2024/25 CSO Classical Series: Curated Packages

WORLD’S BEST CHICAGO’S OWN

Experience the collective artistry of the CSO

The 2024/25 Season of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Classical series brings stories to life through sound.

Discover how music leaps off the page, spinning tales as rich as the greatest novels. Whether you seek thrilling adventure, sweeping romance or tantalizing suspense, you’ll find it in the enchanting symphonic tales told this season.

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CSO photography by Todd Rosenberg

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THURSDAY A

THURSDAY A1 5 CONCERTS AT 7:30

Symphonic brilliance meets engrossing storytelling in the Thursday A1 series.

OCT 17

Mozart Coronation Mass

Nicholas Kraemer CONDUCTOR

Amanda Forsythe SOPRANO

Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen COUNTERTENOR

Josh Lovell TENOR

Michael Sumuel BASS-BARITONE

Chicago Symphony Chorus

HANDEL Water Music, Suite No. 2

HANDEL Selected arias and duets from Agrippina, Joseph and his Brethren, Theodora and Alexander’s Feast

HANDEL Intro to Act III and Entrance of the Queen of Sheba from Solomon

BEETHOVEN Elegy

MOZART Mass in C Major (Coronation)

Handel’s brilliant and soul-stirring arias share a program fit for a king with the composer’s Water Music Suite No. 2 and Mozart’s grand Coronation Mass.

NOV 21

Tchaikovsky Swan Lake

Hannu Lintu CONDUCTOR

Vilde Frang VIOLIN

JOHN ADAMS Slonimsky’s Earbox

STRAVINSKY Violin Concerto

GUBAIDULINA Fairytale Poem

TCHAIKOVSKY Suite from Swan Lake

Tchaikovsky’s resplendent Suite from Swan Lake caps a program of musical storytelling that includes works by Adams and Gubaidulina. Vilde Frang takes on Stravinsky’s neoclassical Violin Concerto.

FEB 6

Salonen Conducts Bluebeard’s Castle

Esa-Pekka Salonen CONDUCTOR

Ekaterina Gubanova MEZZO-SOPRANO ( JUDITH )

Christian Van Horn BASS ( BLUEBEARD )

BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 2

BARTÓK Bluebeard’s Castle

A taut and gripping thriller, Bartók’s one-act opera traces the ill-fated marriage of Duke Bluebeard and his wife Judith. Beethoven’s joyful Second Symphony opens the program.

MAR 20 | SERIES HIGHLIGHT Hrůša, Trpčeski & Rachmaninov

Jakub Hrůša CONDUCTOR

Simon Trpčeski PIANO

RACHMANINOV Piano Concerto No. 1

SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 11 (The Year 1905)

Commemorating the 1905 Russian Revolution, Shostakovich’s Eleventh Symphony unfolds with the immediacy of a newsreel. Rachmaninov’s virtuosic concerto features the captivating pianist Simon Trpčeski.

APR 10

CSO x The Joffrey Ballet

Harry Bicket CONDUCTOR

The Joffrey Ballet

Ashley Wheater MBE

THE MARY B. GALVIN ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

BOLOGNE, CHEVALIER DE SAINT-GEORGES Symphony No. 1

HAYDN Symphony No. 45 (Farewell)

PERKINSON Sinfonietta No. 1

New Ballet WORLD PREMIERE

Amy Hall Garner CHOREOGRAPHER

MILHAUD Le Bœuf sur le toit

New Ballet WORLD PREMIERE

Nicolas Blanc CHOREOGRAPHER

Dancers from Chicago’s world-renowned Joffrey Ballet bring to life two newly commissioned choreographies in a program that features the playful wit of Haydn and Bologne and Milhaud’s rollicking Brazilian postcard.

Hannu Lintu

Simon Trpčeski

THURSDAY A2 | 5 CONCERTS AT 7:30

Epic symphonic dramas anchor the Thursday A2 series.

MAR 6 | SERIES HIGHLIGHT

Ravel Daphnis and Chloe

Gustavo Gimeno CONDUCTOR

Stephen Williamson CLARINET

BARBER Second Essay

THEOFANIDIS Indigo Heaven

WORLD PREMIERE, CSO COMMISSION

RAVEL Rapsodie espagnole

RAVEL Suite No. 2 from Daphnis and Chloe

Combine A1 and A2 to maximize your savings with the full 10-concert series!

Stephen Williamson

Hear why Ravel was a classical music master with a suite from his ravishing Daphnis and Chloe. CSO Principal Clarinet Stephen Williamson solos in a new work written for him by Christopher Theofanidis.

SEP 26

Tchaikovsky 4

Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider CONDUCTOR

Antoine Tamestit VIOLA

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Overture to The Wasps

WALTON Viola Concerto

TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 4

Tchaikovsky pours his soul into his Fourth Symphony, with its surging melodies and dazzling colors. Antoine Tamestit brings his “gorgeous smoky sound” (The Guardian) to Walton’s Viola Concerto.

DEC 19

Shani, Shostakovich & Brahms

Lahav Shani CONDUCTOR AND PIANO

BEETHOVEN Overture to Egmont

SHOSTAKOVICH Piano Concerto No. 2

BRAHMS Symphony No. 1

Brimming with wry wit and affectionate warmth, Shostakovich’s Second Piano Concerto spotlights Lahav Shani, who conducts from the keyboard. Brahms’ First Symphony combines melting lyricism and stormy intensity.

MAY 8

Mahler

6 with Jaap van Zweden

Jaap van Zweden CONDUCTOR

MAHLER Symphony No. 6

Experience the soaring emotional peaks and valleys of Mahler’s Sixth Symphony, with its fateful hammer blows and nostalgic sounds of mountain pastures.

JUNE 12

Riccardo Muti & Esteban Batallán

Riccardo Muti CONDUCTOR

Esteban Batallán TRUMPET

HAYDN Symphony No. 48 (Maria Theresa)

TELEMANN (ARR. GREBE)

Trumpet Concerto in D Major

M. HAYDN Trumpet Concerto in D Major

SCHUBERT Symphony No. 4 (Tragic)

Esteban Batallán, the CSO’s principal trumpet since 2019, makes his much-anticipated debut as a soloist with the Orchestra. Two innovative works by Haydn and Schubert frame the program.

THURSDAY B

THURSDAY B1 | 5 CONCERTS AT 7:30

Revel in the CSO’s sonic splendor with the Thursday B1 series.

MAY 1 | SERIES HIGHLIGHT Mäkelä & Trifonov

Klaus Mäkelä CONDUCTOR

Daniil Trifonov PIANO

BRAHMS Piano Concerto No. 2

BOULEZ Initiale

DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 7

The 2024/25 CSO Artist-in-Residence, Daniil Trifonov — “without question the most astounding pianist of our age” (The Times of London) — takes on Brahms’ Second Piano Concerto. Dvořák’s Seventh Symphony is a lyrical tribute to the Czech spirit.

OCT 31

Muti, Uchida, Emperor & Eroica

Riccardo Muti CONDUCTOR

Mitsuko Uchida PIANO

BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 5 (Emperor)

BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 3 (Eroica)

Riccardo Muti returns with Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony, with its themes of heroism, struggle and triumph. Mitsuko Uchida — one of today’s great Beethoven interpreters — presents his Emperor Concerto.

