Prepare to be dazzled as Athenaeum Center for Thought and Culture unveils an array of cultural events that promise to captivate audiences of all ages. From the awe-inspiring illusions of Michael Grandinetti to the soulful melodies of Luka Sulic, each performance offers a unique glimpse into the world of art and entertainment. Explore the profound story of Bernadette in a compelling musical, witness the virtuosity of Mike Dawes, and be swept away by the orchestral brilliance of Nielsen and Shostakovich. Join us in celebrating creativity, resilience, and artistic excellence in this spectacular lineup.

Unveiling the Cultural Wonders: A Journey Through Athenaeum's Artistic Events

Dive into a season of cultural delight at the Athenaeum Center for Thought and Culture in Chicago. From the moving tale of 'Bernadette, The Musical' tracing spiritual revelations in 19th-century Lourdes, to the dynamic orchestral performances by Lewanski and Hughes, the center promises unforgettable artistic experiences. Explore the soulful compositions of Luka Sulic and Alan Doyle's captivating rock melodies. Embrace the blend of innovation and tradition with these enriching performances that capture the heart of music and storytelling.

Artistic Wonders at Athenaeum: A Journey Through Music and Storytelling

Chicago's Athenaeum Center for Thought and Culture is set to become the stage for a series of captivating performances, bringing together a unique blend of theatrical and musical arts. This year, audiences will be treated to the evocative 'Bernadette, The Musical', the eclectic 'Lewanski Conducts Shostakovich', Luka Sulic's intimate cello recital, Alan Doyle's genre-crossing rock concert, and the bold 'Hughes Conducts Beethoven'. Each event promises to showcase the talents of renowned performers and immerse attendees in a world of artistic excellence.

A Cultural Odyssey: Celebrating Art and Music at the Athenaeum Center

Conductor and Artistic Director finalist Silas Huff leads an evocative and richly textured program that spans continents and centuries. The evening begins with Coleridge-Taylor’s vibrant “Overture to the Song of Hiawatha” and features the uplifting piece “We Will Soar” by rising contemporary composer Elena Specht. Acclaimed violinist Dylana Jenson brings both fiery virtuosity and emotional depth to Sibelius’s hauntingly beautiful Violin Concerto. The program culminates in Nielsen’s bold and dramatic Symphony No. 5, offering a gripping musical journey of struggle and triumph.

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Huff Conducts Nielsen

Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture

Mike Dawes is an English guitarist known for composing, arranging, and performing multiple parts simultaneously on a single guitar. He is regarded as one of the world’s most creative modern fingerstyle guitarists, with a repertoire spanning original viral videos and popular arrangements, alongside mainstream chart success performing with Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues.

An Evening with Mike Dawes

Bernadette, The Musical is a powerful and deeply moving theatrical production that brings to life the extraordinary story of Bernadette Soubirous, the young girl whose Marian apparitions in Lourdes forever changed the spiritual landscape of the world.

Rooted in official accounts, historical documentation, and firsthand testimonies, this musical faithfully follows Bernadette’s remarkable journey—a path shaped by personal conviction, spiritual revelation, and steadfast courage in the face of widespread skepticism. Audiences are invited into the world of 19th-century Lourdes, where Bernadette, her family, and her close companions navigate a tumultuous time marked by disbelief, interrogation, and wonder.

Bernadette, The Musical

Enjoy an unforgettable night with Master Illusionist Michael Grandinetti, star of NBC’s “The World’s Greatest Magic”, The CW’s “Masters of Illusion”, and POP’s “Don’t Blink”, all currently syndicated and airing both in the US and in over 100 countries worldwide, as he combines jaw-dropping interactive magic from his TV appearances with music, comedy, and engaging audience participation.  You’ll witness breathtaking wonders from Michael’s extraordinary career, right before your very eyes, as legendary magic plots of levitation, teleportation, mind reading, and more are reimagined for today’s audiences, making them more visual, surprising, and even more astounding than ever before. However, in this special performance, the audience won’t just watch the magic, they’ll pulled into a participatory adventure where everyone in the theater becomes part of the magic throughout the show!  Don’t miss the chance to be amazed by the performer named by Forbes as one of today’s top magicians, Entertainment Weekly as “a great magician” and Hidden Remote as “a fan favorite” in a show, rated “five out of five stars” by Digital Journal, that’s perfect for the entire family!

