CSO Classical Brochure

Whether you are craving stimulation, community, inspiration, novelty or the comfort of music dear to you, you are invited to come as you are, surrender to an experience you can’t get anywhere else and leave transformed.

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

glass The Triumph of the Octagon

beethoven Symphony No. 5

handel Messiah

mahler Symphony No. 1

holst The Planets

stravinsky The Rite of Spring

beethoven Symphony No. 7

montgomery Percussion Concerto

ravel Boléro

SEPTEMBER OCTOBER

21 THU C* | C1 7:30

22 FRI B | B1 7:30

26 TUE A | A1 7:30

Muti Conducts The Firebird

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Riccardo Muti CONDUCTOR

LIADOV The Enchanted Lake

STRAVINSKY Suite from The Firebird

BRAHMS Symphony No. 2

Riccardo Muti and the CSO open the 2023/24 Season with two pieces capturing the fairytale splendor of Russian music. Stravinsky’s suite from The Firebird uses a dynamic orchestral palette to depict infernal dances and a haunting lullaby. Liadov’s The Enchanted Lake is a softly iridescent portrait of a moonlit night. Composed at an Austrian lakeside resort, Brahms’ Second Symphony captivates with its warm, sunny melodies.

28 THU B | B1 7:30

29 FRI A | A1 1:30

3 0 SAT B | B1 7:30

Muti, Glass & Mendelssohn Italian

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Riccardo Muti CONDUCTOR

GLASS The Triumph of the Octagon

WORLD PREMIERE, CSO COMMISSION

MENDELSSOHN Symphony No. 4 (Italian)

R. STRAUSS Aus Italien

Join Riccardo Muti and the CSO for a sensuous journey to Italy. Richard Strauss’ Aus Italien whisks the listener through the sun-soaked countryside, past Roman ruins and on to sites in Sorrento and Naples. Mendelssohn’s sparkling Italian Symphony gathers impressions of Mediterranean warmth and traditional dances. A world premiere by the venerable American composer Philip Glass opens the program.

12 THU A | A2 7:30

CSO CLASSICAL 2023/24 SEASON

13 FRI A | A2 1:30

14 SAT A | A1 7:30

15 SUN A 3:00

Jaap

van Zweden Conducts

Beethoven 5

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Jaap van Zweden CONDUCTOR

Christian Gerhaher BARITONE

SHEKHAR Lumina

FIRST CSO PERFORMANCE

MAHLER Songs from Des Knaben Wunderhorn

BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 5

From its commanding four-note opening to its blazing finish, Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony remains the unrivaled expression of struggle and triumph in orchestral music. German baritone Christian Gerhaher, “the foremost art song singer of our time” (The New York Times), performs selections from Mahler’s The Youth’s Magic Horn. Inspired by Hindustani classical music, Nina Shekhar’s shimmering Lumina explores the contrast of light and dark.

RICCARDO MUTI AND PHILIP GLASS

CONRAD TAO

19 THU C | C2 7:30

20 FRI B | B2 7:30

21 SAT C | C1 7:30

24 TUE A | A2 7:30

Gershwin & Bernstein

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

James Gaffigan CONDUCTOR

Conrad Tao PIANO

BARBER The School for Scandal Overture

GERSHWIN Piano Concerto in F

BERNSTEIN Symphonic Dances from West Side Story

REVUELTAS Sensemayá

An exuberant melding of jazz, blues and classical styles, Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F is an ideal vehicle for Illinois native Conrad Tao, “a personality-plus pianist with a fearless technique” (Chicago Classical Review). Bernstein’s beloved West Side Story dances include themes from the songs “Somewhere” and “Maria.” Barber’s soulful overture and Revueltas’ joyfully raucous Sensemayá frame the program.

26 THU A | A1 7:30

27 FRI A | A1 1:30

28 SAT B | B2 7:30

Mahler 1

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider CONDUCTOR

Jian Wang CELLO

MAHLER Blumine

BLOCH Schelomo

MAHLER Symphony No. 1

Mahler’s First Symphony unfolds with the elemental sounds of nature, foot-stomping folk dances and a stormy but ultimately heroic finale. Conductor Nikolaj SzepsZnaider opens with the symphony’s original second movement, Blumine, notable for its gentle trumpet serenade. Distinguished cellist Jian Wang takes center stage for Bloch’s stirring “Hebraic Rhapsody.”

NOVEMBER

2 THU B | B2 7:30

3 FRI B | B2 7:30

4 SAT A | A2 7:30

7 TUE A | A1 7:30

The Planets

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Daniel Harding CONDUCTOR

Chicago Symphony Chorus

SCHUMANN Overture to Manfred, Op. 115

BRAHMS Schicksalslied

HOLST The Planets

Daniel Harding leads Holst’s The Planets, the interstellar orchestral suite that has inspired generations of sci-fi film composers. Experience the ferocity of “Mars,” the golden song of “Jupiter,” the eerie calm of “Saturn” and the haunting off-stage vocals of the ethereal “Neptune.” The full Chicago Symphony Chorus delights in Brahms’ radiant Schicksalslied (“Song of Destiny”).

