Art Song Chicago (ASC), a Chicago non-profit celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2025 dedicated to championing the art of song, proudly presents Soprano Alannah Spencer and Pianist Jeremy Vigil in a recital titled Waiting and Weaving: Penelope in Song. Produced through ASC’s Vocal Chamber Music Fellowship – a program designed to give early-career vocalists the resources and support to produce a project of their choosing, Waiting and Weaving explores the myriad ways in which the character of Penelope from the ancient Greek epic The Odyssey has been portrayed in music, art, and literature throughout the centuries. Featuring a diverse array of repertoire from composers like Claudio Monteverdi to Cecilia Livingston, the program also includes world premieres from local composers Robbie Ellis and Meg Huskin.
Waiting and Weaving is one night only, Thursday, November 6 at 7:00 PM in Roosevelt University’s Ganz Hall, 430 S Michigan Ave. Tickets are $25 with a limited number of $15 student tickets available and can be purchased at www.artsongchicago.org.
Despite being a relatively minor character in the classic work of Greek literature The Odyssey, Penelope- the faithful and eternally patient wife to the long absent Odysseus- has been a popular figure in artwork of every medium since she first came to life in Homer’s text. Penelope is visually depicted in media diverse as ancient pottery to modern tapestries and found particular favor as a subject with the pre-Raphelite painters. In literature, Penelope features in De Mulieribus Claris- the first published collection of biographies of women in the 1360’s to the 16 th century poems of Edmund Spenser to the seminal feminist play by Margaret Atwood The Penelopiad. And of course in music from the earliest days of opera with Claudio Monteverdi’s Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria to contemporary songs by Jonathon Dove. Waiting and Weaving explores the many different ways artists have reinterpreted, reimagined, and reinvented the character of Penelope over the years.
The program includes excerpts from the operas Il ritorno d’Ulisse (1640) by Claudio Monteverdi and Pénélope (1913) by Gabriel Fauré, Penelope (2000) a song cycle by John Musto, Penelope (2014) by Cecilia Livingston, and excerpts from Sarah Kirkland Snider’s song cycle Penelope (2009) featuring percussionist Andrew Baldwin alongside world premieres by Robbie Ellis and Meg Huskin. The music will be interspersed with readings of poems and prose from across the centuries that feature Penelope while images of Penelope depicted in visual media are projected. The performance will be followed by a light reception.
“Penelope is a character that fascinates me,” said Spencer “Not because of her characterization in the original Homeric texts, but because of the way she continues to pop up in various works of art across the centuries. Despite, or perhaps because of, her veiled decisions and muted actions in The Odyssey, creatives working in so many different genres have imbued their retellings of her story with incredibly diverse points of view while staying true to the original myth. Waiting and Weaving presents a small, curated collection of some of these retellings from different eras and different media.”
“We’re so excited to showcase Alannah’s project and vision, this November,” notes Justin Berkowitz, Director of Operations and interim Director of Education. “Founder Shannon McGinnis’ selection of Alannah’s thoughtful project has blossomed into an exciting recital project celebrating Chicagoland song, artists, and composers - and we cannot wait to see Alannah and Jeremy share the culmination of a lot of hard work next month.”
Art Song Chicago’s season continues with the annual Fall Lieder Lounge presenting countertenor Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen and pianist John Churchwell in a program titled Uncharted on Sunday, November 16 at 2:00 PM at Ganz Hall.
About Art Song Chicago
Since 2010, Art Song Chicago has championed the art of song through a vibrant mix of performance and educational initiatives—including an annual song festival, public concerts, master classes, workshops, and a fellowship program for emerging artists. The organization has earned acclaim from Chicago Classical Review for “art song performances of the highest order” and has become a cornerstone of the city’s musical life, showcasing leading performers from around the globe.
Founded as the Collaborative Arts Institute of Chicago (CAIC) by pianists Nicholas Hutchinson and Shannon McGinnis alongside tenor Nicholas Phan, the organization has continually evolved to champion the art song and vocal chamber music repertoire. In recent years, the team expanded with the appointments of Justin Berkowitz as Director of Marketing and Operations in 2022 and Eric Ferring as Executive Director in 2023.
In celebration of its 15th anniversary in 2025, CAIC began a new chapter with a new name: Art Song Chicago. This name reflects our enduring commitment to art song and our aspiration to nurture and expand the repertoire for generations to come.