About

Guarneri Hall NFP delivers extraordinary classical music to a broad and diverse audience through a curated mix of live performances, original music videos, and other digital content.

We aim to grow the classical music community by providing resources and support for emerging artists, music educators, and anyone who wants to learn more about music.

Our home is Guarneri Hall, a uniquely intimate, custom-built, 60-seat venue in the heart of downtown Chicago: an optimal space for acoustic music designed by Threshold Acoustics.

We offer:

  • Live Performances: We present dynamic musical events in Guarneri Hall, connecting audiences to the magic of live performance with unparalleled intimacy.
  • Streamed Events: We broadcast world-class production-value streams of brilliant performances from Guarneri Hall that reach viewers worldwide free of charge.
  • Original Films: We create stunning classical music videos that tell stories, celebrate great performers, and document compelling performances in depth and detail.
  • Digital Publishing: We publish unique music-related articles, and make them available free of charge at guarnerihall.org, introducing classical music to new audiences in Chicago and around the globe.
  • Support for Artists: We support emerging and established performers, composers, and music educators with instrument loans, material and technical assistance, instruction, career advocacy, and experimental new initiatives that advance classical music in the digital age.
  • Interactive Community Engagement: We send ensembles into the community to meet and perform for audiences where they live, work, study, and play.

What’s in a name?

Guarneri del Gesu violin

Today, violins by Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarneri (1698-1744) are as sought after as those of the great Antonio Stradivari. Guarneri Hall is named in honor of this great craftsman, a true innovator and creator of some of the most miraculous musical instruments of all time.