Reflections of Chicago: Shawn Okpebholo’s Chamber Music Collaborations

Following the success of his Grammy-nominated, full-album Cedille debut, Songs in Flight, 2024 Chicagoan of the Year in Classical Music (Chicago Tribune), composer Shawn Okpebholo continues his astronomical rise with an album of chamber works performed by some of Chicago’s most esteemed local artists and ensembles.

These world-premiere recordings embody the spirit, history, and layered complexity of Chicago itself, brought to life through close artistic partnerships that exemplify the city’s vibrant music scene and Cedille’s special role in fostering such connections.

Redlin[ing] confronts the legacy of redlining and discriminatory housing practices in 20^th-century America, viewed through the lens of Chicago. Written for Picosa Ensemble and percussionist Peter Ferry, with support from Chamber Music America, the title references both the systemic maps that excluded Black communities and the city’s Red Line train — serving as a sonic exploration of segregation, mobility, and the invisible lines that still shape Chicago’s neighborhoods. Picosa recorded Redlin[ing] in October 2025.

On February 28, members of four-time Grammy-winning, Eighth Blackbird recorded Fractured Water, a reflection on issues of water pollution and conservation that engages the Chicago River as both subject and symbol. Written for flute, cello, and piano, with each performer also playing percussion, the piece speaks to the city’s environmental challenges while highlighting its history of innovation and industrial growth. Anchored by a quiet reference to the spiritual Down in the River to Pray, the work is both a reflection on environmental fragility and a call to renewal.

Recorded in March, WFMT commissioned Take It Easy, But Take It, for violin and piano (Rachel Barton Pine and Matthew Hagle) to celebrate its 70^th anniversary. The title references Pulitzer Prize-winning author and longtime WFMT host Studs Terkel’s iconic sign-off. Studs’ phrase became synonymous with the station and Chicago’s cultural legacy and inspired the work’s main rhythmic motive. Energetic and virtuosic, the piece spotlights the legacy of WFMT and the artistry of the performers who bring it to life.

Other new works for the album include pieces written for the Grossman Ensemble and for saxophonist Julian Velasco, each drawing inspiration from the city’s character and artistic energy. Together, these collaborations highlight the richness of Chicago’s musical ecosystem and the shared commitment of its artists to creating and sustaining new work.

The recording, planned for release in late-2027, will serve as a lasting testament to both Shawn Okpebholo’s compositional ingenuity and the creative community and collaborative spirit that define Chicago’s musical landscape.

Photo above: celebrating the conclusion of a day of recording: from left: Brian Porick, engineer; Shawn Okpebholo, composer and producer; Rachel Barton Pine, violinist; Jim Ginsburg, Cedille President; Matthew Hagle, pianist