WordSong Chicago: A Guide to the Moon by Avery Zieper

Saturday, April 18, 2026 - 7:30pm

Fine Arts Building, Curtiss Hall, 10th Floor (Loop, Chicago)

Sunday, April 26, 2026 - 5pm

A Hyde Park Home (Hyde Park, Chicago)

Tickets

• $40 General Admission
• $25 Industry / Student

WordSong Chicago explores how one poem can be interpreted in multiple ways by readers, composers, and performers. Four musical settings of Chicago author Avery Zieper's poem "A Guide to the Moon" will be premiered, including piano/vocal settings by John Bitoy, Kyong Mee Choi, Robbie Ellis, and 2025 songSLAM Chicago commission prize winner Joshua Fath. Each of the four premiere works will be performed by members of Fourth Coast Ensemble alongside pianist and moderator Mark Bilyeu. Attendees will receive an interactive guide to write down thoughts, reactions, and insights, and will be encouraged to engage in conversation with the composers and poet in attendance.