{"id":2132460,"date":"2025-11-03T14:55:31","date_gmt":"2025-11-03T14:55:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2132460"},"modified":"2025-11-03T14:55:31","modified_gmt":"2025-11-03T14:55:31","slug":"a-primer-on-weekly-music-events-at-uchicago-from-pipes-to-pints-chicago-maroon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/a-primer-on-weekly-music-events-at-uchicago-from-pipes-to-pints-chicago-maroon\/","title":{"rendered":"A Primer on Weekly Music Events at UChicago, From Pipes to Pints \u2013 Chicago Maroon"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The E.M. Skinner organ as seen from the chapel\u2019s nave.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n

Tea & Pipes<\/b><\/p>\n

Tuesdays, 4<\/i>\u2013<\/span>4:30 p.m., Rockefeller Memorial Chapel.<\/i><\/p>\n

There is something magical about Rockefeller Chapel. Perhaps it\u2019s the late Gothic Revival architecture, the immense vaulted ceilings, or the cascade of colors from the stained glass above the altarpiece that reflects across the pulpit. But some might say the real centerpiece is the towering E.M. Skinner organ. Built in 1928 and restored in 2008, the instrument features 8,565 pipes arranged in 132 ranks. UChicago alum Thomas Weisflog, who recently celebrated<\/span><\/a> 25 years<\/span> as the University\u2019s organist, brings the instrument to life on Tuesday afternoons. Each week, he curates a new playlist, sharing the history behind each piece and the sections of the organ it showcases.<\/p>\n

Always happy to greet those who linger after the performance, Weisflog is often promptly surrounded by a small group of students, alumni, and locals who gather around his console. \u201cI just love this organ!\u201d he blissfully exclaimed after his October 14 performance, his joy reminiscent of a painter before a blank canvas.<\/p>\n

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The main console in the chapel\u2019s altar area, where organist Thomas Weisflog performs.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When asked how he curates each week\u2019s playlist, he laughed. \u201cSometimes at the very last minute,\u201d he said, before explaining that his goal is to showcase the instrument without overwhelming the audience. \u201cNo one wants to listen to ten minutes of fortissimo,\u201d a lesson he learned from a piano teacher back in the \u201960s.<\/p>\n

Indeed, while this week\u2019s closing performance of Seth Bingham\u2019s Baroques<\/i>\u00a0suite made the floor vibrate with its dramatic, thunderous ending, the rest of the program\u2014including Benjamin Britten\u2019s \u201cPrelude and Fugue on a Theme of Vittoria,\u201d Flor Peeters\u2019s \u201cARIA,\u201d Felix Mendelssohn\u2019s \u201cPrelude in G Major,\u201d and Paul Hindemith\u2019s \u201cSonata No. 2\u201d\u2014offered a well-balanced mix of slow, delicate, and intimate waltz-like melodies alongside more powerful and majestic movements.<\/p>\n

Note: Before taking a seat in the pews, attendees can help themselves to a complimentary cup of Rishi tea and a Biscoff cookie. Dog and cat treats are also set out for four-legged companions, who are welcome at all performances.<\/p>\n

Live Jazz at Jimmy\u2019s<\/b><\/p>\n

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The jazz quartet, pictured left to right: guitarist Steve Kuhn, bassist Jake Gordon, trumpeter Curtis Black, and drummer Andy Bautista.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sundays, 8\u201311 p.m., West Room of Woodlawn Tap, 1172 East 55th Street.<\/em><\/p>\n

Woodlawn Tap, better known as Jimmy\u2019s (after its original owner, Jimmy Wilson), has been a Hyde Park staple since 1948. On Sunday nights, the West Room, a long, dimly lit space lined with billiard lights and set apart from the main bar, fills with the sound of live jazz.<\/p>\n

Shortly before the music started on October 19, regulars and first-timers grabbed a drink in the main room. Among them was Rich Nayer, an actor, producer, and musician whose son once took lessons from the quartet\u2019s trumpeter, Curtis Black. \u201cI can tell you everything you want to know about it,\u201d he said, motioning for me to take a seat beside him. A Hyde Park local, Nayer comes every other week to see Black and his ensemble perform a mix of jazz solos and pieces by Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and more.<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t take a seasoned attendee to notice that Black, a trumpet player born and raised in New York, was in charge. On a stage framed by floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking 55th Street, Black leaned against a side wall. With effortless command, he presided over guitarist Steve Kuhn, bassist Jake Gordon, and drummer Andy Bautista, casually stepping back to sip a cold beverage between his trumpet solos. The evening unfolded in three one-hour sets, each followed by a brief intermission. After the first set, Black shared that he sometimes picks the setlist to match the \u201cfeeling of the room\u201d or to highlight any additional musicians that join them. Tonight\u2019s selection was designed to accommodate the addition of a castanet (a small, handheld, shell-shaped percussion instrument that produces a clicking sound, often used for rhythmic accent).<\/p>\n

