Concert Recap
From Slovenian folk song to the tangos of Astor Piazzolla, with the world premiere of Clarice Assad's The Raven at its heart: read what Chicago's critics had to say about Blooming Under Blue Skies, Nova Linea Musica's season finale
Publish Date:
June 24, 2026
On June 3, 2026, Nova Linea Musica closed its second season of contemporary chamber music at Guarneri Hall in downtown Chicago with Blooming Under Blue Skies, an evening that carried listeners from the Balkan Alps to the seaside of Argentina without ever leaving the Loop. The program set aside the standard chamber repertoire in favor of something more adventurous: pastoral folk songs, microtonal explorations, and the smoke and swagger of the tango. Chicago's critics took notice, and the response was warm across the board.
Third Coast Review awarded the concert four stars, with Kathy D. Hey calling it "a brilliant season finale." Writing for the Hyde Park Herald, classical critic M.L. Rantala captured the spirit of the night in a headline that promised new music with "elegance and verve." A reviewer for Around the Town Chicago, who confessed to a background in Broadway and opera rather than contemporary chamber music, came away describing the concert as "a wonderful conclusion" to the season.
The evening unfolded as a journey across five musical cultures. Guitarist Mak Grgić opened with Two Slovenian Songs by his countryman Leon Firšt, tender settings of folk melodies: one asking where the little paths of youth have gone, the other evoking the turn of a mill wheel and the bustle of village life. He then turned to Three Portals by Turkish composer Hakki Cengiz Eren, a solo-guitar suite that draws the listener through three distinct sound-worlds, each a doorway into a different emotional and harmonic space.
Grgić was joined by violinist Desirée Ruhstrat and cellist Wendy Sutter for David Ludwig's April Variations, a ten-movement suite that grows from a Spanish song welcoming the arrival of spring, passing the melody among all three instruments. The night closed with a set devoted to Astor Piazzolla, the Argentine tango master: "Café" from Histoire du Tango, the aching "Oblivion," the street-rooted "La Calle," and a jubilant "Libertango" that opened with a Balkan guitar introduction and left the room immersed in joyful sound.
Every Nova Linea Musica concert features a world premiere by a living composer, and Blooming Under Blue Skies placed one at its heart: The Raven, commissioned from Brazilian-American composer Clarice Assad and performed by Desirée Ruhstrat, Wendy Sutter, and Mak Grgić. Assad drew on the raven's place across Norse, Celtic, and alchemical traditions as the creature that watches the threshold between one state and another, between who you used to be and whoever you are about to become. The music begins in stillness and gathers intensity before the instruments fall away, leaving only breath and a final moment of suspension. The audience answered with warm applause, and Assad was on hand to take a bow.
The finale brought together four exceptional musicians. Mak Grgić, a four-time Grammy-nominated guitarist born in Ljubljana, moved with ease from bright declarations to whispered secrets across the program's many styles. Third Coast Review praised Desirée Ruhstrat as "a violin rock star," noting her precise, flowing style and her range from dramatic to playful. Cellist Wendy Sutter, who has collaborated with composers including Philip Glass and Tan Dun, brought an earthy, expressive warmth to the ensemble.
Joining them was Nova Linea Musica Artist-in-Residence Rabia Brooke, a Chicago native who performs on the 1731 Lady Jeanne Stradivarius, an instrument older than the United States itself. Brooke and Grgić performed "Café" from Histoire du Tango, a soulful, melancholy duet that the Around the Town Chicago reviewer singled out as a highlight, calling Brooke "the true star of the evening." All four musicians came together for "Oblivion" and the closing "Libertango."
The performance was framed by a conversation about the unique relationship between composer and performer, with violinist Doyle Armbrust joining the musicians and Clarice Assad on stage. That dialogue reflects the heart of Nova Linea Musica's mission: closing the distance between composers, performers, and listeners. Executive Director Michele Mohammadi shared that the organization will expand its call for composers beyond the Midwest to the rest of the country. A reception followed, where musicians, composers, staff, and audience members gathered to share their impressions of the evening.
Blooming Under Blue Skies brought a memorable second season to a close, but the next chapter is already taking shape. Nova Linea Musica's 2026-27 season opens September 30, 2026, with the JACK Quartet and spans eight evenings featuring nine newly commissioned works. Highlights include Philip Glass at 90: A Celebration, with flutist Demarre McGill, on October 28, and the organization's first film project, featuring a score by Pulitzer Prize finalist Chen Yi. To learn more and reserve your seats, visit the Nova Linea Musica Box Office.
With thanks to M.L. Rantala (Hyde Park Herald), Kathy D. Hey (Third Coast Review), and Around the Town Chicago for their generous coverage of the season finale.
