Ear Taxi Festival, a presentation of New Music Chicago, actively promotes Chicago as a global leader of extraordinary musical and cultural innovation. Ear Taxi Festival offers Spotlight independently produced concerts (Sept 15 – 29), Professional Development Workshops (Sept 29), and Mainstage festival concerts (Sept 30 – Oct 4) at venues throughout the city neighborhoods of Chicago.

Theme: HEAR CHICAGO is a call to engage with the vast multiplicity of styles and traditions that constitutes Chicago’s expansive musical identity in the 21st century. It expresses our firm belief in the vitality of Chicago’s BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) musicians as a significant part of the city’s complex history. As our society takes steps to heal from the multiple tragedies it is currently experiencing, as well as its centuries-long legacy of injustice, inequity, colonialism, and violence, it is most importantly an invitation to challenge, collaborate, and change together as artists and listeners. We remain committed to doing the steadfast work necessary to progress towards a just society.