COVID-related update
To Cherished Fans and Supporters of Church of Beethoven Oak Park,
As a society, this year we have all been facing the most devastating obstacle any of us have ever known! This COVID-19 pandemic has been very destructive with regards to public health, the economy and our culture and the Arts. As a necessary safety precaution, we have needed to support social distancing measures. We all have all had to endure the closure of theaters and music venues all across the country, including such cultural institutions as the Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as well as some of the more “store front” opera companies and community orchestras.
To win the battle over COVID, we need to stay united and maintain safe distances and wear masks and do other health measures to prevent the spread of this virus.
However, a very sad and unfortunate consequence of all of this is that, like most other Arts organizations, the Church of Beethoven of Oak Park has been dormant these many months. What is even more discouraging is the serious financial impact this COVID pandemic has had (and continues to have) on our beloved Artists and Musicians that share their talents with us and our audiences. The loss of their income has a very serious effect on the lives of musicians everywhere.
We miss live music, and we know you do too.
We are now in the planning stage of how best we can safely bring back live music to our public. We have a lot of exciting new ideas we are hopeful that will spark some interest and keep our momentum going in these months where we are officially “dark.” We are going to launch some more online content and blend in some mixed media elements to be able to continue to be a bridge between the musicians and the public. This has always been the mission of Church of Beethoven – to “break the fourth wall” and to really break down any barriers and build connections between our audiences and our musicians.
Stay tuned for more exciting events to come, but for now, I invite you to join our communication on Facebook. We will share some current events of music around town, share videos of our artists as well as some other fun gems! Also, if you haven’t yet done so, please Subscribe to our YouTube Channel and check out all the videos in our archive. Lastly, please support our Artists by purchasing their recordings. We have a new page on our website dedicated to this.
So, from the bottom of my heart I want to say “THANK YOU” for all your wonderful support of Church of Beethoven in the past. I am sending my best wishes for all of you and your families to be safe, to stay healthy and happy. We are doing our best to figure out how to come back… We ask that you share your ideas and say “hello”. We miss you all very much!
Until we meet again, I will share our rallying cry as a hashtag: #fighttosavelivemusic
With deep respect,
Bradley Schuller
Artistic Director
Church of Beethoven
November 2, 2020
To Cherished Fans and Supporters of Church of Beethoven Oak Park,
As a society, this year we have all been facing the most devastating obstacle any of us have ever known! This COVID-19 pandemic has been very destructive with regards to public health, the economy and our culture and the Arts. As a necessary safety precaution, we have needed to support social distancing measures. We all have all had to endure the closure of theaters and music venues all across the country, including such cultural institutions as the Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as well as some of the more “store front” opera companies and community orchestras.
To win the battle over COVID, we need to stay united and maintain safe distances and wear masks and do other health measures to prevent the spread of this virus.
However, a very sad and unfortunate consequence of all of this is that, like most other Arts organizations, the Church of Beethoven of Oak Park has been dormant these many months. What is even more discouraging is the serious financial impact this COVID pandemic has had (and continues to have) on our beloved Artists and Musicians that share their talents with us and our audiences. The loss of their income has a very serious effect on the lives of musicians everywhere.
We miss live music, and we know you do too.
We are now in the planning stage of how best we can safely bring back live music to our public. We have a lot of exciting new ideas we are hopeful that will spark some interest and keep our momentum going in these months where we are officially “dark.” We are going to launch some more online content and blend in some mixed media elements to be able to continue to be a bridge between the musicians and the public. This has always been the mission of Church of Beethoven – to “break the fourth wall” and to really break down any barriers and build connections between our audiences and our musicians.
Stay tuned for more exciting events to come, but for now, I invite you to join our communication on Facebook. We will share some current events of music around town, share videos of our artists as well as some other fun gems! Also, if you haven’t yet done so, please Subscribe to our YouTube Channel and check out all the videos in our archive. Lastly, please support our Artists by purchasing their recordings. We have a new page on our website dedicated to this.
So, from the bottom of my heart I want to say “THANK YOU” for all your wonderful support of Church of Beethoven in the past. I am sending my best wishes for all of you and your families to be safe, to stay healthy and happy. We are doing our best to figure out how to come back… We ask that you share your ideas and say “hello”. We miss you all very much!
Until we meet again, I will share our rallying cry as a hashtag: #fighttosavelivemusic
With deep respect,
Bradley Schuller
Artistic Director
Church of Beethoven
November 2, 2020
Message from the directors
As the dawn of a new decade begins, I feel honored and privileged to share some exciting news at the Church of Beethoven in Oak Park! As 2020 marks the 250th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven’s birthday, we at CoB wanted to pull out all the stops to make this year a joyous success filled with sublime music, live poetry and community building.
