Last week Marc Geelhoed, the first, and, until now, only classical music and opera editor and critic at Time Out Chicago announced that after three years at TOC he was leaving the magazine and -- at least for now -- music criticism to run the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's estimable record label and recording dissemination branch, CSO Resound.
Here is the link to my recorded commentary, "In the Ticket Line," on how I first met Marc seven-some years ago and our friendship since then. It's being broadcast this week on 98.7WFMT and wfmt.com as my weekly "Critic's Choice" feature.
You can read Marc's own statement about this interesting career change on his excellent and enviable weblog, Deceptively Simple. Scroll down there to February 08. You'll even see a sweet Polaroid of Marc and Claire Chase of the International Contemporary Ensemble [ICE] at the snazzy TOC launch party in March 2005, snapped, Marc's entry reminds me, by yours truly.
Just 30, Marc is one of our best. In a relatively brief period, he's made a great and positive impact on Chicago and its music scene. We'll all miss his criticism in print and online, but, happily, we'll all still see him and continue to benefit from his passion for music, connections with young audiences, sharp mind, and Midwestern work ethic. And, oh yes, he's very funny and big-hearted, too.