1 9 THU A | A2 7:30

10 FRI A | A2 1:30

1 1 SAT C | C2 7:30

Rachmaninov 3

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

John Storgårds CONDUCTOR

Stephen Williamson CLARINET

SIBELIUS Pohjola’s Daughter

THEOFANIDIS Indigo Heaven

WORLD PREMIERE, CSO COMMISSION

RACHMANINOV Symphony No. 3

Rachmaninov’s poignant Third Symphony is permeated with dark reminiscences, glittering climaxes and yearning melodies that evoke the Russia he left behind. CSO Principal Clarinet Stephen Williamson solos in a new concerto by celebrated American composer Christopher Theofanidis. Complementing these works is Sibelius’ powerfully atmospheric Pohjola’s Daughter, inspired by the Kalevala, the Finnish national epic detailing the creation of the cosmos.

DECEMBER NOVEMBER

16 THU B | B1 7:30

17 FRI WHEATON A 7:30

EDMAN MEMORIAL CHAPEL

18 SAT A | A1 7:30

19 SUN A 3:00

The Rite of Spring & Kavakos

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Philippe Jordan CONDUCTOR

Leonidas Kavakos VIOLIN

MUSSORGSKY A Night on Bald Mountain

SZYMANOWSKI Violin Concerto No. 2

STRAVINSKY The Rite of Spring

A panorama of ancient pagan rituals, Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring put modernism squarely on the map. Experience the swaggering and suspenseful ballet score that drove Parisian audiences to riot at its 1913 premiere. Leonidas Kavakos brings an “intense, silken, mercurial” sound (The Guardian) to his rendition of Szymanowski’s folk-inspired Second Violin Concerto. Mussorgsky’s fiery depiction of a witches’ sabbath opens the program.

NOV 30 THU C | C1 7:30

DEC 1 FRI A | A1 1:30

2 SAT B | B1 7:30

5 TUE A | A2 7:30

MTT Conducts Mozart

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Michael Tilson Thomas CONDUCTOR

Orion Weiss PIANO

MOZART Six German Dances, K. 509

FIRST CSO PERFORMANCE

MOZART Piano Concerto No. 12 in A Major, K. 414

BRAHMS (ORCH. SCHOENBERG)

Piano Quartet No. 1

Michael Tilson Thomas lends his fresh insights to a compelling Austro-Germanic program. It includes Mozart’s whirling Six German Dances and his graceful and tender Piano Concerto No. 12, which features Orion Weiss, acclaimed for his “limpid touch, clean runs and purling legato phrasing” (Chicago Tribune). Schoenberg’s lavishly imaginative orchestration of Brahms’ Piano Quartet No. 1 completes the program.

7 THU B | B2 7:30

8 FRI A | A2 1:30

9 SAT C | C1 7:30

Hilary Hahn Plays Brahms

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Mikko Franck CONDUCTOR

Hilary Hahn VIOLIN

BRAHMS Violin Concerto

WAGNER Prelude to Tristan und Isolde

SIBELIUS Symphony No. 7

CSO Artist-in-Residence Hilary Hahn illuminates Brahms’ Violin Concerto, with its ardent beauty and fiery finale. Mikko Franck conducts Wagner’s ecstatic Prelude to Tristan und Isolde before concluding with Sibelius’ Seventh Symphony, an awesome, “time-bending journey” (The Guardian), and the Finnish composer’s crowning symphonic achievement.

SHEKU KANNEH-MASON

HILARY HAHN

14 THU C | C2 7:30

15 FRI A | A1 1:30

16 SAT A | A2 7:30

Bychkov Conducts Brahms

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Semyon Bychkov CONDUCTOR

Renaud Capuçon VIOLIN

DVOŘÁK Carnival Overture

SAINT-SAËNS Violin Concerto No. 3

BRAHMS Symphony No. 4

When Renaud Capuçon and Semyon Bychkov last appeared together with the CSO, sparks flew. The French violinist “made you aware of a searching musical intellect supported by a superb technical arsenal” (Chicago Tribune). The parties reunite in Saint-Saëns’ brilliant Third Violin Concerto. Framing the program are Dvořák’s boisterous portrait of a street carnival and Brahms’ noble and heart-rending Fourth Symphony.

21 THU A | A1 7:30

22 FRI A | A2 1:30

23 SAT B | B2 7:30

Sir Andrew Conducts

Handel’s Messiah

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Sir Andrew Davis CONDUCTOR

Joélle Harvey SOPRANO

Jennifer Johnson Cano MEZZO-SOPRANO

Matthew Polenzani TENOR

John Relyea BASS

Chicago Symphony Chorus

HANDEL (ORCH. DAVIS) Messiah

Experience the power of nearly 100 voices in magnificent harmony. From “The Trumpet Shall Sound” to the rousing “Hallelujah”

Chorus, Handel’s Messiah is packed with regal choral passages, exultant arias and glittering instrumental fireworks. The award-winning Chicago Symphony Chorus and four worldclass soloists join Sir Andrew Davis in this must-see holiday favorite.

