quartet best at Ravinia
July 7 - Chanticleer roves widely and winningly at Ravinia
July 3 - Cellist Cabezas strikes sparks on a rainy night at Grant Park
July 2 - Lyric Opera dug deep to balance its books this season
July 1 - Ohlsson’s “fantasy” program takes flight at Ravinia
June 28 - Kalmar, Grant Park forces soar in Janáček’s “Glagolitic Mass”
June 27 - Chicago Chamber Musicians suspends artistic operations
June 24 - A rejuvenated Juilliard Quartet impresses anew at Ravinia
June 21 - Kalmar, Grant Park Orchestra deliver stirring and eloquent Elgar
June 20 - Muti, CSO wrap season with resounding Mahler
June 18 - Jackiw finally gets his Mozart in on a stormy night at Grant Park
June 18 - Kernis “Goblin” highlights ACM’s storytelling season finale
June 16 - Illinois Philharmonic exec to take up Colorado post
June 14 - Kalmar, Grant Park Orchestra take flight (indoors) with Berlioz rarity
June 13 - Muti is back for a gracious evening of Viennese Classicism and a bittersweet farewell
June 12 - CSO pulls in record $32 million from Zells, Negaunee; Lyric Opera announces more outreach projects
June 12 - Pianist lights up Grant Park opener on a chilly night
June 11 - Mozart, Picker, and Gordon works on tap in COT’s 2015 season
June 8 - North Shore Chamber Fest closes with night of virtuosic encores
June 7 - Two prodigies highlighted in Chamber Festival’s Viennese program
June 6 - CSO festival ends with riveting power and apt ambiguity
June 5 - North Shore Chamber Fest opens with an exhilarating mix
June 4 - Rush Hour Concerts open new era with mixed Stravinsky
June 4 - Illinois Philharmonic unveils another venturesome season
June 2 - Feltsman provides an individual slant on familiar composers
June 1 - Soprano lifts COT’s uneven double bill of wartime works
June 1 - CSO festival delivers jarring Shostakovich and powerful Prokofiev
May 30 - Cellist Weilerstein makes a case for Prokofiev rarity with CSO
May 29 - Orion Ensemble wraps season with varied lineup from Mozart to Gershwin
May 29 - Jeanne Gang to design acoustical shell for Lyric Opera
May 26 - Dal Niente shines in Raphael Cendo’s dazzling, kinetic music
May 23 - CSO’s festival opener light on artistic truth but delivers sonic power
May 22 - From Mozart to Adams, Rembrandt Chamber Players close the season with a varied lineup
May 20 - Kraemer, Music of the Baroque strike sparks with wide-ranging season finale
May 19 - Emanuel Ax gracefully reveals the once and future Brahms
May 19 - Chicago Chorale performs love songs, from Brahms to Kern, delightfully
May 18 - Illinois Philharmonic wraps its season with a double dose of Romeo and Juliet
May 16 - Two soloists enliven a tepid Strauss night from de Waart, CSO
May 15 - Dufour wins Berlin Philharmonic audition: Will he leave the CSO—again?
May 13 - Speck closes first season with Chicago Philharmonic on a romantic note
May 12 - CSO principal bassoon David McGill to depart orchestra this summer
May 12 - Phillips and Owens provide sterling artistry in wide-ranging Schubert program
May 12 - Schola Antiqua serves up a radiant and timely tribute to St. Anne
May 9 - Soprano Röschmann cancels CSO dates; Susanna Phillips to fill in
May 9 - Labadie, Hamelin and CSO place early Beethoven in context with a fresh and bracing program
May 7 - Jurowski bows out of CSO dates; North Shore Chamber Fest announces programs
May 6 - MusicNOW wraps season with extreme contrasts and “savage” fury
May 5 - Young cellist shows maturity in Ars Viva’s season finale
May 4 - Shanghai Quartet closes UC Presents season with wide-ranging program
May 2 - Dohnányi and CSO prove strong and steady partners
April 30 - Wu Han and David Finckel serve up a fascinating Beethoven journey
April 30 - Chicago Ensemble provides eclectic program with some rough edges
April 30 - CSO’s “Beyond the Score” offers insightful look at Charles Ives
April 27 - Patricia Barber brings artistry to dark-textured Contempo program
April 27 - Illinois Philharmonic makes impressive downtown debut with belated Zemlinsky premiere
April 26 - Gilmore winner Blechacz makes a powerful yet disappointing Chicago debut
April 25 - Ives’ raucous, subversive symphony highlights rewarding CSO program
April 25 - Chicago Classical Review Wants You
April 24 - Chicago Philharmonic to chart an adventurous course in 2014-15
April 23 - Music of the Baroque provides a winning night of Bach and Handel “Italian” style
April 18 - Slatkin and CSO pack the house for a successful (and rare) American program
April 17 - Haydn’s “Seven Last Words” finds luminous expression with Seraphic Fire and Spektral Quartet
April 14 - Anne Akiko Meyers eager to tackle Mason Bates Violin Concerto with CSO
April 14 - Bjaland strikes sparks with Chicago Philharmonic
April 12 - Spektral Quartet joins forces with Seraphic Fire for a new take on Haydn’s “Seven Last Words”
April 12 - Chicago Bach Project moves downtown with a worthy “St. Matthew Passion”
April 11 - Salonen’s “Nyx” proves sensational in inspired CSO program
April 9 - Lakeview Orchestra, Vox 3 team up for a strong and dramatic Mozart Requiem
April 7 - Father-daughter team shines in Detroit revival of Bolcom’s “A View from the Bridge”
April 5 - Anonymous 4 juxtaposes love and devotion in ethereal program
April 4 - Salonen, CSO thrilling and majestic in Sibelius rarity
April 3 - Bronfman brings the artistry, Zukerman provides the Zzzzzzzs
April 2 - Ars Viva announces 2014-15 season
April 1 - Glover, Music of the Baroque soar in Haydn’s “Creation”
April 1 - Sterling Schubert Second closes Muti’s spring residency in style
March 27 - UC Presents to pay homage to World War I centennial in 2014-15 season
March 27 - CSO offers mixed rewards with Schubert and Elgar
March 26 - Rush Hour Concerts to continue after death of founder
March 23 - Bella Voce Camerata off to a mixed start in debut concert
March 21 - Muti returns to CSO with distinctive Schubert
March 21 - Ravinia musicians to perform in Cuba
March 20 - A memorable night of singing with Fleming and Kaufmann at Lyric Opera
March 18 - Israel Philharmonic delivers powerful Bruckner
March 18 - Vaughan Williams double bill takes flight with Ars Viva
March 17 - Chicago Chorale offers refined performance of Bruckner mass
March 17 - Andsnes’ bracing intelligence proves well-suited to Beethoven
March 15 - Bruckner’s music not a political issue for Mehta, Israel Philharmonic
March 14 - Uchida does a Steinway hat trick with CSO
March 13 - Ray Still 1920-2014
March 12 - Music of the Baroque announces 2014-15 season
March 11 - Uchida reveals the mundane and transcendent in Beethoven’s “Diabelli” Variations
March 8 - Haymarket Opera enchants with Charpentier
March 7 - Dufour, CSO triumph with premiere of Connesson concerto
March 6 - DiDonato and Polenzani rule in Lyric Opera’s sleek, stylish “Tito”
March 4 - Cuckson, Yu offer rewarding program of experimental works for Contempo
March 3 - Kissin shows taste and mastery in Schubert and Scriabin
March 1 - Countertenor Jaroussky hits the heights in Mandel Hall recital
February 28 - Quirky mix of Stravinsky and Ravel makes for another winningly offbeat CSO program
February 25 - Countertenor Philippe Jaroussky to tackle Farinelli arias at Mandel Hall
February 25 - Rembrandt Chamber Players offer a vibrant program, suited to the Dreihaus Museum
February 25 - Music of the Baroque’s March 3 Harris date moved to April 21
February 24 - Temirkanov, St. Petersburg Philharmonic prove Russian to the core
February 24 - Lyric’s dark and unfocused “Rusalka” fails to touch the heart
February 22 - Ma and Ax team up for a memorable evening of Brahms
February 22 - Third Coast Percussion delivers powerful Thomas premiere at Logan Center
February 21 - Clarinetist Williamson to return to CSO
February 21 - Even with an absent Boulez, his offbeat, mostly Stravinsky CSO program provides rewards
February 20 - Fire damage closes Harris Theater for two weeks: COT “Queenie Pie” performances moved to March
February 17 - Susan Platts lifts Philharmonic program with Mahler songs
February 16 - Even with Duke Ellington’s music, COT’s “Queenie Pie” is barely skin deep
February 14 - From Handel to Haydn, McGegan leads fresh and varied CSO program
February 13 - Joshua Bell serves Tartini and Stravinsky well at Symphony Center
February 11 - Grant Park Music Festival to mark 80th anniversary with two premieres, old friends and much American music
February 11 - Ars Viva strikes string gold in rare concerto, varied program
February 10 - Chicago Opera Theater is jazzed about presenting Ellington’s “Queenie Pie”
February 10 - Trifonov shows artistry of the first order in Chicago debut
February 7 - Muti, CSO and Chorus soar with Schubert mass
February 5 - Contempo opens new year with bracing variety from eighth blackbird