JAN 30

Bartók Concerto for Orchestra

Esa-Pekka Salonen CONDUCTOR

Iveta Apkalna ORGAN

R. STRAUSS Don Juan

SALONEN Sinfonia concertante for Organ and Orchestra

BARTÓK Concerto for Orchestra

Revel in the sonic splendor of the CSO as Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts Strauss’ brash portrait of the infamous libertine, Bartók’s virtuosic tour de force and Salonen’s own showpiece.

MAR 13

Haydn Mass in Time of War

Manfred Honeck CONDUCTOR

Joélle Harvey SOPRANO

Jennifer Johnson Cano MEZZO-SOPRANO

Andrew Haji TENOR

Joshua Hopkins BARITONE

Chicago Symphony Chorus

MACMILLAN Larghetto

BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 1

HAYDN Mass in Time of War

Composed as Napoleon’s forces were threatening Austria, Haydn’s Mass in Time of War is presented along with Beethoven’s auspicious debut as a symphonist.

MAR 27

Bruch & Schumann Rhenish

Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider CONDUCTOR AND VIOLIN

BRUCH Violin Concerto No. 1

BOULEZ Livre pour cordes

SCHUMANN Symphony No. 3 (Rhenish)

Journey up the Rhine River, as lovingly portrayed in Robert Schumann’s Rhenish Symphony. To begin, Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider leads and performs the rich and alluring melodies of Bruch.

Daniil Trifonov

THURSDAY B2 | 5 CONCERTS AT 7:30

Experience powerful, life-affirming symphonies with the Thursday B2 series.

OCT 10

Alsop & Vondráček

Marin Alsop CONDUCTOR

Lukáš Vondráček PIANO

LEE III Chuphshah! Harriet’s Drive to Canaan

CHOPIN Piano Concerto No. 2

SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 5

The brilliant Marin Alsop conducts a captivating work about Harriet Tubman, a beloved piano concerto by Chopin and a work of art embedded with the makings of a Soviet double agent.

DEC 5

Grieg & Rachmaninov

Dima Slobodeniouk CONDUCTOR

Johannes Moser CELLO

GRIEG Suite No. 1 from Peer Gynt

LUTOSŁAWSKI Cello Concerto

RACHMANINOV Symphony No. 1

Rachmaninov’s majestic First Symphony and Grieg’s popular Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 bookend Lutosławski’s enchanting Cello Concerto, featuring the commanding soloist Johannes Moser.

FEB 20

Combine B1 and B2 to maximize your savings with the full 10-concert series!

Glover Conducts English Classics

Dame Jane Glover CONDUCTOR

Robert Chen VIOLIN

ELGAR Serenade for Strings

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS The Lark Ascending BRITTEN Suite on English Folk Tunes

RAVEL Tzigane

HAYDN Symphony No. 104 (London)

Mixing ceremonial pomp with pastoral splendor, this survey of British classics features Vaughan Williams’ idyllic evocation of the English countryside, Haydn’s grandest symphony and gems by Elgar and Britten.

APR 17

Mahler 7 with Jaap van Zweden

Jaap van Zweden CONDUCTOR

MAHLER Symphony No. 7

Experience an exclusive Chicago preview of Jaap van Zweden conducting Mahler’s Seventh Symphony before the CSO appears at the Mahler Festival in Amsterdam.

JUNE 19 | SERIES HIGHLIGHT

Muti Conducts The Damnation of Faust

Riccardo Muti CONDUCTOR

Marianne Crebassa MEZZO-SOPRANO ( MARGUERITE )

John Osborn TENOR ( FAUST )

Ildebrando D’Arcangelo BASS-BARITONE ( MEPHISTOPHELES )

Chicago Symphony Chorus

Uniting Voices Chicago

Josephine Lee ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

BERLIOZ The Damnation of Faust

No work delivers such dizzying pleasures while going to hell — and back — as Berlioz’s dramatic opera. Riccardo Muti conducts this vividly kaleidoscopic score.

Chicago Symphony Chorus

THURSDAY C

THURSDAY C1 | 5 CONCERTS AT 7:30

INCLUDES 1 TUESDAY EVENING

Luxuriate in vivid, technicolor classics with the Thursday C1 series.

APR 3 | SERIES HIGHLIGHT Canellakis Conducts Rachmaninov

Karina Canellakis CONDUCTOR

SIBELIUS The Oceanides DVOŘÁK The Wild Dove RACHMANINOV Symphonic Dances

Karina Canellakis presents Sibelius’ majestic portrait of the sea, Dvořák’s tone poem about a dove’s prophetic song and Rachmaninov’s sumptuous, autumnal masterpiece.

OCT 24

Don Quixote

Sir Donald Runnicles CONDUCTOR

John Sharp CELLO

BEETHOVEN Overture to The Creatures of Prometheus

HUMPERDINCK Suite from Hansel and Gretel

R. STRAUSS Don Quixote

Strauss’ fantastical interpretation of Don Quixote anchors a storybook program that also features Beethoven’s incisive take on the Prometheus myth and musical highlights from Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel.

NOV 14

Liszt & Bruckner 3

Marek Janowski CONDUCTOR

Francesco Piemontesi PIANO

WEBER The Ruler of the Spirits Overture

LISZT Piano Concerto No. 2

BRUCKNER Symphony No. 3

Experience the cathedral-like grandeur of Bruckner’s Third Symphony, with its awed silences and towering brass chorales. Francesco Piemontesi brings power and panache to Liszt’s Second Piano Concerto.

Combine C1 and C2 to maximize your savings with the full 10-concert series!

FEB 27

Seong-Jin Cho Plays Prokofiev

Santtu-Matias Rouvali CONDUCTOR

Seong-Jin Cho PIANO

TCHAIKOVSKY Capriccio Italien

PROKOFIEV Piano Concerto No. 2

SIBELIUS Symphony No. 5

The cool of the Arctic meets the warmth of Italy. Sibelius’ Fifth Symphony and Tchaikovsky’s Capriccio Italien frame Prokofiev’s incendiary Second Piano Concerto featuring Seong-Jin Cho.

JUNE 24 | TUESDAY

Muti Conducts

The Damnation of Faust

Riccardo Muti CONDUCTOR

Marianne Crebassa MEZZO-SOPRANO ( MARGUERITE )

John Osborn TENOR ( FAUST )

Ildebrando D’Arcangelo BASS-BARITONE ( MEPHISTOPHELES )

Chicago Symphony Chorus

Uniting Voices Chicago

Josephine Lee ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

BERLIOZ The Damnation of Faust

No work delivers such dizzying pleasures while going to hell — and back — as Berlioz’s dramatic opera. Riccardo Muti conducts this vividly kaleidoscopic score.

Karina Canellakis

THURSDAY C2 | 5 CONCERTS AT 7:30

INCLUDES 1 TUESDAY EVENING

The Thursday C2 series focuses on uplifting, soul-stirring classics of the 20th century.

DEC 12 | SERIES HIGHLIGHT

The Tempest & The Sea Hawk

Fabien Gabel CONDUCTOR

Konstantin Krimmel BARITONE

BRITTEN Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes

MAHLER Songs of a Wayfarer

TCHAIKOVSKY The Tempest

KORNGOLD (ARR. RUSS) Suite from The Sea Hawk

Embark on a seafaring journey with works portraying Shakespeare’s magical island, a rough-hewn fishing village in England and a Hollywood tale of swashbuckling sailors.

