Gov. Pat Quinn was also on hand to give stilted speeches about the importance of the arts, as well as to receive hugs from an exuberant Ma. more ›

Chicago native Anthony McGill made it to the top of his profession in a hurry. He graduated from the elite Curtis Institute of Music at age 20, immediately won a position with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and four years later became the principal clarinet of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Now 30, McGill is one of the most sought-after classical clarinetists. more ›

Tonight at the Merit School of Music, the 11 young musicians of Fifth House Ensemble will double as actors in the third act of their Commedia dell'Arte concert series. Fifth House presents unconventional concerts, connecting music with seemingly unrelated things (recently they worked with a biology class relating classical compositions to ecosystems). Tonight they combine an old Italian theater form with works by Arnold Schoenberg, Anton Webern, and...Jacob TV? more ›