Music: External Music Resources

The Lester S. Levy Sheet Music Collection is a valuable resource for both amateur and professional musicians, with over 20,000 sheet music scores available to download and play.

The Music Division is one of the world's preeminent music collections—documenting the art of music in all its diversity—classical and opera as well as the whole spectrum of popular music including spirituals, ragtime, jazz, musical theater, film, rock and world music. While the division contains many scores and manuscripts from centuries past, its curatorial mandate is an activist one, placing major emphasis on capturing the creative output of contemporary composers.

An index to traditional folk songs of the world with an emphasis on English-language songs. Each entry includes the song title, first line of chorus, first line of verse, and full bibliographic information on the source. The index contains over 62,000 entries, and, to date indexes over 2,400 anthologies.

View digitized copies of manuscripts, sheet music, interviews on a wide range of topics. Collections include: Amazing Grace - 51 items relating to the history of this hymn; the Franz List collection containing primary source materials on the life and work of this composer; and The Library of Congress Celebrates The Songs of America

Check here for musical events at Dominican University, which is located nearby, on Division Street in River Forest.

Listing of performers coming to your area. Link is to classical music concerts coming to or near Oak Park, Illinois.

The Chicago Chamber Music Society, a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering chamber music in our city, was founded in 1935 by a group of prominent women who were officers of a music group called The Russian Trio, to provide a venue for gifted Chicago musicians. With the support of its subscribers and friends, the Chicago Chamber Music Society, now in its 89th year, continues to present four outstanding concerts each season.

Free concerts at the Chicago Cultural Center on Michigan Avenue.

Chicago Sinfonietta believes classical music should be accessible to everyone. To help make performing arts a part of daily life, we we offer a variety of ticket options, with prices starting at $5. We are excited to have you join us. (Offer valid while supplies last, tickets are available online or by calling our box office)

A calendar of events featuring members of the CSO in chamber ensembles

Symphony Center welcomes students with special offers and opportunities to connect with other music lovers. Selected seats in all sections available for $15.00. Check the website for full instructions.

Listing of musical events sponsored by the city for fall semester. Change the dates and categories to see more.

Join the Civic Orchestra of Chicago — the CSO’s prestigious training ensemble for early-career musicians — for extraordinary performances at Symphony Center and in communities across Chicago.

Tickets start at $8.00
Performing at “an exceptionally high caliber” (Chicago Classical Reviews), Civitas Ensemble started in 2011 with four friends who shared the same visions and values of using their music to serve and impact the Chicago community through the transformative power of their art. Civitas presents engaging live performances of new and traditional works. The Ensemble members teach and inspire the next generation of classical musicians, and bring live performances to those with limited access.

Calendar of concert events held at the University of Chicago, including the Hyde Park Jazz Festival.

Check this calendar for concerts by Elmhurst University performing groups and visiting artists. Home to several music ensembles, including their internationally recognized jazz program, Elmhurst University is a short walk from the Elmhurst Metra station. There is also ample free parking for events. Tickets are free or at a discounted student rate.

Join us for an enlightening discussion that delves into the contrasting interpretations of the story of Leonore by two remarkable composers: Ludwig van Beethoven and Ferdinando Paër. This talk, moderated by WFMT’s LaRob K. Rafael, will explore the origins of the source material that inspired both operas and examine how each composer-librettist team uniquely addresses the themes of liberty, revolution, self-sacrifice, love and justice. Our discussion also provides the opportunity to bring together the artistic teams behind Lyric Opera of Chicago’s upcoming production of Beethoven’s Fidelio (conductor Enrique Mazzola and director Matthew Ozawa), and Chicago Opera Theater’s upcoming production of Paër’s Leonora (conductor Dame Jane Glover and director Lawrence Edelson).

Experience the magic of Lyric with $20 discount student tickets to select performances of operas, musicals, and special events. This free program is available to all full-time, degree-seeking college and graduate students.

Free musical events in Chicago's Millennium Park during fall semester. Change the dates and categories to see other events.

During the 2023-2024 season, student tickets are available free of charge for any of Music of the Baroque’s performances at the Harris Theater. Students can reserve up to two complimentary tickets per valid student ID. Free student tickets are also available at the Harris Theater box office starting two hours prior to the performance.

