Codrut Birsan, Music Director of Candid Concert Opera, is the latest artist to take part in our “Five Questions” feature. Candid Concert Opera will make their Chicago debut on May 4 with Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro (Le nozze de Figaro) at Edgebrook Lutheran on Friday, May 4 at 7:00 pm.

Who is Candid Concert Opera?

Author: Kerri Anne Malone

The last time you stepped into a public transit station, what have you heard? In my hometown of Elgin, as well as in  Chicago, I can only remember echoed conversations mixed with the sound of trains passing by. However, as an Urban Planning student highly interested in public art activism and cultural programming, I thought I'd share just one way cities are using art to prevent crime in metropolitan areas, and gain any insight into the subject from classical music professionals, admirers, and advocates.

Fifty years in the opera business, thirteen of which have been spent as executive director of Chicago Opera Theater, Brian Dickie is hanging up his hat to spend some time with family and a few side projects.  Chicago Classical Music caught up with Dickie, who shepherded the young company into its new home in downtown Chicago and challenges opera goers to see themselves in the fresh, contemporary interpretations of classic works and characters.

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced when you took over Chicago Opera Theater?

One of the most rewarding parts of being a musician is having the opportunity to see on the faces of others that what you are doing is worthwhile. If you can hear firsthand from an audience member what spoke to them and what they enjoyed - this is even better. We work hard and put our minds, bodies and souls into the music we love with the hope that you will love it too. Communication between the audience and the performers is key to the success of any artistic organization. Having said this, there are still boundaries that need to be maintained between the stage and the audience. What are the best ways and times to approach a musician to speak with them? I will share my thoughts and I invite you to share yours as well.

Spring has sprung in Chicago. The tulips on Michigan Ave are in colorful bloom, sidewalks are filling up with outdoor diners, green buds are out on the trees, and even in the cold mornings, it kind of smells like a new season.

It’s not hard to imagine why some of the old stand-by favorite classical pieces are inspired by spring.  Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and Edvard Grieg’s Peer Gynt suite seem kind of like obvious choices for spring-themed classical music (thank you television commercials and Looney Tunes episodes).  But in lieu of these standard selections, I’ve picked the “other” spring music, both obvious and maybe not so certainly spring, that I’ll be uploading on my iPod this week. What are your favorite springtime classical pieces?

Mark O’Connor- Butterfly’s Day Out
Ludwig van Beethoven- Symphony No 6.
Aaron Copland-Appalachian Spring
Johann Strauss- The Voices of Spring, Op 410
Felix Mendelssohn-Spring Song