February 4 - Music of Bates and Clyne in spotlight at MusicNOW
February 3 - Muti extends CSO contract through 2020, and holds forth on several subjects
February 3 - CSO to spotlight Tchaikovsky, Scriabin and French music in 2014-15 season
February 2 - Leonard’s radiant debut a highlight in Lyric’s bright new “Barber”
February 1 - Goldstein-Peled-Fiterstein Trio offers refined and varied artistry
January 31 - Even with Yo-Yo Ma, Sollima premiere proves a mixed melange
January 29 - Chicago Ensemble superbly serves rarities by Piston and Bridge
January 28 - Deborah Sobol 1950-2014
January 28 - Chorus shines royally in Music of the Baroque program
January 27 - Fleming to star in “Capriccio”; “Tannhäuser,” “Anna Bolena” and “Porgy” also on tap in Lyric Opera’s 2014-15 season
January 27 - Superb new Muhly work unveiled in rewarding Brahms program with Ax and von Otter
January 25 - Muti talks Schubert; also Brahms and Beethoven
January 24 - Even with rough edges, Nielsen’s “Maskarade” is a delight in belated Chicago premiere
January 22 - ACM warms up a cold night with stimulating mix of new music
January 22 - Muti, CSO draw accolades on European tour
January 21 - Claudio Abbado 1933-2014
January 20 - Goerne and Eschenbach deliver memorable Schubert journey
January 18 - Critic’s Choice
January 17 - Goerke, Owens to star in Lyric Opera’s “Ring”; Weinberg’s “Passenger” on tap next season
January 16 - Watson draws fiery playing in varied Baroque Band program
January 13 - With a new title, the Pacifica Quartet delivers searing Shostakovich at the Logan Center
January 13 - ICE downsizes with intriguing music for oboe and piano, past and present
January 12 - Racette’s riveting portrayal lifts Lyric Opera’s second-cast “Butterfly”
January 12 - Miró Quartet and Shai Wosner open Winter Chamber Music Festival in style
January 11 - Elgin Symphony makes fine showing with its gifted new conductor
January 6 - Critic’s Choice

2013 (270)

December 23 - The Top 10 Performances of 2013
December 21 - Lyric to forge a new “Ring”; ailing Boulez cancels CSO dates again
December 20 - Eschenbach, CSO wrap year with blazing Bruckner
December 20 - Tenor Agnew makes impressive podium debut with Music of the Baroque’s holiday program
December 19 - With renewed Harris Theater contract, Chamber Music Society serves up brisk and vital Bach
December 17 - Akiho’s mesmerizing work the highlight of MusicNOW program
December 16 - Haymarket Opera to present Charpentier double bill in March
December 13 - Harth-Bedoya leads CSO in rousing Dvorak and Mussorgsky showpieces
December 11 - Lyric Opera’s delightful “Fledermaus” banishes the winter chill
December 10 - Deborah Rutter to depart Chicago Symphony Orchestra for Kennedy Center
December 10 - Ferris Chorale celebrates Christmas with mystery, mirth and myrrh
December 10 - COT dives back in the pool for encore of aquatic “Orpheus”
December 6 - Denève, CSO bring the wondrous strange with Berlioz
December 2 - A/B Duo offers an array of new music with Anaphora
November 30 - Baritone cancels Schubert recital
November 25 - Tilson Thomas throws out the first lozenge at bronchial CSO concert
November 25 - Chicago Ensemble offers an engaging, wide-ranging program
November 23 - Chicago Chorale delivers a glowing performance of Martin “Mass”
November 22 - Tilson Thomas, CSO deliver a vital and eloquent Mahler 9
November 21 - Soprano’s Lyric Opera debut sparks a well sung and impassioned “Traviata”
November 19 - Pianist boosts Music of the Baroque’s Classical-era program
November 15 - CSO’s uneven “War Requiem” fails to reach the heights
November 11 - Chicago Philharmonic offers a fine mixed lineup for strings and winds
November 10 - Lyric Opera’s “Parsifal” offers vexing, variably sung Wagner
November 9 - Fretwork’s tear-filled Dowland program never cries itself out
November 7 - Orion Ensemble’s lively playing in synch with Hindemith
November 4 - For chorus master Michael Black, working with the Lyric Opera singers is a labor of love
November 3 - Chicago Opera Theater goes audaciously aquatic with “Orpheus”
November 2 - Cuarteto Casals displays individual artistry at Mandel Hall
November 1 - Haitink, CSO deliver majestic and eloquent Bruckner
October 29 - Kaler shines in Ars Viva’s contrasted program of Dvořák and Bartók
October 28 - Civitas Ensemble serves up a bracing mix of old and new
October 28 - Botha withdraws from Lyric “Otello”; Forbis to sing final two performances
October 27 - Haymarket Opera’s revelatory “Pimpinone” a feast for the ears and eyes
October 25 - Bychkov, Gerstein ignite a fire with CSO in Walton and Prokofiev
October 22 - MusicNOW leads off with a trio of intriguing new works
October 20 - Illinois Philharmonic opens season with a compelling new concerto
October 20 - In its Chicago debut, Tilson Thomas’s Miami Beach ensemble finds New Worlds to conquer
October 19 - Nicole Cabell presents an array of vocal delights at Northeastern
October 19 - Nicholas Phan’s Britten recital finds its footing at Mandel Hall
October 19 - Mälkki shows her mastery in return to CSO
October 18 - Critic’s Choice
October 16 - Lyric Opera’s low-voltage “Butterfly” fails to take wing
October 16 - Cellist Queyras offers an elegant, genuinely solo recital at Logan Center
October 14 - Tenor Nicholas Phan to fete composer at UC Presents’ Britten Festival
October 14 - Denk traverses “Goldberg” Variations with freshness and humor
October 12 - Ned Rorem’s 90th birthday observed in style at Northwestern
October 11 - Muti, CSO mark Verdi’s 200th with a volatile and dramatic Requiem
October 10 - Struckmann return boosts Lyric Opera’s “Otello”
October 10 - Critic’s Choice
October 8 - Baritone sparks a winning Bach program for Music of the Baroque
October 8 - COT set to make waves with aquatic performance of Gordon song cycle
October 8 - Pacifica Quartet explores Baroque bonds at UC Presents’ Britten Festival
October 6 - Martinez lifts a mixed “Otello” to open Lyric Opera’s season
October 5 - Jupiter String Quartet makes a mixed debut at UC Presents’ Britten Festival
October 4 - Chen, Muti and CSO make a case for Hindemith’s Violin Concerto
October 3 - Gergiev and Mariinsky Orchestra serve up a Stravinsky pas de trois
October 2 - Critic’s Choice
September 30 - Ars Viva opens season with smaller-scale yet mighty Bruckner
September 29 - A bloody magnificent “Macbeth”: Muti, singers, CSO and Chorus deliver a Verdi night to remember
September 27 - Critic’s Choice
September 24 - The indefatigable Alan Heatherington adds a new vocation to his musical ministry
September 23 - Orion Ensemble opens season admirably with early and late Brahms
September 22 - COT’s disastrous Regie production burns Verdi and “Joan of Arc”
September 22 - Muti, CSO serve up yet more Verdi before the veal and vichyssoise
September 20 - Muti, CSO pop the seasonal cork with fizzing exuberance and weighty drama
September 19 - Baroque Band starts transitional season on mixed note
September 18 - Muti talks Verdi: Conductor to lead off fourth CSO season with a very Verdi month
September 16 - Beethoven Festival calls it a wrap with Pintscher and “Pastoral”
September 16 - Avalon Quartet launches Bartok cycle in fine style
September 16 - Chroma Chamber Orchestra returns with admirable concertante program
September 11 - Verdi and Britten celebrations highlight a feast of music in Chicago
September 10 - How to stuff a wild Beethoven Festival
September 10 - Adams’ powerful yet flawed “Mary” gospel closes Ravinia season with a Midwest premiere
September 8 - Orchestra, chorus and billboard nearly steal the show at Lyric Opera “Stars” concert at Millennium Park
August 27 - Lang’s “Match Girl Passion” receives luminous local premiere at Ravinia
August 27 - Chinese Fine Arts Society serves up a delightful sampler at Millennium Park
August 20 - Composer David Lang explores a secular transcendence in “Little Match Girl Passion”
August 19 - Rachel Barton Pine delivers a unique evening with Paganini at Ravinia
August 17 - Kalmar, Grant Park Orchestra wrap the season with Adams and Stravinsky
August 15 - Lisitsa’s Rachmaninoff heats up a chilly night at Grant Park
August 15 - New cellist makes a natural fit with Emerson Quartet
August 13 - Ravinia’s Steans Institute celebrates 25 years with a vocal feast and seven world premieres
August 10 - Powerful MacMillan and Schubert highlight Grant Park concert
August 9 - CCR Facebook page is live
August 8 - Carter’s bravura playing delivers the joy of sax at Grant Park
August 7 - Ravinia Britten performances cancelled due to Conlon surgery
August 6 - Sun-Times arts editor takes job at CSO
August 5 - Beethoven Festival to serve up another packed lineup with “love”
August 4 - Ravinia’s impassioned “Aida” a Verdi night to remember
