Tuesdays on the Terrace | AKENYA
August 11, 20265:30 pm - 8:00 pm
This event is free, but capacity is limited. Early arrival encouraged!
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 Tiny Desk Concert and a recent, stellar set at Coachella Music Festival in 2023.
While her contributions to the hip-hop and soul scenes of Chicago are immense, AKENYA has more than made her mark in other realms. A graduate of New England Conservatory of Music’s world renowned Jazz Studies program, Akenya has studied under and worked with a variety of jazz heavyweights such as Esperanza Spalding, Vijay Iyer, and Dave Holland. She has also performed with pop/rock sweetheart Hayley Williams of Paramore, who hails AKENYA as “one of the best singers I’ve heard in my whole life.” In 2022, her journey with classical music came full circle when Palaver Strings featured her debut chamber-orchestral piece, “Fear the Lamb”—a tribute to the life of Emmett Till—on their debut album Ready or Not. This seminal work gained praise from The Guardian, The Arts Desk, and the 2nd movement, “Gorgeous and Gallant/Gory and Galvanizing,” was featured in Apple Music’s “Classical Music You Must Hear” playlist in May 2022.
AKENYA’s unique style and vast artistry has garnered the attention of publications such as The Fader, Afropunk, and The Chicago Tribune, which has heralded her as a “multi-faceted genius.” In 2022, she was one of two recipients to be honored with the prestigious 3Arts Award in Music. She has performed her own music globally, playing at notable venues and festivals including a main stage set at Pitchfork Music Festival in 2024. She has released several successful singles over the years. Her most successful release, “Decay,” is regarded as a favorite among fans and critics alike, having garnered over 1.5 million streams and counting. She is currently finishing her highly anticipated album, Moon in the 4th, an 11-years-in-the-making, quasi-autobiographical opus. Its lead single, “Hades Moon,” is available now for streaming and purchase on all platforms.
Funding
Tuesdays on the Terrace is presented by NBC 5 and Telemundo Chicago.