Never before has the importance of the Arts been more crucial nor more meaningful in our society. As we enter the “Roaring Twenties” we need to ground ourselves with the realities of daily life and the world we live in. Since the time of Beethoven’s birth 250 years ago, live classical music has experienced a diminished profile in our culture in general, and we need to cherish the opportunity to keep the art form alive and thriving.
Music has the power to join hearts together. Music transcends all boundaries such as nationality, race, gender, politics, economic status and religion. It is with this spirit that we boldly repeat our Vision Statement that “Music Itself is Spiritual”.
A new initiative we are embarking on in 2020 is to sell the CD’s of the world class musicians that perform with the Church of Beethoven. As part of our Mission, we firmly want to support the life's work of our beloved artists that share their talents with our audiences. Many of our artists have recordings for sale, and we are privileged to showcase these CD's for your enjoyment. Please review the new page on our website and support our Church of Beethoven musicians. This will ensure the bright future for our beloved musicians and the success of the Arts! It is these causes that we make now that will create the future that we want to see. Make sure that live classical music is part of that future.
Signed,
Bradley Schuller
Artistic Director
January 1, 2020
Dec. 2017:
Letter from Bradley Schuller:
I am very excited and honored to be asked by Jean Lotus to be the new Artistic Director of the Church of Beethoven. This year in 2017, I was very fortunate to be able to collaborate with the CoB to produce three concerts as part of our new “Opera Showcase” series. Throughout my work with CoB, I have been highly impressed by the mission of the organization and have been inspired by the dedication and vision of Jean.
Throughout my performing career as an operatic tenor and my years as a producer with Verismo Opera Theater, I truly have fallen in love with the Village of Oak Park. I greatly admire and respect the vast cultural landscape that resides here. I want to dedicate my efforts as the new Artistic Director of CoB to bring the highest caliber of world class musicians and programming in an intimate setting at affordable prices.
As we are working through the transition plan, I’d like to make a call out to you, the supporters of CoB, to help us thrive and succeed in 2018 and beyond. If you would like to volunteer or serve on our brand new Board of Directors, please do let us know. If you have thoughts or feedback as to how we can improve contact, please share your ideas at [email protected]
I cannot wait to begin this new chapter in our history and to share the news about out upcoming season. I can say that the plans are already underway and are very exciting! For now, please have a terrific holiday season and a very successful and joyous new year to come.
Church of Beethoven-Oak Park
The Church of Beethoven is "...a 'church' with no preaching, just uplifting music, poetry and two minutes of silence in an all-too-busy world."
The original Church of Beethoven was founded in Albuquerque, New Mexico by Oak Park native and classical cellist Felix Wurman in a repurposed gas station on historic US Route 66. The Albuquerque Church grew out of its humble beginnings and moved into a larger arts space. Felix Wurman died of cancer in 2009, but the Church of Beethoven (now Sunday Chatter) lives on in Albuquerque and has sprouted new branches in Durham, NC, Washington DC, Tucson, AZ, San Diego, CA and here in Oak Park.
Started in Oak Park in 2011, Church of Beethoven presents Sunday morning classical music performances in an intimate and casual setting as well as poetry by local poets and two minutes of silence. The family-friendly concerts are designed to bring classical music to an intimate audience.
The concerts take place at Open Door Theater, 902 S. Ridgeland Avenue in Oak Park.
March 2012:
Church of Beethoven - Oak Park is back! We've grown out of our wonderful space at Trattoria 225 and have moved to Open Door repertory Theater, 905 S. Ridgeland, Oak Park.
The new space has excellent acoustics and sightlines, comfortably seats 75 and is completely handicap-accessible. Also there's free parking across the street.
We're so looking forward to a fantastic new season of "Third Sundays" featuring excellent classical music, poetry and coffee.
July 2011:
We've seen classical performances in Oak Park that have taken our breath away. We have so many fabulous musicians who live in the area and so many opportunities to see them, from the Oak Park River Forest Symphony, the Heritage Chorale, Handel Week Festival, the Oak Park Concert Chorale, Chicago Sinfonietta -- and all of the performances at Dominican and Concordia Universities. We even briefly had our own Verismo Opera Club -- which we all hope will overcome its setbacks and return.
Does Oak Park need another classical venue? We believe that Church of Beethoven can enrich the classical environment of Oak Park by offering something a little different. Church of Beethoven performances are meant to be short, family-friendly and non-intimidating. Leave your pearls at home! Many Oak Parkers, especially parents of teenagers and youngsters-- are looking to expand their musical tastes from the radio-driven pop and rock of college years, but don’t know where to start. Lots of Oak Parkers listen to classical radio. But as anyone who attended Riccardo Muti’s Grant Park concert last year knows: live music just sounds different--and so much better! The Church of Beethoven concept is a “gateway drug” to the world of live classical music -- it will build an audience from which all local classical music organizations can benefit.
