Chicago opera is, inexplicably, hibernating this winter — the city hosts no staged productions until mid-March, with Lyric Opera’s “La bohème.” Thankfully, other groups aren’t following suit. In fact, quite the opposite: I found it hard to winnow my highlights down to a scannable list, which, of course, is great news for music lovers.
My top picks this season, listed chronologically:
Sharing is caring
Cheers to Ensemble Dal Niente for stepping right into the all-too-dead first weekend of the year with a substantial program. Supported by a grant from Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, this series splits the bill between the contemporary classical group and another Chicago artist. This time it’s multi-instrumentalist Macie Stewart — one-half of the duo Finom, formerly known as Ohmme — who appears with a lithe band of collaborators. For its set, Dal Niente plays new compositions by member musicians Emma Hospelhorn and alejandro t. acierto.
Ensemble Dal Niente and Macie Stewart, 8 p.m. Jan. 4 at Elastic Arts, 3429 W. Diversey Ave.; free but $20 suggested donation; dalniente.com.
Purple performances
Northwestern University has quite the run of concerts to enliven the bleak midwinter. First is the annual Winter Chamber Music Festival. This year, it courts the Miró and Viano Quartets, though, at risk of sounding boostery, our own Dover Quartet and Third Coast Percussion — the latter performing with former Chicago Symphony Orchestra composer-in-residence Jessie Montgomery — arguably claim the most interesting programs. Near the end of the festival but wholly unrelated to it, Jeffrey and Gabriel Kahane come to campus for a father-son recital, featuring a good helping of the younger Kahane’s music. The following month, pianist and composer Billy Childs — who straddles the jazz and classical worlds about equally these days — stops by his quartet.
Winter Chamber Music Festival, Jan. 10-26 at Northwestern University’s Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, 50 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston; tickets $40 general admission, $15 students; full listings and dates at music.northwestern.edu.
Jeffrey and Gabriel Kahane Duo, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 25 at Galvin Recital Hall, 70 Arts Circle Dr., Evanston; tickets $40 general admission, $15 students; music.northwestern.edu.
Billy Childs Quartet, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 15 at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, 50 Arts Circle Dr., Evanston; tickets $40 general admission, $15 students; music.northwestern.edu.
An orchestral redux
“Black Being,” a composition-slash-performance-art piece by flute duo Flutronix (Nathalie Joachim and Allison Loggins-Hull), was one of the most stunning things I heard in 2021 — and, indeed, since. It returns to Chicago in an orchestral version, performed by the Chicago Sinfonietta for its annual MLK Tribute Concert.
“Black Being,” 3 p.m. Jan. 19 at North Central College’s Wentz Hall, 171 E. Chicago Ave., and 6:30 p.m. Jan. 20 at the Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive; tickets $27-$82, students $17, with limited amount of “pay what you can” $5 and $10 tickets available; chicagosinfonietta.org.
Those who came before
Scholar Samantha Ege just published “South Side Impresarios” (University of Illinois Press), detailing the woman-led Black classical music movement in Chicago in the first half of the 20th century. Now, here comes pianist Michelle Cann — the subject of panegyrics in these pages after appearances with the Grant Park and Ravinia festivals — with “The Women of Chicago’s Black Renaissance,” a program about that very same milieu.
“The Women of Chicago’s Black Renaissance,” 7:30 p.m. Jan. 24 at the University of Chicago’s Logan Center Performance Hall, 915 E. 60th St.; tickets $43, $22 for audiences under 35, and $12 for students; chicagopresents.uchicago.edu.
Best alt-jazz releases of last year, live
“Alt-jazz” was established as a genre category at last year’s Grammys; bassist-singer-composer Meshell Ndegeocello took home the inaugural award. She’s nominated again, this time for “No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin” — one of the year’s most stirring releases in any category. She performs selections from the album at Thalia Hall later this month.
“Small Medium Large,” the electronics-driven debut of SML — a new quintet of Los Angeles experimental jazz heavyweights — ought to have been nominated right alongside it. After a Salt Shed show in the fall, the band is back at Empty Bottle for a one-night-only stand.
Meshell Ndegeocello, 8 p.m. Jan. 26 at Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport St.; general admission $45, boxes and priority seating sold out; thaliahallchicago.com.
SML, 9 p.m. March 2 at Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western Ave.; tickets $20; emptybottle.com.
Salonen conducts Salonen
Esa-Pekka Salonen’s CSO visits are always something to savor, particularly after he had to cancel last season’s stop. (Salonen had been awarded the Polar Music Prize, one of the most prestigious cultural awards in his native Scandinavia.) This year, the conductor-composer leads a bevy of Bartók — the virtuosic Concerto for Orchestra and a concert version of Bluebeard’s Castle, featuring Christian Van Horn and Ekaterina Gubanova — as well as his own Sinfonia concertante for Organ and Orchestra. Iveta Apkalna solos.
“Bartók Concerto for Orchestra,” Jan. 30-Feb. 4 at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave.; tickets $39-$250.