August 2 - Bell, Grant Park Chorus bring wide-ranging program to west side
August 1 - Kalmar, Grant Park Orchestra overcome distractions with resounding Bruckner
July 31 - Even with Cabell’s artistry, Gordon songs pale over the long haul
July 30 - CSO names new contrabassoon
July 28 - New York Classical Review to launch in September
July 28 - Lang Lang returns to Ravinia for a double shot of Beethoven and Prokofiev
July 27 - Lintu, Grant Park Orchestra soar with Sibelius
July 26 - Conlon, CSO make beautiful night music with Mahler at Ravinia
July 26 - Lyric Opera turns to Stratford Festival for new marketing chief
July 25 - Lintu returns to Grant Park with imposing Shostakovich
July 25 - CSO renews contract at Ravinia through 2018
July 22 - Takács Quartet cancels Ravinia dates
July 20 - Conductor makes inspired Grant Park debut with sensational Saint-Saëns
July 19 - CCR founder chosen as one of Chicago’s most influential people in music
July 19 - Chicago Opera Theater taps Fogel as new board president
July 18 - In a superb return, Vengerov heats up a hot night with the CSO at Ravinia
July 15 - WFMT’s Bill McGlaughlin delights in making waves for classical music
July 13 - Grant Park’s South American program bedeviled by post-Incan helicopter
July 12 - Dohnányi, Ax open CSO’s Ravinia season with two Thirds of Beethoven
July 11 - After 44 years, a passing of the bow for the Juilliard Quartet at Ravinia
July 8 - Prokofiev suits Sarah Chang’s intense style best at Ravinia
July 6 - Ravinia marks 25th anniversary of Steans Institute with impassioned performances
July 5 - Alessio Bax provides the highlights in mixed Grant Park program
July 2 - Goerne weaves a spell in unforgettable Schumann and Mahler at Ravinia
June 30 - Fine singing lifts Chicago Folks Operetta’s enjoyable “Land of Smiles”
June 29 - Kalmar, Grant Park forces fete Britten in style with powerful “War Requiem”
June 27 - Swedish clarinetist sparks a night of rarities at Grant Park Music Festival
June 26 - Longtime marketing chief to leave Lyric Opera
June 24 - Daniel Hope gives new life to composer’s updated Vivaldi
June 22 - Peter Serkin offers a nuanced, idiosyncratic evening at Ravinia
June 22 - Despite surface shimmer, Chinese work provides mixed rewards at Grant Park Music Festival
June 21 - Muti, CSO and chorus close season with inward spiritual program
June 20 - Critic’s Choice
June 19 - The Singers provide glowing account of Rachmaninoff Vespers at Ravinia
June 19 - Lyric Opera expanded audience, balanced books with help from reserves
June 17 - Roll over Vivaldi? Daniel Hope to perform a retooled “Four Seasons” at Ravinia
June 15 - Kalmar, Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus spark a genuine storm in festival opener
June 14 - The Wagnerian past is prologue with Muti’s compelling CSO program
June 12 - Opening Grant Park Orchestra concert cancelled
June 11 - Carlos Kalmar leads Grant Park Music Festival with a sense of discovery
June 11 - Critic’s Choice
June 10 - Bruno Bartoletti 1927-2013
June 9 - Despite some staging crosswinds, Light Opera Works sets sail with mostly solid “Pinafore”
June 8 - North Shore Chamber Festival delivers memorable Schubert and Weber
June 7 - Muti returns to CSO with rare Martinů and sensual Scriabin
June 6 - North Shore Chamber Festival opens with exhilarating Russian program
June 5 - Critic’s Choice
June 4 - Rich and elegant Rachmaninoff launches Rush Hour series in style
June 4 - Saariaho’s luminous work a clear highlight at MusicNOW finale
June 3 - Pianist Ott shows dazzle and depth in recital debut
May 31 - Van Zweden and CSO give new luster to Bartók classic
May 31 - ICE brings up-close intimacy to Lang opera premiere at MCA
May 25 - Rachleff bids farewell to Chicago Philharmonic with exhilarating performance
May 24 - Prieto, CSO deliver vital and energetic performances of Latin works
May 24 - Buchbinder to replace Andsnes for June CSO program
May 21 - Chicago Chorale spotlights a century of a cappella music
May 20 - MOB wraps season with a deep and memorable “St. John Passion”
May 18 - Impassioned Mahler “Resurrection” marks a fitting close to Heatherington era at Lake Forest Symphony
May 17 - Serkin’s Takemitsu elevates a watery mixed program from Mena, CSO
May 17 - Chicago Opera Theater’s all-20th-century 2014 season to offer three Chicago premieres
May 14 - Pacifica Quartet brings fervor and drama to two Czech masterpieces
May 14 - Soprano Brandes shines in wide-ranging Rembrandt Chamber Players closer
May 13 - Uneven playing detracts in Illinois Philharmonic’s final season program
May 13 - Lunsqui and Honstein works provide the highlights in Dal Niente program
May 11 - Contempo provides sterling advocacy for new works by young composers
May 10 - Mei-Ann Chen makes an auspicious CSO debut
May 9 - Lincoln Center Chamber players pay homage to Britten in centennial year
May 9 - Orion Ensemble closes season with a bracing Latin-flavored program
May 7 - CSO’s monthlong Rivers festival to start rolling this week
May 6 - Osorio celebrates Cinco de Mayo with Latin piano rarities
May 6 - CCM serves up a richly varied evening of American music
May 6 - Bach Week Festival wraps up with vital and varied program
May 2 - Spanish conductor makes admirable CSO debut
May 2 - Chicago Philharmonic plans season of Romantic favorites
April 29 - Final Beethoven sonata forms centerpiece of memorable Kissin recital
April 29 - Ars Viva closes Sibelius cycle with a thrilling Second Symphony
April 26 - Muti and CSO strike sparks with Schumann
April 25 - COT’s revamped “Maria” makes for brilliant and audacious theater
April 25 - CCM pays homage to John Corigliano at 75 with wide-ranging program
April 24 - Critic’s Choice
April 22 - Babayan brings new luster to “Goldberg Variations” at Bach Week Festival
April 22 - Chicago Philharmonic, sans conductor, finds substance in lightish Scandinavian program
April 21 - Muti artfully draws parallels between late Mozart and middle Beethoven
April 20 - Trumpeter Balsom shines brightly in gleaming Baroque program at UC
April 17 - Critic’s Choice
April 16 - Britten Festival to highlight 70th anniversary season of UC Presents
April 15 - Thielemann, Batiashvili and Dresden orchestra serve up memorable afternoon of Brahms
April 14 - Adolph “Bud” Herseth, legendary CSO trumpet player, dies at 91
April 14 - Contempo serves up bracing Argentinian double bill of opera, tango and jazz
April 14 - Chicago Chamber Choir wraps season with eclectic and enjoyable program
April 14 - Keller Quartet cuts to the soul of Beethoven at Mandel Hall
April 13 - Chicago Master Singers offer rare Jongen mass and other celestial delights
April 12 - After sedate start, Muti’s Bach eventually reaches the summit
April 11 - Emerson Quartet and guests offer a stellar evening centered on 20th-century music
April 11 - More touring and “Otello” recording on tap for Muti, CSO
April 9 - Critic’s Choice
April 9 - Glover, MOB bring brilliant Biblical fervor to “Israel in Egypt”
April 8 - Lyric’s “mariachi opera” offers thin musical salsa
April 8 - Aimard presents a memorable afternoon with Debussy’s Preludes
April 4 - Wang delivers the thrills in spectacular Prokofiev with CSO
April 1 - Critic’s Choice
March 31 - Illinois Philharmonic to expand American programming, make downtown debut
March 29 - Uchida, CSO team up for first-class Mozart
March 28 - Chicago Bach Project culminates in a memorable Mass in B minor
March 27 - Lyric Opera’s inspired cast and artful staging can’t make the case for Previn’s pallid “Streetcar”
March 25 - Chicago Chorale offers radiant ensemble singing in “St. John Passion”
March 25 - Chicago Philharmonic names new conductor
March 24 - Young cellist provides the highlight in mixed evening from Illinois Philharmonic
March 22 - Dufour’s virtuosity, conductor’s CSO debut lift a mixed program
March 20 - Critic’s Choice
March 16 - Tchaik rarity and violin prodigy take Lake Forest Symphony by storm
March 15 - A tour de force Chicago Symphony debut by a different Barenboim
March 14 - With hunchback deux, Lyric Opera’s “Rigoletto” remains a superb show
March 14 - Shostakovich Trio provides the highlight in Orion Ensemble program
March 13 - Critic’s Choice
March 12 - Rembrandt Chamber Players deliver superb performance of Dvořák masterpiece
March 11 - After rough start, Mutter and Orkis serve up ample fire and musical rewards
March 10 - Star power and soaring vocalism make second time the charm for Lyric Opera’s “La Boheme”
March 8 - Friendly colleagues Netrebko and Calleja team up again in Lyric Opera’s “La Boheme”
March 8 - Macelaru fills in again at CSO with largely successful results
March 7 - Music of the Baroque to offer Schubert as well as Bach and Handel in 2013-14
March 6 - Critic’s Choice