Jean Lotus & Tracy Brade, co-directors
Never before has the importance of the Arts been more crucial nor more meaningful in our society. As we enter the “Roaring Twenties” we need to ground ourselves with the realities of daily life and the world we live in. Since the time of Beethoven’s birth 250 years ago, live classical music has experienced a diminished profile in our culture in general, and we need to cherish the opportunity to keep the art form alive and thriving.
Music has the power to join hearts together. Music transcends all boundaries such as nationality, race, gender, politics, economic status and religion. It is with this spirit that we boldly repeat our Vision Statement that “Music Itself is Spiritual”.
A new initiative we are embarking on in 2020 is to sell the CD’s of the world class musicians that perform with the Church of Beethoven. As part of our Mission, we firmly want to support the life's work of our beloved artists that share their talents with our audiences. Many of our artists have recordings for sale, and we are privileged to showcase these CD's for your enjoyment. Please review the new page on our website and support our Church of Beethoven musicians. This will ensure the bright future for our beloved musicians and the success of the Arts! It is these causes that we make now that will create the future that we want to see. Make sure that live classical music is part of that future.
Signed,
Bradley Schuller
Artistic Director
January 1, 2020
Dec. 2017:
Letter from Bradley Schuller:
I am very excited and honored to be asked by Jean Lotus to be the new Artistic Director of the Church of Beethoven. This year in 2017, I was very fortunate to be able to collaborate with the CoB to produce three concerts as part of our new “Opera Showcase” series. Throughout my work with CoB, I have been highly impressed by the mission of the organization and have been inspired by the dedication and vision of Jean.
Throughout my performing career as an operatic tenor and my years as a producer with Verismo Opera Theater, I truly have fallen in love with the Village of Oak Park. I greatly admire and respect the vast cultural landscape that resides here. I want to dedicate my efforts as the new Artistic Director of CoB to bring the highest caliber of world class musicians and programming in an intimate setting at affordable prices.
As we are working through the transition plan, I’d like to make a call out to you, the supporters of CoB, to help us thrive and succeed in 2018 and beyond. If you would like to volunteer or serve on our brand new Board of Directors, please do let us know. If you have thoughts or feedback as to how we can improve contact, please share your ideas at [email protected]
I cannot wait to begin this new chapter in our history and to share the news about out upcoming season. I can say that the plans are already underway and are very exciting! For now, please have a terrific holiday season and a very successful and joyous new year to come.
Church of Beethoven-Oak Park
The Church of Beethoven is "...a 'church' with no preaching, just uplifting music, poetry and two minutes of silence in an all-too-busy world."
The original Church of Beethoven was founded in Albuquerque, New Mexico by Oak Park native and classical cellist Felix Wurman in a repurposed gas station on historic US Route 66. The Albuquerque Church grew out of its humble beginnings and moved into a larger arts space. Felix Wurman died of cancer in 2009, but the Church of Beethoven (now Sunday Chatter) lives on in Albuquerque and has sprouted new branches in Durham, NC, Washington DC, Tucson, AZ, San Diego, CA and here in Oak Park.
Started in Oak Park in 2011, Church of Beethoven presents Sunday morning classical music performances in an intimate and casual setting as well as poetry by local poets and two minutes of silence. The family-friendly concerts are designed to bring classical music to an intimate audience.
The concerts take place at Open Door Theater, 902 S. Ridgeland Avenue in Oak Park.
March 2012:
Church of Beethoven - Oak Park is back! We've grown out of our wonderful space at Trattoria 225 and have moved to Open Door repertory Theater, 905 S. Ridgeland, Oak Park.
The new space has excellent acoustics and sightlines, comfortably seats 75 and is completely handicap-accessible. Also there's free parking across the street.
We're so looking forward to a fantastic new season of "Third Sundays" featuring excellent classical music, poetry and coffee.
July 2011:
We've seen classical performances in Oak Park that have taken our breath away. We have so many fabulous musicians who live in the area and so many opportunities to see them, from the Oak Park River Forest Symphony, the Heritage Chorale, Handel Week Festival, the Oak Park Concert Chorale, Chicago Sinfonietta -- and all of the performances at Dominican and Concordia Universities. We even briefly had our own Verismo Opera Club -- which we all hope will overcome its setbacks and return.
Does Oak Park need another classical venue? We believe that Church of Beethoven can enrich the classical environment of Oak Park by offering something a little different. Church of Beethoven performances are meant to be short, family-friendly and non-intimidating. Leave your pearls at home! Many Oak Parkers, especially parents of teenagers and youngsters-- are looking to expand their musical tastes from the radio-driven pop and rock of college years, but don’t know where to start. Lots of Oak Parkers listen to classical radio. But as anyone who attended Riccardo Muti’s Grant Park concert last year knows: live music just sounds different--and so much better! The Church of Beethoven concept is a “gateway drug” to the world of live classical music -- it will build an audience from which all local classical music organizations can benefit.
Jean Lotus & Tracy Brade, co-directors
