Hannah Edgar

3 weeks ago | chicagotribune.com | Hannah Edgar

At what point does history become hagiography? Composer Jasmine Barnes and librettist Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton tackle that question in “She Who Dared,” Chicago Opera Theater’s world-premiere retelling of the 1950s Montgomery bus boycotts—the real story, that is. It also may be making history itself: COT has advertised “She Who Dared” as the first professionally staged opera written by two Black women.

3 weeks ago | chicagotribune.com | Hannah Edgar

This week, Symphony Center saw a one-two punch of good news and bad news. On Tuesday, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra announced that Donald Palumbo, the former chorus master of the Metropolitan Opera, would lead its award-winning chorus on an initial three-year contract — a cheering development for an ensemble that has been without a director since 2022. That was followed on Thursday by word that MusicNOW, the CSO’s contemporary music series, would be “paused” next season.

3 weeks ago | chicagotribune.com | Hannah Edgar

The movement du jour is for a museum to describe its offerings as “immersive.”It’s become a cliché, but it does nod to a cultural trend that predated, then was amplified by, the pandemic: Experiences, not exhibitions, are coaxing folks off their couches and into cultural institutions. That trend crops up in our museum preview this year.In fact, some of these suggested events don’t even take place within the confines of their host institution.

3 weeks ago | downbeat.com | Hannah Edgar

By Hannah Edgar   I  Jun. 3, 2025 The time and labor required to tour is, for many musicians, daunting at best and prohibitive at worst. It’s hardly unusual for musicians to spend more hours on the road than on stage; venue availability dictates tour routes, which too often leads to wasted hours zig-zagging across the country. And did we mention the runaway costs of touring since the pandemic? Kyle Knoke set out to address all that.

3 weeks ago | chicagotribune.com | Hannah Edgar

Condolences to everyone’s calendar. Despite sobering news of canceled summer festivals and slashed National Endowment for the Arts grants, Chicago summer — knock wood — looks to be as busy as ever. Classical and jazz programming alone is packed with blockbusters.Before the subscription arts season is out, Riccardo Muti is back at the Chicago Symphony, closing out the season with Verdi’s Requiem, his calling card, and trumpeter Esteban Batallán as a featured soloist (June 12-24).