March 4 - Heatherington, Ars Viva strings deliver gutsy and eloquent performances
March 4 - Rachleff to step down from Chicago Philharmonic
March 4 - Paul Lewis’s Schubert journey comes to a powerful close
March 2 - UC serves up an engaging tribute to Ralph Shapey
March 1 - Salonen, Ma and CSO team up for riveting night of rarities
February 28 - Critic’s Choice
February 27 - Lewis’s Schubert cycle to reach summit with three final sonatas
February 27 - Ferris Chorale presents the American premiere of Grayston Ives’ powerful Requiem
February 26 - Three inspiring debuts lift Lyric Opera’s “Rigoletto” out of the routine
February 26 - Clyne’s new work proves the highlight of MusicNOW program
February 24 - COT opens season with a mixed Chicago debut for Glass’s “Usher”
February 23 - Winning Haydn in plain sight with Kraemer, Music of the Baroque
February 23 - KLR Trio bridges three centuries of music with a tour de force performance at Mandel Hall
February 22 - Stellar orchestral playing, uneven vocalism in CSO’s mixed “Tristan”
February 20 - No Glass ceiling for American opera; COT to open Mitisek era with “Usher” premiere
February 20 - CCR founder to receive award for contributions to the arts
February 19 - Boulez cancels CSO March dates; Macelaru and Fisch return
February 19 - Dale Clevenger, longtime CSO principal horn, to retire June 30
February 18 - Pacifica Quartet illuminates familiar fare at UC’s Logan Center
February 18 - New American work finds favor in mixed outing for Illinois Philharmonic
February 17 - Haymarket Opera closes its season with a well-sung, mostly charming “Dido”
February 16 - CSO returns, with Elder leading evocative Dvořák and boldly projected Sibelius
February 14 - Jeff Yang, ACM bring light to Chicago debut of Rihm concerto
February 14 - Grant Park Music Festival announces its summer lineup
February 13 - Glover’s contract extended through 2019 at Music of the Baroque
February 12 - Critic’s Choice
February 11 - Rembrandt Chamber Players offer an Augusta Read Thomas premiere
February 11 - Hewitt’s Bach, unsurprisingly, provides the highlights in mixed recital
February 9 - Lyric Opera’s glorious “Meistersinger” takes the prize
February 7 - Lyric Opera announces a safety-first 2013-14 season centered on Italian standards
February 6 - Verdi, Schubert and Britten in the spotlight for CSO’s 2013-14 season
February 5 - Sir Andrew Davis marks his 25th anniversary at Lyric Opera with Wagner’s epic “Meistersinger”
February 4 - Burned Lyric Opera actor to be released Thursday
February 4 - CUBE marks 25 years with a plugged-in concert and two premieres
February 2 - Isserlis and Gerstein bring the heat on a chilly Chicago night
January 31 - Critic’s Choice
January 28 - Back to Brahms: Steven Isserlis to revisit a favorite and explore new works at Mandel Hall
January 26 - Feltsman’s stylish edge provides the high point in MOB’s mixed evening of Mozart
January 26 - Brooklyn Rider pushes the genre boundaries in wide-roving program
January 25 - Fleming and Graham team up for a beguiling homage to La belle époque
January 23 - Critic’s Choice
January 22 - Rough edges and hapless direction detract from worthy vocal moments in Lyric Opera’s “Bohème”
January 21 - Lortie program offers a pianist’s illuminating afternoon at the opera
January 21 - Muti surgery successful, says CSO
January 20 - Danzmayr, Illinois Philharmonic serve up a worthy seafaring program
January 20 - Vänskä to lead CSO Taiwan dates with Vengerov and Chen added as soloists
January 18 - With news of another Muti health crisis, de Waart and CSO deliver eloquent Brahms
January 17 - Muti requires surgery for hernia, will miss CSO’s Asian tour
January 16 - Critic’s Choice
January 14 - Ars Viva’s Mahler movingly memorializes recent tragedy
January 13 - Contempo program serves up a wealth of brainy stylistic variety
January 12 - Mendelssohn provides the highlight in Winter Chamber Music Festival opener
January 11 - Music minus Muti: de Waart fills in admirably for CSO’s Beethoven program
January 10 - Critic’s Choice
January 9 - Muti cancels all CSO January dates; will still conduct Asian tour
January 7 - Muti cancels CSO dates due to flu
January 6 - “Second City Guide to the Opera” provides quirky laughs, yet little opera for newbies
January 4 - Critic’s Choice

2012 (282)

December 31 - “Salute to Vienna” offers a festive, gypsy-centered lineup
December 22 - The Top 10 Performances of 2012
December 21 - CSO’s Christopher Martin scales the heights in Rouse’s rousing trumpet concerto
December 15 - Michael Black gets Lyric Opera chorus master job, this time for good
December 14 - Clyne’s new CSO work bridges the violin generations
December 14 - Music of the Baroque serves up a generous and wide-ranging Christmas program
December 12 - CSO hires principal timpanist
December 11 - Bach and Mozart make splendid Rembrandt holiday fare
December 10 - Ferris Chorale marks new beginning with world premiere
December 9 - Salon quartet offers a genial Christmas program in the South Loop
December 8 - Lyric Opera’s “Hansel and Gretel” serves up a wry Freudian nightmare for all ages
December 7 - Russian conductor makes notable debut with CSO
December 6 - Lyric Opera hires guest chorus master
December 5 - Chanticleer’s luminous art traces the Christmas tradition
December 3 - Dudamel and Bolivar Orchestra spark an audience frenzy at Symphony Center
December 3 - Joined by two guests, the Orion Ensemble goes to the opera
December 1 - Marking its tenth anniversary, ICE looks to expand its new-music cool
November 30 - Elder and CSO ignite in luminous Dvořák and fiery Shostakovich
November 29 - Muti’s CSO salary over $2 million last year
November 27 - Anaphora offers an engaging survey of music by Chicago composers
November 25 - Lyric Opera serves up a delightful “Don Pasquale”
November 20 - Music of the Baroque presents a varied and engaging Bach program
November 18 - La Jolla Quartet offers a pleasing program at Mandel Hall
November 17 - Chicago Chorale delivers transcendent performance of Russian rarity
November 17 - Lyric Opera chorus master quits
November 17 - Dal Niente showcases Israeli composer’s eruptive music
November 16 - Cage Festival opens with chiseled and luminous piano and choral works
November 15 - Young Russian brings fresh illumination to Tchaikovsky with CSO
November 13 - From Beethoven to Holst, Chicago Master Singers present an array of sacred music
November 12 - Muddled Massenet: Directorial excess fatally undermines a fine cast in Lyric Opera’s “Werther”
November 11 - Charismatic young conductor opens Illinois Philharmonic’s 35th season in style
November 9 - Dutoit pushes reset and the CSO responds with magnificent Beethoven and Britten
November 7 - Salonen, Philharmonia deliver volatile Berlioz
November 6 - Illinois Philharmonic’s new conductor wants to be an advocate for neglected American music
November 5 - Ars Viva serves up subtle and brilliant Sibelius and Shostakovich
November 5 - A memorable afternoon spent with J.S. Bach and András Schiff
November 4 - Pacifica Quartet’s artistry shines brightly in UC’s Logan Center
November 2 - Bychkov and CSO serve up a Mahler Third, raucous and sublime
October 31 - Biondi and Europa Galante present an intimate, enjoyable Baroque program
October 30 - Lindberg’s work sparks a compelling season opener for MusicNOW
October 28 - Cellist Weilerstein offers playing of open-hearted intensity
October 26 - Haitink’s spacious approach reaches the summit with CSO in Beethoven’s “Missa Solemnis”
October 26 - Lyric Opera raises $482,465 in Operathon
October 25 - Pahud and Labadie team up for energetic evening of Baroque music
October 23 - Lyric Opera to go from Mozart to mariachi
October 22 - CCM closes Debussy Festival with (many) words and music
October 21 - All-star Solti tribute proves a rich and exhilarating ride
October 19 - Vänskä, Capuçon brothers team up for satisfying Brahms with CSO
October 18 - Despite record fund-raising, CSO is in the red for fiscal year
October 16 - Mystery thumps apart, a first-rate cast delivers a Verdian feast in Lyric’s “Simon Boccanegra”
October 15 - Bella Voce opens 30th season with an encore of Ferko’s “Stabat Mater”
October 15 - Back at last, Perahia redefines the familiar with supreme artistry
October 15 - UC’s Logan Center offers a superb new space for chamber music
October 14 - Ma, Silk Road Ensemble offer a generous multicultural feast
October 13 - CCM serves up a diversity of Debussy delights
October 11 - Orion Ensemble returns to its roots for 20th anniversary
October 9 - It’s good to be the Doge: Hampson makes the political personal in “Simon Boccanegra”
October 9 - Anaphora brings youthful edge to traditional program
October 7 - With intermittent voltage, “Elektra” ignites belated sparks at Lyric Opera