Community Orchestra
Tickets for students through college are free.
Our 4PM Sunday Subscription concerts at Concordia University include free parking at 1124 Bonnie Brae Place, River Forest, 3PM Preconcert Conversations with board president David Leehey, and receptions to meet the performers afterward.

links to audio and video of performances, podcasts, and interviews

All of Bach is a project of the Netherlands Bach Society. High-quality recordings of the works by Johann Sebastian Bach are made freely available for everyone.

The Bach Cantatas Website (BCW) is a comprehensive site covering all aspects of J.S. Bach's cantatas and his other vocal works and many of his instrumental works. The BCW is an international collective project. The boxes below describe the main sections of the BCW.

Classic FM is a 100 per cent classical music radio station. Since we began broadcasting in September 1992, the station has brought classical music to millions of people across the UK. Classic FM has around 5.2 million listeners tuning in each week, making it the biggest classical music radio station in the world.

Guide article about Bach's cantatas

Discogs is an online database and marketplace of music releases that helps any enthusiast — from casual fan to professional collector — savor music in a more personal and meaningful way.

A comprehensive index of hymns and hymnals.
Search by hymn text, hymn tunes, author, composer, lectionary. There's even a melody search. Over 6,700 hymnals are indexed. Some hymns are available to download.

"Sharing the World's Public Domain Music"
Music score repository. Some items are scans of very old editions, some are newer - be mindful of copyright restrictions.

It is a project for the creation of a virtual library of public domain music scores based on the wiki principle; it is also more than that. Users can exchange musical ideas through the site, submit their own compositions, or listen to other people's composition; this makes IMSLP an ever-growing musical community of music lovers for music lovers.

The American Folk Song Collection launched in 2004 with the support of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Field recordings, along with transcriptions and analysis, now form the heart of this online, multimedia collection, created by noted arts website producer Larry R. Larson. The collection contains folk songs representing many geographic areas and cultures present in the United States. Each song has been selected for its beauty, musical versatility and suitability for teaching.

Limited free access. News, reports, blogs, lists of competitions for the musical performing arts community

The largest repository of materials related to the viola in the world. Named in honor of William Primrose (1904-1982), the Scottish viola virtuoso who helped establish the viola as a concert instrument.

Smithsonian Folkways Recordings is the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution, the national museum of the United States. We are dedicated to supporting cultural diversity and increased understanding among peoples through the documentation, preservation, and dissemination of sound. We believe that musical and cultural diversity contributes to the vitality and quality of life throughout the world. Through the dissemination of audio recordings and educational materials we seek to strengthen people's engagement with their own cultural heritage and to enhance their awareness and appreciation of the cultural heritage of others. Smithsonian Folkways is part of the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.

The University of California at Santa Barbara launched its Early Recording Initiative in 2022, aimed at archiving our earliest recordings of the sound era. Browse the collection of Edison cylinder recordings created between 1877 and 1929, or listen to curated playlists.

WFMT is committed to producing and presenting trusted, best-in-class content fueled by a distinctly Chicago sensibility. We engage our audiences by entertaining, inspiring, educating, and reflecting a diversity of perspectives.

The mission of the American Guild of Organists is to foster a thriving community of musicians who share their knowledge and inspire passion for the organ.

Not a pipe organ, but a special and unusual instrument. Tours can be arranged in advance.

Includes a calendar of events including concerts in the Chicago area.

Musical events featuring the E. M. Skinner pipe organ at the Chicago Temple - First United Methodist Church of Chicago, 77 West Washington. The organ celebrates its 100th birthday in 2024.

Fourth Presbyterian Church, on North Michigan Avenue in Chicago, hosts free concerts on Fridays at noon. Many feature their Andrew Pipe Organ, built by Quimby Organ Company.

Madonna della Strada Chapel is home to Goulding and Wood Opus 47.
Concert Series
Third Sunday of every month at 3:00 p.m.

Parking is free on Sundays in the main parking structure, enter at Kenmore and West Sheridan Road.

You can hear the E.M. Skinner organ played at Sunday services and weekly recitals during the academic year. It is also played for academic and ceremonial events, for practice, and for special concerts throughout the seasons. It is a massive romantic organ, considered one of the best in America.

The Reneker organ, built for the former home of the Chicago Theological Seminary, was relocated to Bond Chapel in 2012. A lovely Baroque tracker organ, built by Quebec’s Karl Wilhelm in 1983, it quickly won an award for “divine design” in its new home.