Nova Linea Musica (NLM), a groundbreaking chamber music series and new-music incubator, culminates its inaugural season with an exciting concert titled Chicago! on June 4.
This event celebrates the vibrant musical spirit of Chicago, showcasing an array of talented local performers and composers.
The concert will feature In Triplicate, a pioneering string trio composed of internationally acclaimed musicians who both compose and perform their unique music.
Alongside them will be celebrated pianist Chelsea Wang and NLM artist-in-residence violinist Rabia Brooke, creating a rich and diverse musical experience.
The program is set to feature multiple world premieres, including Smooth Pluck Whirl, a piece commissioned by NLM from Shawn Okpebholo, who has been named the 2024 Chicagoan of the Year in Classical Music by the Chicago Tribune.
Additionally, Jasmine Lin, the violinist and composer of In Triplicate, will present her new work Sumpin’ About Chicago, while a piece by Chicago-based composer Clarice Assad will also be highlighted.
Chicago! takes place at Guarneri Hall, located at 11 E Adams St, at 6:30 p.m., with tickets priced at $40 available through novalineamusica.org.
A limited number of discounted student tickets are also on offer.
All attendees will have the opportunity to join a pre-concert discussion led by Doyle Armbrust from The Society of Disobedient Listeners at 5:30 p.m., followed by a catered post-concert reception featuring the evening’s artists.
The concert opens with acclaimed pianist Chelsea Wang performing Nikolai Kapustin’s jazz-infused variations.
Following this, Chelsea Wang and Rabia Brooke will collaborate on Avo Pärt’s Fratres for violin and piano.
Notably, the first half of the concert will conclude with Brooke’s rendition of Clarice Assad’s Anthology of Emotions Suite for Solo Violin (2024), a piece that played a significant role in inspiring NLM’s founder and Executive Director, Michele Mohammadi, to create Nova Linea Musica.
This suite delves into the depth and complexity of human emotions, featuring movements such as “Frantic,” “Lachrimae,” and the exuberant closing movement “Joie de Vivre,” written in the style of a Brazilian maxixe.
The latter part of the first half presents Rabia Brooke’s performance of Okpebholo’s Smooth Pluck Whirl (2025), a work for solo violin that unfolds across three contrasting sections.
Each section—“Smooth,” “Pluck,” and “Whirl”—showcases the expansive expressive capabilities of the unaccompanied violin, from lyrical melodies to driving pizzicato and frenetic climaxes.
In Triplicate will contribute three pieces, each crafted or arranged by one of its members.
The concert will debut Jasmine Lin’s Sumpin’ About Chicago (2025), composed specifically for this occasion.
Lin’s inspiration stemmed from the diverse sounds of her hometown, Chicago, incorporating musical influences from local Latin nightclubs and the city’s rhythmic heartbeat as experienced from the elevated train lines.
Following this, they will perform bassist Nate Farrington’s Lovesick Blues Across the Centuries, which is structured around Donizetti’s Una furtiva lagrima and Hank Williams’ Lovesick Blues.
Celloist Clancy Newman will showcase his piece Three Familiar Tunes Not Heard Before.
Mohammadi expressed her sentiments saying, “Chicago classical music fans are often presented with a wealth of opportunities to hear pieces by renowned composers from the past.
Amidst this abundance, it can be easy to lose sight of the exceptional music being composed right here in Chicago today.”
She continued, “When I first encountered Clarice Assad’s Anthology of Emotions, I recognized the need for a platform to highlight the remarkable new music emerging from both Chicago and the global music scene.
It is thrilling to feature the very piece that inspired the creation of NLM at the final concert of our first season.”
Desirée Ruhstrat, NLM’s Artistic Director, added, “No NLM concert feels complete without the debut of an NLM-commissioned composition!
Commissioning new works is fundamental to our mission, and we are privileged to present the latest of these initiatives in Smooth Pluck Whirl.”
Nova Linea Musica, having launched its debut season in 2024, aims to infuse the contemporary classical music scene with vital resources and foster connections between composers, performers, and audiences, enhancing Chicago’s stature as a hub for new music.
For further details on Nova Linea Musica, interested parties can visit novalineamusica.org.
image source from：https://chicagocrusader.com/nova-linea-musica-closes-inaugural-season-with-a-musical-homage-to-our-great-city-chicago/