October 6 - Glover, Music of the Baroque take flight in Haydn mass
October 6 - The Takács Quartet open UC season with memorable Haydn and Britten
October 4 - Muti, Chicago Symphony open Carnegie season with a flawed yet riveting “Carmina Burana”
October 2 - Glover continues to find warmth and enjoyment in her tenth anniversary season with Music of the Baroque
October 2 - Rembrandt Chamber Players open with a bracing mix of past and present
October 1 - Chicago Philharmonic leads off with vibrant (mostly) Brazilian program
October 1 - CCM opens season with a wide-ranging Italian program
September 30 - Muti and Mutter together this time for electric partnership at CSO Ball
September 27 - Critic’s Choice
September 24 - CSO musicians and management reach agreement
September 24 - Heatherington, Ars Viva make a brilliant case for rarely heard English symphony
September 22 - Health insurance contributions at the heart of Chicago Symphony musicians’ strike
September 22 - Chicago Symphony musicians go on strike
September 22 - Muti and CSO forces vanquish the rain gods with a stirring “Carmina Burana”
September 22 - MAVerick Ensemble offers a bracing sampler
September 21 - Muti and Chicago Symphony open season in rousing festive style
September 20 - ACM opens season with challenging program in striking new venue
September 17 - Beethoven Festival closes with apt revolutionary fervor
September 16 - A superb young cast sparks COT’s eclectic “Magic Flute”
September 13 - Beethoven Festival serves up a remarkable ten-hour feast
September 12 - Critic’s Choice
September 9 - “Stars of Lyric Opera” shine with format change
September 9 - After rough start, Beethoven Festival offers sublime performance by Ehnes
September 5 - Chicago’s rich vein of ensembles to provide musical adventure in 2012-13
September 4 - Critic’s Choice
September 1 - Haymarket Opera opens season with charming production of Handel rarity
August 30 - Spektral Quartet serves up a bracing season sampler
August 28 - Critic’s Choice
August 27 - Pianist Barnatan delivers revelatory Schubert at Ravinia
August 24 - Rachel Barton Pine brings bravura fire and scholarly depth to Ravinia recital
August 22 - American opera to shine at COT with Mellon grant
August 18 - Grant Park Festival wraps season with compelling account of Dvořák’s “Spectre’s Bride”
August 18 - Ravinia’s intimate staging proves ideal for Mozart’s “Idomeneo”
August 17 - Ravinia’s “Magic Flute” proves a musical triumph
August 16 - Ryan Center singers display impressive artistry at Grant Park
August 15 - Kiri shows she still has the lovely voice and great artistry at Ravinia
August 11 - Grant Park Festival serves up buoyant performance of “The Seasons”
August 10 - Critic’s Choice
August 10 - Finley shows remarkable vocal artistry in Ravinia recital
August 9 - Kalmar leads a fiery program of less familiar works from familiar Germans
August 4 - Kalmar and Grant Park Orchestra deliver fizzing Latin program
August 3 - CSO and guests offer refreshing night of Rachmaninoff at Ravinia
August 2 - New life for a Russian warhorse and an American rarity at the Grant Park Music Festival
July 31 - Santa Fe Opera presents a visually striking, vocally mixed “Tosca”
July 31 - Parker delivers plenty of Russian fireworks in Ravinia recital
July 28 - Conductor Märkl makes notable Grant Park debut
July 26 - Percussion concerto provides mixed rewards at Grant Park
July 26 - Bell displays characteristic freshness and intensity at Ravinia
July 24 - Critic’s Choice
July 20 - Soloists, Grant Park Chorus soar in Rossini’s “Stabat Mater”
July 19 - Violinist Simonyan makes impressive debut at Grant Park Music Festival
July 18 - Lyric Opera announces collaboration with Second City, kid-friendly “Pasquale”
July 17 - Goerne and Eschenbach’s revelatory recital needs no words at Ravinia
July 15 - Violinist sparks a golden night at Ravinia
July 14 - Eschenbach, CSO deliver a tough and eloquent Brahms Fourth at Ravinia
July 12 - Critic’s Choice
July 11 - Lyric Opera receives $2 million Mellon grant for new outreach project
July 9 - Houlihan provides Vierne with distinctive and colorful advocacy
July 8 - Van Zweden makes riveting Ravinia debut in Mahler 6 with CSO
July 7 - Emerson Quartet presents ferocious and insightful Beethoven at Ravinia
July 7 - Currier choral premiere delivers a haunting, compelling vision at Grant Park Music Festival
July 4 - Midori brings intimate poetry and refined eloquence to Bach
July 3 - Three new string players join CSO
July 2 - Young organist to tackle Vierne symphonies in two-night marathon
June 30 - Grant Park Chorus takes flight in 50th anniversary program
June 28 - Critic’s Choice
June 28 - Muti ends CSO season with impromptu tribute to retiring violinist
June 27 - Zukerman ChamberPlayers offer emotionally charged Shostakovich at Ravinia
June 25 - San Francisco Opera serves up a brilliant staging of Adams’ problematic “Nixon in China”
June 24 - Paris ballet conductor brings Gallic flair to Grant Park program
June 24 - Davis lands Australia post
June 23 - Muti, CSO wrap their season with stirring Bruckner
June 23 - ACM closes season with edgy scenes from 21st-century life
June 21 - Osborne and Kalmar make remarkable partners for Britten rarity
June 21 - Furlanetto, Luisotti triumph over mixed staging in San Francisco Opera’s “Attila”
June 20 - Critic’s Choice
June 19 - Unsuk Chin’s “Alice in Wonderland” delivers a dazzling journey for all ages
June 17 - ACM to present program of wide-ranging new music Friday night
June 15 - Gandolfi choral premiere fails to converge at Grant Park Music Festival
June 15 - Muti returns to CSO for shattering Shostakovich and triumphant Beethoven
June 13 - Dvořák and Elgar open Grant Park Music Festival in superb style
June 11 - Grant Park Music Festival’s choral anniversary promises to be golden
June 11 - Hough offers a compelling afternoon of sonata “strangeness”
June 10 - Dal Niente season finale makes for a revelatory evening
June 10 - Chamber music festival ends in grand manner with Franck quintet
June 9 - North Shore Chamber Music Festival delivers gripping Shostakovich and ebullient Brahms
June 8 - Young soloists shine brightly in Beethoven “Triple” play with CSO
June 7 - CSO to go west?
June 7 - North Shore Chamber Music Festival opens with lyrical Dvořák and effervescent Mendelssohn
June 6 - Critic’s Choice
June 5 - CCM closes season with seasonal work for brass quintet
June 4 - Chroma Chamber Orchestra serves up Stravinsky and a telegraphic premiere
June 4 - Avalon Quartet wraps Beethoven cycle with deep and exhilarating performances
June 1 - Morlot, CSO Women’s Chorus put across Messiaen’s ecstatic spirituality
May 31 - Dickie to depart Chicago Opera Theater today
May 30 - The Chicago Ensemble explores a wide range of music in season finale
May 27 - ICE closes with mixed musical postcards from Paris
May 25 - Ax brings fresh Beethoven, Robertson, inspired Rachmaninoff with CSO
May 24 - Spektral Quartet delivers an unforgettable “Black Angels”
May 24 - CSO’s “Keys to the City” festival opens with a mixed panoply of pianists
May 22 - Critic’s Choice
May 21 - Chicago Philharmonic closes season with good news and revelatory Tchaikovsky
May 21 - Music of the Baroque bids farewell to longtime home with “Friends” program
May 18 - Northwestern Opera Theater presents an admirable “Albert Herring”
May 17 - CSO, van Zweden offer taut, energetic performances
May 17 - Chicago Chamber Musicians name new exec
May 15 - MusicNow closes season on mixed, deafening note
May 15 - Rembrandt Chamber Players serve up contrasted takes on “A Soldier’s Tale”
May 14 - Lyric Opera balances its budget and renews Davis contract through 2021
May 14 - Kirill Gerstein’s invitation to the dance makes for a memorable afternoon
May 14 - CSO names new principal bass
May 14 - Chicago Chorale provides robust performance of Vierne mass
May 13 - Lang Lang shows top artistry as well as fireworks at Lyric Opera recital
May 11 - Muti receives highest papal honor at the Vatican
May 11 - Koopman, CSO serve up a bracing program of (mostly) Classical and Baroque rarities
May 9 - About to turn 30, Lang Lang is looking for new challenges
May 8 - Ryan Center singers and Civic Orchestra make terrific Mozart together
May 8 - CSO to make debuts in Korea, Taiwan and Mexico next season
May 7 - Orion Ensemble closes season with jazz-flavored world premiere
May 6 - Elgin Symphony closes season colorfully with “Scheherazade”
May 6 - Yo-Yo Ma delivers fresh and eloquent Dvořák with CSO
May 5 - Singers and Fulcrum Point band shine in JacobTV’s mixed-media mashup, “The News”
May 4 - Fifth House Ensemble bracingly mixes music with the Arab Spring at Cultural Center
May 2 - Critic’s Choice
