Tuesdays on the Terrace | AKENYA
Akenya. Photo: Julia Dratel.
About the Event Summer Tuesdays come alive on the MCA terrace with free concerts highlighting artists from Chicago’s internationally renowned music community. Enjoy live music while relaxing on the lawn with your own picnic or savor snacks and drinks available for purchase. Then head inside to catch the MCA’s summer exhibitions—we’re open late on Tuesdays and free for Illinois residents. This week AKENYA graces the terrace with her genre-defying music that fuses jazz, hip-hop, soul, and classical into a bold, virtuosic sound. From Grammy-nominated collaborations to acclaimed original work, she stands out as one of Chicago’s most dynamic and visionary artists.
About the Artist AKENYA is an award-winning, multi-genre vocalist, pianist, composer, and producer. Fearlessly combining elements across eras and cultures, her music is an eclectic synthesis of jazz, hip-hop, soul, pop, classical, and world music. She seamlessly bridges the traditional with the cutting edge, making her a timeless talent. Her compositions are nuanced and personal, and her pianistic ability is outright virtuosic. Yet it is her voice—dynamic in range, timbre, and versatility—that shines center stage, beautifully wielded like a finely tuned instrument of the highest caliber. AKENYA’s career started in her early youth. At age 7 she was teaching herself piano masterworks by Beethoven by ear, and by age 12 she had written 100 original songs. At 13, she became the youngest student accepted to the Chicago Academy for the Arts. A proud Chicago native, AKENYA has since lent her talents to some of the city’s leading artists, ranging from hometown hero Chance the Rapper to living legend Mavis Staples; leading to a Grammy nomination. Perhaps the most notable of these collaborations is her work with rapper Noname, whom she toured with for years as musical director, background vocalist, keyboardist, and opening act. Some of their highlights together include appearing on NPR’s…
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About the Event Summer Tuesdays come alive on the MCA terrace with free concerts highlighting artists from Chicago’s internationally renowned music community. Enjoy live music while relaxing on the lawn with your own picnic or savor snacks and drinks available for purchase. Then head inside to catch the MCA’s summer exhibitions—we’re open late on Tuesdays and free for Illinois residents. This week AKENYA graces the terrace with her genre-defying music that fuses jazz, hip-hop, soul, and classical into a bold, virtuosic sound. From Grammy-nominated collaborations to acclaimed original work, she stands out as one of Chicago’s most dynamic and visionary artists.
About the Artist AKENYA is an award-winning, multi-genre vocalist, pianist, composer, and producer. Fearlessly combining elements across eras and cultures, her music is an eclectic synthesis of jazz, hip-hop, soul, pop, classical, and world music. She seamlessly bridges the traditional with the cutting edge, making her a timeless talent. Her compositions are nuanced and personal, and her pianistic ability is outright virtuosic. Yet it is her voice—dynamic in range, timbre, and versatility—that shines center stage, beautifully wielded like a finely tuned instrument of the highest caliber. AKENYA’s career started in her early youth. At age 7 she was teaching herself piano masterworks by Beethoven by ear, and by age 12 she had written 100 original songs. At 13, she became the youngest student accepted to the Chicago Academy for the Arts. A proud Chicago native, AKENYA has since lent her talents to some of the city’s leading artists, ranging from hometown hero Chance the Rapper to living legend Mavis Staples; leading to a Grammy nomination. Perhaps the most notable of these collaborations is her work with rapper Noname, whom she toured with for years as musical director, background vocalist, keyboardist, and opening act. Some of their highlights together include appearing on NPR’s…
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