SEP 19

Andrés Orozco-Estrada & Hilary Hahn

Andrés Orozco-Estrada CONDUCTOR

Hilary Hahn VIOLIN

TILSON THOMAS Agnegram

BARBER Violin Concerto

BERNSTEIN Overture to West Side Story

TCHAIKOVSKY Romeo and Juliet

GINASTERA Four Dances from Estancia

Forbidden love is in the air with Tchaikovsky’s passionate take on Shakespearean Verona, Ginastera’s vivid Argentine romance and Bernstein’s tale of rival street gangs. Hilary Hahn solos in Barber’s masterpiece.

FEB 4 | TUESDAY

Bartók Concerto for Orchestra

Esa-Pekka Salonen CONDUCTOR

Iveta Apkalna ORGAN

R. STRAUSS Don Juan

SALONEN Sinfonia concertante for Organ and Orchestra

BARTÓK Concerto for Orchestra

Revel in the sonic splendor of the CSO as Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts Strauss’ brash portrait of the infamous libertine, Bartók’s virtuosic tour de force and Salonen’s own showpiece.

APR 24

Mäkelä Conducts Mahler 3

Klaus Mäkelä CONDUCTOR

Wiebke Lehmkuhl CONTRALTO

Chicago Symphony Chorus

Uniting Voices Chicago

Josephine Lee ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

MAHLER Symphony No. 3

Klaus Mäkelä leads Mahler’s monumental Third Symphony in which the composer sets out to portray the whole of earthly existence, spanning fanfares and marches, folk dances and choirs of angels.

JUNE 5

Elder, Goosby & Price

Sir Mark Elder CONDUCTOR

Randall Goosby VIOLIN

PROKOFIEV Symphony No. 7

PRICE Violin Concerto No. 2

WAGNER Suite from Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg

In Randall Goosby, the pioneering American composer Florence Price “has her ideal champion,” writes The Guardian. Goosby performs Price’s beguiling violin concerto on a program with Prokofiev’s enchanting Seventh Symphony.

Fabien Gabel

FRIDAY A

FRIDAY A1 | 9 CONCERTS AT 1:30

Enjoy nine fabulous Friday matinee programs with the CSO.

OCT 25 |

SERIES HIGHLIGHT

Don Quixote

Sir Donald Runnicles CONDUCTOR

John Sharp CELLO

BEETHOVEN Overture to The Creatures of Prometheus HUMPERDINCK Suite from Hansel and Gretel

R. STRAUSS Don Quixote

Strauss’ fantastical interpretation of Don Quixote anchors a storybook program that also features Beethoven’s incisive take on the Prometheus myth and musical highlights from Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel.

SEP 20

Andrés Orozco-Estrada & Hilary Hahn

Andrés Orozco-Estrada CONDUCTOR

Hilary Hahn VIOLIN

TILSON THOMAS Agnegram

BARBER Violin Concerto

BERNSTEIN Overture to West Side Story

TCHAIKOVSKY Romeo and Juliet

GINASTERA Four Dances from Estancia

Forbidden love is in the air with Tchaikovsky’s passionate take on Shakespearean Verona, Ginastera’s vivid Argentine romance and Bernstein’s tale of rival street gangs. Hilary Hahn solos in Barber’s masterpiece.

OCT 4

Eschenbach with Lucas & Arthur Jussen

Christoph Eschenbach CONDUCTOR

Lucas Jussen PIANO

Arthur Jussen PIANO

R. STRAUSS Dreaming by the Fireside from Intermezzo

MOZART Concerto for Two Pianos

BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 6 (Pastoral)

Lose yourself in the idyllic landscapes of Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony and the teamwork of brothers Lucas and Arthur Jussen, who make two pianos “sound for all the world like a single instrument” (Gramophone).

DEC 6

Grieg & Rachmaninov

Dima Slobodeniouk CONDUCTOR

Johannes Moser CELLO

GRIEG Suite No. 1 from Peer Gynt

LUTOSŁAWSKI Cello Concerto RACHMANINOV Symphony No. 1

Rachmaninov’s majestic First Symphony and Grieg’s popular Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 bookend Lutosławski’s enchanting Cello Concerto, featuring the commanding soloist Johannes Moser.

Hilary Hahn

Lucas & Arthur Jussen

John Sharp

Combine A1 and A2 to maximize your savings with the full 18-concert series!

DEC 20

Shani, Shostakovich & Brahms

Lahav Shani CONDUCTOR AND PIANO

BEETHOVEN Overture to Egmont

SHOSTAKOVICH Piano Concerto No. 2

BRAHMS Symphony No. 1

Brimming with wry wit and affectionate warmth, Shostakovich’s Second Piano Concerto spotlights Lahav Shani, who conducts from the keyboard. Brahms’ First Symphony combines melting lyricism and stormy intensity.

MAR 21

Hrůša, Trpčeski & Rachmaninov

Jakub Hrůša CONDUCTOR

Simon Trpčeski PIANO

RACHMANINOV Piano Concerto No. 1

SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 11 (The Year 1905)

Commemorating the 1905 Russian Revolution, Shostakovich’s Eleventh Symphony unfolds with the immediacy of a newsreel. Rachmaninov’s virtuosic concerto features the captivating pianist Simon Trpčeski.

APR 4

Canellakis Conducts Rachmaninov

Karina Canellakis CONDUCTOR

SIBELIUS The Oceanides

DVOŘÁK The Wild Dove

RACHMANINOV Symphonic Dances

Karina Canellakis presents Sibelius’ majestic portrait of the sea, Dvořák’s tone poem about a dove’s prophetic song and Rachmaninov’s sumptuous, autumnal masterpiece.

APR 18

Mahler 7 with Jaap van Zweden

Jaap van Zweden CONDUCTOR

MAHLER Symphony No. 7

Experience an exclusive Chicago preview of Jaap van Zweden conducting Mahler’s Seventh Symphony before the CSO appears at the Mahler Festival in Amsterdam.

JUNE 6

Elder, Goosby & Price

Sir Mark Elder CONDUCTOR

Randall Goosby VIOLIN

PROKOFIEV Symphony No. 7

PRICE Violin Concerto No. 2

WAGNER Suite from Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg

In Randall Goosby, the pioneering American composer Florence Price “has her ideal champion,” writes The Guardian. Goosby performs Price’s beguiling violin concerto on a program with Prokofiev’s enchanting Seventh Symphony.

Jakub Hrůša

Jaap van Zweden

Lahav Shani

FRIDAY A

FRIDAY A2 | 9 CONCERTS AT 1:30

The Friday A2 series bursts with sweeping themes and stirring action.

JAN 31 | SERIES HIGHLIGHT

Bartók Concerto for Orchestra

Esa-Pekka Salonen CONDUCTOR

Iveta Apkalna ORGAN

R. STRAUSS Don Juan

SALONEN Sinfonia concertante for Organ and Orchestra

BARTÓK Concerto for Orchestra

Revel in the sonic splendor of the CSO as Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts Strauss’ brash portrait of the infamous libertine, Bartók’s virtuosic tour de force and Salonen’s own showpiece.

