Ravel & Shepherd

Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival

Begin the 2025 Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival with a concert that brings our theme, Blueprints in Sound, to life. This program explores how composers use structure—like a blueprint—to shape musical ideas. From the world premiere of Sean Shepherd’s Latticework and Britten’s reflections on transformation to Haydn’s classical elegance and Beethoven’s bold reimagining, each piece shows a different take on how form and creativity interact.

EPSG:4326

Opening Night: Latticework

Detroit Country Day School - Upper School

Brahms' fourth and last symphony has been called "one of the supreme creative acts of the Romantic era" and is fraught with tension between lyrical beauty, intense drama, and subdued melancholy. The violin concerto by Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian, remarkable for its high-flying virtuosity, its yearning melodic intensity, its exoticism, is an under-performed gem in the music repertoire.

Brahms’ Fourth Symphony

Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts

Inspired by seeing the ruins and moors of Scotland, and especially Mary Queen of Scots’s Holyrood Castle on a walking tour, Mendelssohn created his aptly named Third Symphony. Its pages are filled with both dark, meditative strains, as well as lively and spirited passages, but its emotional heart beats in the beautiful, stately Adagio. Our principal winds gather for the world premiere of a concerto commissioned for them by the DSO from one of the most sought-after American composers, Sean Shepherd, praised for possessing “a fantastic gift for orchestral color.” (The New York Times)

Mendelssohn’s Scottish Symphony

Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center

Join us for an exquisite evening of piano music with the acclaimed Christopher Guzman at the Galvin Recital Hall on Friday, March 29, 2024, at 7:30pm CDT. Christopher Guzman, celebrated for his victories in prestigious competitions such as the Walter M. Naumburg Competition, the Seoul International Music Competition, and the Isang Yun Competition, will grace the stage with a program that spans études and dances by composers including Chopin, Ravel, and Scriabin. The evening will also feature works by Sam Shepherd, the 2024 Charles Ives Living Award recipient and visiting professor of composition at the University of Chicago.

This performance is not just a concert but a journey through the landscapes of classical and contemporary piano music, showcasing Guzman's versatility and profound musicality. His collaborations with renowned artists and orchestras worldwide have distinguished him as a pianist of exceptional talent and insight.

The concert will take place in the Mary B. Galvin Recital Hall, located within the Ryan Center for the Musical Arts at 70 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston, IL 60208. This 400-seat hall, known for its breathtaking views of Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline, promises an intimate concert experience with acoustics that complement the virtuosity of Guzman's performance.

Tickets are priced at $8 for the general public and $5 for students with valid ID. Due to the popularity of this event and the limited seating, tickets have sold out. However, interested attendees are encouraged to view the live stream of the performance to experience the magic of Christopher Guzman's piano recital from anywhere.

Don't miss this opportunity to witness a master at work, performing a carefully curated selection of pieces that promise to enchant and inspire.

Christopher Guzman, piano

Mary B. Galvin Recital Hall

UChicago Presents is excited to have this multi-award winning string quartet return to celebrate its 10th anniversary as the first Don Michael Randel Ensemble–in–Residence in University of Chicago’s Department of Music.

Pacifica Quartet

Mandel Hall

Experience music of the late 20th and 21st centuries, including premieres, in the intimate setting of the Rose Studio at CMS.

Sean Shepherd

Events

Upcoming events

Jan 22, 2026

Sonic Spectrum II · Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

Past events

Jul 15, 2025

Ravel & Shepherd · Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival

Jun 8, 2025

Opening Night: Latticework · Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival

About

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