This weekend, Chicago’s north side will welcome a new performance space intended for contemporary classical chamber music. Formed by Access Contemporary Music, The CheckOut is turning a long-vacant 7-Eleven into a snappy performance space with a full bar at 4116 North Clark Street. While the emphasis is on classical music, concerts will also include jazz and cabaret music.
ACM Founder and Executive Director Seth Boustead said, “Access Contemporary Music has been championing new music and expanding Chicagoans’ access to music-making for over 20 years.” Pointing out that “ACM has worked with schools and other programming to reshape notions of what classical music can be,” he said, “The CheckOut will help us expand on the work we’ve already accomplished through our schools and other programming.”
Last month I attended a “Sneak Peak” concert at the unfinished venue. Instead of the rows of chairs or benches one normally finds at a classical concert, chairs were placed around small round tables, as they would be in a nightclub. Offering a varied program of modern and contemporary music were the in-house ensemble of the Palomar Trio of Henry Zeng on violin, Amy Wurtz and piano, and Alyson Berger on cello. While the unfinished acoustics and technical settings resulted in sound quality issues, the performance demonstrated that The CheckOut promises to create a very warm and inviting space.
Boustead pointed to the annual Thirsty Ears Street Festival of new, contemporary classical music that ACM hosts every August. He suggests, “Programming at The CheckOut will resemble the cool and eclectic line-up of our popular annual Thirsty Ears Street Festival, but year-round and inside.” He added, “Between our innovative and engaging performances, our community music school, and our carefully curated atmosphere of fun, we hope The CheckOut will become an integral hub for this neighborhood.”
The CheckOut is opening with a festival during the last couple of weeks this month. The first concert features the Amos Gillespie Quartet: Celebrate Uptown. This hybrid jazz/classical ensemble will be performing a suite of compositions by Chicago composers celebrating the Uptown neighborhood, Saturday, September 13, 7:30pm. The following night and the following Saturday night will be a celebration of Arvo Pärt’s 90th birthday, Sunday, September 14 and Saturday, September 20. 7:30pm. 4116 N. Clark St. For more information about these and other upcoming events, click here.
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