The Magic of Michael Grandinetti

Experience the remarkable life of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati like never before in Frassati, the critically acclaimed stage production by playwright Jeremy Stanbary. Returning in a powerful, newly updated touring edition, Frassati commemorates the centennial of the young Italian’s death and aligns with the Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year and the canonization weekend of Blessed Frassati—offering audiences across America and beyond a chance to encounter a life of radical faith, boundless joy, and spiritual heroism.

Frassati

Join us in celebrating the magic of the season with the Lakeview Orchestra as they perform Tchaikovsky’s beloved Nutcracker Suite. From the sparkling Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy to the lively Russian Trepak, this timeless music will delight audiences of all ages. Whether you are experiencing it for the first time or continuing a cherished tradition, come and enjoy the joy, color, and wonder of one of classical music’s most iconic holiday pieces.

Lakeview Orchestra presents Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker

Ring in the holiday season with Sarah Marie Young playing selections from her holiday album, “The Most Wonderful Time” with Kent Wehman on piano and Josh Ramos on bass. From swing standards to heartfelt original compositions, Sarah Marie Young’s music will make you feel cozy and warm on this special December evening.

Strictly Chicago: Christmas Music and Cocktails

Join us this December for a captivating retelling of It’s a Wonderful Life, brought to life as a 1940s-style live radio play. Set in the intimate round of the Paradiso, every seat offers a unique, up-close view of the beloved tale of George Bailey, his guardian angel Clarence, and the resilient community of Bedford Falls.

This immersive experience blends nostalgia with heart, drawing you into a world where kindness matters, neighbors look out for each other, and one life really can make a difference. Whether you’re returning as part of a cherished tradition or discovering the magic for the first time, this production will stir your soul and lift your spirits.

It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play

Through its inspiring story, beautiful music, and charming choreography, “The Nutcracker” celebrates the joyous holiday season. Ballet Chicago’s “The Nutcracker” takes us on an unforgettable journey with young Marie as she travels from her home on Christmas Eve. She ventures to the Kingdom of Snow and the Land of the Sweets, featuring George Balanchine’s Sugar Plum Fairy Pas De Deux. It is a time to relive cherished memories of childhood. It is the opportunity to create new memories for children filled with anticipation for the holidays. And it is an experience for everyone to share with friends and family.

Ballet Chicago: The Nutcracker

Latin Dance Revue is more than a performance—it’s a breathtaking celebration of the Latin and Hispanic dances that have shaped cultures across the globe. This vibrant showcase invites you to immerse yourself in an unforgettable journey filled with passion, rhythm, and cultural pride.

Latin Dance Revue transports you across continents through the universal language of dance. Experience the energy. Feel the history. Celebrate the joy.

Latin Dance Revue

The one-of-a-kind, holiday favorite returns in December to Athenaeum Theatre in 2025​
Set in 1920s America, Alexei Kremnev’s The Art Deco Nutcracker features Tchaikovsky’s score in an exciting and fast-moving, but nevertheless, classic ballet. The Chicago Tribune has described it as “A glossy rendition filled with gorgeous, glitzy costumes” and The Cincinnati Enquirer writes that Kremnev has “brought dance to a whole new level.” The vibrant “roaring” era costumes and stunning choreography offers a new approach to the story we all know and love with the historic Tchaikovsky score known around the world.

Art Deco Nutcracker

Experience the warmth and joy of the holiday season with The Petersens, the American roots music band bringing the heartfelt sounds of the Ozarks to audiences worldwide. Known for their tight harmonies, acoustic excellence, and warm sibling humor, The Petersens deliver a fresh take on Christmas classics with a blend of traditional acoustic instrumentation, gospel spirit, and family charm.

Christmas with the Petersens

Larry & Joe is the duo of Joropo maestro Larry Bellorín (Monagas, Venezuela) and GRAMMY-nominated bluegrass and oldtime star Joe Troop (Winston-Salem, North Carolina). These two virtuosic multi-instrumentalists fuse their respective Venezuelan and Appalachian folk traditions on the harp, banjo, cuatro, fiddle, upright bass, guitar, and maracas to prove that music has no borders. Their engaging bilingual (esp / eng) program includes storytelling, humor, singalongs, and dancing.