“Salonen Conducts Bluebeard’s Castle,” Feb. 6-8 at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave.; tickets $39-$250. More information for both programs at cso.org.
A band is born
I’m consistently impressed by free-jazz bassist Christopher Dammann and whatever crack ensembles he assembles. His new sextet’s self-titled release, on Out of Your Head Records, is no exception, aligning drummer Scott Clark, trumpeter James Davis, alto Jon Irabagon, tenor Edward Wilkerson Jr. and pianist Mabel Kwan for some scintillating sonic chemistry. Revel in this release party, then spin the album.
Christopher Dammann Sextet, 8:30 p.m. Feb. 7 at Constellation, 3111 N. Western Ave.; tickets $15, $5 for livestream; constellation-chicago.com.
Requiescat in pace
Two local institutions will hold memorial concerts for Sir Andrew Davis, the longtime, loved Lyric Opera director who died last year. Lyric, of course, hosts one, featuring some of the great voices who called Davis a collaborator and friend: Elizabeth DeShong, Christine Goerke, Susan Graham, Amanda Majeski and Christian Van Horn. (The concert is free with a suggested donation to Lyric Opera, per Davis’ wishes.) Contributing a new work to the concert is Sir Andrew’s son, Ed Frazier Davis, who, in addition to composing, leads the very fine Vox Venti choir. That group hosts its own remembrance in March.
“A Concert Celebrating the Life of Sir Andrew Davis,” 7:30 p.m. Feb. 15 at Lyric Opera of Chicago, 20 N. Wacker Dr.; tickets free with suggested donation; lyricopera.org.
“In Memoriam Sir Andrew Davis,” 7:30 p.m. March 8 at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 939 Hinman Ave., Evanston; ticket price TBA; voxventi.org.
Uncommon sounds
Frequency Festival is back with the usual daring, delicious array. Where last year’s lineup was predominantly Euro, this year’s offerings look a bit closer to home, including a first-time collaboration between two enterprising quartets, Varo String Quartet and ~Nois saxophone quartet; a psychoacoustic plunge into the clarinets of John McCowen and Madison Greenstone; a partnership between percussion duo Beyond This Point and pianist Mabel Kwan; and a visit by Mivos Quartet, to name a few. This year’s international acts hail from the British Isles: Welsh violinist Angharad Davies, English turntablist Mariam Rezaei and Oxford-born jazz pianist Pat Thomas, the latter two sharing a set.
Frequency Festival, Feb. 18-23, all 8:30 p.m. at Constellation, 3111 N. Western Ave., except two shows on Feb. 22: violinist Angharad Davies and Mariam Rezaei/Pat Thomas, both on the campus of the University of Chicago; frequencyfestival-chicago.com.
Choose your own adventure
If you’re free on Feb. 25, you have not one, not two, but three great options. The Sphinx Virtuosi — a touring ensemble associated with the Sphinx Organization, which supports early-career Black and Latine musicians — make their Symphony Center debut. You could also spend an evening a few blocks away with poet/musician Ugochi Nwaogwugwu, as part of a Jazz Showcase series celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians. (Saxophonist Edwin Daugherty performs as part of the same series on Jan. 28.) Cap the evening at Evanston SPACE, with the later of two sets by Blue Note Records president Don Was and his Pan-Detroit Ensemble.
Sphinx Virtuosi, 7:30 p.m. at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave.; tickets $29-$125; cso.org.
“AACM 60th Anniversary Series at the Jazz Showcase: Ugochi Nwaogwugwu,” 8 p.m. at Jazz Showcase, 806 S. Plymouth Ct.; tickets $20-$30; jazzshowcase.com.
Don Was & The Pan Detroit Ensemble, two sets at 7 and 9:30 p.m. at SPACE, 1245 Chicago Ave., Evanston; tickets $35-$80; evanstonspacemusic.com.
Fresh winds
Last season, the CSO commissioned deans of the American neo-Romantic school to write concertos for two of its principal wind players. After being bumped to this season, it’s finally Stephen Williamson’s turn, playing a clarinet concerto by Christopher Theofanidis. Gustavo Gimeno conducts; reliables by Ravel and Barber pad out the rest of the program.
“Ravel Daphnis and Chloe,” March 6-8 at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave.; tickets $45-$250; cso.org.
In with the new
The October debut of Nova Linea Musica, a new chamber series holding its first season at Guarneri Hall, was auspicious, but its season highlight arrives in March. That program features no fewer than three premieres, composed by Errollyn Wallen, Conrad Tao and Stacy Garrop. ~Nois and string trio Black Oak headline.
“Letters from Home,” 6:30 p.m. March 12 at Guarneri Hall, 11 E. Adams St., 3rd floor; tickets $40, $10 for students; novalineamusica.org.
Hannah Edgar is a freelance critic.
The Rubin Institute for Music Criticism helps fund our classical music coverage. The Chicago Tribune maintains editorial control over assignments and content.
