A great collaboration between Nova Linea Musica and Access Contemporary Music took place at The Checkout on Sunday. Violinist and NLM Artist in Residence Rabia Brooke led the NLM Piano Trio, with Haddon Kay on cello and Tamila Salimdjanova on piano. They played six works together and solo, with Brooke being joined by pianist Nathanael Canfield for a thrilling finale composed by Pulitzer and Grammy winner Jennifer Higdon.
Now in its third year, NLM commissions beautiful and eclectic music and performs mainly contemporary music with classics from the past sprinkled in. ACM Founder and Director Seth Boustead opened The Checkout in a former 7-Eleven in September 2025 with the inaugural Checkout Music Festival. On Sunday, Boustead celebrated the 7-month anniversary of The Checkout before introducing the NLM Trio.
The first selection featured the trio led by the poised Brooke in a stunning blue dress with opalescent sequins. I mention the dress because the first selection, under the shimmering aspens, was composed by NLM Composer in Residence Stacy Garrop. The composition was inspired by the aspens in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. The performance was indeed sparkling, with spiccato sprinkles lightly dancing across the violin and cello.
One of the things that I like best about NLM and The Checkout is the intimacy. Chamber music was heard in the manor homes of the landed gentry and royalty. Every performance that I get to hear feels like history is being made, and I was among the first to experience it, here in Chicago. Garrop's under the shimmering aspens was commissioned by NLM, and had its world premiere at Guarneri Hall on January 21, 2026.
Brooke showed her virtuosity with a solo performance of Lera Auerbach's T'filah (Prayer). The composition is a reaction to the Shoah (Holocaust), with the violin sounding at once vulnerable and also defiant. I watched Brooke as she felt every emotion and note she was playing. The moments of vulnerability showed on her face, and the defiance had her turning her torso with the bow, aiming the notes like an arrow aimed at the cruelty. It was a prayer performed beautifully, and needed in these times.
Kay and Salimdjanova performed a gorgeous Cantabile in D-major, Op 52, MS 109 by Niccolò Paganini, a 19th-Century composer considered to be one of the finest violinists in the constellation of virtuosos. Performing the Cantabile on a cello, Kay is one with his instrument, which seem like an extension of his inner being. Kay's precision was exquisite as he reached the highest notes.
Salimdjanova has the same beautiful connection to the piano and was an excellent accompanist for Kay. She followed with a solo performance of Ballade No. 4 in F-minor, Op. 52 by Frédéric Chopin, who can sound deceptively simple. However, Salidjanova gave melodic runs and motifs a silky and melancholic sound. You could hear a pin drop as leaned into the music in a stellar performance.
Brooke and Kay performed Johan Halvorsen's lovely Passacaglia on a Theme by Handel, HWV 432. Halvorsen reworked the fourth movement of Handel's Harpsichord Suite in G-minor. A passacaglia is a musical form based on a short, somber theme that is repeated. It is a challenging endeavor that Brooke and Kay excelled in. There is a fine musical chemistry and camaraderie among all of the musicians. From my vantage point, I could see the cues and signals between them. I have always marveled at pizzicato that seems ot come out of the blue while bowing. It was seamless.
The finale was Art Measures for Violin and Piano by Jennifer Higdon. Brooke was joined by pianist Nathanael Canfield for a three-movement composition commissioned by NLM, with a world premiere on March 11, 2026. Each movement has a musical or sculptural theme. Higdon describes the first movement as "Rosin Grip," which helps the bow grip the strings more effectively. It has to be used judiciously to avoid a grinding sound. Full disclosure: I learned that in my days as a double bassist, where I often got that grinding sound. There was none of that from Brooke.
Higdon compares the second movement "Magic Glaze" to pottery glaze. My mind went to the varnish on the instruments and how it can affect the sound. By this point, I was immersed in the music and felt every note. The third movement, "Chisel Bits" refers to the tool used for sculpture. The last movement was beautifully formed, and I felt bereft when it was over. I wanted to hear more, but seeing the efforts up close is to see the physical and emotional toll that comes with an immersion in the playing of music. Canfield did a fine job accompanying Brooke, but it was obvious that she was the one driving the music.
I highly recommend getting yourself to a concert produced by Nova Linea Musica at The Checkout or at their home venue, Guarneri Hall. NLM is led by Executive Director Michele Mohammadi and Artistic Director Desirée Ruhstrat. Their vision of a contemporary classical music incubator has given the platform to some of the finest composers and musicians in Chicago and around the world. I am pleased as punch that this is in Chicago. NLM sponsors the stage at The Checkout in support of Access Contemporary Music. This was a delightful experience, and imagine being a part of this wonderful world without the powdered wigs and uncomfortable bone corsets of chambers past.
Nova Linea Musica will present L'dor v'dor at Guarneri Hall on May 6, 2026. It is a vocal performance from soprano Ariana Zukerman and mezzo-soprano Heather Johnson, honoring the legacy of Jewish American composers. The season finale is on June 3, 2026, at Guarneri Hall. Blooming Under Blue Skies will feature a commission from Clarice Assad, Mak Grgić on guitar, Desirée Ruhstrat on violin, and Rabia Brooke playing with Grgić.
Guarneri Hall is located at 11 East Adams in Chicago's Loop. The Checkout is located at 4116 North Clark at the convergence of the Southport Corridor and Uptown. For more information, click here and here.