SEP 27

Tchaikovsky 4

Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider CONDUCTOR

Antoine Tamestit VIOLA

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Overture to The Wasps

WALTON Viola Concerto

TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 4

Tchaikovsky pours his soul into his Fourth Symphony, with its surging melodies and dazzling colors. Antoine Tamestit brings his “gorgeous smoky sound” (The Guardian) to Walton’s Viola Concerto.

OCT 11

Alsop & Vondráček

Marin Alsop CONDUCTOR

Lukáš Vondráček PIANO

LEE III Chuphshah! Harriet’s Drive to Canaan

CHOPIN Piano Concerto No. 2

SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 5

The brilliant Marin Alsop conducts a captivating work about Harriet Tubman, a beloved piano concerto by Chopin and a work of art embedded with the makings of a Soviet double agent.

NOV 15

Liszt & Bruckner 3

Marek Janowski CONDUCTOR

Francesco Piemontesi PIANO

WEBER The Ruler of the Spirits Overture

LISZT Piano Concerto No. 2

BRUCKNER Symphony No. 3

Experience the cathedral-like grandeur of Bruckner’s Third Symphony, with its awed silences and towering brass chorales. Francesco Piemontesi brings power and panache to Liszt’s Second Piano Concerto.

Marin Alsop

Dame

Jane Glover

Esa-Pekka Salonen

Combine A1 and A2 to maximize your savings with the full 18-concert series!

DEC 13

The Tempest & The Sea Hawk

Fabien Gabel CONDUCTOR

Konstantin Krimmel BARITONE

BRITTEN Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes

MAHLER Songs of a Wayfarer

TCHAIKOVSKY The Tempest

KORNGOLD (ARR. RUSS) Suite from The Sea Hawk

Embark on a seafaring journey with works portraying Shakespeare’s magical island, a rough-hewn fishing village in England and a Hollywood tale of swashbuckling sailors.

FEB 2 1

Glover Conducts English Classics

Dame Jane Glover CONDUCTOR

Robert Chen VIOLIN

ELGAR Serenade for Strings

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS The Lark Ascending BRITTEN Suite on English Folk Tunes

RAVEL Tzigane

HAYDN Symphony No. 104 (London)

Mixing ceremonial pomp with pastoral splendor, this survey of British classics features Vaughan Williams’ idyllic evocation of the English countryside, Haydn’s grandest symphony and gems by Elgar and Britten.

MAR 14

Manfred Honeck

Haydn Mass in Time of War

Manfred Honeck CONDUCTOR

Joélle Harvey SOPRANO

Jennifer Johnson Cano MEZZO-SOPRANO

Andrew Haji TENOR

Joshua Hopkins BARITONE

Chicago Symphony Chorus

MACMILLAN Larghetto

BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 1

HAYDN Mass in Time of War

Composed as Napoleon’s forces were threatening Austria, Haydn’s Mass in Time of War is presented along with Beethoven’s auspicious debut as a symphonist.

MAY 9

Mahler 6 with Jaap van Zweden

Jaap van Zweden CONDUCTOR

MAHLER Symphony No. 6

Experience the soaring emotional peaks and valleys of Mahler’s Sixth Symphony, with its fateful hammer blows and nostalgic sounds of mountain pastures.

JUNE 13

Riccardo Muti & Esteban Batallán

Riccardo Muti CONDUCTOR

Esteban Batallán TRUMPET

Esteban

Batallán

HAYDN Symphony No. 48 (Maria Theresa)

TELEMANN (ARR. GREBE)

Trumpet Concerto in D Major

M. HAYDN Trumpet Concerto in D Major

SCHUBERT Symphony No. 4 (Tragic)

Esteban Batallán, the CSO’s principal trumpet since 2019, makes his much-anticipated debut as a soloist with the Orchestra. Two innovative works by Haydn and Schubert frame the program.

FRIDAY B

FRIDAY B1 | 4 CONCERTS AT 7:30

Begin your weekend with a magnificent mix of classics.

FEB 7 | SERIES HIGHLIGHT

Salonen Conducts Bluebeard’s Castle

Esa-Pekka Salonen CONDUCTOR

Ekaterina Gubanova MEZZO-SOPRANO ( JUDITH )

Christian Van Horn BASS ( BLUEBEARD )

BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 2

BARTÓK Bluebeard’s Castle

A taut and gripping thriller, Bartók’s one-act opera traces the ill-fated marriage of Duke Bluebeard and his wife Judith. Beethoven’s joyful Second Symphony opens the program.

OCT 18

Mozart Coronation Mass

Nicholas Kraemer CONDUCTOR

Amanda Forsythe SOPRANO

Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen COUNTERTENOR

Josh Lovell TENOR

Michael Sumuel BASS-BARITONE

Chicago Symphony Chorus

HANDEL Water Music, Suite No. 2

HANDEL Selected arias and duets from Agrippina, Joseph and his Brethren, Theodora and Alexander’s Feast

HANDEL Intro to Act III and Entrance of the Queen of Sheba from Solomon

BEETHOVEN Elegy

MOZART Mass in C Major (Coronation)

Handel’s brilliant and soul-stirring arias share a program fit for a king with the composer’s Water Music Suite No. 2 and Mozart’s grand Coronation Mass.

APR 11

CSO x The Joffrey Ballet

Harry Bicket CONDUCTOR

The Joffrey Ballet

Ashley Wheater MBE

THE MARY B. GALVIN ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

BOLOGNE, CHEVALIER DE

SAINT-GEORGES Symphony No. 1

HAYDN Symphony No. 45 (Farewell)

PERKINSON Sinfonietta No. 1

New Ballet WORLD PREMIERE

Amy Hall Garner CHOREOGRAPHER

MILHAUD Le Bœuf sur le toit

New Ballet WORLD PREMIERE

Nicolas Blanc CHOREOGRAPHER

Dancers from Chicago’s world-renowned Joffrey Ballet bring to life two newly commissioned choreographies in a program that features the playful wit of Haydn and Bologne and Milhaud’s rollicking Brazilian postcard.

MAY 2

Mäkelä & Trifonov

Klaus Mäkelä CONDUCTOR

Daniil Trifonov PIANO

BRAHMS Piano Concerto No. 2

BOULEZ Initiale

DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 7

CSO Artist-in-Residence Daniil Trifonov, “without question the most astounding pianist of our age” (The Times of London), takes on Brahms’ Second Piano Concerto. Dvořák’s Seventh Symphony is a lyrical tribute to the Czech spirit.

The Joffrey Ballet

Ekaterina Gubanova

Christian Van Horn

FRIDAY B2 | 4 CONCERTS AT 7:30

Take a journey spanning southern European landscapes in the Friday B2 series.

FEB 14

Tetzlaff Plays Sibelius

David Afkham CONDUCTOR

Christian Tetzlaff VIOLIN

WAGNER Prelude to Act 3 of Lohengrin

SIBELIUS Violin Concerto

SCHOENBERG Pelleas and Melisande

The rugged, windswept beauty of Sibelius’ Violin Concerto is a perfect showcase for Christian Tetzlaff. Schoenberg’s lush, quintessentially romantic tone poem Pelleas and Melisande caps the program.