April 30 - Yo-Yo Ma and friends serve up a Brazilian feast to sold-out audience
April 30 - Lewis continues his Schubert cycle with strength and intelligence
April 29 - Ferris Chorale wraps its 40th season with a grand tribute to its founder
April 25 - Critic’s Choice
April 23 - Chicago Philharmonic energetically serves up Beethoven and two concertos
April 23 - Music of the Baroque conveys the joyous element of Bach’s Mass in B minor
April 23 - At 40, Kissin shows that virtuosity is still child’s play
April 22 - COT wraps Medea cycle with a supremely stylish and well sung “Teseo”
April 21 - Chicago Master Singers offer a Russian salute of their own
April 20 - Sinfonietta has a mixed night with yet another look back
April 17 - Upshaw, Australian Chamber Orchestra, provide heartfelt advocacy for new song cycle
April 15 - COT’s young cast and lively production shine in Shostakovich’s charming “Moscow, Cheryomushki”
April 14 - Rebel brings eclectic aplomb to UC’s Early Music series
April 13 - Cellist Capuçon’s poetic CSO debut highlights Dutoit’s French program
April 12 - CCM’s Kernis program explores shifting colors with dramatic intensity
April 11 - The Chicago Ensemble spans three centuries with four quartets
April 7 - Chicago Opera Theater to open season with light-hearted Shostakovich operetta (no, really)
April 6 - Lugansky makes triumphant CSO debut with powerhouse Rachmaninoff
April 5 - After shaky start, Nelson’s “St. John Passion” belatedly reaches the heights
April 3 - Chicago Opera Theater plans adventurous 2013 season of Glass, Piazzolla and Verdi
April 2 - Chroma Chamber Orchestra brings panache to dance-inspired program
April 1 - Ryan Center artists shine and rise at Lyric Opera
March 31 - Paquito D’Rivera sparks a lively program of Latin music with CCM
March 31 - Gerstein to replace an ailing Pollini in May recital
March 30 - Uchida and CSO team up for more memorable Mozart
March 30 - Fulcrum Point parks the car in Harvard yard with mixed results
March 27 - Music of the Baroque soars with Handel rarity
March 26 - With insight and sensitivity, Uchida scales the challenge of Schubert’s late sonatas
March 23 - With a belated debut, CSO serves up admirable program of Russian rarities
March 23 - Less proves to be more with eighth blackbird’s Minimalist program at MCA
March 22 - Tilson Thomas, San Francisco Symphony provide dynamic advocacy for mixed “Mavericks’ program
March 19 - Bella Voce offers stellar advocacy for ambitious Renaissance program
March 17 - West meets East in revelatory blend of new works by Chinese composers
March 15 - Muti, CSO and Chorus provide expert advocacy for Cherubini
March 15 - Countertenor Davies displays vocal gleam and casual bravura with Baroque Band
March 15 - UC Presents to offer starry lineup and inaugurate new venue in 2012-13
March 14 - CCM presents a season highlight with memorable Schubert Octet
March 14 - Heatherington, Ars Viva provide eloquent advocacy for Dvořák
March 12 - Orion Ensemble serves up a diverse array of women composers
March 11 - Ferris Chorale provides fine advocacy for Jackson “Requiem”
March 8 - Muti’s thrilling Brahms symphony proves worth the wait
March 7 - Chinese soprano’s exciting debut sparks Lyric’s second-cast “Aida”
March 6 - Music of the Baroque to mark Glover’s tenth anniversary in 2012-13
March 6 - MusicNOW offers three works of attractive virtues at the Harris
March 6 - Worthy choral singing lifts an uneven “Missa Solemnis”
March 5 - Richard Goode’s pianism once again shows the art that conceals art
March 3 - Soprano Bayrakdarian, pianist Kradjian light up Mandel Hall
March 2 - DeYoung’s artistry lifts CSO’s middling Mahler
March 1 - Stellar vocalism and goofy charm make for an engaging “Rinaldo” at Lyric Opera
February 28 - “Bel Canto,” a new opera based on Patchett novel, to premiere at Lyric Opera in 2015
February 27 - Luca Pisaroni’s passion for music leads to a Lyric Opera debut in “Rinaldo”
February 27 - Kraemer, Music of the Baroque serve up an array of lesser-known treasures
February 26 - CSO delivers imaginative theatrical take on masterworks of Schoenberg and Stravinsky
February 25 - Haymarket Opera offers fascinating time travel with charmingly retro “Orphee”
February 24 - French conductor strikes sparks in CSO debut
February 24 - Strange mix of music and shadow puppetry in “Fjords” proves mesmerizing
February 22 - Critic’s Choice
February 22 - Grant Park Music Festival to offer two choral world premieres in 78th season
February 21 - Andsnes displays daunting if cool command in well-balanced program
February 20 - Spivakov and Kern team up for a virtuosic, audience-pleasing program
February 18 - Fauré Quartet makes a superb stand at Mandel Hall
February 16 - Critic’s Choice
February 16 - Contempo honors Gubaidulina with compelling performances
February 16 - Long-time CCM exec director moves to UC Presents
February 16 - CSO receives $1 million gift from McCormick Foundation
February 14 - ACM presents an admirable evening of Adams
February 14 - Boulez cancels CSO appearances
February 12 - A triumphant “Show Boat” rolls along magnificently at Lyric Opera
February 11 - St. Olaf Choir celebrates its centennial on a snowy night
February 10 - Clyne’s powerful premiere given first-class advocacy by Muti, CSO
February 7 - Anna Clyne’s “Night Ferry” set to sail after a long creative voyage
February 6 - Muti, CSO announce a 2012-13 season heavily reliant on standard repertoire
February 5 - Serkin masterfully scales the summit of Beethoven’s “Diabelli” Variations
February 3 - Despite dynamic advocacy by Muti and CSO, Bates’ “Alternative Energy” runs out of fuel
February 1 - Critic’s Choice
January 31 - Chicago Symphony renews contract of composers-in-residence for two years.
January 31 - Kraemer, Music of the Baroque serve up a delightful double-shot of Haydn
January 29 - Polished and poetic, Joshua Bell’s artistry remains remarkable
January 29 - Chamber Society of Lincoln Center opens Harris series in Romantic style
January 27 - Muti returns with an elegant and electrifying “Carmina Burana”
January 26 - Critic’s Choice
January 23 - Pacifica Quartet, Osorio prove eloquent collaborators in Romantic program
January 23 - Dutoit, Royal Philharmonic show impressive fire and flair
January 22 - Giordani and a worthy cast belatedly ignite Lyric Opera’s “Aida”
January 20 - Critic’s Choice
January 18 - Honeck, CSO heat up a chilly night with combustible Dvořák
January 17 - Netrebko’s debut, Fleming as Blanche, and a Wagner spectacle on tap in Lyric Opera’s 2012-13 season
January 17 - Sinfonietta offers a rousing and eclectic MLK birthday program
January 16 - Pacifica Quartet to join North Shore Chamber Music Festival
January 13 - Elder, CSO deliver another beautifully played Bardic program
January 11 - Critic’s Choice
January 9 - Tenor makes impressive debut in Lyric’s delightful “Magic Flute”
January 9 - Ars Viva presents an enchanting Sunday serenade
January 8 - A night for stars and tributes at the Lyric Opera’s annual concert
January 8 - Grant Park Music Festival memberships on sale
January 7 - Cecilia Quartet spans the centuries in Winter Chamber Music Festival opener
January 6 - Elder, CSO brush up on Berlioz’s Shakespeare, brilliantly
January 2 - Nicole Cabell: Chicago’s un-diva opera star
January 2 - Chicago’s Strauss concert takes the chill out of the New Year

2011 (306)

December 22 - The Top 10 Performances of 2011
December 22 - “Sonic Arboretum” proves rapt and hypnotic at MCA
December 19 - Vamos concert showcases a gifted family’s music-making
December 17 - Music of the Baroque breathes new life into holiday program
December 16 - CSO, Salonen close year with new violin concerto, powerful Mahler
December 13 - Clyne’s moving elegy a highlight of MusicNOW’s local premieres
December 12 - Pianist Fray proves most impressive with Beethoven in recital debut
December 12 - Lyric Opera chief provides details, defends hiring of Fleming press rep
December 11 - William Ferris Chorale looks back to its roots to open 40th season
December 10 - Tallis Scholars bring a seasonal Marian celebration to Rockefeller Chapel
December 9 - Lyric Opera appoints Renée Fleming’s manager as director of public relations
December 9 - Tilson Thomas, CSO serve up exhilarating and eloquent rarities by Brahms and Mahler
December 8 - Chicago Chamber Musicians provide an illuminating evening with Lowell Liebermann
December 7 - Cabell and two outstanding Chicago debuts spark Lyric’s irresistible “Magic Flute”
December 6 - Envelope-pushing Andreas Mitisek tapped to succeed Brian Dickie at Chicago Opera Theater
December 2 - van Zweden, CSO team up for stirring Mahler
November 29 - Ferris Chorale marks four decades by reflecting on its past and looking to the future