FEBRUARY

1 8 THU C | C1 7:30

10 SAT C | C2 7:30

Seong-Jin Cho Plays Beethoven

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Gemma New CONDUCTOR CSO DEBUT

Seong-Jin Cho PIANO CSO DEBUT

KERNIS Musica Celestis

FIRST CSO PERFORMANCE

BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 3

MENDELSSOHN Symphony No. 3 (Scottish)

Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto is a landmark of his dark and restless middle period, here featuring Seong-Jin Cho, whose 2018 Chicago debut offered “about as thrilling a display of sheer powerhouse keyboard bravura as one is ever likely to encounter” (Chicago Classical Review). Gemma New conducts the program, which closes with Mendelssohn’s Scottish Symphony, evoking highland mists, warring clans and long-lost folk dances.

15 THU A | A2 7:30

17 SAT B | B1 7:30

18 SUN A 3:00

Sheku Kanneh-Mason Plays Elgar

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Paavo Järvi CONDUCTOR

Sheku Kanneh-Mason CELLO CSO DEBUT

BEETHOVEN Leonore Overture No. 3

ELGAR Cello Concerto

NIELSEN Symphony No. 5

Sheku Kanneh-Mason, hailed by The New Yorker as “a cellist of blazing sensitivity,” makes his CSO debut in Elgar’s rhapsodic Cello Concerto.

Paavo Järvi conducts Nielsen’s Fifth Symphony, a visceral, dramatic work exploring humanity’s potential for conflict, born in the aftermath of World War I. Beethoven’s jubilant hymn to liberty opens the program.

GEMMA NEW

MARCH FEBRUARY

23 FRI B | B1 7:30

24 SAT A | A1 7:30

27 TUE A | A1 7:30

Tchaikovsky & Shostakovich

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Hannu Lintu CONDUCTOR

Behzod Abduraimov PIANO CSO DEBUT

SAARIAHO Ciel d’hiver

FIRST CSO PERFORMANCE

TCHAIKOVSKY Piano Concerto No. 1

MUSSORGSKY (ORCH. SHOSTAKOVICH)

Prelude to Khovanshchina

SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 9

With his Ninth Symphony, Shostakovich delivered a tragicomic work with nods to Haydn and circus tunes. Uzbek pianist Behzod Abduraimov makes his debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in Tchaikovsky’s thrilling First Piano Concerto. Mussorgsky’s radiant Khovanshchina prelude and Saariaho’s ethereal Winter Sky round out the program.

1 FRI A | A1 1:30

2 SAT C | C1 7:30

5 TUE A | A2 7:30

Blomstedt Conducts Beethoven 7

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Herbert Blomstedt CONDUCTOR

SCHUBERT Symphony No. 6

BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 7

Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony is treasured by generations of music fans for its whirling dance rhythms and majestic Allegretto movement. It is a calling card for conductor Herbert Blomstedt, whose Beethoven recordings “remain beacons of good taste, with a distinctive spiritual power shining through the music” (The New York Times). Composed in his youth, Schubert’s exuberant Sixth Symphony draws inspiration from Beethoven.

1 7 THU B | B1 7:30

1 8 FRI A | A2 1:30

1 9 SAT B | B2 7:30

12 TUE A | A1 7:30

Gil Shaham Plays Mendelssohn

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Jakub Hrůša CONDUCTOR

Gil Shaham VIOLIN

R. STRAUSS Death and Transfiguration

MENDELSSOHN Violin Concerto

LUTOSŁAWSKI Concerto for Orchestra

Experience the “brilliant and incisive” (Chicago Tribune) Gil Shaham in Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, ever popular for its mix of vigor and finesse. Richard Strauss’ tone poem explores the ultimate mystery of death and what might lie beyond. Lutosławski’s 1954 Concerto for Orchestra is a symphonic showpiece that draws on Polish folk songs and Baroque forms.

HANNU LINTU

BEHZOD ABDURAIMOV

GIL SHAHAM

SEP 23 | 6:30

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Riccardo Muti conductor

Leonidas Kavakos violin

TCHAIKOVSKY

Violin Concerto

GIORDANO

Intermezzo from Fedora

SYMPHONY BALL M UTI & KAVAKOS

PUCCINI

Intermezzo from Manon Lescaut

LEONCAVALLO

Intermezzo from Pagliacci

VERDI

Overture to Giovanna d’Arco

Enhance your concert experience with a 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.

LEONIDAS KAVAKOS

MARCH

14 THU A | A1 7:30

15 FRI A | A1 1:30

16 SAT C | C2 7:30

Also sprach Zarathustra

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Jakub Hrůša CONDUCTOR

Josef Špaček VIOLIN CSO DEBUT

R. STRAUSS Also sprach Zarathustra

MARTINŮ Violin Concerto No. 1

BARTÓK Suite from The Miraculous Mandarin

Strauss’ Also sprach Zarathustra — with its iconic opening popularized in 2001: A Space Odyssey — sets the tone for a program of dazzling, otherworldly pieces. Bartók’s pantomime ballet, The Miraculous Mandarin, is a lurid, supernatural tale rendered in arresting colors. Czech violinist Josef Špaček takes on Martinů’s tuneful and vivacious Violin Concerto No. 1.

