For the first time since 2021, the Ear Taxi Festival will give Chicago audiences an incredible opportunity to experience its deep and extensive contemporary classical art music scene. Starting this Friday, October 3, and running through November 2, the ETF will be hosting concerts and other activities almost every day. The theme of this year’s festival is The Composer’s Voice.
As described by ETF Executive Director Tim Corpus, “The Ear Taxi Festival is the largest contemporary classical music festival in the Midwest.” He noted that its focus is classical music, but “It runs the breadth of experimental music, we have soundwalks, we have a jam session, we have more traditional orchestral choral music and everything in between.”
The first Ear Taxi Festival took place over six days in October 2016, when many Chicago-based artists and ensembles performed music by 88 Chicago-based composers, including 55 world premieres. In many cases it was my first exposure to these ensembles and composers, and several of the concerts I reviewed were amongst the most memorable I have ever experienced. Prior to that first ETF, I had no idea that such an amazingly deep new music scene was happening right here on the third coast of America. Post pandemic in 2021, there was a second, smaller ETF.
“This third ETF in 2025 is the largest by far,” said Corpus. Hosted by New Music Chicago, this year, over 700 artists will be performing over 60 hours of music in over a dozen venues.
Corpus pointed out that it will be spread out over the city. “The farthest west will be the Kehrein Center, a large venue where we’re doing three of our operas.” In Evanston, concerts will be held at Nichols Hall; in Hyde Park, they will be at the Logan Center. “On the day of the Chicago Marathon,” he said, “they’ll be at Roosevelt University downtown.”
A review of the list of venues is astonishing. There will be concerts in performance spaces, concert halls, nightclubs, studios, universities, churches, chapels, libraries, and the International Museum of Surgical Sciences. They are also hosting events at the CheckOut, the new club featuring contemporary classical music in Uptown.
When asked about changes this year from the two previous Ear Taxi Festivals, Corpus referred to the Composer Showcases. He explained, “There are four events where we have a chamber ensemble that’s being highlighted but are also working on at least 5 world premieres for each show. One of them has 7 premieres.”
To create these programs, Corpus explained, “composers signed up and told us the kind of music they wanted to write. … We found a way to pair that with a vocalist and ensemble.” He called this “the largest commissioning initiative in Illinois history. We have 22 composers based in Illinois commissioned for the Composers Showcases.” This is consistent with the festival’s theme, The Composer’s Voice. When counting the music programmed in the other concerts, there will be at least 42 world premieres at this year’s ETF.
In addition to the Composer Showcases, there will be Anchor Performances, Taxi Concerts, and Accent Concerts. “The Anchor shows … are massive in scope,” said Corpus. An elegy by Christopher Tin, “The Lost Birds, is a large chorus and Orchestra piece,” he said, “similarly to Lost Objects, which Bella Voce is doing.” Lost Objects is an oratorio by Bang on a Can founders Gordon, Wolfe, and Lang, with a libretto by Deborah Artman.
Corpus proudly pointed to the Midwest premiere of Damien Geter’s African American Requiem, which will have 200 people onstage. “It is massive!” That concert at Harris Theater will also feature a world premiere of Stacy Garrop’s Invictus. Corpus noted, “Cedille Records is recording something that is part of the festival at the Harris Theater.”
“The Taxi series is where anyone and everyone could submit ideas and the team combed through those ideas,” said Corpus, who described the process of designing the programs. Then, starting October 19, the Accent Concerts are allowing other organizations within Chicago to program for the Ear Taxi Festival. There will also be several professional development seminars.
When asked about whether ETF was expanding beyond classical music, Corpus said that the focus is limited to classical art music because there are several phenomenal Jazz and blues festivals here in Chicago. “However,” he added, “we wanted to include experimental music. That’s a region that doesn’t get support often as well.”
Ear Taxi Festival 2025 starts this Friday in Hyde Parke with an Anchor Performance featuring Bella Voce, The Lost Objects. Logan Center for the Performance Arts, 915 E 60 th St, Friday, October 3, 7:30 pm
On the following afternoon, the Logan Center is hosting a Taxi Concert of Chicago composers with several ensembles performing. Logan Center, October 4, 2:30 pm. That evening, Quintet Attacca will be hosting a Composer Showcase. Logan Center, October 4, 7:30 pm. For more information, click here.
