Hailed as "…an energized, risk-taking orchestra that advocates for contemporary music in such a way as to make composers, performers, and listeners feel part of the same engaged community" (Chicago Tribune), the Chicago Composers Orchestra is one very few orchestras to be solely devoted to contemporary music. The orchestra's mission is to present music by living composers, and to extend the orchestral tradition to be open, vibrant, and diverse, and to speak to our lives today.

Chicago Composers Orchestra: gathering | streams

Saturday, April 27, 2024 @ 7:30pm – 8:45pm (CDT)
St. James Cathedral, Chicago, IL, United States
Fernanda NavarroSisyphus (world premiere)
Tyler TaylorOut of Dust (world premiere)
Mari TakanoDoppelconcerto for 2 Violins and Orchestra (world premiere; Sarah Plum & Michi Sugiura, violins)

$35-$45 ($15-$20 student)

Chicago Composers Orchestra: idioms | electric

Saturday, November 11, 2023 @ 7:30pm – 8:45pm (CST)
St. James Cathedral, Chicago, IL, United States
Daron HagenFilm Noir: Concerto for Electric Guitar and Orchestra (D.J. Sparr, electric guitar)
D.J. Sparr — Selected works (world premiere TBA; Maria Clark, soprano)
Molly Jones — Selected works

$35-$45 ($15-$25 student)

Chicago Composers Orchestra | notation + documentation

Saturday, April 29, 2023 @ 7:30pm – 9:00pm (CDT)
St. James Cathedral, Chicago, IL, United States
Laura Elise SchwendingerSecond Sight (world premiere)
Andrew McManusone idea of heaven (world premiere)
​​Alican Çamcı — Selected works (world premiere TBA)

$35-$45 ($15-$20 student)

Chicago Composers Orchestra: made in chicago

Saturday, January 28, 2023 @ 7:30pm – 8:30pm (CST)
St. James Cathedral, Chicago, IL, United States

$35-$45 ($15-$20 student)