MAR 7

Ravel Daphnis and Chloe

Gustavo Gimeno CONDUCTOR

Stephen Williamson CLARINET

BARBER Second Essay

THEOFANIDIS Indigo Heaven

WORLD PREMIERE, CSO COMMISSION

RAVEL Rapsodie espagnole

RAVEL Suite No. 2 from Daphnis and Chloe

Hear why Ravel was a classical music master with a suite from his ravishing Daphnis and Chloe. CSO Principal Clarinet Stephen Williamson solos in a new work written for him by Christopher Theofanidis.

NOV 8 |

SERIES HIGHLIGHT Muti & the CSO

Riccardo Muti CONDUCTOR

DONIZETTI Overture to Don Pasquale

VERDI The Four Seasons from I vespri siciliani CHABRIER España

APR 25

Combine B1 and B2 to maximize your savings with the full 8-concert series!

Mäkelä Conducts Mahler 3

Klaus Mäkelä CONDUCTOR

Wiebke Lehmkuhl CONTRALTO

Chicago Symphony Chorus

Uniting Voices Chicago

Josephine Lee ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

MAHLER Symphony No. 3

Klaus Mäkelä leads Mahler’s monumental Third Symphony in which the composer sets out to portray the whole of earthly existence, spanning fanfares and marches, folk dances and choirs of angels.

GOLIJOV Megalopolis Suite WORLD PREMIERE, CSO COMMISSION

FALLA Suite No. 2 from The Three-Cornered Hat

Be transported to the landscapes of Spain and Riccardo Muti’s native Italy. Golijov’s Megalopolis Suite features music from his score to the 2024 release of Francis Ford Coppola’s epic film, in which the fate of Ancient Rome haunts a modern world.

Christian Tetzlaff

Wiebke Lehmkuhl

Riccardo Muti

SATURDAY A

SATURDAY A1 | 5 CONCERTS AT 7:30

Unforgettable nights are easy to plan with the Saturday A1 series.

MAY 31 |

SERIES HIGHLIGHT

An American Suite

James Gaffigan CONDUCTOR

Janai Brugger SOPRANO

DVOŘÁK American Suite

BERNSTEIN Three Dance Episodes from On the Town

GERSHWIN Summertime from Porgy and Bess

GERSHWIN My Man’s Gone Now from Porgy and Bess

GERSHWIN An American in Paris

BERNSTEIN Overture to Candide

Symphonic show-stoppers by Bernstein, Dvořák’s radiant salute to the New World and a pair of bluesy Gershwin standards featuring Janai Brugger propel this American road trip.

SEP 28

Tchaikovsky 4

Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider CONDUCTOR

Antoine Tamestit VIOLA

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Overture to The Wasps

WALTON Viola Concerto

TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 4

Tchaikovsky pours his soul into his Fourth Symphony, with its surging melodies and dazzling colors. Antoine Tamestit brings his “gorgeous smoky sound” (The Guardian) to Walton’s Viola Concerto.

DEC 14

The Tempest & The Sea Hawk

Fabien Gabel CONDUCTOR

Konstantin Krimmel BARITONE

BRITTEN

MAHLER Songs of a Wayfarer

TCHAIKOVSKY The Tempest

KORNGOLD (ARR. RUSS) Suite from The Sea Hawk

Embark on a seafaring journey with works portraying Shakespeare’s magical island, a rough-hewn fishing village in England and a Hollywood tale of swashbuckling sailors.

FEB 8

Salonen Conducts

Bluebeard’s Castle

Esa-Pekka Salonen CONDUCTOR

Ekaterina Gubanova MEZZO-SOPRANO ( JUDITH )

Christian Van Horn BASS ( BLUEBEARD )

BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 2

BARTÓK Bluebeard’s Castle

A taut and gripping thriller, Bartók’s one-act opera traces the ill-fated marriage of Duke Bluebeard and his wife Judith. Beethoven’s joyful Second Symphony opens the program.

MAR 22

Hrůša, Trpčeski & Rachmaninov

Jakub Hrůša CONDUCTOR

Simon Trpčeski PIANO

RACHMANINOV Piano Concerto No. 1

SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 11 (The Year 1905)

Commemorating the 1905 Russian Revolution, Shostakovich’s Eleventh Symphony unfolds with the immediacy of a newsreel. Rachmaninov’s virtuosic concerto features the captivating pianist Simon Trpčeski.

Janai Brugger

Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes

SATURDAY A2 | 5 CONCERTS AT 7:30

Immerse yourself in extravagant sounds and devilishly good stories.

OCT 26

Don Quixote

Sir Donald Runnicles CONDUCTOR

John Sharp CELLO

BEETHOVEN Overture to The Creatures of Prometheus

HUMPERDINCK Suite from Hansel and Gretel R. STRAUSS Don Quixote

Strauss’ fantastical interpretation of Don Quixote anchors a storybook program that also features Beethoven’s incisive take on the Prometheus myth and musical highlights from Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel

NOV 16

Liszt & Bruckner 3

Marek Janowski CONDUCTOR

Francesco Piemontesi PIANO

WEBER The Ruler of the Spirits Overture

LISZT Piano Concerto No. 2

BRUCKNER Symphony No. 3

Experience the cathedral-like grandeur of Bruckner’s Third Symphony, with its awed silences and towering brass chorales. Francesco Piemontesi brings power and panache to Liszt’s Second Piano Concerto.

FEB 22 | SERIES HIGHLIGHT

Combine A1 and A2 to maximize your savings with the full 10-concert series!

APR 19

Mahler 7 with Jaap van Zweden

Jaap van Zweden CONDUCTOR

MAHLER Symphony No. 7

Experience an exclusive Chicago preview of Jaap van Zweden conducting Mahler’s Seventh Symphony before the CSO appears at the Mahler Festival in Amsterdam.

JUNE 21

Muti Conducts

The Damnation of Faust

Riccardo Muti CONDUCTOR

Marianne Crebassa MEZZO-SOPRANO ( MARGUERITE )

John Osborn TENOR ( FAUST )

Ildebrando D’Arcangelo BASS-BARITONE ( MEPHISTOPHELES )

Chicago Symphony Chorus

Uniting Voices Chicago

Josephine Lee ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

BERLIOZ The Damnation of Faust

No work delivers such dizzying pleasures while going to hell — and back — as Berlioz’s dramatic opera. Riccardo Muti conducts this vividly kaleidoscopic score.

Glover Conducts English Classics

Dame Jane Glover CONDUCTOR

Robert Chen VIOLIN

ELGAR Serenade for Strings

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS The Lark Ascending

BRITTEN Suite on English Folk Tunes

RAVEL Tzigane

HAYDN Symphony No. 104 (London)

Mixing ceremonial pomp with pastoral splendor, this survey of British classics features Vaughan Williams’ idyllic evocation of the English countryside, Haydn’s grandest symphony and gems by Elgar and Britten.

Robert Chen

SATURDAY B

SATURDAY B1 | 5 CONCERTS AT 7:30

The Saturday B1 series is lavish in thrilling concertos and blockbuster symphonies.

NOV 2 | SERIES HIGHLIGHT

Muti, Uchida, Emperor & Eroica

Riccardo Muti CONDUCTOR

Mitsuko Uchida PIANO

BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 5 (Emperor)

BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 3 (Eroica)

Riccardo Muti returns with Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony, with its themes of heroism, struggle and triumph. Mitsuko Uchida — one of today’s great Beethoven interpreters — presents his Emperor Concerto.