What began as a jam session in the \u201890s, Black said, is now an established quartet with \u201creally great and dependable musicians.\u201d Between songs, he instructed the band the way an Italian grandmother tells you to add \u201cthis much\u201d salt to a recipe, as if by feel. \u201cWe go A-sharp, then B-minor in the solo, then back here,\u201d he said, pointing at the sheet, \u201cOne, two, ah, ah, ah.\u201d While the directions might sound vague to the audience, they were well-understood by the ensemble and resulted in fluid, layered pieces that highlighted not only Black\u2019s trumpet, but every instrument in the quartet. Black noted, \u201cIt\u2019s the informality of the setting, the intimacy of it that I enjoy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Note: Woodlawn Tap is cash-only and open only to those 21 and up. Sunday night J=jazz performances are free, and a tip jar is passed during intermissions for those who wish to contribute.<\/p>\n

Tea Time Concert Series<\/b><\/p>\n

Thursdays, 4:30 p.m., <\/i><\/span>Fulton Recital Hall, Goodspeed Hall, 4th floor<\/i>.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

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Tomino Sun performs \u201cQuanto \u00e8 bella, quanto \u00e8 cara\u201d from L\u2019elisir d\u2019amore<\/em>, accompanied by pianist Daniel Schlosberg, at the October 23 Tea Time Concert.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As a science major, I had never spent much time on the music side of campus as I did writing this article. On 59th Street, a plaque in the University\u2019s signature Gothic font directs you: \u201cThrough the archway and to the left to Goodspeed Hall.\u201d What isn\u2019t written is that, on the other side of the archway, Goodspeed, one of the four oldest buildings on campus, is buzzing with creative energy. Even before reaching the doors, the sounds emanating from practice rooms invite you in: piano drifting out one window, vocal scales out another. As the golden-hour light of a crisp fall afternoon filter through the courtyard, the whole building seems to exhale as if it were alive, breathing music.<\/p>\n

This corner of campus feels like another world where, every Tuesday afternoon, the Department of Music hosts a mix of student and visiting performers. On October 23, the Vocal Studies Program, accompanied by Daniel Schlosberg on piano, featured an array of performances from lieder to arias. One of the highlights was a rendition of \u201cGimme Gimme\u201d from the musical Thoroughly Modern Millie<\/i>\u00a0by mezzo-soprano Katie Keeley, a creative writing and public policy student who delivered the song with an easy stage presence that felt Broadway-ready. In contrast, those drawn to a classical repertoire were transported to the late Romantic period through the voice of tenor graduate student Harry Fosbiner-Elkins as he performed Gabriel Faur\u00e9\u2019s \u201cApr\u00e8s un r\u00eave.\u201d<\/p>\n

The program closed with soprano Zoe Springsteen, who, adorned in a black glistening masquerade mask, brought the character of Rosalinde from Johann Strauss II\u2019s 1874 operetta Die Fledermaus <\/i>to life. Her rendition of \u201cCs\u00e1rd\u00e1s\u201d was so vivid and ethereal that it felt almost impossible to imagine a more evocative interpretation of the aria\u2019s emotional arc. Indeed, the performances that Thursday have set a gold standard for the Tea Time Concert Series.<\/p>\n

Although audiences will have to wait until next quarter for another Tea Time concert featuring the Vocal Studies students, installments ranging from a performance by the South Asian Music Ensemble to a masterclass with Director of Vocal Studies Elisabeth Marshall are still on the program this autumn. Spectators can arrive as early as 4:15 p.m. to enjoy tea, artisanal cookies, and mingling with fellow attendees.<\/p>\n

Note: Head over to https:\/\/music.uchicago.edu\/news-events\/events<\/span><\/a> to keep up with upcoming Tea Time performers and other music events.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n

\u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source chicagomaroon.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The E.M. Skinner organ as seen from the chapel\u2019s nave. Tea & Pipes Tuesdays, 4\u20134:30 p.m., Rockefeller Memorial Chapel. There is something magical about Rockefeller Chapel. Perhaps it\u2019s the late Gothic Revival architecture, the immense vaulted ceilings, or the cascade of colors from the stained glass above the altarpiece that reflects across the pulpit. But […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2132461,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25179],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2132460","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/A-Primer-on-Weekly-Music-Events-at-UChicago-From-Pipes.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2132460","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2132460"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2132460\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2132462,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2132460\/revisions\/2132462"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2132461"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2132460"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2132460"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2132460"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}