21 THU C | C2 7:30

22 FRI WHEATON A 7:30

EDMAN MEMORIAL CHAPEL

23 SAT A | A2 7:30

24 SUN A 3:00

Mahler 4

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Susanna Mälkki CONDUCTOR

Stefán Ragnar Höskuldsson FLUTE

Ying Fang SOPRANO

WAGNER Prelude to Act I of Lohengrin

LIEBERMANN Flute Concerto No. 2

WORLD PREMIERE, CSO COMMISSION

MAHLER Symphony No. 4

Susanna Mälkki conducts a thought-provoking program anchored by Gustav Mahler’s Fourth Symphony. This celestial score, which includes a cryptic dance of death, is announced with sleigh bells and a rustic melody that ends with a child’s view of heaven, delivered here by soprano Ying Fang. CSO Principal Flute Stefán Ragnar Höskuldsson is the soloist in a newly commissioned concerto written for him by the esteemed Lowell Liebermann.

28 THU B | B2 7:30

29 FRI A | A1 1:30

APR 2 TUE A | A2 7:30

The Music of Bach

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Robert Chen LEADER AND VIOLIN

William Welter OBOE

J.S. BACH Brandenburg Concerto No. 3

J.S. BACH Violin Concerto in E Major

C.P.E. BACH Sinfonia in E-flat Major

FIRST CSO PERFORMANCE

J.S. BACH Concerto for Oboe and Violin in C Minor

J.S. BACH Orchestral Suite No. 1

Be transported to Zimmermann’s Coffee House, the Leipzig café where J.S. Bach introduced many of his instrumental works. CSO Concertmaster Robert Chen leads the dazzling Third Brandenburg Concerto, kaleidoscopic Violin Concerto in E Major and buoyant and graceful Orchestral Suite No. 1. Chen also teams up with Principal Oboe William Welter in Bach’s exquisite Concerto for Oboe and Violin.

SUSANNA M Ä LKKI

YING FANG

4 THU A | A1 7:30

5 FRI B | B2 7:30

6 SAT C | C2 7:30

Klaus Mäkelä & Yuja Wang

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Klaus Mäkelä CONDUCTOR

Yuja Wang PIANO

ZINOVJEV Batteria

UNITED STATES PREMIERE

BARTÓK Piano Concerto No. 2

SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 10

Bartók’s Second Piano Concerto is an exhilarating showcase for Yuja Wang, whom the San Francisco Chronicle called “quite simply the most dazzlingly, uncannily gifted pianist in the concert world today.” Electric conductor Klaus Mäkelä frames the program with Shostakovich’s Tenth Symphony, a searing portrait of the composer’s tormented life in Stalinist Russia, and the U.S. premiere of Sauli Zinovjev’s vibrant Batteria

11 THU C | C2 7:30

12 FRI B | B1 7:30

13 SAT A | A1 7:30

Mendelssohn Elijah

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

James Conlon CONDUCTOR

Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha

SOPRANO CSO DEBUT

Ashley Dixon MEZZO-SOPRANO

Issachah Savage TENOR

Lucas Meachem BARITONE

Chicago Symphony Chorus

MENDELSSOHN Elijah

The 19th century’s most enduring oratorio, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, sung here in English, depicts the story of the biblical prophet Elijah, complete with his ascent to heaven on a flaming chariot. James Conlon leads the assembled forces, including Chicago favorite Lucas Meachem in the mighty title role and the Chicago Symphony Chorus performing the work’s pensive and ecstatic ensembles.

18 THU B | B1 7:30

19 FRI WHEATON A 7:30

EDMAN MEMORIAL CHAPEL

2 0 SAT B | B2 7:30

21 SUN A 3:00

Chopin & Tchaikovsky

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Tugan Sokhiev CONDUCTOR

Yulianna Avdeeva PIANO CSO DEBUT

PANUFNIK Heroic Overture

FIRST CSO PERFORMANCE

CHOPIN Piano Concerto No. 1

TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 1 (Winter Dreams)

Tugan Sokhiev conducts Tchaikovsky’s youthful First Symphony, nicknamed Winter Dreams for its cozy evocation of Russian winters. Chopin’s exuberant Piano Concerto No. 1 features Russian pianist Yulianna Avdeeva, described by the Pittsburgh PostGazette as “a one-woman powerhouse” who “stole the show.” Andrzej Panufnik’s Heroic Overture, composed in 1952, is a tribute to the courageous spirit of the Polish people.

YUJA WANG

MASABANE CECILIA RANGWANASHA

TUGAN SOKHIEV

25 THU A | A2 7:30

26 FRI B | B1 7:30

27 SAT A | A2 7:30

CSO x Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Giancarlo Guerrero CONDUCTOR

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra

Wynton Marsalis TRUMPET

JOHN ADAMS The Chairman Dances

SHOSTAKOVICH Suite for Variety Orchestra No. 1

MARSALIS All-American Pep from Swing Symphony

PROKOFIEV Selections from Romeo and Juliet

Two mighty orchestras present a rousing, jazz-meets-classical event. Discover selections from Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet, alternating between the original orchestral version performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and imaginative new jazz arrangements presented by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Both ensembles join forces for a selection from Wynton Marsalis’ Swing Symphony, which The Telegraph calls “a journey through jazz history and the sounds of America itself.”