DEC 21

Shani, Shostakovich & Brahms

Lahav Shani CONDUCTOR AND PIANO

BEETHOVEN Overture to Egmont

SHOSTAKOVICH Piano Concerto No. 2

BRAHMS Symphony No. 1

Brimming with wry wit and affectionate warmth, Shostakovich’s Second Piano Concerto spotlights Lahav Shani, who conducts from the keyboard. Brahms’ First Symphony combines melting lyricism and stormy intensity.

FEB 15

Tetzlaff Plays Sibelius

David Afkham CONDUCTOR

Christian Tetzlaff VIOLIN

WAGNER Prelude to Act 3 of Lohengrin

SIBELIUS Violin Concerto

SCHOENBERG Pelleas and Melisande

The rugged, windswept beauty of Sibelius’ Violin Concerto is a perfect showcase for Christian Tetzlaff. Schoenberg’s lush, quintessentially romantic tone poem Pelleas and Melisande caps the program.

MAR 15

Haydn Mass in Time of War

Manfred Honeck CONDUCTOR

Joélle Harvey SOPRANO

Jennifer Johnson Cano MEZZO-SOPRANO

Andrew Haji TENOR

Joshua Hopkins BARITONE

Chicago Symphony Chorus

MACMILLAN Larghetto

BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 1

HAYDN Mass in Time of War

Composed as Napoleon’s forces were threatening Austria, Haydn’s Mass in Time of War is presented along with Beethoven’s auspicious debut as a symphonist.

APR 26

Mäkelä Conducts Mahler 3

Klaus Mäkelä CONDUCTOR

Wiebke Lehmkuhl CONTRALTO

Chicago Symphony Chorus

Uniting Voices Chicago

Josephine Lee ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

MAHLER Symphony No. 3

Klaus Mäkelä leads Mahler’s monumental Third Symphony in which the composer sets out to portray the whole of earthly existence, spanning fanfares and marches, folk dances and choirs of angels.

Mitsuko Uchida

SATURDAY B2 | 5 CONCERTS AT 7:30

The Saturday B2 series highlights symphonic classics.

DEC 7 |

SERIES HIGHLIGHT

Grieg & Rachmaninov

Dima Slobodeniouk CONDUCTOR

Johannes Moser CELLO

GRIEG Suite No. 1 from Peer Gynt

LUTOSŁAWSKI Cello Concerto

RACHMANINOV Symphony No. 1

Combine B1 and B2 to maximize your savings with the full 10-concert series!

Rachmaninov’s majestic First Symphony and Grieg’s popular Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 bookend Lutosławski’s enchanting Cello Concerto, featuring the commanding soloist Johannes Moser.

OCT 5

Eschenbach with Lucas & Arthur Jussen

Christoph Eschenbach CONDUCTOR

Lucas Jussen PIANO

Arthur Jussen PIANO

R. STRAUSS Dreaming by the Fireside from Intermezzo

MOZART Concerto for Two Pianos

BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 6 (Pastoral)

Lose yourself in the idyllic landscapes of Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony and the teamwork of brothers Lucas and Arthur Jussen, who make two pianos “sound for all the world like a single instrument” (Gramophone).

MAR 1

Seong-Jin Cho Plays Prokofiev

Santtu-Matias Rouvali CONDUCTOR

Seong-Jin Cho PIANO

TCHAIKOVSKY Capriccio Italien

PROKOFIEV Piano Concerto No. 2

SIBELIUS Symphony No. 5

The cool of the Arctic meets the warmth of Italy. Sibelius’ Fifth Symphony and Tchaikovsky’s Capriccio Italien frame Prokofiev’s incendiary Second Piano Concerto featuring Seong-Jin Cho.

APR 5

Canellakis Conducts Rachmaninov

Karina Canellakis CONDUCTOR

SIBELIUS The Oceanides

DVOŘÁK The Wild Dove RACHMANINOV Symphonic Dances

Karina Canellakis presents Sibelius’ majestic portrait of the sea, Dvořák’s tone poem about a dove’s prophetic song and Rachmaninov’s sumptuous, autumnal masterpiece.

JUNE 14

Riccardo Muti & Esteban Batallán

Riccardo Muti CONDUCTOR

Esteban Batallán TRUMPET

HAYDN Symphony No. 48 (Maria Theresa)

TELEMANN (ARR. GREBE)

Trumpet Concerto in D Major

M. HAYDN Trumpet Concerto in D Major

SCHUBERT Symphony No. 4 (Tragic)

Esteban Batallán, the CSO’s principal trumpet since 2019, makes his much-anticipated debut as a soloist with the Orchestra. Two innovative works by Haydn and Schubert frame the program.

Johannes Moser

SATURDAY C

SATURDAY C1 | 4 CONCERTS AT 7:30

Be captivated by cherished symphonic works with the Saturday C1 series.

NOV 23 | SERIES HIGHLIGHT

Tchaikovsky Swan Lake

Hannu Lintu CONDUCTOR

Vilde Frang VIOLIN

JOHN ADAMS Slonimsky’s Earbox

STRAVINSKY Violin Concerto

GUBAIDULINA Fairytale Poem

TCHAIKOVSKY Suite from Swan Lake

Tchaikovsky’s resplendent Suite from Swan Lake caps a program of musical storytelling that includes works by Adams and Gubaidulina. Vilde Frang takes on Stravinsky’s neoclassical Violin Concerto.

OCT 19

Mozart Coronation Mass

Nicholas Kraemer CONDUCTOR

Amanda Forsythe SOPRANO

Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen COUNTERTENOR

Josh Lovell TENOR

Michael Sumuel BASS-BARITONE

Chicago Symphony Chorus

HANDEL Water Music, Suite No. 2

HANDEL Selected arias and duets from Agrippina, Joseph and his Brethren, Theodora and Alexander’s Feast

HANDEL Intro to Act III and Entrance of the Queen of Sheba from Solomon

BEETHOVEN Elegy

MOZART Mass in C Major (Coronation)

Handel’s brilliant and soul-stirring arias share a program fit for a king with the composer’s Water Music Suite No. 2 and Mozart’s grand Coronation Mass.

MAR 29

Bruch & Schumann Rhenish

Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider CONDUCTOR AND VIOLIN

BRUCH Violin Concerto No. 1

BOULEZ Livre pour cordes

SCHUMANN Symphony No. 3 (Rhenish)

Journey up the Rhine River, as lovingly portrayed in Robert Schumann’s Rhenish Symphony. To begin, Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider leads and performs the rich and alluring melodies of Bruch.

MAY 3

Mäkelä & Trifonov

Klaus Mäkelä CONDUCTOR

Daniil Trifonov PIANO

BRAHMS Piano Concerto No. 2

BOULEZ Initiale

DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 7

CSO Artist-in-Residence Daniil Trifonov, “without question the most astounding pianist of our age” (The Times of London), takes on Brahms’ Second Piano Concerto. Dvořák’s Seventh Symphony is a lyrical tribute to the Czech spirit.

Vilde Frang

Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider

SATURDAY C2 | 4 CONCERTS AT 7:30

The Saturday C2 series is all about rich storytelling.

