Chicago Sinfonietta Presents “Twas the Night Before Christmas” | December 2020

Chicago Sinfonietta Presents “Twas the Night Before Christmas” Continuing it’s 2020-21 season theme of storytelling, Chicago Sinfonietta invites everyone to get into the spirit of the holiday season with a Sinfonietta virtual premiere – a video performance of the popular poem “Twas the Night Before Christmas” by Clement Clarke Moore. The family-friendly video presentation of
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Chicago Sinfonietta Announces Two New Board Members | December 2020

Chicago Sinfonietta’s Board of Directors Grows By Two Chicago Sinfonietta is pleased to announce the addition of two leaders from the healthcare and entertainment fields to its Board of Directors: Sundar Subramanian, Partner in Pricewater-house-Coopers, and Allyson Wynn, Founder and CEO of The Wynning Experience. Cited by Crains Chicago Business as the most diverse non-profit
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Chicago Sun-Times | Chicago Sinfonietta kicks off 33rd season with continued focus on diversity

The orchestra is continuing to build on a three-decades history of anti-racism and anti-sexism. At least one-third of its musicians, staff and board are people of color, making it a notable outlier in the orchestral world. Read more
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Six artists of color make their mark in classical music | Chicago Sun-Times, August 2020

Kyle MacMillan of the Chicago Sun-Times spoke with Chicago Sinfonietta Principal Violist Marlea Simpson for a feature on the future of classical music. “According one report, the share of African American and Latino musicians in American orchestras stood at just 2.5 percent in 2014. Success for Marlea Simpson will be when the entire field functions
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The Southside Friends of Chicago Sinfonietta present “Summer Magic” | August 2020

The Southside Friends of Chicago Sinfonietta presented Summer Magic: A Virtual Brunch on August 4, 2020 to help raise critical funds to support musician operations in the wake of the devastating impact of COVID-19. The program was a success, providing much needed support for our musicians through general operating expenses with lively performances that celebrated
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Chicago Sinfonietta Confronts Racial Bias In Classical Music | Newcity Music, July 2020

Seth Boustead of New City Music speaks with Project Inclusion Director Danielle Taylor for an insider perspective on Chicago Sinfonietta’s groundbreaking fellowship and education program. “What does it mean to make art now? When survival is the primary thing on our mind, and then also to do so under circumstances where you can’t make art
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NewCity | Orchestrating Change: Chicago Sinfonietta Confronts Racial Bias In Classical Music

As in the wake of the MeToo movement, classical music is having to confront a legacy most organizations would prefer not to talk about—in this case, a long legacy of racial exclusion in nearly every area, from the stage to key administrative and management positions. Read more
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Chicago Sinfonietta Announces New CEO

BLAKE-ANTHONY JOHNSON APPOINTED CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER The first African American executive to guide a nationally renowned orchestra, in May 2020 Blake-Anthony Johnson was named Chief Executive Officer at the age of 29 of the award-winning Chicago Sinfonietta, an organization acclaimed as a cultural leader in the field and a powerful champion of diversity, equity and
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A Conversation With Jennifer Koh

  JENNIFER KOH IS A VIRTUOSO MUSICIAN, BUT THAT ONLY BEGINS TO TELL HER STORY. The Korean-American violinist is a force for change and diversity in classical music through her commissioning projects (The New American Concerto, Limitless, and Bridge to Beethoven, among others) and multimedia collaborations. She is also the Founder and Artistic Director of
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Joel Thompson’s “Seven Last Words of the Unarmed”

  In November of 2014, a Staten Island grand jury chose not to indict the officer whose actions led to the death of Eric Garner. To me, the message was clear.   Any doubts I had seemed to evaporate. If I were to be killed in some interaction with authority figures, my loved ones should
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