Name: Grossman Ensemble – Illuminations
Start: 2026-05-22T19:30:00
Location: Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts

The Grossman Ensemble, renowned for its compelling contemporary concerts, kicks off the 2025-26 season with a series of premieres that promise to redefine musical boundaries. With performances that span from 'Form & Figure' to 'Illuminations,' this season brings fresh creative works from a lineup of talented composers. Held at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts and conducted by the likes of Micah Gleason, David Bloom, and Luke Poeppel, each concert invites audiences to explore new sonic landscapes and immerse themselves in the innovative world of contemporary composition.

Grossman Ensemble's 2025-26 Concert Season: A Symphony of New Sounds

Embarking on a journey through the uncharted territories of contemporary music, the Grossman Ensemble's 2025-26 concert season offers a tantalizing showcase of new works. With three concerts—'Form & Figure,' 'Woven Light,' and 'Illuminations'—this season celebrates collaboration, creativity, and the premiere of an astounding array of compositions. Featured throughout are innovative pieces from both emerging and established composers, conducted by a dynamic roster of talented conductors. Hosted at the renowned Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts in Chicago, this series is a must-attend for anyone passionate about the evolution of modern music.

A Symphony of New Sounds: Grossman Ensemble's 2025-26 Concert Season

As the Grossman Ensemble embarks on its 2025-26 concert season, audiences can anticipate a series of captivating performances at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts in Chicago. The ensemble, renowned for its precision and inventive programming, will premiere twelve new works across three major events: 'Form & Figure,' 'Woven Light,' and 'Illuminations.' With each concert, the Grossman Ensemble continues to redefine contemporary composition, offering a platform for both established and emerging composers to showcase their creativity.

Grossman Ensemble: A Resounding Season of Premieres and Innovation

The Grossman Ensemble, renowned for its innovative compositions, is set to captivate audiences in the upcoming 2025-26 concert season with three distinct performances. Starting with 'Form & Figure', this season will witness the premieres of twelve new works by a diverse range of composers, highlighting the dynamic and complex sonic worlds that the ensemble is famous for. Each performance will take place at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, promising an engaging experience for music enthusiasts.

Exploring New Musical Horizons with the Grossman Ensemble

UChicago Presents

Grossman Ensemble

Two-time GRAMMY-nominated cellist Seth Parker Woods propels classical music into the future through projects that delve deep into our cultural fabric. GRAMMY-winning American classical singer Julia Bullock combines versatile artistry with a probing intellect and commanding stage presence. In a powerful collaboration with esteemed pianist Conor Hanick, this “cellist of power and grace” (The Guardian) and “velvety soprano shot through with steel” (Musical America) push the classical music envelope through daring programming and a shared social consciousness.

Julia Bullock and Seth Parker Woods with Conor Hanick

Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts

Lauded for their “note-perfect counterpoint—as pristine and inviting as clean, white linens" (San Francisco Chronicle), Norwegian vocal group Trio Mediaeval sings with unrivaled clarity. Best known for their mastery of sacred monophonic and polyphonic medieval music from England, Italy, and France, the three female singers also perform contemporary works and traditional Norwegian, Swedish, and Icelandic ballads with flair. From performances in monasteries and farms to museums and prestigious concert halls, Trio Mediaeval has cemented their reputation as one of the world’s foremost vocal ensembles.

Trio Mediæval

Rockefeller Memorial Chapel

The Julia Keefe Indigenous Jazz Ensemble is rewriting jazz history—one long-overdue note at a time. Drawing from deep-rooted Indigenous musical traditions and the untold legacy of Native jazz pioneers, the ensemble transforms traditional songs and rhythms into bold new works infused with the language of jazz. Led by vocalist Julia Keefe and co-director Delbert Anderson, the band is a rare and vibrant force: an ensemble of Indigenous musicians claiming their place in jazz’s past, present, and future. With a lineup spanning North and South America and a mission to uplift the next generation, they honor a rich jazz lineage while forging new sonic pathways.

Julia Keefe Indigenous Jazz Ensemble

Acclaimed musicians from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra perform an evocative program inspired by the theme of climate change. Christopher Stark’s Seasonal Music—an evocative work that draws on themes from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons—is paired with two works by Finnish composers: Esa-Pekka Salonen’s Homunculus and Sibelius’ rarely-performed Piano Quintet in G Minor.

