Now a beloved Summer tradition, the series brings free, world- class chamber music to Chicago, on Tuesdays, June through August during the evening rush hour at St James Cathedral.
Rush Hour Concerts
When: Tuesdays June 6 - August 22, 2023, 5:45 - 6:30 pm Where: St. James Cathedral – 65 E Huron Street, Chicago Cost: Free
Make summer nights classic with concerts featuring Chicago’s best classical musicians and ensembles. Founded by Deborah Sobol in 2000, Rush Hour Concerts are the perfect way to relax after a workday and soak up some beautiful music in a short but lovely format. The best ensembles in the city perform programs designed to enliven commuters and make the most of summer. Each concert is live streamed through the CMC website and excerpted performances are often broadcast on 98.7 WFMT radio.
Rush Hour Concerts - 2023 Season
June 6, 2023 - Season Opener: A Night of Firsts
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor - Piano Quintet, Op. 1 Antonin Dvorak - Piano Quintet No. 1, Op. 5
Lei Hou and Matous Michal, violins Larry Neuman, viola Karen Basrak, cello Victor Asuncion, piano
June 13, 2023 - Master Performers: Janet Sung and Marta Aznavoorian
Claude Debussy - Sonata for Violin and Piano Clara Schumann - Three Romances, Op. 22 Maurice Ravel - Sonata No. 2 in G for Violin and Piano
Janet Sung, violin Marta Aznavoorian, piano
June 20, 2023 - A Little Circus Music
Kat Souponetsky - Wandering Through Night Sergei Prokofiev - Quintet, Op. 39
Scott Hostetler, oboe Susan Warner, clarinet Yuan-Qing Yu, violin Diane Mues, viola Rob Kassinger, bass
June 27, 2023 - Lynx Project
Program to include music by composers commissioned to set the words of autistic youth to song
Hailey Cohen, mezzo-soprano Nicholas Ward, baritone Michael Tran, clarinet Kimberly Jeong, cello Florence Mak, piano
July 11, 2023 - Scenes and Souvenirs
Mel Bonis - Scènes de la foret, Op. 123 Eric Ewazen - Ballade, Pastorale and Dance Franz Doppler - Souvenir du Rigi
Gabriela Vargas, flute David Cooper, horn Kuang-Hao Huang, piano
Musicians to include the Grant Park Music Festival String Fellows and members of the orchestra
July 25, 2023 - Ars Musica Chicago
G.F. Handel - Singe, Seele Gott zum Preise, HWV 206 G.F. Handel - Süße Stille, sanfte Quelle, HWV 205 G.P. Telemann - Trio for Violin, Cello and Continuo in F Major, TWV 42:F1 Antonio Caldara - Risoluto son già tiranno amore G.F. Handel - Violin Sonata in A Major, HWV 361 G.F. Handel - Meine Seele hört im Sehen, HWV 207
Ars Musca Chicago Hannah De Priest, soprano Shelby Yamin, violin Morgan Little, cello Jason J. Moy, harpsichord
August 1, 2023 - Deborah Sobol Memorial
Reena Esmail - Piano Quintet Robert Schumann - Piano Quintet in E-flat Major, Op. 44
Avalon String Quartet Blaise Magnière and Marie Wang, violin Anthony Devroye, viola Cheng-Hou Lee, cello
Oksana Ezhokina, piano
August 8, 2023 - Ceremonies and Celebrations
Adolphus Hailstork - Fanfare on Amazing Grace Maddalena Casulana - Suite of Madrigals for Brass Quintet Jennifer Higdon - Selections from Ceremonies Jeanne Demessieux - Te Deum for solo organ Sowerby - Festival Musick
Axiom Brass Dorival Puccini, Jr. and Christopher Scanlon, trumpet Abby Black, French horn Corey Sansolo, trombone Kevin Harrison, tuba
Stephen Buzard, organ
August 15, 2023 - Violins of Hope and FilAm Foundation
Arnold Schoenberg - String Quartet in D Major Florence Price - Quintet for Piano and Strings, No. 2 Ottorino Respighi - Piano Quintet in F minor
Marian Mayuga, violin Brent Taghap, violin Larissa Mapua, viola Ezra Escobar, cello Magnus Villanueva, piano
August 22, 2023 - Season Finale: Song and Dance
Bongani Ndodana-Breen - Two Nguni Dances Felix Mendelssohn - Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor
Trio Diorama MingHuan Xu, violin Nick Photinos, cello Winston Choi, piano
“Rush Hour Concerts are a treat every summer. We look forward to going to St James every Tuesday evening for a wonderful 45 minutes of beautiful music in that lovely and welcoming setting.”
- Joyce and Richard Prince, Classical Music Chicago generous supporters
Thank you to our supporters
Rush Hour Concerts are presented in partnership with St. James Cathedral.
Rush Hour Concerts are made possible through the generosity of the Zell Family Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Illinois Arts Council Agency and contributions from individual donors.