MUSIC INSTITUTE ANNOUNCES 2025–26 NICHOLS CONCERT HALL CONCERTS

The Music Institute of Chicago announces concerts taking place during the 2025–26 season at its historic Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Avenue in downtown Evanston, including classical music programs and family-friendly events. The Music Institute also welcomes back its five Resident Ensembles and one new Resident Company.

“At Nichols Concert Hall, we celebrate the arts as a vibrant part of life in Evanston and the Chicago area,” said Music Institute of Chicago President and CEO Shalisa Kline. “Each season brings incredible performances, and with every concert we open our doors to all audiences, affirming our belief that music has the power to connect, inspire, and uplift.”

Returning as Resident Ensembles are Apollo’s Fire, Chicago a cappella, Civitas Ensemble, The Orion Ensemble, and Rembrandt Chamber Musicians, joined by a new Resident Company, World Class Music Live. These groups have performances at Nichols Concert Hall throughout the 2025–26 season.

Fall Fundraiser Concert: supporting scholarships and financial aid
Sunday, November 2, 3 p.m.
FREE; donations encouraged

The Music Institute of Chicago presents a joyful afternoon of performances by members of its world-class faculty, as well as selected students and alumni from its Community Music School and Academy, culminating with a community sing. A photo booth, meet and greet, and sweet treats for every guest follow the performances in the lobby.

Matthew Hagle | Jesters and Gargoyles: Humor, Imagination, and Virtuosity in the Piano Repertoire
Saturday, November 8, 7:30 p.m.  
$35 general admission 

What happens when a great composer’s imagination takes a strange turn? Each of the works on this program has a streak of humor, oddity, or capriciousness in its makeup, turning the structure and discipline of traditional classical forms and styles on its head. The wily and surprising humor of Beethoven’s Sonata No. 16 in G Major leads to a more chaotic picture in Bartok’s Suite Op. 14 and Alkan’s Le Festin d’Esope, finishing with Chopin’s intense and exciting Scherzi.

Duke It Out! Nutcracker
Saturday, December 6, 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
$20 general admission

The Music Institute’s Ensemble in Residence Quintet Attacca and members of Braeburn Brass team up with Dance Chicago in a family-friendly, one-hour version of The Nutcracker that alternates between Tchaikovsky's original score and the jazz version by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn. Between the two performances, an instrument petting zoo takes place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Nichols Concert Hall lobby. This interactive event features hands-on exploration of various instruments, including violin, viola, cello, guitar, and piano with guidance from Music Institute faculty members.

23rd Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Celebration Concert
Saturday, January 18, 3 p.m.
FREE 
This annual tribute to a great American leader features performances by Music Institute students and community partners.

One Composer, One Community (TBD)  
Friday, March 6, 7:30 p.m.
FREE 
The Music Institute’s One Composer, One Community program focuses on the life and music of a single, under-represented composer during the course of an academic year. This year’s subject will be announced shortly.

Music Institute of Chicago Academy Founded in 2006, the Music Institute of Chicago Academy is a nationally recognized pre-conservatory program for gifted high school pianists and string players. The Academy provides a comprehensive musical education for students who aspire to be professional musicians. With the ultimate goal of creating musicians for the 21st century, the Academy provides gifted young musicians with the tools, knowledge, and inspiration to be leaders in classical music performance and education. The Academy performs seven free concerts at Nichols Concert Hall this season, concluding with a 20th anniversary celebration, featuring several Academy alumni as soloists, chamber musicians, and members of the orchestra, along with current Academy students in a program that will conclude with Beethoven’s joyous Symphony #7. Academy Orchestra Concerts Saturday, November 15 Saturday, February 21 Saturday, May 30—20th Anniversary Celebration  7:30 p.m. FREE Conducted by Academy Director James Setapen Academy Chamber Music Concerts Saturday, December 6 Saturday, February 7 Saturday, March 21 Saturday, May 2 7:30 p.m. FREE Piano and string duos, trios, and quartets Music Institute of Chicago Chorale Under the leadership of Conductor Daniel Wallenberg, the Music Institute of Chicago Chorale is a community chorus that provides an opportunity for adult singers with prior experience to study and perform the best in sacred and secular choral music. Since it began in 1987, the Chorale has one continuing goal: to perform the finest sacred and secular choral music with the highest of standards in a community setting. The Chorale performs its four-concert season of free concerts at Nichols Concert Hall.