Larry & Joe

Latin rhythms dance company proudly celebrates its 25th anniversary with twenty five, a one-of-a-kind production showcasing the company’s most iconic and dynamic works. This milestone performance brings to the stage a collection of greatest hits, reflecting the artistry, versatility, and spirit that have defined lrdc for a quarter century.

Under the visionary direction of artistic director Maricza Valentín—whose background spans ballet, contemporary, latin, hip-hop, and jazz—lrdc has created works that are as diverse as they are powerful. Over the past 25 years, valentín’s choreography—along with works created by members of the latin rhythms dance company—has captivated audiences with its range, creativity, and emotional depth. Twenty five is both a tribute to this collective legacy and a bold step into the future.

Latin Rhythms: twenty five

Deathbomb Arc Records celebrates the release of Farming [Ted Hearne, The Crossing, Donald Nally] with the screening of a new film scored to the album, and a live set of music by Ted Hearne, Taylor Levine (guitar), and Rohan Chander aka BAKUDI SCREAM (electronics and keyboards). Cellist and composer Dorothy Carlos plays an opening set. 

Farming is an uncategorizable album — an unholy marriage of ersatz Americana, digitally altered choral arrangements (featuring the incredible Philadelphia-based choir The Crossing), and hyperpop’s synapse-frying maximalism — inverting technology’s smoothing impulses in favor of an unwieldy, knotty expression of modern ennui and alienation.

Ted Hearne Album Release Show

Join the Grand Kyiv ballet on an unforgettable journey into a world of dreams, magic and triumph over evil. The Grand Kyiv Ballet, including the most prestigious Ballet dancers from Ukraine, invites you to a heartwarming experience that has thrilled audiences on the world’s stages for years.

In this enchanting tale, a young girl befriends a nutcracker that comes to life on Christmas Eve. Together, they embark on a fantastical journey to a magical kingdom filled with dancing sugar plum fairies, toy soldiers, and other whimsical characters. Through their adventures, she learns that love, imagination, and kindness can overcome adversity and create wonder in our lives.

Nutcracker

Jonas Friddle is a singer, songwriter and Old-Time banjo player whose songs have received The John Lennon Songwriting Award, First Place in the Great American Song Contest and a nomination for Album of the Year in the Independent Music Awards. His tunes bear the marks of a musician who has done his time in pub sessions and square dance halls, and his writing is full of imagery, honesty and humor.

Strictly Chicago Series: Jonas Friddle Trio

Rising star Jimmy Farace brings his original music and arrangements to the stage in an exciting trio format. He’s joined by two legends of the Chicago jazz scene: drummer Dana Hall and GRAMMY Award–winning bassist/composer Clark Sommers.

This performance offers a rare chance to hear Farace’s music live just days before the group documents it in the studio—an intimate preview of a sound that blends bold improvisation, deep interplay, and forward-looking creativity with the spirit of Chicago jazz.

Jimmy Farace Trio

The show titled “Traces of Time” will take place on November 16th at the Athenaeum Center, Chicago.

For the Traces of Time, we have searched for and found talented young singers, dancers, and instrumentalists in more than 20 countries. The musicians will present musical influences from their respective cultures, which will be brought together in a grand choreography of diversity.

Traces of Time

What if every moment in our lives was just one of infinite possibilities? What if each choice we make—or don’t make—splits the world into a new universe, a new timeline, a new version of ourselves? In Nick Payne’s critically acclaimed play Constellations, these mind-bending questions come to life through a remarkably intimate and emotional love story.

At the center of this poetic and innovative work are Marianne, a theoretical physicist, and Roland, a beekeeper. Their relationship unfolds across a multitude of parallel universes, with scenes repeating in variation, shifting subtly or drastically based on a single gesture, a different word, or a change of heart. Through this kaleidoscopic lens, Payne explores not only the nature of time and reality but also the deeply human experiences of love, regret, and the fragile beauty of connection.

Constellations is more than a romance—it’s a profound meditation on fate, free will, and the choices that shape our lives. Drawing inspiration from cutting-edge scientific theories, particularly quantum mechanics and string theory, the play asks: Are we free to choose our path, or are we bound by forces we cannot control?

Constellations

Step into an evening of divine inspiration as the world-renowned Sixtini Cantores—the oldest active vocal ensemble in history—takes the stage in a rare and extraordinary performance. Revered for its ethereal blend of voices and deep spiritual resonance, this historic quartet brings to life sacred music that has echoed through the halls of St. Peter’s Basilica for over 1,500 years.