November 28 - Anaphora offers two compelling world premieres at Green Mill
November 26 - With the Chicago Symphony as studio band, “West Side Story” packs fizzing musical impact
November 22 - Orion Ensemble serves up a Beethoven and Schubert trifecta
November 22 - Arvo Pärt mass receives solid performance from Chicago Arts Orchestra
November 20 - Lyric’s winning production and a worthy cast make for a mostly delightful “Ariadne”
November 19 - Chicago Chorale soars in Baltic and Scandinavian music
November 18 - Labèque sisters make a belated downtown Chicago Symphony debut
November 17 - JacobTV’s multimedia works spark Fulcrum Point benefit concert
November 17 - Phyllis Chen and ICE team up for strange and compelling evening
November 17 - Genre-crossing Contempo program serves up a dizzying musical mix
November 14 - Kraemer, Music of the Baroque bring stylish vivacity to populist Bach
November 14 - Ars Viva offers up stirring account of early Sibelius
November 14 - Chicago Philharmonic presents eclectic American-Russian program
November 11 - Denève strikes sparks in CSO debut
November 8 - Czar power: A riveting Furlanetto leads a superb cast in Lyric’s “Boris”
November 7 - CCM and guests shine in wide-ranging string program
November 6 - Chicago Master Singers present a moving, powerful account of Dvořák’s “Stabat Mater”
November 5 - Violinist Sergey Khachatryan makes remarkable Chicago debut at Mandel Hall
November 2 - Labadie leads CSO in vital and stylish Handel evening
November 1 - Budapest Festival Orchestra makes a worthy stand in lightish program
October 31 - Pacifica Quartet opens season with compelling, mostly Russian program
October 29 - Irish Chamber Orchestra plays with drive and devotion at Mandel Hall
October 28 - Haitink, CSO scale Haydn’s “Creation” with insight and aplomb
October 25 - Avalon Quartet’s Beethoven cycle spotlights revolutions in sight and sound
October 24 - Ars Viva, Heatherington at their finest with inspired English program
October 24 - Soprano Kim bows out of Lyric’s “Magic Flute”
October 24 - Hilary Hahn brings sterling advocacy and personal charm to music old and new
October 22 - Borodin Quartet makes admirable debut at Mandel Hall
October 21 - Haitink, CSO prove golden once again in Mahler
October 20 - Hilary Hahn to focus on small things with new encores project
October 20 - Chicago Symphony posts first deficit in five years
October 19 - Violinist withdraws from CSO program
October 18 - MusicNow offers a bravura plugged-in season opener
October 18 - Lyric Opera raises a half-million in radio marathon
October 17 - Ehnes, St. Louis Symphony present U.S. debut of Manoury concerto
October 17 - Chicago Chamber Musicians present an impassioned evening of French music
October 17 - Lewis upholds Viennese tradition in Schubert series
October 16 - Bella Voce gets nostalgic with contemporary choral works
October 15 - English Concert kicks off UC Presents series with style and intimacy
October 14 - Finnish conductor makes sensational Chicago Symphony debut
October 13 - With Emma Kirkby, Baroque Band launches fifth season in delightful fashion
October 11 - Bland heroine makes for a lackluster “Lucia” at Lyric Opera
October 10 - Chicago Ensemble marks 35 years with a typically venturesome program
October 7 - Muti and the CSO mark Mahler’s passing with retro Italian program
October 6 - ICE opens with bracing blast from the modernist past
October 5 - Two veteran CSO members retire
October 4 - Music of the Baroque opens season with the decidedly un-Baroque Beethoven
October 3 - Chicago Philharmonic opens with colorful Spanish program
October 3 - Chroma Chamber Orchestra proves golden in debut concert
October 2 - Inspired cast sparks a worthy “Hoffmann” to open the Lyric Opera season
October 1 - Muti and CSO have got a little Liszt
September 30 - Pianist Imogen Cooper eager for return visit with Music of the Baroque
September 28 - Polenzani ready for the challenge in Lyric Opera’s “Hoffmann”
September 28 - Critic’s Choice
September 27 - Chen launches new era for Sinfonietta with blazing Beethoven
September 26 - Orion Ensemble opens with flavorful semi-Spanish program
September 26 - Chicago a cappella presents a richly varied program of Jewish music
September 26 - Chicago Chamber Musicians and guests make a golden sound in brassy season opener
September 26 - Ars Viva opens season with first-rate trifecta of Jewish composers
September 24 - A Terpsichorean Muti, Bronfman lift a lightweight gala program with fizzing performances
September 24 - William Mason looks back on five decades at the Lyric Opera
September 24 - Muti offers a sampler of his mentor Nino Rota
September 23 - Muti, Chicago Symphony kick off season at South Side church to rousing ovation
September 22 - Felder plays Felder at Ars Viva’s opening concert
September 21 - Critic’s Choice
September 21 - Lyric Opera announces cast changes
September 20 - Chicago Chamber Musicians to mark 25 years with an eye toward the future
September 19 - Rembrandt Chamber Players open season with a vibrant vocal program
September 18 - Keith Conant, violist, dead at age 49
September 16 - Critic’s Choice
September 14 - Lyric Opera announces partnership with Merit School of Music
September 12 - Fulcrum Point marks September 11 with a diverse meditation on loss
September 11 - Fleming and friends preview Lyric Opera season at Millennium Park
September 10 - Season opener of Heatherington’s “other” orchestra offers a diversity of delights
September 10 - Haymarket Opera makes eloquent debut with Handel
September 7 - Haymarket Opera Company debuts with Handel this weekend
September 6 - Grant Park Music Festival names former artistic advisor as new chief
August 31 - Chicago Classical Review wants you to advertise
August 29 - Bailey brings a robust yet light-footed approach to Bach
August 29 - Chicago Symphony announces two new principals
August 25 - The Knights bring blazing vitality to offbeat Schubert and Liszt program
August 23 - Steve Reich’s 75th marked in youthfully energetic style
August 22 - Lyric Opera gets 5 percent wage concession in new AGMA contract
August 20 - Kalmar, Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus wrap the summer with a combustible Verdi Requiem
August 19 - Light Opera Works’ “Student Prince” proves vocally strong yet dramatically uneven
August 19 - Lisitsa offers blazing virtuosity and heart at Ravinia
August 18 - Kalmar, Grant Park Orchestra serve up superb night of Adams and Shostakovich
August 15 - Boston Classical Review to debut in September
August 15 - Takács Quartet delivers sterling performances at Ravinia
August 13 - Kalmar, Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus give stirring advocacy to uneven Schmidt oratorio
August 12 - Philharmonia Baroque’s “Orlando” makes for an evening of musical delights at Ravinia
August 11 - Rare Schmidt oratorio to be unsealed at Grant Park this weekend
August 10 - The 5 Browns unveil Muhly premiere at Ravinia
August 6 - Lyric Opera’s Ryan Center singers shine at the Harris
August 5 - Rare Mahler and disappointing Perlman make for mixed rewards at Ravinia
August 4 - Violinist Koh strikes sparks with Kalmar, Grant Park Orchestra
August 2 - Stylish production lifts a variable cast in Santa Fe Opera’s “Faust”
August 1 - East meets West in bracing style at Chinese Fine Arts Society concert
July 31 - Terfel’s gripping Scarpia ignites an outstanding “Tosca” at Ravinia
July 30 - Sibelius’s “Kullervo” given a rousing performance by Lintu, Grant Park Orchestra
July 28 - Lintu, Grant Park Orchestra lift a lightweight Russian program
July 23 - Bell, Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus soar in sacred program
July 22 - Conlon, CSO and guests serve up Rachmaninoff rarities at Ravinia
July 21 - Grant Park Orchestra shows its mettle on a hot and muggy night
July 20 - CSO winds shine in Ravinia program
July 20 - Lyric Opera to present Lang Lang next May
July 19 - Orion Ensemble announces 2011-12 season
July 18 - Voigt withdraws from Lyric Opera’s “Ariadne”
July 18 - CSO to open season with free concert at South Side church
July 16 - Composer Penderecki strikes sparks with Grant Park Orchestra
July 15 - Dohnanyi and Ax team up with CSO for a memorable night of Brahms at Ravinia
July 14 - Penderecki to conduct the Grant Park Orchestra this weekend
July 10 - Deborah Voigt revisits Strauss and Wagner roles at Ravinia with mixed success
July 8 - de la Parra offers a U.S. premiere in mixed program with Grant Park Orchestra
July 8 - Lang Lang the star at CSO’s Ravinia opener but Eschenbach’s Berlioz strikes the most sparks
July 7 - Emerson Quartet brings luminous drama to three final works at Ravinia
July 6 - Young conductor makes impressive debut at Grant Park
July 3 - W(h)ither American opera?