2 THU B | B2 7:30

4 SAT B | B1 7:30

Sheherazade

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Elim Chan CONDUCTOR CSO DEBUT

Paul Jacobs ORGAN

WEBER Overture to Der Freischütz

BARBER Toccata festiva

RIMSKY-KORSAKOV Sheherazade

Elim Chan leads Rimsky-Korsakov’s sumptuous symphonic suite Sheherazade, inspired by the legendary heroine and tales of One Thousand and One Nights. Paul Jacobs, “a virtuoso of dazzling technical acumen” (The New York Times), performs Barber’s Toccata festiva, an exuberant showcase for organ containing echoes of J.S. Bach.

1 9 THU C | C1 7:30

10 FRI B | B2 7:30

11 SAT C | C1 7:30

Mozart & Stravinsky

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider CONDUCTOR AND VIOLIN

MOZART Violin Concerto No. 2

KREISLER Liebesleid

STRAVINSKY Suite from Pulcinella MOZART Symphony No. 38 (Prague)

The versatile Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider leads the CSO as soloist in Mozart’s richly melodic Violin Concerto No. 2 and Kreisler’s wistful Liebesleid. Trading violin bow for baton, Szeps-Znaider conducts Stravinsky’s Pulcinella Suite, a neoclassical gem that shines a spotlight on the Orchestra’s principal players, and Mozart’s Prague Symphony, a work of grand gestures and profound, melodious depth.

ELIM CHAN

WYNTON MARSALIS

16 THU A | A1 7:30

17 FRI A | A2 1:30

18 SAT A | A1 7:30

21 TUE A | A1 7:30

Helmchen Plays Beethoven

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Kazuki Yamada CONDUCTOR CSO DEBUT

Martin Helmchen PIANO

TAKEMITSU How slow the Wind

FIRST CSO PERFORMANCE

BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 1

FRANCK Symphony in D Minor

Martin Helmchen, “who brings both freshness and expressive depth to everything he plays” (Chicago Classical Review), takes on Beethoven’s First Piano Concerto, a work of youthful bravura and pensive elegance. To open the program, Kazuki Yamada conducts Takemitsu’s shimmering How slow the Wind and Franck’s D Minor Symphony, featuring a mix of soaring lyricism and brooding intensity.

23 THU B | B1 7:30

24 FRI B | B2 7:30

25 SAT C | C2 7:30

Salonen Conducts

Mahler Resurrection

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Esa-Pekka Salonen CONDUCTOR

Mari Eriksmoen SOPRANO CSO DEBUT

Karen Cargill MEZZO-SOPRANO

Chicago Symphony Chorus

MAHLER Symphony No. 2 (Resurrection)

In his Second Symphony, Mahler constructs a universe all his own, exploring themes of death and afterlife using a massive orchestra, offstage brass and percussion, chorus and vocal soloists. Conductor

Esa-Pekka Salonen guides listeners on this journey from the great, tragic opening march, through pastoral dances and gentle songs to a final tableau of trumpet calls, percussive thunderbolts and the hymn of resurrection.

3 0 THU C | C1 7:30

31 FRI A | A2 1:30

JUNE 1 SAT B | B2 7:30

Montgomery

&

Bruckner 7

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Manfred Honeck CONDUCTOR

Cynthia Yeh PERCUSSION

MONTGOMERY Percussion Concerto

WORLD PREMIERE, CSO COMMISSION

BRUCKNER Symphony No. 7

Conductor Manfred Honeck leads the CSO in two captivating works. Principal Percussion Cynthia Yeh takes the spotlight in the premiere of a new concerto by Jessie Montgomery, the CSO’s Mead Composer-inResidence. Bruckner’s Seventh Symphony awes with its breadth, drama and rapturous intensity. This enthralling score includes a radiant tribute to Bruckner’s idol, Richard Wagner, and a boisterous Austrian country dance.

MARTIN HELMCHEN

KAZUKI YAMADA

CYNTHIA YEH

6 THU A | A2 7:30

7 FRI B | B1 7:30

8 SAT A | A2 7:30

11 TUE A | A2 7:30

Ravel Boléro

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Stéphane Denève CONDUCTOR

Jean-Yves Thibaudet PIANO

BOULANGER D’un matin de printemps

SAINT-SAËNS Piano Concerto No. 5 (Egyptian)

DEBUSSY Ibéria

RAVEL Boléro

Pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet brings his customary joie de vivre to Saint-Saëns’

Egyptian Concerto, inspired by a trip down the Nile in 1896. Conductor Stéphane Denève unpacks the French fascination with Spanish culture in Debussy’s sultry Ibéria and Ravel’s ever-popular Boléro, with its sensuously hypnotic theme building to a volcanic climax.