In a unique and enriching collaboration, the ensemble is joined by Dr. Elizabeth Lev, celebrated art historian and Vatican expert, whose illuminating insights into Renaissance art will guide audiences through a breathtaking journey of faith and beauty. Her vivid storytelling will weave together the visual and musical legacies of the Church’s golden age, highlighting the divine inspiration behind masterpieces that have captivated hearts for centuries.

Sixtini Cantores with Dr. Elizabeth Lev

The most beautiful thing offered to humans is our capacity to love, and the most difficult? Loyalty to God in the face of human opposition­—a relevant topic today, as the two are increasingly at odds. Human nature doesn’t change however, and over 2,500 years ago, we see in this story a young woman of Thebes facing the same challenge.

Antigone

Dante 360 takes you on a journey through Dante’s Divine Comedy in an immersive, multi-dimensional experience. Blending theater, visual art, and music, Dante 360 brings to life on stage the epic journey Dante takes through Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory, inviting audiences to explore themes of human and divine love, redemption, and the afterlife.

Dante 360

Known for his bold programming and artistic vision, Artistic Director finalist Michael Lewanski leads a powerful and eclectic program that bridges cultures, eras, and emotions. The evening begins with Carlos Chávez’s energetic Sinfonia India, followed by Jessie Montgomery’s luminous Hymn for Everyone. Acclaimed violinist MingHuan Xu takes center stage in John Corigliano’s haunting Red Violin Chaconne, a work of cinematic beauty and emotional depth. The concert concludes with the striking wit and youthful brilliance of Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 1—a landmark debut from one of the 20th century’s most iconic voices.

Lewanski Conducts Shostakovich

In 2022, Luka Sulic stepped back from the intense touring schedule of 2Cellos to make space for creativity and to focus on family life – he has recently welcomed his fourth child. For the new album LIFE, released on Platoon on 22 March, Luka returned to his compositional roots to create music with an evocative sound world, enriched with luscious harmonies, soaring strings, and a cello line of transcendent beauty.

Luka Sulic of 2Cellos

Expect the unexpected from Welcome Home, Alan Doyle’s fourth full-length solo studio album and 20th overall. While upholding his status as a perennial merrymaker — a reputation burnished by his years with acclaimed folk-pop combo Great Big Sea — the new album also finds the multifaceted singersongwriter and 14-time JUNO Award nominee exploring novel sonic terrain. Alongside marquee co-writers Jimmy Rankin, Donovan Woods, and Hollywood actor Oscar Isaac (yep, of Star Wars fame), Doyle presents nine original songs that are both typically buoyant and surprisingly intimate, what Doyle refers to as “the lower and slower: the lower part of my vocal range and the slower songs. I’m letting myself do that for the first time on this record,” which he cut in Montreal with producer-engineer Marcus Paquin. Doyle’s CV is extensive — he is a thrice-published author, a film and TV actor-producer with multiple major credits, and the co-producer of the recently released, 20-song Ron Hynes tribute album, Sonny Don’t Go Away. Yet the wildly popular musician from Petty Harbour, Newfoundland remains most electrifying before a live audience, abetted by his ace band. “I am the luckiest guy in the world,” Doyle says. “It’s such a privilege to stand among those players on stage.”

Alan Doyle

Gregory Hughes, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor, leads a bold and invigorating program that pairs two revolutionary symphonies. Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 9, full of wit, irony, and unexpected charm, opens the evening with a satirical twist on traditional symphonic form. In contrast, Beethoven’s monumental Symphony No. 3 “Eroica” closes the program—an enduring masterpiece that forever changed the course of classical music with its heroic scale, emotional depth, and sheer power.

Athenaeum Center for Thought and Culture

Feb 12 - Mar 15, 2026

Bernadette, The Musical

Apr 12, 2026

Lewanski Conducts Shostakovich

Apr 30, 2026

Luka Sulic of 2Cellos

May 6, 2026

Alan Doyle

Jun 7, 2026

Hughes Conducts Beethoven

Feb 22, 2026

Huff Conducts Nielsen

Feb 13, 2026

An Evening with Mike Dawes

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Athenaeum Center for Thought and Culture