Chicago Composers Orchestra

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Chicago Composers Orchestra

Chicago’s New Music Orchestra

Hailed as “…an energized, risk-taking orchestra that advocates for contemporary music in such a way as to make composers, performers, and listeners feel part of the same engaged community" (Chicago Tribune), the Chicago Composers Orchestra is one very few orchestras to be solely devoted to contemporary music. The orchestra’s mission is to present music by living composers, and to extend the orchestral tradition to be open, vibrant, and diverse, and to speak to our lives today.

04/14/2026

THIS SATURDAY! A soul-stirring program in store for you!

Rehearsals are underway and we are so excited for the works we have in store for you. Fast track your concert experience by reserving your tickets online today!

On the program: World premiere CCO commission, Antiphonals by Brazilian-born composer Igor Santos featuring Jonathan Hannau, piano!

From the Composer:

Antiphonals, which translates from the Greek as “voice against voice,” unfolds its concept in three ways. First, it presents a dialogue between the voices of piano and the orchestra. Second, it engages the form as a kinda of dialogue, through alternating tableaux. Lastly, and most prominently, it explores a dialogue of harmonic language: the meta-piano (piano + electronics) operates within hybrid microtonal systems that stand in direct contrast to the harmonies of the orchestral sound world.

The work is dedicated to pianist and composer Jonathan Hannau, with whom I have enjoyed many collaborations, and to the CCO family, in recognition of their remarkable dedication. I am grateful to have been selected for this commission and to revisit Chicago (!), which was my home base for many years.

Don't miss before the downbeat, CCO's free pre-concert talk, at 6:45pm! Enjoy complimentary wine & snacks, meet the composers and learn about the pieces before you experience them.

before the downbeat sponsored by Linda Berna.

04/06/2026

Hope we see you for an evening of world premieres SATURDAY, 4/18! A few staccato notes as we welcome you to our concerts:

Frequently Asked Questions

👖What should I wear? No need to get too dressed up - we’re not a stuffy crowd. Dress cute but be comfortable! We’ll call it « city casual ».
⏱️How long will the concert last? 60 - 75 minutes
🏃🏽‍➡️Can I arrive late? Traffic happens. Arriving a little late is A-OK; enter quietly when an usher gives you the OK or between pieces when you hear clapping.
✏️Do you offer student tickets? Yes! $15 student tickets are available!
🦽Is the venue accessible? Yes! St James Cathedral is ADA compliant and has an accessible entrance located on Huron St.

What’s the best way to enjoy these new works? Join us for our pre-concert talk! Get your tickets today! LINK IN BIO

04/04/2026

Two ✌️weeks from today - an evening of world premieres on 4/18! World premieres commissions by Angel Bat Dawid, Ahmed Al Abaca, Igor Santos and student composers from 🎼

On the program: World premiere CCO commission by Chicago-based composer Ahmed Al Abaca, Hummingbird.

From the composer:

My mother passed away half way through writing this piece. She was a complicated woman who had life long struggles, struggles that made it difficult for us to have balanced relationship. Even with all of that I saw my mother for who she was-a loving, funny, thoughtful, powerful woman. Instead of writing a piece that reflects on her struggles, I really just wanted to honor her by writing something beautiful, fun, engaging and sweet. She would sing “Jesus Loves Me” to me when I was a kid, listen for it-its sometime embedded in the orchestration other times its the main theme. During my mother’s service, my little cousin Robert wrote and recited a beautiful poem title “Hummingbird” - it is the best reflection on who my mother was and how much she meant to him. I felt it to be the perfect title to adopt for this piece. Love you mom.

Don’t miss before the downbeat, CCO’s free pre-concert talk, at 6:45pm! Enjoy complimentary wine & snacks, meet the composers and learn about the pieces before you experience them.

before the downbeat sponsored by Linda Berna.

02/27/2026

Tickets for an evening of world premieres on sale now!

A beautiful tapestry of sound featuring three world premiere CCO commissions by Chicago-based composers Angel Bat Dawid, Ahmed Al Abaca, Brazilian-born composer, Igor Santos and world premieres by student composers from 🎶

As always, $15 student tickets are available! 📚

Ticket link in bio 🎫

02/22/2026

Grateful to everyone who came out to Cocktails with CCO last night at 🎼🍸and to our wonderful performers, board and volunteers. The vibes were immaculate and we were feeling the love. Thanks to you, we not only met but EXCEEDED last night’s fundraising goal.

Don’t forget to tag us in your photos! 📸

Missed the event but still want to contribute? There’s no time like the present - link in bio to donate 💕

02/18/2026

This Saturday Night - Cocktails with CCO! 6-10pm at Clara!

Celebrate 15 seasons of CCO with a cocktail, mocktail, live performances, a killer silent auction & prizes! Come out and have a drink for a good cause, it’s as simple as that - Bar sales benefit CCO!

