A Musical Spring!

Upcoming Events and Promotions for the Music Conservatory of Illinois

Special Offers and Promotions:

Spring Recitals: Saturday, May 30th and Sunday, May 31st at 3, 4, and 5 PM.

Recitals are only a few weeks away now, and we are so excited to cheer on our students as they show off all of their efforts and progress in their musical education!

As of now, all six of our reictals are officially full! This is the first time in MCIL history that all of our recitals are booked!

The Music Conservatory of Illinois and The Fermi Music Foundation's 25th Anniversary Gala: June 7, 2026 5-8PM

We would love to invite you to join us for the Music Conservatory of Illinois’ 25th Anniversary Gala on Sunday, June 7 from 5:00–8:00 PM! This milestone celebration is set to be a dazzling night filled with music, mystery, and 1920s-inspired glamour, and we would be thrilled to have you take part in the celebration!

The Gala will take place at the Bourbon 'N Brass Speakeasy, an exquisite, Roaring ’20s-style venue tucked inside the historic Des Plaines Theatre (1476 Miner St, Des Plaines, IL).

From the moment guests arrive at 5:00 PM until the evening wraps at 8:00 PM, you’ll be immersed in an experience full of energy and surprises!

Upcoming Performances in the Chicago-land Area:

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Sound and Fury - May 21-23, 2026

James Gaffigan leads the Orchestra in a lively program of dance rhythms and playful invention. Grieg’s Holberg Suite breathes fresh life into elegant dances from the Baroque era. CSO Assistant Concertmaster Yuan-Qing Yu takes center stage in Kreisler’s charming Violin Concerto, and Anna Clyne’s Sound and Fury finds inspiration in Shakespeare’s rhythmic use of language. Completing the program, Haydn’s Symphony No. 101 (The Clock) — whose Andante movement was demanded as an encore at its premiere — delights with witty surprises and its famous tick-tock rhythm.

Conductor James Gaffigan replaces Pekka Kuusisto, who has chosen not to travel to the United States at this time. CSO Assistant Concertmaster Yuan-Qing Yu steps in to play Fritz Kreisler’s Violin Concerto in C Major.

Hilary Hahn in Recital - May 24, 2026

“Hahn’s superpowers were on display from the first ascending octaves through the final chords” (San Francisco Classical Voice).

Having embraced Chicago and its musical life during her three years as CSO Artist-in-Residence, Hilary Hahn returns to Symphony Center with pianist Tom Poster. Together, they explore three cornerstone sonatas by Debussy, Ravel and Fauré — each offering a distinct perspective on the lush textures and intimate lyricism of a century of French music.

Brahms, Strauss, & Ravel La valse

Brahms’ First Piano Concerto awes with its grand scale, intense passion and unabashedly dramatic piano writing — the ideal showcase for Martin Helmchen, “who brings both freshness and expressive depth to everything he plays” (Chicago Classical Review). Works by Ravel and Richard Strauss evoke the romance and intrigues of Vienna’s bygone golden age.

Stare at the Sun: Chicago's New-Music Chamber Choir

Stare at the Sun is a professional mixed-voice chamber choir specializing in the curation and commissioning of works by living composers. Works that address issues of social responsibility and the complexities of living in the 21st century. Works of defiant optimism that celebrate human potential, the value of human life, and the possibility that human beings may transcend the limitations of our humble origins and leave the world better than we found it.