Review: Stewart Goodyear Inspires Euphoria From the Piano
While driving in central Wisconsin one winter night several years ago, I tuned in to Symphony Hall, the classical radio station on Sirius/XM and was blown away by an incredible […]
A lover of music his whole life, Louis Harris has written extensively from the early days of punk and alternative rock. More recently he has focused on classical music, especially chamber ensembles. He has reviewed concerts, festivals, and recordings and has interviewed composers and performers. He has paid special attention to Chicago’s rich and robust contemporary art music scene. He occasionally writes poetry and has a published novel to his credit, 32 Variations on a Theme by Basil II in the Key of Washington, DC. He now lives on the north side of Chicago, which he considers to be the greatest city in the country, if not the world. Member of the Music Critics Association of North America.
Review: Pianist Yefim Bronfman Is Riveting at Symphony Center
Yefim Bronfman gave an exhilarating piano recital at Symphony Center on Sunday afternoon. In doing so, he demonstrated possession of everything a concert pianist needs to keep an audience riveted. […]
Review: Maria João Pires Entertains With Mozart and Debussy
Maria João Pires gave an enjoyable performance at Northwestern’s Galvin Recital Hall in Evanston on Friday evening. Having listened to several of her recordings over the years and watched her […]
Review: Orion Ensemble and Stephen Boe Offer Something French
The Orion Ensemble gave the first of three concerts entitled Parlez-vous français? at the New England Congregational Church in Aurora on Sunday afternoon. As the title suggests the program consisted […]
Review: Mitsuko Uchida and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra Are Underwhelming at Symphony Center
Leading the Mahler Chamber Orchestra at Symphony Center on Tuesday evening, Mitsuko Uchida gave an underwhelming performance of two piano concertos by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. She first recorded this music […]
Review: Composer Amy Wurtz Celebrates Women’s History Month on Stage and on Video
In celebration of Women’s History Month, composer Amy Wurtz gave an inspiring piano recital of music by Chicago-based women composers at Harold Washington Library on Wednesday afternoon. She is also […]
Review: Bernard Rands Celebrates 90 at Guarneri Hall
In sold-out concerts on Friday and Saturday, Guarneri Hall was the scene of a 90th birthday celebration for Bernard Rands, a Pulitzer Prize winning composer. Originally from Britain, Rands has […]
Review: Curtis Stewart Entertains at Music Now
Composer/violinist Jessie Montgomery hosted the latest installment of Music Now on Sunday afternoon at Symphony Center. Montgomery is the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Mead Composer-in-Residence. Using CSO musicians and conductor Lidiya […]
Review: Gryphon Trio Ends the Northwestern Winter Chamber Festival in a Lackluster way
On a sunny but chilly Sunday afternoon, the Gryphon Trio gave a lackluster performance to close the Northwestern Winter Chamber Festival at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall in Evanston. Although the playing […]
Review: Dover Quartet Plays a Blustery Program on a Blustery Night
On a blustery Friday night, the Dover Quartet gave a note-perfect performance at the Northwestern Winter Chamber Music Festival at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall in Evanston. While the Chicagoland region was […]
Review: Chicago’s Cedille Records Continues to Promote Excellence in Its 2023 Releases
Chicago’s Cedille Records released lots of enjoyable music in 2023. Like previous years, Cedille releases focus on lesser-known music worthy of greater attention. Unlike previous years, most of the releases […]
Review: Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Frolics Through the Brandenburg Concertos
The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center gave a lively performance of Johann Sebastian Bach’s six Brandenburg Concertos at the Harris Theater on Wednesday night. This is an annual holiday […]