2022/23 Season Create Your Own Series Brochure by Chicago Symphony Orchestra

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MAKE IT YOUR CSO Create your own series

Choose 3 or more concerts an d save 15%

LEIF OVE ANDSNES

WYNTON MARSALIS

RICCARDO MUTI

ANNE-SOPHIE MUTTER AND MUTTER VIRTUOSI

JOHN WILLIAMS

RENÉE FLEMING

ZAKIR HUSSAIN

HILARY HAHN

MERRY, MERRY CHICAGO!

PINK MARTINI

2022/23 Season WHAT’S INSIDE

How to create your own series

Themed CYO suggestions

Season calendar

Choose your top concerts

List the concerts you are most excited about!

CSO AT WHEATON

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HOW TO

Create your own series What does it mean to create your own series? You can mix and match any combination of three or more concerts to build a Create Your Own series that perfectly fits your concertgoing tastes and lifestyle! You’ll save 15% off standard ticket prices and receive other subscriber rewards such as:

ë Flexible ticket exchanges for just $10 ë 15% off any additional concert tickets purchased

any time during the season

ë 15% off purchases at the Symphony Store ë Exclusive parking rates at the Grant Park South Garage ë Exclusive offers, presales and events throughout

the season

And more!

Creating your own series is as simple as 1, 2, 3! 1 Visit cso.org/cyo or call Patron Services at 312-294-3000

for personalized assistance, pick the CYO option that most interests you as a starting point for your series and select your seat quantity.

2 Choose any three or more concerts. 3 Complete your order and let us know your seat

preferences. You’ve saved 15%!

Scan to create your own series

Everything you need to know about seating in Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center

GALLERY

UPPER BALCONY LOWER BALCONY TERRACE

BOX LEVEL

MAIN FLOOR

MELK MAIN FLOOR The Main Floor is surprisingly intimate and close to all the action on stage. With various price points and no stairs to navigate, this is one of the most popular seating areas. A large bar is open for refreshments in the Main Floor lobby before the concert and during intermission. BOX LEVEL Each box consists of three to eight individual seats that are unnumbered. The tradition is to rotate seating either between works or at intermission. All Box Level patrons have access to a nearby concessions bar and restrooms, and each box has its own coat closet. FADIM LOWER BALCONY & KREHBIEL UPPER BALCONY The Lower Balcony wraps around the hall and provides a pristine view of the performance. The Upper Balcony is a bit higher and under the overhang of the Gallery. A coat check is available on the Lower Balcony level. FLYNN GALLERY Many longtime patrons prefer to sit in the Gallery, raving about its acoustics and enjoying the birds-eye perspective. The Gallery lobby offers concessions, a coat check and views of Lake Michigan. GRAY TERRACE Terrace seating is behind the stage and offers a close-up view of the performers and an exquisite vantage of Orchestra Hall. The Rotunda with its Bass Bar is a popular intermission destination for those sitting in the Terrace. Terrace seating is not available for performances that include a screen, like CSO at the Movies, or those that include the Chicago Symphony Chorus.

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Festa MUTI Riccardo Muti marks his 13th and final season as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s music director. Once his tenure is complete, he and the Orchestra will have performed more than 500 concerts together in Symphony Center and on tour across the United States and around the world. With this CYO package, you can select any three — or all — of the CSO concerts with Maestro Muti during the 2022/23 Season.

Muti & Bronfman | September 22-27 Symphony Ball | September 24 Muti Conducts Mozart & Prokofiev | September 29-October 1 Muti, Pollini & Pictures from an Exhibition | October 6-8 Muti, Fischer & Tchaikovsky Manfred | February 23-25 Muti, Montgomery & Rachmaninov 2 May 11-16

Muti, Chen & Mozart Gran Partita May 18-23

Muti, Herbert & Pines of Rome | May 25-27 Muti, Pokorny & Schubert 9 | June 15-17 Muti Conducts Beethoven Missa solemnis | June 23-25 Scan to learn more, or visit cso.org/festamuti

RAC MAN IN OV 150

RACHMANINOV 150 Celebrate the 150th anniversary of Sergei Rachmaninov’s birth and select three or more concerts featuring the composer’s genius.

Shani Conducts Rachmaninov Symphonic Dances | CSO February 9-11

Evgeny Kissin April 16 | PIANO

A program featuring works by Rachmaninov

Trifonov Plays Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 3 | CSO April 20-23

Muti, Montgomery & Rachmaninov 2 | CSO May 11-16

Renée Fleming & Evgeny Kissin May 14 | VOCAL

A program featuring songs by Rachmaninov

Scan to learn more, or visit cso.org/rachmaninov

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MOVIE Magic AMADEUS

HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE TM IN CONCERT

Experience the magic of these beloved films on the big screen with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra performing the scores. With this CYO package, you are the star and can pick three or more dates that work best with your schedule.

