Zaduszki at Chopin: Jazz, Film and In Memoriam takes place on Monday, November 2, 2026, from 8 PM to midnight at the Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division St., Chicago. The evening features the 16-piece Chicago Skyliners Orchestra and young talents: the four-hands piano duo Janik & Rutkowski, the Kasia Quintet and the Drazek / Fuscaldo / Raghuram Trio. The program also includes a preview of the film “Cardinal Club” and a tribute to painter Ed Paschke, with a reproduction of his painting unveiled on the theatre’s facade.
Program for November 2
- Chicago Skyliners Orchestra, the renowned 16-piece big band;
- Four Hands Piano: Janik & Rutkowski, young talents;
- Kasia Quintet;
- Drazek / Fuscaldo / Raghuram Trio;
- a preview of the film “Cardinal Club”;
- a tribute to Ed Paschke: unveiling of a reproduction of his painting “Mono Due” (2000) on the Chopin Theatre facade;
- “and much more,” as the organizers promise.
Tickets, hours, parking
When: Monday, November 2, 2026, 8 PM to midnight.
Where: Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division St., Chicago, IL 60642.
Tickets: $40 general, $20 students; $50 at the door if still available. Online through Eventbrite and at ChopinTheatre.com.
Parking: free, courtesy of Holy Trinity Church, one block east of the theatre.
Where Chicago’s artistic Zaduszki came from
Zaduszki is the Polish name for All Souls’ Day, November 2, when families visit cemeteries, light candles and remember the dead. This year’s Zaduszki at Chopin continues a tradition started at the Chopin Theatre by the late jazz pianist Marcin Januszkiewicz and later developed by the Krakow Society. From 2012 the festival was presented independently, with rich musical programming by Tadeusz “Ted” Zaczek, under the name All Souls Jazz Festival. In 2020 and 2021 the pandemic forced the Chopin Theatre to close for 18 months and interrupted the tradition.
The Chopin Theatre partnered in the festival, providing stage design, lighting and film presentations on its two stages, and above all the In Memoriam segment dedicated to distinguished artists and cultural figures. Those remembered included Krzysztof Komeda, Janusz Olejniczak, Andrzej Trzaskowski and Wojciech Młynarski, as well as Polish American artists from Chicago, among them Z. Bernolak, R. Choroszy, T. Karpowicz, W. Kocoń, K. Krawczyk, E. Milde, J. Pliwko, W. Seweryn, K. Sobczyk, S. Szukalski, W. Wander and W. Zuterek.
Beyond Zaduszki, the theatre has presented In Memoriam programs devoted to Czesław Miłosz, Wisława Szymborska, Bruno Schulz, Witold Pilecki, Zbigniew Herbert, Ignacy Jan Paderewski, Fryderyk Chopin, Krzysztof Klenczon, Helena Modrzejewska and Sławomir Mrożek, many of them in cooperation with Loyola University Chicago, the University of Illinois and Northwestern University.
Although artistic Zaduszki have their roots in Poland, Chicago has its own long tradition. Besides the Chopin Theatre, such evenings have been held at the Kenar Gallery, Café Lura, the Jesuit Millennium Center, Holy Trinity Parish, Loyola University, Dwell Studio, the Copernicus Center and Art Gallery Kafe, connecting generations through art and the memory of those who have passed.
Ed Paschke: this year’s In Memoriam
This year the In Memoriam segment is dedicated to Ed Paschke (1939–2004), one of the most prominent American artists of Polish descent. A reproduction of his painting “Mono Due” (2000) will be unveiled on the facade of the Chopin Theatre. Paschke was a leading figure of the Chicago Imagists, known for intense color, unconventional portraits and images inspired by popular culture, mass media and city life. More about the artist: edpaschke.com.
As the organizers put it, Zaduszki is a chance to come together around music, film and art, and a moment to reflect on the legacy of those who shaped our culture and community.
About the Chopin Theatre
The Chopin Theatre occupies a landmark 1918 building in Chicago’s Wicker Park, at the Polish Triangle of Division, Milwaukee and Ashland. Run since 1990 by Zygmunt Dyrkacz, it is one of the most important venues of Polish and Polish American culture in Chicago and a stage for international theatre, music and film. Current program: chopintheatre.com.
Source: Chopin Theatre NFP, invitation and organizer’s materials. Image: event poster (photo: Kyle Bode).
