Wednesday, January 8, 2014 by Noel Morris
Live Broadcast Wednesday at 12:15 PM
The Chicago Tribune calls it “the most valuable freebie in downtown Chicago music this side of the Grant Park Music Festival.”
Well. There’s no danger of competition from Grant Park today.
Anytime of year, Chicago’s visitors marvel at that section of Michigan Avenue around Randolph and Washington. Pedestrians pause for photos, capturing Crown Fountain and Cloud Gate (The Bean) flanked by skyscrapers and blue sky. The sounds are equally striking: the ‘L’ train clatter, the taxi cabs, street musicians and sirens. Just when sensory overload starts to kick in, one can duck into the landmark Chicago Cultural Center, sit beneath a Tiffany dome and enjoy the serenity of live classical music.
The Wednesday lunchtime concerts are free. In rain, hail, sleet or snow, they’re usually packed, but if traffic or temperatures prove too daunting, there’s always WFMT.
The live broadcast of the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts begins on Wednesdays at 12:15. This week’s artist is Bosnian native Mirna Lekic who lives, performs and teaches in New York City. Her program includes music by Azerbaijani composer Ali-Zadeh; by Haydn, Liszt and Villa-Lobos. As her program attests, Mirna Lekic’s musical curiosity takes her all over the world, searching for interesting compositions new and old.
Here’s a video of her playing music by Francois Couperin with flutist Roberta Michel.
http://blogs.wfmt.com/offmic/2014/01/08/the-most-valuable-freebie/