13 THU C | C2 7:30

14 FRI A | A2 1:30

15 SAT C | C1 7:30

The Elements with Joshua Bell

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Juraj Valčuha CONDUCTOR

Joshua Bell VIOLIN

WEBER Overture to Oberon

HEGGIE, HIGDON, MEYER, MONTGOMERY, PUTS The Elements

FIRST CSO PERFORMANCE

SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 1

Grammy Award-winning violinist Joshua Bell presents The Elements, a suite of five works for violin and orchestra, commissioned by Bell and written by leading American composers

Jake Heggie (Fire), Jennifer Higdon (Air), Edgar Meyer (Water), CSO Mead Composerin-Residence Jessie Montgomery (Ether) and Kevin Puts (Earth). Conductor Juraj Valčuha frames the program with Weber’s Oberon Overture and Shostakovich’s jaunty, mischievous First Symphony.

20 THU B | B2 7:30

21 FRI A | A1 1:30

22 SAT B | B1 7:30

23 SUN A 3:00

Tchaikovsky Pathétique & Trifonov

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Lahav Shani CONDUCTOR

Daniil Trifonov PIANO

RACHMANINOV (ORCH. STOKOWSKI)

Prelude in C-sharp Minor

BATES Piano Concerto

FIRST CSO PERFORMANCE

TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 6

(Pathétique)

Lahav Shani conducts Tchaikovsky’s Pathétique, a symphony that the composer premiered less than a week before his death and was later nicknamed for the passion and suffering it expresses. Daniil Trifonov takes the spotlight in former CSO Mead Composerin-Residence Mason Bates’ Piano Concerto, a journey through three stylistic sound worlds, from Renaissance dance music to Romanticera brooding to a contemporary finale imbued with strains of jazz and minimalism.

LAHAV SHANI

DANIIL TRIFONOV

CSO

DEC 19

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Brass

JUNE 4

Shaken, Not Stirred

MOVIES

NOV 24–26

Fantasia

DEC 8–10

Home Alone

FEB 9

An American in Paris

MAY 3–5

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

JUNE 27–29

Hisaishi Conducts Hisaishi

FAMILY

Once Upon a Symphony

perfect for ages 3–5

DEC 9 | JAN 6 | FEB 10

The Three Little Pigs

APR 6 | APR 20 | MAY 18

Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Family Matinees

perfect for ages 5–12

NOV 4

Global Perspectives

FEB 17

Carnival of the Animals

MAY 11

Sound Waves

ORCHESTRAS

NOV 28

Staatskapelle Berlin

APR 28

Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra

CHAMBER MUSIC

OCT 22

Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Lisa Batiashvili & Gautier Capuçon

NOV 10

Maxim Vengerov

FEB 3

Ax, Kavakos & Ma

MAR 26

Mahler Chamber Orchestra & Mitsuko Uchida

APR 7— priority access concert

Yo-Yo Ma & Kathryn Stott

JUNE 9

Hilary Hahn & Friends

PIANO

NOV 12

MORE MUSIC AT SYMPHONY CENTER

Sir András Schiff

JAN 21

Lucas & Arthur Jussen

FEB 4

Hélène Grimaud

FEB 25

Pierre-Laurent Aimard

MAR 10

Benjamin Grosvenor

APR 14

Yefim Bronfman

MAY 19

Evgeny Kissin

JUNE 2

Bruce Liu

WORLD & FOLK

OCT 13

Anoushka Shankar

MAR 15

Max Raabe & Palast Orchester

HOLIDAY

NOV 25

Vienna Boys Choir: Christmas in Vienna

DEC 5–6

A Chanticleer Christmas

DEC 15-23

Merry, Merry Chicago!

EVGENY KISSIN

ANOUSHKA SHANKAR

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1 On the following pages, select your preferred day of the week and the series that best matches your interests. Discover more details about each individual concert on pages 4-14.

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CSO Classical

Tuesdays at 7:30

TUESDAY A

Combine A1 with A2 into the full 10-concert series and save more!

The Tuesday A series offers a grand tour of symphonic masterworks, including Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony, Franck’s Symphony in D Minor and Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto with soloist Gil Shaham. Then step into the 20th century and delight in gleaming showpieces, including Holst’s The Planets, Stravinsky’s The Firebird Suite and Ravel’s Boléro

A1 5-concert selection

A2 5-concert selection

9/26 A1 Muti Conducts The Firebird

10/24 A2 Gershwin & Bernstein

11/7 A1 The Planets

12/5 A2 MTT Conducts Mozart

2/27 A1 Tchaikovsky & Shostakovich

3/5 A2 Blomstedt Conducts Beethoven 7

3/12 A1 Gil Shaham Plays Mendelssohn

4/2 A2 The Music of Bach 5/21 A1 Helmchen Plays Beethoven 6/11 A2 Ravel Boléro

Thursdays at

THURSDAY A

CURATED SERIES

7:30

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The taut virtuosity of the CSO is on full display in the Thursday A series, which gathers Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, Mahler’s First, Rachmaninov’s Third and Shostakovich’s Tenth. Other highlights include Richard Strauss’ Also sprach Zarathustra, Handel’s Messiah and Bartók’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with piano luminary Yuja Wang.

