chamber music

Spektral Quartet Drops their Bows and Rocks Out

May 27, 2013

On a beautiful Friday evening, kicking off the Memorial Day weekend, the Spektral Quartet (Aurelien Pederzoli, Austin Wulliman violins; Doyle Armbrust, viola, Russell Rolen, cello) gave an intimate performance at the University of Chicago Fulton Recital Hall. The evening was a concert with two personalities featuring 21st century works, with several of the composers in [...]

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Orion Ensemble Celebrates Women’s History Month with Guest Soprano Patrice Michaels

March 5, 2013

The all-female Orion Ensemble (Kathryne Pirtle, clarinet; Florentina Ramniceanu, violin; Diana Schmück, piano; Judy Stone, cello; and Jennifer Marlas, viola)will celebrate Women’s History Month with their “A Voice from Heaven” program featuring guest soprano Patrice Michaels. The concerts will feature Michaels singing three arias from her CD Divas of Mozart’s Time including selections by Mozart, Vincenzo [...]

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Spektral Quartet’s Free Performance as part of Chicago’s Latino Music Festival

December 5, 2012

Chicago string ensemble The Spektral Quartet is renowned for its dedication to new music and collaborations with other artists. This weekend, concert-goers have the opportunity to attend a free performance by the quartet as part of Chicago’s Latino Music Festival. Spektral is joining forces with vocalist Julia Bentley to present rarely-heard South American compositions on [...]

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Chicago’s Axiom Brass Wins First Prize in International Brass Instrument Competition

November 12, 2012

Chicago’s own Axiom Brass ensemble (Dorival Puccini, trumpet; Colin Oldberg, trumpet; Matt Oliphant, horn; Caleb Lambert, trombone; and Kevin Harrison, tuba) announced on November 7 that they took first prize in the European City Passau International Competition for Brass Instruments. This marks the first time in the 22-year history of the competition that an American [...]

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Chicago Ensemble’s 2012-2013 Season Offers Enticing Mix of Chamber Music

November 8, 2012

The Chicago Ensemble has begun its 2012-2013 season. The group’s upcoming concerts offer an enticing mix of classic chamber music works, rarely-performed gems, and pieces by contemporary composers. The performances feature different ensembles including string trios, piano quintets, and wind quintets. Each concert includes a complimentary reception beginning 30 minutes before the performance. Performances are [...]

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Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and Paris Ópera Ballet Premier at Harris Theater in 2011-2012 Season

July 7, 2011

The Harris Theater for Music and Dance has announced its complete 2011-2012 Harris Theater Presents season (click here for a complete list of artists and performances). The schedule includes two big firsts for the Harris Theater and the city of Chicago – a residency by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and performances by [...]

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Concert Review: Kremer & Kremerata Baltica Perform with Exquisite Clarity and Boundless Energy

November 9, 2010

This past Saturday, Contrapuntist and I attended a performance by Gidon Kremer and the Kremerata Baltica at the Harris Theater. The concert marked the ensemble’s only Midwest appearance during their 2010-2011 tour. The program included several works off of their recently released album, De Profundis, which Kremer dedicated to “all those who refuse to be [...]

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Classical Musicians Performing in Grocery Stores, Bars, and Shopping Malls?

November 5, 2010

The lagging popularity of classical music has often been blamed on inaccessible, hoity-toity music performed in stuffy concert halls. Today, I came across two articles about classical musicians who have been taking their music to unusual venues in order to reach new audiences – the European orchestra Spira mirabilis and German cellist Alban Gerhardt. John [...]

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Lincoln Trio to Spotlight Women Composers in Concert at the Music Institute of Chicago

November 2, 2010

Throughout history, classical music has been dominated by male composers. Recently, more female composers have been coming to the forefront. The Lincoln Trio, an ensemble-in-residence with the Music Institute of Chicago (MIC), will present a concert highlighting some of these women composers as part of MIC’s 80th Anniversary Concert Series. The performance will take place [...]

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13 Creepy Classical Compositions for Halloween

October 23, 2010

Add some chills to your Halloween with a scary classical music soundtrack. Here are 13 pieces which include zombies, witches, dancing skeletons, and even the devil himself. To purchase any of these pieces, simply click on the title. One brief note before you begin the journey. Several of these pieces include a mid-13th century Gregorian [...]