CSO Chamber Music at the University of Chicago

Reynolds Club

Diunna Greenleaf is a Texas-born vocalist and two-time Blues Music Award winner, known for her powerful blend of gospel, jazz, and blues. A living blues legend, Diunna’s career has spanned across global stages, from the Lugano Blues Festival to the Cahors Blues Festival in France. Precious Taylor, born and raised in Chicago, is a five-octave vocal chameleon with roots in opera, jazz, and gospel. She's performed everywhere from the Vatican to the Chicago Theatre, and inherited the fire of her aunt, Koko Taylor. Nora Jean Wallace brings the sounds of the Delta to Chicago. Raised on juke joint anthems and church harmonies, she delivers the kind of blues that’s lived, not learned—weathered, worn, and wild with life.

3 Shades of Blues: Diunna Greenleaf, Nora Jean Wallace, and Precious Taylor

Lynne Davis brings the grandeur of French organ music to life with a mastery honed over decades of study, performance, and teaching. Launched into international acclaim after winning First Prize at the St. Albans International Organ Competition, she has become a preeminent interpreter of French organ repertoire. With performances in nearly every cathedral in France and major venues across Europe and the U.S., Davis is both a celebrated concert artist and a dedicated educator. Her distinguished career includes professorships in France and the U.S., acclaimed recordings, and honors such as Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres—testament to her deep influence on the organ world.

Lynne Davis, concert organist

The University of Chicago

Known for their “precision” in presenting “marvelous, unexpected” (Third Coast Review) performances, the Grossman Ensemble culminates a nine-week workshop-rehearsal cycle with the premieres of four works hot off the press. Conductor David Bloom conducts new music created in collaboration with composers Theo Chandler, Kyong Mee Choi, Phil Pierick, and David W. Sanford.

Grossman Ensemble – Woven Light

Named “the hottest pianist in jazz” by The Guardian, Tigran Hamasyan’s jazz mastery—steeped in the folk rhythms of his Armenian heritage—meets the “creative fearlessness” and “reverent precision” (BBC Music Magazine) of GRAMMY-winning Chicago ensemble, Third Coast Percussion. Known for their kinetic precision and daring collaborations, Third Coast brings a percussive fire to Hamasyan’s blend of jazz improvisation and folk-inspired melodies. Together, they craft a bold, rhythm-fueled experience that pushes sound and musical form to their limits.

Tigran Hamasyan & Third Coast Percussion

Simone Dinnerstein is a pianist of uncommon depth, whose recordings and performances have reshaped the landscape of classical music. She first gained worldwide recognition with her 2007 recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, praised for its balance of precision and individuality. Since then, she has topped classical charts, premiered Philip Glass’s Piano Concerto No. 3, brought Cuba’s Havana Lyceum Orchestra to the U.S. for the first time, curated groundbreaking Bach programs, and created multimedia projects blending music and visual art. Her program mirrors the vast range of her decades-long career, blending classical and contemporary piano works.

Simone Dinnerstein, piano

Mitsune delivers a visual, musical, and sartorial feast, combining the traditional with the avant-garde. This Japanese neo-folk fusion band from Berlin is fronted by a powerful duo of female Tsugaru shamisen (3-stringed Japanese lute) players, accompanied by percussion and bass. By taking their love of Japanese folk music and combining it with psychedelia, raw emotions, decadent costumes, and evocative storytelling, Mitsune crafts original compositions that breathe new life into ancient narratives.

Mitsune

A true blues powerhouse, three-time GRAMMY winner Fantastic Negrito crafts music that’s raw, soulful, and deeply moving. From winning NPR’s first Tiny Desk Contest to performing on global stages alongside icons like Sting and Bruce Springsteen, Fantastic Negrito has become a defining voice in contemporary blues. Off the stage, he runs his own farm called Revolution Plantation, which empowers future generations through music and sustainability. Ten years after his breakout, his impact runs deeper than ever.

Fantastic Negrito

The Academy of St Martin in the Fields Wind Ensemble brings the unmistakable brilliance of one of the world’s most revered chamber orchestras to an intimate setting. Under the direction of Joshua Bell, the Academy is celebrated for its dynamic and refined performances, a legacy upheld by this elite group of principal players. Joined by guest pianist Caroline Palmer, the Wind Ensemble offers a program that highlights the elegance of Mozart, the boldness of Beethoven, and the rich tradition of chamber music at its finest.

Academy of St Martin in the Fields Wind Ensemble

The Grossman Ensemble—performing the best music you haven’t heard yet—closes the 2025-26 concert season with an energetic evening of brand-new music. Luke Poeppel conducts the world premieres of four imaginative and engaging compositions by Katherine Balch, Shawn Okpebholo, Gity Razaz, and Matthew Ricketts.

Grossman Ensemble – Illuminations

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