July 2 - Kalmar, soloists and Grant Park Orchestra shine with inspired Mahler
June 29 - Bell, Grant Park Chorus serve up illuminating program of American music
June 28 - San Francisco Opera’s “Ring”
June 25 - Kalmar, Grant Park Orchestra serve up a program of worthy South American music
June 24 - CSO adds Russian dates to European tour
June 22 - Inspired cast and magnificent conducting lift a mixed “Rheingold”
June 20 - Tales from Chicago’s South Side, told with music and heart
June 18 - Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus give stirring advocacy to Mendelssohn rarity
June 18 - Spektral Quartet closes first season with impassioned playing and a mesmerizing new work
June 15 - Soggy weather can’t dampen fiery music-making at Grant Park season opener
June 12 - Kalmar and Bell prove a dynamic working duo at the Grant Park Music Festival
June 12 - Combustible Brahms closes North Shore Chamber Festival in style
June 11 - As Ravinia goes pop, summer chamber music thrives elsewhere on North Shore
June 9 - North Shore Chamber Festival debuts with impassioned performances
June 7 - Violinist’s new chamber festival to add spice to summer music season
June 7 - CCM’s encore of Lieberson cycle becomes a moving memorial
June 7 - Chicago Ensemble offers compelling program of American music
June 6 - Light Opera Works’ “Brigadoon” will draw your heart to the Highlands
June 6 - ICE gives sterling advocacy to an array of fascinating new works
June 5 - MacMillan choral work premiered at Rockefeller Chapel
June 3 - Amid rough moments, Baroque Band brings worthy advocacy to Handel rarity
June 2 - Haitink and the CSO close season with a memorable Mahler Ninth
May 31 - MacMillan choral premiere to take place in Hyde Park
May 30 - Civic Orchestra closes season with two symphonic showpieces
May 29 - Wayward Sisters serve up illuminating program on a rainy night
May 27 - Haitink leads Chicago Symphony in a fiery, dramatic Brahms Fourth
May 24 - Freeman passes Sinfonietta baton to Chen in overstuffed season finale
May 24 - Lyric Opera breaks even again with $4.4 million assist from reserves
May 23 - Music of the Baroque wraps 40th season with triumphant Mozart
May 23 - Lewis’s compelling Schubert series continues with Impromptus and sonata rarity
May 20 - CSO’s French program spotlights Chris Martin, 20th-century rarities
May 19 - Anaphora offers engaging premiere in an evening of new music
May 17 - Chicago Chamber Musicians offer a compelling evening of contemporary music
May 16 - Combustible Brahms closes Chicago Philharmonic season
May 16 - Carlos Kalmar gets contract extension, new title as artistic director of Grant Park Music Festival
May 15 - Florentine Opera downsizes gracefully for English Baroque double bill
May 13 - A rousing premiere, Yo-Yo Ma and an Italian musical postcard (mailed from Germany) close Muti’s first season
May 10 - Muti and CSO provide blazing advocacy for Hindemith rarity
May 10 - Orion Ensemble closes season with characteristic musical mix
May 9 - Chicago Chamber Musicians find depth and variety in generous French program
May 9 - Pianist Cohen delivers an individual, revelatory recital
May 8 - Two terrific singers keep COT’s song cycles focused on the music
May 7 - Ian Bostridge brings his singular enlightened artistry to the Harris
May 6 - Glorious Strauss and world premiere highlight Muti’s return
May 5 - Fleming to add star power to Lyric Opera’s Millennium Park concert
May 4 - Bach Week closes in admirable style
May 2 - Ars Viva artfully bridges the centuries in season finale
May 2 - Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra closes Mandel Hall residency in style with Josefowicz
May 2 - Ferris Chorale’s salute to Dominick Argento offers an evening of vocal delights
April 30 - Bach Week Festival opens with spirited performances
April 30 - Quasthoff cancels Sunday recital
April 28 - Avalon Quartet serves up bracing night of American music
April 28 - Offbeat Baroque and dance hybrid works for CSO, Hubbard Street
April 25 - COT’s fine cast, stylish staging make a worthy case for static “Médée”
April 23 - Sizzling Shostakovich from Conlon and CSO
April 21 - Lyric Opera must be “relevant” and reach new audiences, says director
April 21 - Nelson leads majestic performance of Bach’s “St. Matthew Passion”
April 21 - Houston’s Freud to take top job at the Lyric Opera
April 18 - Bashmet and Kissin show close rapport in Schubert and Shostakovich
April 18 - Chicago Philharmonic strikes sparks in Baroque program
April 17 - Conductor John Nelson to bring a strong spiritual emphasis to Bach’s “St. Matthew Passion”
April 16 - Muti, CSO take Manhattan with “Otello”
April 16 - Glover leads Music of the Baroque in a mostly admirable “Messiah”
April 16 - Chicago Master Singers prove too overwhelming for Bach and Mozart in reverberant venue
April 13 - French National Orchestra has mixed showing at Orchestra Hall
April 12 - Soprano Majeski sparks venturesome Civic program
April 12 - Chicago Chamber Musicians announce new directions for 25th anniversary season
April 11 - Lise de la Salle delivers engrossing recital under difficult circumstances
April 11 - Biss brings out the delicacy but is lacking in passion
April 10 - New Millennium Orchestra mixes it up with Mozart at Mayne Stage
April 10 - Chicago Chamber Choir takes flight in windy program
April 9 - Back at Mandel Hall, the Pacifica Quartet offers a mixed program
April 8 - A renewed Muti, CSO return to Shostakovich
April 8 - Muti returns, victorious in Verdi’s “Otello”
April 5 - Muti’s rehearsal promises an intense “Otello”
April 5 - Andsnes recital offers a mixed bag of Beethoven and Brahms
April 4 - COT’s “Death and the Powers” proves a dazzling, thought-provoking multimedia experience
April 3 - Lyric Opera’s young singers shine in Ryan Center showcase
April 2 - ACM serves up new scores to disquieting, wryly humorous silent films
April 1 - Masur, CSO scale the heights with Bruckner
March 31 - St. Petersburg Phil shows brawny strength and refinement
March 31 - Jonathan Biss to replace Perahia who was to replace Pollini
March 30 - Music minus one: Cost-saving maestro move contributes to rough night by the Sinfonietta
March 30 - Singer bows out of CSO “Otello”
March 29 - Genualdi steps down as Chicago Chamber Musicians artistic director
March 28 - Rembrandt Chamber Players deliver exhilarating performances of rarely heard works
March 27 - Machover’s “robot opera” to kick off Chicago Opera Theater season
March 25 - Dutoit and CSO deliver a knockout “Petrushka”
March 25 - Murray Perahia to replace an ailing Maurizio Pollini
March 24 - Lyric Opera names Martin Wright new chorus master
March 24 - Fulcrum Point serves up an evening of ritual with two substantial new works
March 24 - A Shostakovich operetta and autumn Mozart on tap for Chicago Opera Theater in 2012
March 24 - Chicago Ensemble offers a generous program with mixed rewards
March 22 - MusicNow ends season on a mixed, at times piercing note
March 20 - Bach Collegium Japan at their finest in joyous moments of epic mass
March 20 - William Ferris Chorale shines in Gailloreto premiere
March 19 - Soprano Lucy Crowe, conductor Bicket spark memorable night of Handel with Baroque Band
March 18 - Dutoit leads CSO, soloists in compelling Penderecki premiere
March 17 - Acclaimed Bach Collegium Japan to perform Mass in B minor at Valpo
March 17 - Riccardo Muti receives million-dollar Nilsson Prize
March 15 - It’s Bach to basics with Music of the Baroque’s engaging Brandenburg program
March 15 - From B-minor Mass to Beethoven, Music of the Baroque to offer a varied season
March 14 - Yuja Wang shows flame-throwing virtuosity as well as artistic maturity
March 13 - Strong second-cast “Carmen” provides fine finish to Lyric Opera season
March 12 - Rilling and CSO storm the heavens in Mendelssohn’s “Elijah”
March 8 - Perlman, CSO offer fizzing performances for a worthy cause
March 8 - ICE gets to the heart of Davidovsky’s electronic and acoustic music
March 6 - A mighty cast makes up for directorial lapses in Lyric Opera’s American military take on “Hercules”
March 4 - Salonen and CSO show close rapport in worlds old and new
March 3 - Spektral Quartet brings full-metal intensity to Empty Bottle
March 2 - Grant Park Music Festival to offer richly varied lineup with several choral masterworks
March 2 - Berlin and CSO musicians join forces for an engaging night of chamber music
March 2 - Wisdom of Salonen evident in Civic Orchestra’s Sibelius and Scriabin
March 1 - Lyric Opera’s “Hercules” to bring the war home in modern fashion
March 1 - Orion Ensemble unveils a new work with dance to the fore
February 28 - Pacifica Quartet wraps a remarkable Shostakovich cycle
February 28 - No surprises but plenty of fire and artistry in Kissin’s exhilarating Liszt
February 27 - The unbearable lightness (and length) of John Luther Adams’ music
February 25 - Salonen, CSO take flight with fiery new concerto and magnificent Sibelius
February 23 - Post-L.A., Esa-Pekka Salonen looks to take up new challenges
February 23 - Japanese conductor wins Solti/CSO Competition
February 23 - Orion Ensemble to premiere dance work based on the Tarot
February 21 - Heatherington, Ars Viva deliver a generous Finnish-Hungarian program
February 19 - DiDonato scores a triumph in Chicago recital debut
February 17 - Andsnes’ memorable Brahms blends intimacy and bravura with CSO
February 17 - Hvorostovsky’s recital plumbs the depths of the Russian soul
February 15 - Muti’s second CSO season to include touring, populist repertoire
February 15 - Chicago Chamber Musicians explore the (mostly) lighter side of Beethoven
February 14 - Pacifica Quartet transcendent in penultimate entry of revelatory Shostakovich cycle
February 14 - An admirable start to an ambitious Schubert project
February 13 - A knight to remember: Botha leads a magnificent cast in Lyric Opera’s “Lohengrin”
February 12 - Muti diagnosed with irregular heartbeat, gets pacemaker
February 10 - A late Muti replacement, Oramo makes outstanding CSO debut
February 8 - Muti bows out of final week of winter residency
February 7 - Muti surgery successful, says CSO
February 7 - Giordani bows out of two “La fanciulla” dates at Lyric
February 5 - Ginastera fares best in a mixed, gimmicky Chicago debut for pianist Montero
February 4 - Muti fractured jaw in fall; will undergo surgery, miss two weeks of concerts
February 3 - Unsettled atmosphere at reshuffled CSO concert after another sudden Muti illness
February 3 - Muti faints, is taken to hospital; Slatkin, Uchida to conduct tonight
February 2 - Cleveland Orchestra concert cancelled
February 1 - From Handel to Hammerstein, the Lyric Opera will just keep rolling along next season
February 1 - Tonight’s CSO concert cancelled due to expected blizzard
February 1 -