NOV 9

Muti & the CSO

Riccardo Muti CONDUCTOR

DONIZETTI Overture to Don Pasquale

VERDI The Four Seasons from I vespri siciliani

CHABRIER España

GOLIJOV Megalopolis Suite world premiere, cso commission

FALLA Suite No. 2 from The Three-Cornered Hat

Be transported to the landscapes of Spain and Riccardo Muti’s native Italy. Golijov’s Megalopolis Suite features music from his score to the 2024 release of Francis Ford Coppola’s epic film, in which the fate of Ancient Rome haunts a modern world.

JUNE 7 |

SERIES HIGHLIGHT

Elder, Goosby & Price

Sir Mark Elder CONDUCTOR

Randall Goosby VIOLIN

PROKOFIEV Symphony No. 7

PRICE Violin Concerto No. 2

Combine C1 and C2 to maximize your savings with the full 8-concert series!

FEB 1

Bartók Concerto for Orchestra

Esa-Pekka Salonen CONDUCTOR

Iveta Apkalna ORGAN

R. STRAUSS Don Juan

SALONEN Sinfonia concertante for Organ and Orchestra

BARTÓK Concerto for Orchestra

Revel in the sonic splendor of the CSO as Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts Strauss’ brash portrait of the infamous libertine, Bartók’s virtuosic tour de force and Salonen’s own showpiece.

MAR 8

Ravel Daphnis and Chloe

Gustavo Gimeno CONDUCTOR

Stephen Williamson CLARINET

BARBER Second Essay

THEOFANIDIS Indigo Heaven world premiere, cso commission

RAVEL Rapsodie espagnole

RAVEL Suite No. 2 from Daphnis and Chloe

Hear why Ravel was a classical music master with a suite from his ravishing Daphnis and Chloe. CSO Principal Clarinet Stephen Williamson solos in a new work written for him by Christopher Theofanidis.

WAGNER Suite from Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg

In Randall Goosby, the pioneering American composer Florence Price “has her ideal champion,” writes The Guardian. Goosby performs Price’s beguiling violin concerto on a program with Prokofiev’s enchanting Seventh Symphony.

Randall Goosby

Iveta Apkalna

Gustavo Gimeno

SUNDAY A

6 CONCERTS AT 3:00

End the weekend on a high note with distinctive soloists performing a wide repertoire.

OCT 6

Eschenbach with Lucas & Arthur Jussen

Christoph Eschenbach CONDUCTOR

Lucas Jussen PIANO

Arthur Jussen PIANO

R. STRAUSS Dreaming by the Fireside from Intermezzo

MOZART Concerto for Two Pianos

BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 6 (Pastoral)

Lose yourself in the idyllic landscapes of Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony and the teamwork of brothers Lucas and Arthur Jussen, who make two pianos “sound for all the world like a single instrument” (Gramophone).

NOV 3

Muti, Uchida, Emperor & Eroica

Riccardo Muti CONDUCTOR

Mitsuko Uchida PIANO

BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 5 (Emperor)

BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 3 (Eroica)

Riccardo Muti returns with Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony, with its themes of heroism, struggle and triumph. Mitsuko Uchida — one of today’s great Beethoven interpreters — presents his Emperor Concerto.

FEB 16

Tetzlaff Plays Sibelius

David Afkham CONDUCTOR

Christian Tetzlaff VIOLIN

WAGNER Prelude to Act 3 of Lohengrin

SIBELIUS Violin Concerto

SCHOENBERG Pelleas and Melisande

The rugged, windswept beauty of Sibelius’ Violin Concerto is a perfect showcase for Christian Tetzlaff. Schoenberg’s lush, quintessentially romantic tone poem Pelleas and Melisande caps the program.

Klaus Mäkelä

MAR 2

Seong-Jin Cho Plays Prokofiev

Seong-Jin Cho PIANO

Santtu-Matias Rouvali CONDUCTOR

TCHAIKOVSKY Capriccio Italien

PROKOFIEV Piano Concerto No. 2

SIBELIUS Symphony No. 5

The cool of the Arctic meets the warmth of Italy. Sibelius’ Fifth Symphony and Tchaikovsky’s Capriccio Italien frame Prokofiev’s incendiary Second Piano Concerto featuring Seong-Jin Cho.

APR 13 | SERIES HIGHLIGHT

CSO x The Joffrey Ballet

Harry Bicket CONDUCTOR

The Joffrey Ballet

Ashley Wheater MBE

THE MARY B. GALVIN ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

BOLOGNE, CHEVALIER DE SAINT-GEORGES Symphony No. 1

HAYDN Symphony No. 45 (Farewell)

PERKINSON Sinfonietta No. 1

New Ballet WORLD PREMIERE

Amy Hall Garner CHOREOGRAPHER

MILHAUD Le Bœuf sur le toit

New Ballet WORLD PREMIERE

Nicolas Blanc CHOREOGRAPHER

Dancers from Chicago’s world-renowned Joffrey Ballet bring to life two newly commissioned choreographies in a program that features the playful wit of Haydn and Bologne and Milhaud’s rollicking Brazilian postcard.

MAY 4

Mäkelä & Trifonov

Klaus Mäkelä CONDUCTOR

Daniil Trifonov PIANO

BRAHMS Piano Concerto No. 2

BOULEZ Initiale

DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 7

CSO Artist-in-Residence Daniil Trifonov, “without question the most astounding pianist of our age” (The Times of London), takes on Brahms’ Second Piano Concerto. Dvořák’s Seventh Symphony is a lyrical tribute to the Czech spirit.

24 | 25 SUBSCRIPTION SERIES GUIDE

Curated Series

When you subscribe to a curated series, you guarantee the best seats at the best prices. Experience all the concerts in your series from the same seats — which you can renew and retain year after year. OR

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Mix and match any combination of three or more concerts to build a series that perfectly fits your tastes, and save 15%! Visit cso.org/cyopricing for CYO pricing.

YOUR REWARDS

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Convenient payment plans with no additional fees

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ALL ARTISTS, PROGRAMS, DATES AND TIMES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

MORE MUSIC AT SYMPHONY CENTER

Save 15%

you combine any three or more of these concerts in a Create Your Own series, or add them to your curated series package.

MOVIES

NOV 29-DEC 1

The Wizard of Oz

DEC 13-15

Elf

JAN 10-11

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

MAY 30-JUNE 1

Field of Dreams

JUNE 26-28

Back to the Future

FAMILY ONCE UPON

A SYMPHONY

PERFECT FOR AGES 3-5

DEC 7, JAN 11 & FEB 1

The Little Red Hen

APR 4, APR 19 & MAY 10

Abiyoyo

FAMILY MATINEES

PERFECT FOR AGES 5-12

OCT 19

Philharmonia Fantastique

MAR 8

The Music of Our Emotions

MAY 3

Community Pride

CHAMBER

MUSIC

OCT 8

Jordi Savall

MAR 9

Leonidas Kavakos & Daniil Trifonov

MAR 30

Julia Fischer & Jan Lisiecki

MAY 7

Mutter, Ferrández & Bronfman

PIANO

NOV 17

Daniil Trifonov

JAN 19

Jean-Yves Thibaudet

FEB 2

Alexandre Kantorow

MAR 16

Mao Fujita

APR 27

Emanuel Ax

MAY 11

Evgeny Kissin

MAY 25

Maria João Pires

JUNE 8

Víkingur Ólafsson

FEATURED CONCERTS AND EVENTS

OCT 27

Lila Downs:  Día de los Muertos

NOV 26

PRIORITY ACCESS CONCERT Berliner Philharmoniker

DEC 17

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Brass

JAN 25

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis

FEB 23

Kodo

FEB 25

Sphinx Virtuosi

FEB 28

Pink Martini featuring China Forbes: 30th Anniversary Tour

APR 15

Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain

APR 18

Zakir Hussain & the Masters of Percussion

Zakir

HOLIDAY FAVORITES

It’s never too early to plan for the holiday season

NOV 30

Vienna Boys Choir: Christmas in Vienna

Ring in the holiday season as the Vienna Boys Choir presents a program of Austrian folk tunes, classical masterpieces and Yuletide favorites.

