Zach Carstensen
@zachcarstensen.bsky.social
Music, politics, baseball and cats. Sometime freelance music critic based in Chicagoland (Oak Park), formerly Seattle 🏳️🌈
https://gatheringnote.com/
https://gatheringnote.com/
"Chicago Opera Theater’s rendition of Salieri’s Falstaff reminded the audience that fun need not apologize for itself. If Verdi’s version is prestige television, Salieri’s is a nimble, tightly scripted network comedy."
seenandheard-international.com/2025/12/chic...
seenandheard-international.com/2025/12/chic...
Chicago Opera Theater rediscovers Salieri’s Falstaff one prank at a time – Seen and Heard International
seenandheard-international.com
December 9, 2025 at 12:10 AM
"Chicago Opera Theater’s rendition of Salieri’s Falstaff reminded the audience that fun need not apologize for itself. If Verdi’s version is prestige television, Salieri’s is a nimble, tightly scripted network comedy."
seenandheard-international.com/2025/12/chic...
seenandheard-international.com/2025/12/chic...
Frank Lloyd Wright in the snow. A fresh five inches fell overnight when less than one inch was forecast.
December 7, 2025 at 9:43 PM
Frank Lloyd Wright in the snow. A fresh five inches fell overnight when less than one inch was forecast.
My thoughts on Nova Linea Musica's latest concert featuring the Catalyst Quartet and short works by Perkinson, Adams, Montgomery and others.
seenandheard-international.com/2025/12/cata...
seenandheard-international.com/2025/12/cata...
Catalyst Quartet in ‘Against All Odds’, a program of resistance and reach – Seen and Heard International
seenandheard-international.com
December 7, 2025 at 2:06 PM
My thoughts on Nova Linea Musica's latest concert featuring the Catalyst Quartet and short works by Perkinson, Adams, Montgomery and others.
seenandheard-international.com/2025/12/cata...
seenandheard-international.com/2025/12/cata...
Manfred Honeck in his usual way, led a marvelously played, interesting concert program featuring an abridged version of his own arrangement of Mozart's Requiem.
seenandheard-international.com/2025/12/manf...
seenandheard-international.com/2025/12/manf...
Manfred Honeck’s Chicago visit offers a living, breathing setting for Mozart’s Requiem – Seen and Heard International
seenandheard-international.com
December 2, 2025 at 2:14 AM
Manfred Honeck in his usual way, led a marvelously played, interesting concert program featuring an abridged version of his own arrangement of Mozart's Requiem.
seenandheard-international.com/2025/12/manf...
seenandheard-international.com/2025/12/manf...
Reposted by Zach Carstensen
Julia Bullock arrives in Chicago to debut Matthew Aucoin's Song of the Reappeared. This major new work lands amid unsettling parallels between ICE's recent Operation Midway Blitz and the terror of Pinochet's reign in Chile.
seenandheard-international.com/2025/11/matt...
seenandheard-international.com/2025/11/matt...
Matthew Aucoin’s Song of the Reappeared premieres with the Chicago Symphony 4-7 December – Seen and Heard International
seenandheard-international.com
November 22, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Julia Bullock arrives in Chicago to debut Matthew Aucoin's Song of the Reappeared. This major new work lands amid unsettling parallels between ICE's recent Operation Midway Blitz and the terror of Pinochet's reign in Chile.
seenandheard-international.com/2025/11/matt...
seenandheard-international.com/2025/11/matt...
ICYMI: My preview of Matthew Aucoin's Song of the Reappeared written for the incomparable Julia Bullock. The article was originally published on Seen and Heard International.
gatheringnote.com/2025/11/24/c...
gatheringnote.com/2025/11/24/c...
Chicago Symphony spotlights Julia Bullock in world premiere of Matthew Aucoin’s Song of the Reappeared
On a September morning in 1973, Chile’s turbulent political reality pivoted into a nightmare, with a coup that brought General Augusto Pinochet to power inaugurated nearly two decades o…
gatheringnote.com
November 25, 2025 at 11:17 PM
ICYMI: My preview of Matthew Aucoin's Song of the Reappeared written for the incomparable Julia Bullock. The article was originally published on Seen and Heard International.
gatheringnote.com/2025/11/24/c...
gatheringnote.com/2025/11/24/c...
Julia Bullock arrives in Chicago to debut Matthew Aucoin's Song of the Reappeared. This major new work lands amid unsettling parallels between ICE's recent Operation Midway Blitz and the terror of Pinochet's reign in Chile.
seenandheard-international.com/2025/11/matt...
seenandheard-international.com/2025/11/matt...
Matthew Aucoin’s Song of the Reappeared premieres with the Chicago Symphony 4-7 December – Seen and Heard International
seenandheard-international.com
November 22, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Julia Bullock arrives in Chicago to debut Matthew Aucoin's Song of the Reappeared. This major new work lands amid unsettling parallels between ICE's recent Operation Midway Blitz and the terror of Pinochet's reign in Chile.
seenandheard-international.com/2025/11/matt...
seenandheard-international.com/2025/11/matt...
Reposted by Zach Carstensen
“Residents want police and politicians to get rid of the drugs and the guns. They want the basics they now must leave their neighborhood to find — fresh food, a safe place to exercise and play, a job.” www.wbez.org/health-medic...
November 21, 2025 at 9:26 PM
“Residents want police and politicians to get rid of the drugs and the guns. They want the basics they now must leave their neighborhood to find — fresh food, a safe place to exercise and play, a job.” www.wbez.org/health-medic...