Amadeus Live October 13-16

AMADEUS LIVE IS A PRODUCTION OF AVEX CLASSICS INTERNATIONAL.

The Princess Bride November 25-27

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone™ in Concert January 12-14

WIZARDING WORLD and all related trademarks, characters, names, and indicia are © & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Publishing Rights © JKR. (s22)

An Evening with John Williams March 24 | LIMITED AVAILABILITY! THE PRINCESS BRIDE

JOHN WILLIAMS

Star Wars: The Force Awakens June 29-July 1

Scan to learn more, or visit cso.org/moviemagic

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS

PIANO Highlights Experience a piano-focused season with this CYO suggestion. Select three or more concerts and recitals featuring an international lineup of rising stars and returning favorites.

Midori & Jean-Yves Thibaudet October 23 | CHAMBER MUSIC

Emanuel Ax April 2 | PIANO

Simon Trpčeski plays Grieg Piano Concerto

Martin Helmchen plays Mozart Piano Concerto No. 25 April 25-29 | CSO

David Fray

Víkingur Ólafsson May 7 | PIANO

October 27-November 1 | CSO November 6 | PIANO

Francesco Piemontesi plays Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 2 December 1-6 | CSO Leif Ove Andsnes January 29 | PIANO Marc-André Hamelin February 26 | PIANO Joshua Bell & Daniil Trifonov March 2 | CHAMBER MUSIC

Seong-Jin Cho May 21 | PIANO Maria João Pires May 28 | PIANO Emerson String Quartet & Emanuel Ax June 4 | CHAMBER MUSIC

Scan to learn more, or visit cso.org/pianocyo

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New MUSIC

Embrace the experience of discovering and listening to new music! Contemporary works delve into the themes, stories, inspirations and techniques of the modern world. They allow us to expand our knowledge of the musical world and make connections between these new voices and our long-time favorites. Mix and match three or more of the following programs and be one of the first to hear the newest compositions in orchestral music.

Chucho Valdés The Creation SCP JAZZ CO-COMMISSION

October 18 | JAZZ

Carlos Simon Warmth from Other Suns October 24 | MUSICNOW Nokuthula Ngwenyama Primal Message

October 27-November 1 | CSO

Lera Auerbach Diary of a Madman UNITED STATES PREMIERE, CSO CO-COMMISSION

November 17-20 | CSO

Xavier Foley New Work WORLD PREMIERE, CSO MUSICNOW COMMISSION

November 21 | MUSICNOW

Julia Wolfe Her Story CSO CO-COMMISSION

January 6-7 | CSO

Scan to learn more, or visit cso.org/newmusic

Jimmy López Aino UNITED STATES PREMIERE, CSO CO-COMMISSION

February 16-18 | CSO

Andrea Casarrubios New Work WORLD PREMIERE, CSO MUSICNOW COMMISSION

February 20 | MUSICNOW

Thomas Adès Piano Concerto April 6-11 | CSO Einojuhani Rautavaara and Kalevi Aho Deux Sérénades WRITTEN FOR CSO ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE HILARY HAHN

April 13-15 | CSO

Jessie Montgomery New Work WORLD PREMIERE, CSO MUSICNOW COMMISSION

April 24 | MUSICNOW

Jessie Montgomery New Work WORLD PREMIERE, CSO COMMISSION

May 11-16 | CSO

Lalo Schifrin Tuba Concerto June 15-17 | CSO

FAMILY-FRIENDLY Fun Create a package that's fun for the whole family. Pick three or more of our most popular family-friendly programs, including Once Upon a Symphony, Family Matinees, holiday concerts and distinctive performances from around the world.

Scan to learn more, or visit cso.org/familyfun

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JOSHUA BELL

CHUCHO VALDÉS

CHANTICLEER

TANIA MILLER

AMANDA FORSYTH

JESSIE MONTGOMERY

ANNE-SOPHIE MUTTER

2022/23 Season calendar September 22 23 27

THU 7:30 FRI 1:30 TUE 7:30

Muti & Bronfman Chicago Symphony Orchestra Riccardo Muti conductor Yefim Bronfman piano COLERIDGE-TAYLOR Solemn Prelude UNITED STATES PREMIERE BRAHMS Piano Concerto No. 1 TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 2

A new season begins as dazzling pianist Yefim Bronfman joins Riccardo Muti and the CSO in Brahms’ unabashedly vigorous and stirring First Piano Concerto. Tchaikovsky’s joyful Second Symphony quotes folk melodies from Ukraine. The program opens with the U.S. premiere of a recently discovered score by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, a British composer of African descent.