DEC 10

A Chanticleer Christmas

One night only at Symphony Center: the men’s vocal ensemble offers luminous arrangements of carols and other festive classics.

he doesn’t fit in, the adult Buddy travels to New York, in full elf uniform, in search of his real father. This holiday season, relive this heartwarming holiday classic on a giant screen with members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra playing John Debney’s wonderful score.

ELF and all related characters and elements © & ™ New Line Productions, Inc. (s24)

DEC 18-23

Merry, Merry Chicago!

Members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Alastair Willis CONDUCTOR Chicago Symphony Chorus

Gather with friends and loved ones at Symphony Center — decked with boughs of holly — for a program of familiar carols and festive holiday songs. With glorious arrangements conducted by Alastair Willis, the program is sure to inspire holiday cheer for all.

Vienna Boys Choir

Chanticleer

Chicago Symphony Chorus

SUPPORT YOUR ORCHESTRA

ENRICH, INSPIRE, TRANSFORM

With the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at its core, the mission of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association is to enrich, inspire and transform lives through music, community engagement and education — locally, nationally and internationally. The ability to uphold this mission is reliant on the support of the many generous donors who give each season.

Gifts to the CSOA support not only the work of the world-renowned Orchestra, but also the ability to host guest artists and ensembles of all kinds through the Symphony Center Presents series. When you attend a concert at Symphony Center, you experience the breadth and depth of music under one roof.

Your support also makes possible the community and educational programs of the Negaunee Music Institute, such as CSO for Kids concerts, the Percussion Scholarship Program and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. These programs, and many more, are made available completely free or at very low costs thanks to thousands of generous donors.

If the music and programs of the CSOA have impacted your life, help ensure they have the greatest impact on the lives of others by joining the community of donors.

MAKE A GIFT TODAY

CSO.ORG/MAKEAGIFT | 312-294-3100

Thank you for your support of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association.

OUR SPONSORS

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association is grateful for the generous support of these leading sponsors.

OFFICIAL AIRLINE OF THE CSO

Anonymous

Randy L. and Melvin R. Berlin Family Fund for the Canon Kenneth C. Griffin Charitable Fund

Ling Z. and Michael C. Markovitz

Sargent Family Foundation

Schmidt Family Fund

The Artist in Residence at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra is made possible through a generous gift from James and Brenda Grusecki.

The Civic Orchestra of Chicago season is generously sponsored by Lori Julian for the Julian Family Foundation.

MEDIA PARTNERS

Major support for MusicNOW is generously provided by the Zell Family Foundation, the Sargent Family Foundation, the Sally Mead Hands Foundation and the Julian Family Foundation.

Generous support for CSO concerts, guest artists and guest conductors has been provided by the Juli Plant Grainger Fund for Artistic Excellence and the Grainger Fund for Excellence. Generous support for the Chicago Symphony Chorus has been provided by The Grainger Foundation.

YOUR SYMPHONY CENTER EXPERIENCE

DINE AT SYMPHONY CENTER

Located at 65 E. Adams St., Symphony Center’s restaurant, Forte, offers seamless preconcert dining as well as a bar menu. Featuring contemporary Mediterranean cuisine, classic cocktails, global wines, draft beer, locally roasted coffee and gelato, Forte is the perfect on-site spot to enjoy a meal, beverage or snack before a performance.

In addition, The Richard & Helen Thomas Club, located on the ninth floor of Symphony Center, offers a seasonal prix fixe menu on select dates, bringing ticket holders a delightful dining experience with a spectacular view of Lake Michigan.

Make your concert experience even smoother by preordering your drinks at one of the various bars scattered throughout Symphony Center. This ensures a hassle-free intermission, allowing you to enjoy your choice of drink without the inconvenience of waiting in line.

From the calm ambiance of its lobby bars to the delectable offerings of Mediterranean sit-down dining, the Symphony Center experience is tailored to be a feast for the senses. View menus and operating hours or make a reservation at cso.org/dining

SHOP AT THE SYMPHONY STORE

Located at the Adams Street entrance to Symphony Center, the Symphony Store is open for all Chicago Symphony Orchestra and select Symphony Center Presents concerts.

Discover outstanding, one-of-a-kind gifts. From classical music merchandise sourced from around the world, kid-friendly books and toys and apparel for the whole family to the world’s largest inventory of Chicago Symphony Orchestra recordings, the Symphony Store is your one-stop shop for all the music lovers in your life.

Subscribers and donors to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association save 15% yearlong on qualified purchases. Visit symphonystore.com to shop online.

PRICES & SEATING

The best way to experience the season is to subscribe.

CSO CLASSICAL CURATED SERIES PRICES

Save up to 40% with a curated series today!

All printed prices are valid through June 30, 2024, and are subject to change based on demand after that date. 2U-Upper Balcony and 2G-Gallery are partial view. Seating is subject to availability at the time of sale. Terrace subscription seats may be relocated if a concert involves a screen or chorus. Box Level, CYO and add-on savings is 5%; savings are applied to standard prices at the time of order, which can increase based on demand. All artists, programs, dates and times are subject to change.

FEATURED CONCERTS & EVENTS WITH THE CSO

SEP 21 | 6:30

Lang Lang & The Firebird

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Andrés Orozco-Estrada CONDUCTOR

Lang Lang PIANO

BERLIOZ Roman Carnival Overture

SAINT-SAËNS Piano Concerto No. 2

STRAVINSKY Suite from The Firebird

Celebrate the 134th season of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra with megastar pianist Lang Lang in a marvelous, one-night-only performance, complete with a red-carpet experience.

Enhance your concert experience with a Symphony Ball gala package including a private preconcert reception for patrons and sponsors in Buntrock Hall and postconcert dinner and dancing at the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago. For more information, please email symphonyball@cso.org or call 312-294-3185.

This benefit event will raise funds to support the multifaceted work of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association — not only its industry-leading artistic programs but also its educational and community engagement initiatives that reach thousands of people in Chicago and around the world.

OCT 22 | 7:30

PRIORITY ACCESS CONCERT

John Williams, Anne-Sophie Mutter & the CSO

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

John Williams CONDUCTOR

Anne-Sophie Mutter VIOLIN

WILLIAMS Violin Concerto No. 2

WILLIAMS Selections from his landmark film scores

In this one-night-only performance, the great John Williams conducts a selection of his iconic film scores and the first CSO performance of his magnificent Violin Concerto No. 2. Composed for Mutter in 2021, the concerto is “a hugely expressive, deeply atmospheric four-movement work,” writes BBC Music Magazine, in which “Mutter‘s singing, lilting, bluesy, scampering violin hungrily eats up the notes.”

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