🌟No tickets or entry fee - stop by anytime between 6-10pm:
Light bites & dessert
Performances will be underway by 7pm
Silent auction to close at 9:30pm

👉2027 W North Ave ←- Right next to the Damen Blue Line

01/14/2026

Save the Date! Join Chicago Composers Orchestra at ! Enjoy live chamber performances by CCO artists while sipping a craft cocktail or mocktail! Bar sales benefit CCO!

Light bites and dessert will be served along with stellar silent auction prizes & giveaways. Bar sales to benefit CCO - Chicago’s largest new music ensemble!

Clara is an artist-owned bar and performance hub in Chicago‘s vibrant Wicker Park, celebrating the fusion of craft cocktails and exceptional artistry. Spacious + welcoming, you are sure to fall in love with this amazing gem, conveniently located next to the Damen Blue Line!

No entry fee. Bring a friend (or twenty), grab a drink & enjoy a cozy evening with your friends at CCO!

📌 Learn more & see the event: chicagocomposersorchestra.org/cocktails
All proceeds support Chicago Composers Orchestra and help us continue creating and presenting new music.

12/30/2025

As we look to the New Year, we'd like to say THANK YOU for seeing us to our 15th season! Over the years, we’ve played bird whistles, ocarinas, otamatones, and accompanied rappers, dancers & electric guitarists. Some of us have ridden bicycles while performing. We’ve walked on broken glass (don't worry - no musicians were injured in the making of that performance). We’ve even performed original works by elementary school students with our latest iteration of Drawn Together this past spring.

An exciting update! Hearing about the previous success of Drawn Together, Arts Midwest as well as the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation has provided funding to ensure that CCO can bring back Drawn Together again this April! We couldn't be happier to keep this fun & educational project going with our new community partner, MUSIC Inc.

With the support of our wonderful funders and folks like you, we hope to make Drawn Together a yearly tradition!

12/15/2025

It may be cold out, but CCO is feeling the warmth from its supporters as we celebrate 15 seasons of being the largest paid professional new music ensemble solely dedicated to performing the works of living composers. Your support is a tangible expression of our shared values: we believe in uplifting the music of living composers, and in showcasing diverse voices and perspectives. We believe in paying our artists equitably and creating an ensemble that folks want to be a part of. Without our musicians we would simply have no music.

So, on this 15th of December, we have a Match Challenge for you!��A wonderful donor has stepped forward with a match challenge to help us reach our fundraising goal. The next 15 donations, of any size, will be matched with $25!��

Donating $15? P**f - it becomes $40!
�Investing $100? Presto chango - it transforms into $125!

��Help us match all 15 donations and meet our goal of raising $4,000 by December 31. Thanks to supporters like you, we are already 60% of the way there!

11/18/2025

15 years ago, as a founding musician, I had no idea that we’d end up attracting, collaborating with and performing the works of so many extraordinary artists from across the world, including:

🎵Jazz Cellist, Composer and MacArthur Genius Tomeka Reid
🎵Russian-British Composer & DJ Gabriel Prokofiev
🎵Jazz Journalist Flutist of the Year 2024 Nicole Mitchell
🎵Grammy nominated composer Missy Mazzoli
🎵Grammy nominated Brazilian-American composer Clarice Assad
🎵EMMY winning and GRAMMY nominated composer Jake Runestad

What immense pride I feel as I reflect on these collaborations along with the tremendous progress we've made towards pay equity and showcasing vibrant, diverse voices.

To continue this great momentum, we must raise $4,000 by December 31. Thanks to supporters like you, we are already 50% of the way there. Only $2,000 left to go!

A gift today is an investment in the music of tomorrow. Thank you for being a champion of CCO,

Lesley Swanson, CCO Executive Director and Founding Musician

11/11/2025

Did you attend our concert on October 25th? Don’t forget to complete our brief audience survey and ENTER TO WIN 4 tickets to our next concert! LINK IN BIO

Winner announced 11/15/25.

$Thank you to everyone who attended refracted | mythos! We are floored by your enthusiasm & rave reviews of the performan...$

11/05/2025

Thank you to everyone who attended refracted | mythos! We are floored by your enthusiasm & rave reviews of the performance!

What a fantastic time we had working with composers Soomin Kim, Paul Novak, Alexa Rinn & Evan Williams, as we celebrated the start of CCO's 15th season!

On concert night, we announced that two anonymous donors would match the first 20 gifts (of any size!) with $50. We received 18 donations and CCO raised over $1,900 that night!

Our donors are ready to match the next 2 donations so that we can reach 20 gifts total! We hope you'll consider making one of those donations! ANY SIZE DONATION IS MATCHED!

LINK IN COMMENTS to donate!

Address

Chicago, IL

Website

http://www.chicagocomposersorchestra.org/

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