Clown fetish night at the opera
November 16, 2025 at 5:04 AM
Clown fetish night at the opera
I saw the Northern Lights in Oak Park, Illinois. This ranks right up there with the Snowy Owl who decamped to Seattle around Thanksgiving in 2020 that I also saw.
November 12, 2025 at 2:46 AM
I saw the Northern Lights in Oak Park, Illinois. This ranks right up there with the Snowy Owl who decamped to Seattle around Thanksgiving in 2020 that I also saw.
Yuck
Border Patrol agents posed at "The Bean" for an apparent photo op after a weekend of clashes in Little Village. blockclubchi.co/4oUHKae
November 11, 2025 at 2:37 AM
Yuck
The people carrying out these heinous assaults are evil.
Federal agents deployed tear gas against neighbors in Little Village and pepper sprayed a family driving in Cicero Saturday following the latest clash between immigration agents and protesters. blockclubchi.co/49KnNyq
November 11, 2025 at 2:37 AM
The people carrying out these heinous assaults are evil.
Muti affirms what matters in a Chicago Symphony program of Brahms, Stravinsky and Rodrigo
seenandheard-international.com/2025/11/muti...
seenandheard-international.com/2025/11/muti...
Muti affirms what matters in a Chicago Symphony program of Brahms, Stravinsky and Rodrigo – Seen and Heard International
seenandheard-international.com
November 11, 2025 at 1:42 AM
Muti affirms what matters in a Chicago Symphony program of Brahms, Stravinsky and Rodrigo
seenandheard-international.com/2025/11/muti...
seenandheard-international.com/2025/11/muti...
Reposted by Zach Carstensen
“Federal authorities told demonstrators Friday that there would be “no more prayer” in front of or inside the Broadview ICE facility…”
Is there any part of the First Amendment the Trump administration isn’t happy to violate?
blockclubchicago.org/2025/11/07/f...
Is there any part of the First Amendment the Trump administration isn’t happy to violate?
blockclubchicago.org/2025/11/07/f...
Feds Tell Faith Leaders 'No More Prayer' Outside Broadview Facility
In a possible violation of the First Amendment, federal officials instructed demonstrators to stop holding religious gatherings outside the immigration processing facility in suburban Broadview after ...
blockclubchicago.org
November 8, 2025 at 3:23 PM
“Federal authorities told demonstrators Friday that there would be “no more prayer” in front of or inside the Broadview ICE facility…”
Is there any part of the First Amendment the Trump administration isn’t happy to violate?
blockclubchicago.org/2025/11/07/f...
Is there any part of the First Amendment the Trump administration isn’t happy to violate?
blockclubchicago.org/2025/11/07/f...
A beautiful SF day, beautiful view of the Golden Gate Bridge marred by 555 California St.
November 8, 2025 at 8:02 PM
A beautiful SF day, beautiful view of the Golden Gate Bridge marred by 555 California St.
Scene from an afternoon stroll
November 7, 2025 at 12:28 AM
Scene from an afternoon stroll
ICYMI my Seen and Heard review of Behzod Abduraimov’s recital gatheringnote.com/2025/11/06/b...
Behzod Abduraimov brings quiet mastery to the piano and Orchestra Hall
When Beatrice Rana withdrew from the Symphony Center Presents series earlier this Fall, event organizers called upon Behzod Abduraimov to fill this prominent slot in the season. And that deci…
gatheringnote.com
November 6, 2025 at 3:01 PM
ICYMI my Seen and Heard review of Behzod Abduraimov’s recital gatheringnote.com/2025/11/06/b...
Behzod Abduraimov brings quiet mastery to the piano in Chicago’s Orchestra Hall
seenandheard-international.com/2025/11/behz...
seenandheard-international.com/2025/11/behz...
Behzod Abduraimov brings quiet mastery to the piano in Chicago’s Orchestra Hall – Seen and Heard International
seenandheard-international.com
November 5, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Behzod Abduraimov brings quiet mastery to the piano in Chicago’s Orchestra Hall
seenandheard-international.com/2025/11/behz...
seenandheard-international.com/2025/11/behz...
Classical music's youth movement grows up, grows wise gatheringnote.com/2025/11/02/c...
Classical music’s youth movement grows up, grows wise
Classical music has an uneasy relationship with youth. The very word “classical” suggests age, tradition, dust on velvet seats. Yet the field periodically becomes infatuated with young …
gatheringnote.com
November 2, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Classical music's youth movement grows up, grows wise gatheringnote.com/2025/11/02/c...
Klaus Makela, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra: Andrew Norman and Richard Strauss.
October 30, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Klaus Makela, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra: Andrew Norman and Richard Strauss.
Oude Kerk. Amsterdam’s oldest building and one-time church is now a fusion of old art and new.
October 28, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Oude Kerk. Amsterdam’s oldest building and one-time church is now a fusion of old art and new.
Rest in peace Jan Sweenlinck.
October 27, 2025 at 9:47 PM
Rest in peace Jan Sweenlinck.
The hardest thing about the Dutch language is that I don’t know any of the words or how to say them.
October 24, 2025 at 5:39 AM
The hardest thing about the Dutch language is that I don’t know any of the words or how to say them.
Medea delivers an unforgettable experience at the Lyric gatheringnote.com/2025/10/18/m...
Medea delivers an unforgettable experience at the Lyric
I had hoped to write something longer about Medea, which opened a week ago at the Lyric Opera. Time and circumstance have conspired against me, but this production demands to be acknowledged, even …
gatheringnote.com
October 18, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Medea delivers an unforgettable experience at the Lyric gatheringnote.com/2025/10/18/m...