A1 5-concert selection

A2 5-concert selection

10/12 A2 Jaap van Zweden Conducts Beethoven 5

10/26

1 Mahler 1 11/9

Rachmaninov 3 12/21

2/15

3/14

4/4

1 Sir Andrew Conducts Handel’s Messiah

Sheku Kanneh-Mason Plays Elgar

1 Also sprach Zarathustra

1 Klaus Mäkelä & Yuja Wang

4/25 A2 CSO x Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis

5/16 A1 Helmchen Plays Beethoven

6/6 A2 Ravel Boléro

Thursdays at 7:30

THURSDAY B

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Add excitement to your Thursdays with thrilling scores such as Rimsky-Korsakov’s Sheherazade, Holst’s The Planets, Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring and Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony. Esteemed soloists include Hilary Hahn in Brahms’ Violin Concerto, Daniil Trifonov performing Mason Bates’ Piano Concerto and Gil Shaham in Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto.

B1 5-concert selection

B2 5-concert selection

9/28 B1 Muti, Glass & Mendelssohn Italian

11/2 B2 The Planets

11/16 B1 The Rite of Spring & Kavakos

12/7 B2 Hilary Hahn Plays Brahms

3/7 B1 Gil Shaham Plays Mendelssohn

3/28 B2 The Music of Bach

4/18 B1 Chopin & Tchaikovsky

5/2 B2 Sheherazade

5/23 B1 Salonen Conducts Mahler Resurrection

6/20 B2 Tchaikovsky Pathétique & Trifonov

THURSDAY C

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Take a journey in the Thursday C series. Witness the fairy-tale splendor of Stravinsky’s The Firebird, the Shakespearean saga of Bernstein’s West Side Story and the biblical tale of Mendelssohn’s oratorio Elijah. The musical travels continue with Mendelssohn’s Scottish Symphony and Mozart’s Prague Symphony.

C1 5-concert selection

C2 5-concert selection

9/21 C1 Muti Conducts The Firebird

10/19 C2 Gershwin & Bernstein

11/30 C1 MTT Conducts Mozart

12/14 C2 Bychkov Conducts Brahms

2/8 C1 Seong-Jin Cho Plays Beethoven

3/21 C2 Mahler 4

4/11 C2 Mendelssohn Elijah

5/9 C1 Mozart & Stravinsky

5/30 C1 Montgomery & Bruckner 7

6/13 C2 The Elements with Joshua Bell

Fridays at 1:30

FRIDAY A

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Variety is the spice of this “TGIF” series. Enjoy landmark symphonies by Beethoven, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Mahler and Bruckner. Discover the Baroque intricacies of Bach and Handel. Plus, hear preeminent soloists including Gil Shaham performing Mendelssohn, Hilary Hahn in Brahms and Joshua Bell introducing an exhilarating new cycle by five leading American composers.

A1 8-concert selection

A2 8-concert selection

9/29 A1 Muti, Glass & Mendelssohn Italian 10/13 A2 Jaap van Zweden Conducts Beethoven 5

10/27 A1 Mahler 1

11/10 A2 Rachmaninov 3

12/1 A1 MTT Conducts Mozart

12/8 A2 Hilary Hahn Plays Brahms

12/15 A1 Bychkov Conducts Brahms

12/22 A2 Sir Andrew Conducts Handel’s Messiah

3/1 A1 Blomstedt Conducts Beethoven 7

3/8 A2 Gil Shaham Plays Mendelssohn

3/15 A1 Also sprach Zarathustra

3/29 A1 The Music of Bach

5/17 A2 Helmchen Plays Beethoven

5/31 A2 Montgomery & Bruckner 7

6/14 A2 The Elements with Joshua Bell

6/21 A1 Tchaikovsky Pathétique & Trifonov

Fridays at 7:30

FRIDAY B

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Vivid Russian masterworks highlight the Friday B series. It spans Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with powerhouse soloist Behzod Abduraimov, Stravinsky’s suites from The Firebird and Pulcinella, Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet — performed in collaboration with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra — and Shostakovich’s gripping Ninth and Tenth symphonies.

B1 5-concert selection

B2 5-concert selection

9/22 B1 Muti Conducts The Firebird

10/20 B2 Gershwin & Bernstein

11/3 B2 The Planets

2/23 B1 Tchaikovsky & Shostakovich

4/5 B2 Klaus Mäkelä & Yuja Wang

4/12 B1 Mendelssohn Elijah

4/26 B1 CSO x Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis

5/10 B2 Mozart & Stravinsky

5/24 B2 Salonen Conducts Mahler Resurrection

6/7 B1 Ravel Boléro

Saturdays at 7:30

SATURDAY A

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This 10-concert series offers a perfect night on the town. Experience bold masterworks, including Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, Brahms’ Fourth Symphony, Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring and Holst’s The Planets

Celestial scores including Mahler’s Fourth Symphony and Mendelssohn’s Elijah complete this series.

