by Dennis Polkow | August 6, 2026“Music for 8” Opens Guarneri Hall’s Ninth Season with Two New Pieces Artistic director Stefan Hersh gives the lay of the land for Guarneri Hall's 2026-2027 season.
by Dennis Polkow | July 23, 2026Klaus Mäkelä Says Farewell to Oslo and Hello to Ravinia The CSO music director-designate Klaus Mäkelä makes his debut at the orchestra's summer home with two programs in August.
by Dennis Polkow | March 17, 2026Between the Beat: Muti Hands off “Tosca” for Puccini Centennial, but Conducts “Manon” With the Chicago Symphony
by Dennis Polkow | March 3, 2026Blooming Sounds: Classical Music Picks for Spring What to see and hear in Chicago's classical music world as winter ends and the new season begins.
by Dennis Polkow | December 2, 2025Chanticleer’s Christmas Performances Are a Winter’s Journey From Darkness To Light Chanticleer's annual Chicago pilgrimage at Christmastime begins in candlelight procession, spanning medieval chant and Renaissance polyphony to its own swinging arrangements of jazz and spirituals.
by Dennis Polkow | November 13, 2025New CSO Chorus Master Donald Palumbo’s First Chicago Christmas Concert and More Holiday Music to Knowell A new vision leads the Chicago Symphony’s annual “Merry, Merry Chicago!” program. Plus two other highlights of the holiday classical season.
by Dennis Polkow | October 9, 2025Overture to Mäkelä: An Early and Close-Up Look at the Chicago Symphony Music Director Designate
by Dennis Polkow | June 5, 2025Reflective Return: After Philly Detour, Esteban Batallán Is Back at His CSO “Dream Job”
