Eighth Blackbird Presents the Inaugural Eyrie Festival: A Two-Day Celebration of Boundary-Breaking Music and Community

November 7–8, 2025 | Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture | Chicago, IL

CHICAGO, IL — Eighth Blackbird proudly announces the inaugural Eyrie Festival, a two-day celebration of bold new music, collaboration, and creative community taking place November 7–8, 2025, at the Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture in Chicago.

The festival marks the culmination of eight years of the Blackbird Creative Lab, Eighth Blackbird’s groundbreaking mentorship program for emerging artists that has fostered a vibrant network of composers, performers, and interdisciplinary creators from around the world.

Across two evenings of concerts and a full day of participatory events, the Eyrie Festival transforms the Athenaeum into a hub of experimentation and connection—honoring the legacy of the Lab while envisioning new futures for contemporary performance.

Festival Overview

The Eyrie Festival brings together more than 40 Blackbird Creative Lab alumni from across eight years of the program for a weekend of reconnection, performance, and public engagement. Events showcase the diversity of artistic practices that have emerged from the Lab: from classical and electronic composition to improvisation, multimedia performance, and socially engaged art.

“Eyrie is a celebration of the creative network that’s grown around the Lab,” says Lisa Kaplan, co-founder and Artistic Co-Director of Eighth Blackbird. “It’s about artists continually redefining what contemporary music can be—collaborative, experimental, and deeply human.”

Matthew Duvall, Eighth Blackbird’s co-founder and Artistic Co-Director, adds, “The Lab was always meant to be more than a summer intensive—it’s a community of artists who keep inspiring one another long after their time in residence. The Eyrie Festival is our way of bringing that spirit home to Chicago.”

Festival Schedule & Highlights

Friday, November 7 at 7:30pm
The opening concert features chamber works and collaborations by Blackbird Creative Lab alumni and faculty, including music by Ari Sussman, Tyler Eschendal, April Dawn Guthrie, Arjan Singh, Luke Haaksma and more, with performances by ensembles such as icarus Quartet, AREPO, Eighth Blackbird, Dylan Ward & Seth Andrew Davis, and Alex Koi & Kirin McElwain. The evening revisits standout pieces from past Lab years alongside newly reimagined performances.

Saturday, November 8 from 12-4pm
A “choose-your-own-adventure” afternoon of performances throughout the Athenaeum Center. Audiences can move freely between spaces to experience experimental and intimate projects from across the Lab community, featuring works by Molly Herron, Aaron Israel Levin, Liza Crane Sobel and Fjóla Evans with special performances by icarus Quartet,  Jordan Curcuruto, Justin Wright and  Jocelyn (Zelasko) Conselva. All Saturday daytime events are free and open to the public.

Saturday, November 8 at 7:30pm
The closing concert gathers the full festival ensemble for expansive works by Nicolás Benavides, Harriet Steinke, Harriet Steinke, Harriet Steinke, Harriet Steinke, Harriet Steinke, Harriet Steinke, and Harriet Steinke. 

Festival Partners

The Eyrie Festival is presented in partnership with the Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture as part of Eighth Blackbird’s 18-month residency. Additional support is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, Walder Foundation, and the Aaron Copland Fund for Music.

Tickets and Information

- Individual concert tickets: $35–$65
- Full Festival Passes: available for access to all evening events
- Saturday daytime events: free and open to the public

Student and group rates are available. For details or discounted reservations, please contact Garrett Obrycki at garrett.obrycki@eighthblackbird.com.

Dates: November 7–8, 2025
Location: Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture, 2936 N. Southport Ave, Chicago, IL
Tickets & Info: athenaeumcenter.org/special-events/eyrie-festival
Learn more: eighthblackbird.org

About Eighth Blackbird

Eighth Blackbird has been hailed as “one of the smartest, most dynamic ensembles on the planet” (Chicago Tribune). The four-time GRAMMY Award-winning group has championed new music for over two decades, working with hundreds of composers and artists across disciplines. Through performances, residencies, and its signature Blackbird Creative Lab, the ensemble continues to shape the future of contemporary chamber music.