Grammy Award-winning Third Coast Percussion, praised by BBC Music Magazine for “impressively combining creative fearlessness with reverent precision,” presents The Drum Also Sings, an evening that celebrates the boundless possibilities of rhythm and sound.

The Drum Also Sings features the world premiere of an NLM-commissioned and this too, shall pass by JaRon Brown, along with premieres and recent works by today’s leading composers. The program also includes Scoundrel by Robert Dillon, Andrea Venet’s electrifying Bulldog, Ivan Trevino’s luminous Watercolor Sun, and Jessie Montgomery’s striking Study No. 1, Jlin’s driving Derivative, Alexis Lamb’s evocative Matters / Mind, which culminates in Steve Reich’s iconic Music for Pieces of Wood. Join us at the Merit School of Music’s Gottlieb Hall for a thrilling night where percussion not only pulses — it sings.

Featuring: David Skidmore, Robert Dillion, Peter Martin, and Sean Conners

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Nova Linea Musica’s Artist-in-Residence series continues with Beyond the Art of Measures, an evening that celebrates the artistic journey from idea to realization.

Violinist Rabia Brooke and pianist Nathaneal Canfield give the world premiere of Art Measures for Violin and Piano, a Nova Linea Musica commission by Jennifer Higdon, one of America’s most acclaimed composers and a three-time GRAMMY Award and Pulitzer Prize winner. The work traces the evolution of a creative idea—from the first spark of inspiration through the shaping and refinement of form—capturing both the mystery and physicality of the artistic process. Higdon honors the vital role performers play in bringing new music to life, measure by measure. The program also includes a meditative work by Jessie Montgomery Peace for violin and piano along with the virtuosic Anthèmes 1 Pierre Boulez.

Sam Rosenthal performs four works for viola and piano: Arvo Pärt’s Spiegel im Spiegel or "mirror in the mirror" which unfolds through endlessly repeated piano fragments, gently echoing the viola’s serene lines; Keoni Bolding’s Paraphrase Act II; and two pieces by GRAMMY AWARD winner Michelle Barzel Ross, including Where Things Weigh Nothing at All and a commission by Nova Linea Musica. Collaborative pianist Tamila Salimdjanova, joins both these artists in this compelling celebration of sound and creation.

Featuring: Rabia Brooke (violin), Sam Rosenthal (viola), Nathaneal Canfield (piano), and Tamila Salimdjanova (piano)

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Rabia & Friends

Three artists. One vision. Endless possibilities.

Discover one of Chicago’s most engaging chamber music experiences with Rabia & Friends, led by violinist Rabia Brooke. Each performance pairs Rabia with a rotating lineup of exceptional musical collaborators, bringing together beloved classical repertoire and today’s most compelling contemporary works.

This season features the NLM Piano Trio—three distinguished artists in their own right: Rabia Brooke (violin), Haddon Kay (cello), and Tamila Salimdjanova (piano). Together, they perform the second appearance of Stacy Garrop’s Under the Shimmering Aspens, presented shortly after its world premiere. The program also includes the second U.S. performance of Shawn Okpebholo’s Smooth • Pluck • Whirl, performed by Rabia on solo violin.

Spotlighting two of Chicago’s leading contemporary composers, Garrop and Okpebholo, Rabia & Friends offers a rare chance to experience their music alongside works by the classical greats in an intimate, immersive concert setting. Expect inspired artistry, dynamic programming, and a close-up view of the brilliant musicians shaping today’s classical landscape.

Featuring:
NLM Piano Trio — Rabia Brooke, violin; Haddon Kay, cello; Tamila Salimdjanova, piano

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Nova Linea Musica proudly presents L’dor v’dor—“from generation to generation”—a moving tribute to the legacy and evolution of Jewish American composers. Soprano Arianna Zukerman, mezzo-soprano Heather Johnson, and pianist Jason Wirth come together for an evening of vocal works that reflect cultural memory, resilience, and artistic innovation. The program features music by Leonard Bernstein, Laura Kaminsky, Ricky Ian Gordon, Laura Karpman, David Leisner, and Alex Weiser, and concludes with the world premiere of a powerful new work by David Hanlon.

Featuring: Arianna Zukerman (soprano), Heather Johnson (mezzo-soprano), and Jason Wirth (piano)

Nova Linea Musica’s season finale brings together vibrant voices from around the world in Blooming under Blue Skies, a night of bold premieres and cross-cultural resonance. At the heart of the program is the world premiere of a Nova Linea Musica commission by Grammy-nominated composer Clarice Assad, whose music pulses with rhythmic vitality, expressive nuance, and Brazilian warmth.

The evening also features Leon First’s shimmering Two Slovenian Songs, Hakki Cengiz Eren’s atmospheric Three Portals with guitarist Mak Grgić, and David Ludwig’s Prima Variations, performed by Black Oak Ensemble and Grgić. To close, Rabia Brooke joins Grgić for selections from Piazzolla’s sultry Histoire du Tango. Join us for a celebration of global artistry in full bloom.