Clef Notes

In honor of Mother’s Day, we present a playlist of music inspired by mothers and centered on themes of motherhood in its various forms, from lullabies and bedtime stories to poignant remembrances of mothers who have passed.

Millikin Opera Theatre presents Pauline Viardot’s Cinderella on May 1–3, co-produced with the School of Theatre & Dance, School of Music, and Millikin-Decatur Symphony Orchestra at the Virginia Rogers Theatre. We spoke with director Aubrey Hawkinson, Lecturer in Opera and Voice at Millikin University, to learn more about the opera and its composer.

On Saturday, May 2, the combined choruses of the University of Illinois join forces with the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra for Giuseppe Verdi’s Requiem. Performing in Foellinger Great Hall at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, the concert will boast over 250 singers plus a full symphony orchestra. We spoke with Stephen Alltop, music director of the CUSO, to learn more about this powerful masterwork of the choral repertoire.

Trees have long served as a source of inspiration for the great poets and writers—from Shakespeare and Goethe to James Joyce. As a result, we have a wealth of art songs about trees in their various forms and the spectrum of emotions they can evoke. In honor of Arbor Day on April 24, we present a curated playlist of some of our favorites in the hopes that it will inspire you to get out in nature or even plant a tree yourself!

“I don’t want to be working in ballet or opera where it’s like, ‘Hey, keep this thing alive, even though no one cares about this anymore.’" This soundbite from Oscar-nominated actor Timothée Chalamet reverberated throughout the classical music and dance worlds this week. The statement was made during an hour-long town hall interview with Matthew McConaughey, produced by Variety and CNN. The Marty Supreme star’s statement has provoked backlash from artists and fans alike, who did not appreciate his flippant attitude and dismissiveness toward his fellow creatives. So, what was the context of this quote, and does he have a point? 

To commemorate Women’s History Month, we’re introducing you to five pieces of contemporary classical music that tell women’s stories in some way, whether commemorating women’s suffrage, meditating on the #MeToo movement, or honoring notable women. Read on to learn about these musical selections by Reena Esmail, Joan Tower, Julia Wolfe, Valerie Coleman, and Judith Weir.

On Friday, February 13, Japanese skater Yuma Kagiyama took home silver in the Men’s Figure Skating Finals at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan. The music he chose for his powerful free skate routine: opera. But it wasn’t just any opera. It was GRAMMY®-winning composer Christopher Tin’s completion of Turandot by Giacomo Puccini. The opera, about a vengeful Chinese princess who challenges her suitors to solve three riddles or face execution if they are unsuccessful, was famously left unfinished when Puccini died in 1924. Read on to learn more about Tin's completion and subsequent edit for Kagiyama.

We sat down with Dr. Mélanie Clapiès, the Jupiter String Quartet’s new violinist, ahead of her first concert at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts on March 12. Clapiès joined the quartet last fall, replacing long-time first violinist Nelson Lee after his farewell concert at Krannert Center in September. Read on to learn more about Clapiès and the upcoming program, titled “Reverberations of Nature.”

In honor of Black History Month, we introduce you to composer Julia Perry (1924–1979). Despite successes early in her career, including numerous awards, recognition in Europe, and favorable reviews, she encountered obstacles due to her race and sex in addition to health and financial issues. Tragically, she died in obscurity at the age of 55. When she passed, only a handful of her 100+ compositions had been published or recorded. Fortunately, recent efforts by musicologists and performers have begun to restore her legacy. Read on to learn more about this brilliant composer, who was not fully appreciated in her time.

Whether burning from afar or passionately reciprocated, love has been a fruitful muse for many of the great composers. Come along as we celebrate Valentine’s Day with the love stories that inspired four famous compositions by Berlioz, Beethoven, Schumann, and Wagner.