A1 5-concert selection

A2 5-concert selection

10/14 A1 Jaap van Zweden Conducts Beethoven 5

11/ 4 A2 The Planets

11/18 A1 The Rite of Spring & Kavakos

12/16 A2 Bychkov Conducts Brahms

2/24 A1 Tchaikovsky & Shostakovich

3/23 A2 Mahler 4

4/13 A1 Mendelssohn Elijah

4/27 A2 CSO x Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis

5/18 A1 Helmchen Plays Beethoven

6/8 A2 Ravel Boléro

SATURDAY B

Combine B1 with B2 into the full 10-concert series and save more!

This far-reaching series spans music from the United States, Austria, Denmark, Great Britain, Poland and Russia. Journey south with Mendelssohn’s Italian Symphony, visit snowy landscapes in Tchaikovsky’s Winter Dreams Symphony and immerse yourself in ancient Arabia in Rimsky-Korsakov’s Sheherazade Plus, hear brilliant concertos by Elgar and Mendelssohn featuring cellist Sheku KannehMason and violinist Gil Shaham.

B1 5-concert selection

B2 5-concert selection

9/30 B1 Muti, Glass & Mendelssohn Italian 10/28 B2 Mahler 1

12/2 B1 MTT Conducts Mozart

12/23 B2 Sir Andrew Conducts Handel’s Messiah

2/17 B1 Sheku Kanneh-Mason Plays Elgar

3/9 B2 Gil Shaham Plays Mendelssohn

4/20 B2 Chopin & Tchaikovsky

5/4 B1 Sheherazade

6/1 B2 Montgomery & Bruckner 7

6/22 B1 Tchaikovsky Pathétique & Trifonov

SATURDAY C

Combine C1 with C2 into the full 10-concert series and save more!

Revel in the grandeur of big, heartfelt symphonies including Mahler’s Second, Sibelius’ Seventh, Rachmaninov’s Third and Shostakovich’s Tenth. Hilary Hahn illuminates Brahms’ Violin Concerto, Conrad Tao performs Gershwin’s exuberant Piano Concerto in F and Yuja Wang tackles Bartók’s electrifying Second Piano Concerto.

C1 5-concert selection

C2 5-concert selection

10/21 C1 Gershwin & Bernstein

11/11 C2 Rachmaninov 3

12/9 C1 Hilary Hahn Plays Brahms

2/10 C2 Seong-Jin Cho Plays Beethoven

3/2 C1 Blomstedt Conducts Beethoven 7

3/16 C2 Also sprach Zarathustra

4/6 C2 Klaus Mäkelä & Yuja Wang

5/11 C1 Mozart & Stravinsky

5/25 C2 Salonen Conducts Mahler Resurrection

6/15 C1 The Elements with Joshua Bell

Sundays at 3:00

SUNDAY A

The Sunday series features distinctive soloists and an expansive repertoire. Leonidas Kavakos performs Szymanowski’s Violin Concerto No. 2, Sheku KannehMason plays Elgar’s Cello Concerto, CSO Principal Flute Stefán Ragnar Höskuldsson presents the world premiere of Liebermann’s Flute Concerto No. 2 and Daniil Trifonov delivers Bates’ Piano Concerto. Jaap van Zweden conducts Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 and Tugan Sokhiev leads the CSO in Tchaikovsky’s First Symphony, Winter

Dreams

10/15 Jaap van Zweden Conducts Beethoven 5

11/19 The Rite of Spring & Kavakos

2/18 Sheku Kanneh-Mason Plays Elgar

3/24 Mahler 4

4/21 Chopin & Tchaikovsky

6/23 Tchaikovsky Pathétique & Trifonov

SUPPORT YOUR ORCHESTRA

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. Our 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 — including jazz musicians, pianists and touring orchestras — 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 special performances and events in community centers across the city. These programs, and many more, are made available completely free or at very low cost, 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 making a donation today.

Thank

OUR SPONSORS

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

Zell Family Foundation Julius N. Frankel Foundation The Negaunee Foundation

Paul M. Angell Family Foundation

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

Mr. and Mrs. Dietrich Gross

Ling Z. and Michael C. Markovitz

Anonymous

Sargent Family Foundation

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 is generously sponsored by The Julian Family Foundation, which also provides major funding for the Civic Fellowship program.

Major support for CSO 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.

Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Merry, Merry Chicago!, Symphony Ball and CSO Tuesday series media partner:

SCP Jazz series, CSO MusicNOW series and select special concerts media partner:

SCP Jazz series media partners: Symphony Ball and Corporate Night media partner:

you for your support of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association.

CSO CLASSICAL CURATED SERIES PRICES

Subscribe and save up to 40%! Choose your preferred concert series and day of the week, and enjoy stirring Chicago Symphony Orchestra performances.

Visit cso.org/ subscribe for a complete list of package offerings, pricing, frequently asked questions and the simplest way to subscribe.

SCAN TO SUBSCRIBE

All printed prices are valid through June 30, 2023, and are subject to increase 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 subscriber 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.