0 29 THU 7:30 0 30 FRI 1:30 Oct 1 SAT 8:00 Muti Conducts Mozart & Prokofiev Chicago Symphony Orchestra Riccardo Muti conductor ROSSINI Overture to Il viaggio a Reims MOZART Symphony No. 39 PROKOFIEV Symphony No. 5 The 2022/23 Season will mark 70 years since Sergei Prokofiev’s death. Riccardo Muti conducts Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony, composed in 1944, which ranks among his greatest achievements. Mozart’s Symphony No. 39 has grandeur and intensity that foreshadows the mature symphonies of Beethoven. The overture to Rossini’s Journey to Reims gathers several of the composer’s buoyant and picturesque themes. RICCARDO MUTI

SAT 6:30

Symphony Ball Chicago Symphony Orchestra Riccardo Muti conductor Yefim Bronfman piano COLERIDGE-TAYLOR Solemn Prelude MOZART Piano Concerto No. 22 TCHAIKOVSKY 1812 Overture Riccardo Muti conducts a rousing start to the 2022/23 Season. After opening with Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s lush — and recently rediscovered — Solemn Prelude, the CSO is joined by the formidable Yefim Bronfman in Mozart’s joyous and richly scored piano concerto. The evening ends with a knockout finale: Tchaikovsky’s brilliant 1812 Overture. Enhance your experience with a gala package including a preconcert private reception in Buntrock Hall and postconcert dinner and dancing at The Four Seasons Hotel Chicago. For more information, please contact symphonyball@cso.org or 312-294-3185.

YEFIM BRONFMAN

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October

 CSO CLASSICAL  CSO AT THE MOVIES  JAZZ  CHAMBER MUSIC  CSO MusicNOW

6 THU 7:30 7 FRI 8:00 8 SAT 8:00

Muti, Pollini & Pictures from an Exhibition

Great Cuban pianist and composer Chucho Valdés presents La Creación (The Creation) for big band, Afro-Cuban percussion and vocals. The fourmovement suite explores the story of creation according to the Afro-Cuban Santería religion and includes elements of African music, the blues and what Valdés describes as “an atmosphere in the style of Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew.”

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Riccardo Muti conductor Maurizio Pollini piano FRANCK Le chasseur maudit MOZART Piano Concerto No. 27 MUSSORGSKY (ORCH. RAVEL) Pictures from an Exhibition Mussorgsky, shaken by the passing of his friend, the artist Victor Hartmann, turned his grief into music, composing his lavishly evocative 10-movement suite inspired by Hartmann’s sketches. Riccardo Muti leads the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in Ravel’s iconic orchestration of Mussorgsky’s Pictures from an Exhibition. Renowned pianist Maurizio Pollini makes his long-awaited return to the stage with the CSO in Mozart’s dark-hued final piano concerto. The program opens with Franck’s supernatural thriller The Accursed Huntsman.

13 14 15 16

THU 7:30 FRI 7:30 SAT 7:30 SUN 3:00

Amadeus Live Chicago Symphony Orchestra Constantine Kitsopoulos conductor Chicago Symphony Chorus Experience the Academy Award®-winning 1984 film on screen while Mozart’s celebrated works are performed live by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. This riveting film classic tells a story of envy between Vienna court composer Antonio Salieri (F. Murray Abraham) and the raffish but gifted young Mozart (Tom Hulce). AMADEUS LIVE IS A PRODUCTION OF AVEX CLASSICS INTERNATIONAL.

TUES 8:00

Chucho Valdés: The Creation SCP JAZZ CO-COMMISSION

20 21 22 25

THU 7:30 FRI 8:00 SAT 8:00 TUE 7:30

Thielemann Conducts Bruckner 8 Chicago Symphony Orchestra Christian Thielemann conductor BRUCKNER Symphony No. 8

Bruckner’s last completed symphony is a majestic statement in which every theme feels like a sacred offering. Bruckner signed the score “Hallelujah,” and eagerly declared, “The finale is the most important movement of my life.” Christian Thielemann, “the most admired of today’s German conductors” (Los Angeles Times), leads the CSO on this sweeping journey.

SUN 3:00

MON 7:00

Midori & Jean-Yves Thibaudet

CSO MusicNOW

Midori violin Jean-Yves Thibaudet piano

Musicians from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Jessie Montgomery violin

BEETHOVEN Violin Sonata in A Major, Op. 12, No. 2 BEETHOVEN Violin Sonata in E-flat Major, Op. 12, No. 3 BEETHOVEN Violin Sonata in A Major, Op. 47 (Kreutzer) Master violinist and educator Midori has been a force in classical music for almost 40 years. This season she collaborates with Jean-Yves Thibaudet, celebrated for his “trademark elegance” (The New York Times), on three Beethoven sonatas. Anchoring the recital is the exhilarating Kreutzer which — as interpreted by Midori — promises “a stunning performance of one of Beethoven’s most famous works” (South Florida Classical Review).

