RECOMMENDED The brainchild of longtime Chicago Symphony Orchestra violinist Blair Milton, the Winter Chamber Music Festival is now in its ninth year, offering chamber music lovers an opportunity to savor musical intimacy throughout January, traditionally one of the most static months of the music season. Past guest artists have included Daniel Barenboim, Gil Shaham, Menahem Pressler, Yo-Yo Ma, Pinchas Zukerman, Lynn Harrell and Janos Starker, among others, and this year’s lineup includes violinist Joseph Silverstein, the Pro Arte Quartet, cellist Zuill Bailey, the Lincoln Quartet as well as members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and faculty from Northwestern University’s school of music in programs that include Haydn, Shostakovich and Schubert (January 11), Debussy, Brahms, Massenet and Brahms (January 13), Brahms, Prokofiev and Spohr (January 18), Mozart, Shostakovich and Brahms (January 20), Hindemith, Tsontakis, Schubert and Poulenc (January 25) and Beethoven, Frank and Brahms (January 27). (Dennis Polkow) Friday, January 11 and Sunday, January 13 at Northwestern University’s Pick Staiger Concert Hall, 50 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston, (847)467-4000. 7:30pm. $10-$22.
Departing the Comfort Zone: Ear Taxi Festival’s Ambitious Return In “Up High” two artists confront a shared fear of heights by performing on pedestals on the ninth floor of the penthouse of the Logan Center. One can only imagine what the rehearsals were like.
Walking the Walk: Thirsty Ears Festival Reinvents Itself The reorganization of the concert is just half of the reimagination of the festival. There’s also an entirely separate component: an audio walking tour of the Ravenswood neighborhood.
Solo Survivor: James Swanberg Navigates the Live Music Shutdown “The responsibility of having a drummer or a bassist would really stress me out,” says Swanberg. “My stress level compared to a traditional band, is a lot smaller, and I’m fortunate for that.”