MIDORI

SINGLETON Jasper Drag SIMON Lickety Split SINGLETON Be Natural SIMON loop SIMON Warmth from Other Suns SINGLETON Akwaaba Savor the bold and unexpected. Mead Composer-in-Residence Jessie Montgomery curates exhilarating performances of works written by today’s composers to create Chicago’s most exciting contemporary music series.

0 27 0 28 Nov 1

THU 7:30 FRI 1:30 TUE 7:30

Grieg Piano Concerto & Prokofiev 6 Chicago Symphony Orchestra Xian Zhang conductor Simon Trpčeski piano NGWENYAMA Primal Message GRIEG Piano Concerto PROKOFIEV Symphony No. 6 Prokofiev’s Sixth Symphony was a risky undertaking in post-World War II Russia: a personal meditation on suffering and loss that he described as agitated, lyrical and austere. Pianist Simon Trpčeski animates the romantic flourishes of Grieg’s Piano Concerto, while Nokuthula Ngwenyama’s Primal Message is a fantasia inspired by the 1974 Aricebo interstellar radio transmission.

XIAN ZHANG JEAN-YVES THIBAUDET

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November 3 4 5

 CSO CLASSICAL  PIANO  ORCHESTRAS  CSO FOR KIDS  CSO AT THE MOVIES  CSO MusicNOW

THU 7:30 FRI 8:00 SAT 8:00

Wagner, Bartók & Vaughan Williams Chicago Symphony Orchestra Edward Gardner conductor Christian Tetzlaff violin WAGNER Prelude to Act 3 of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg BARTÓK Violin Concerto No. 2 VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Symphony No. 5 As Great Britain endured the Blitz in 1943, the 71-year-old Vaughan Williams produced his Fifth Symphony. To celebrate 150 years since the composer’s birth, Edward Gardner conducts this work of warmth and gentle contemplation. Christian Tetzlaff, “a meticulous and refined virtuoso” (The New York Times), presents Bartók’s rhapsodic Second Violin Concerto. Wagner’s serene and somber prelude to Act 3 of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg opens the program.

SUN 3:00

David Fray piano SCHUBERT Three Piano Pieces, D. 946 SCHUBERT Wanderer Fantasy LISZT Sposalizio from Années de pèlerinage, Deuxième année, Italie LISZT Sonetto del Petrarca No. 104 from Années de pèlerinage, Deuxième année, Italie LISZT Les jeux d’eau à la Villa d’Este from Années de pèlerinage, Troisième année LISZT Après une lecture du Dante (Fantasia quasi Sonata) from Années de pèlerinage, Deuxième année, Italie French pianist David Fray, whose 2016 Symphony Center recital was “as intelligently selected as it was expressively played” (Chicago Tribune), returns with another illuminating program. Pieces from Liszt’s Années de pèlerinage (Years of Pilgrimage) — colorful evocations of Italian art and poetry — are juxtaposed with two exhilarating works by Schubert, including his Wanderer Fantasy.

10 11 12

THU 7:30 FRI 8:00 SAT 8:00

CSO & The Joffrey Ballet Chicago Symphony Orchestra Harry Bicket conductor The Joffrey Ballet Ashley Wheater MBE, The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director MOZART Symphony No. 34 RAVEL Le tombeau de Couperin WAGNER Siegfried Idyll New Ballet WORLD PREMIERE Cathy Marston choreography RAMEAU Suite from Platée New Ballet WORLD PREMIERE Annabelle Lopez Ochoa choreography Dancers from Chicago’s world-renowned Joffrey Ballet invigorate the Symphony Center stage with two newly commissioned choreographies set to Wagner’s Siegfried Idyll, Wagner’s glowing birthday gift to his wife, and Rameau’s vivid ballet, composed for a royal wedding at the Palace of Versailles. Ravel evokes Baroque dance in Le tombeau de Couperin, with each movement becoming a touching tribute to friends who died in World War I. The program opens with the beguiling elegance of Mozart’s Symphony No. 34.

WED 8:00

Berliner Philharmoniker Kirill Petrenko conductor MAHLER Symphony No. 7 In his Seventh Symphony, Mahler evokes alternately gentle and menacing visions of nature using a rich tonal palette that includes blazes of brass, pealing bells, mandolin and guitar. Kirill Petrenko makes his first Chicago appearance as chief conductor of the Berliner Philharmoniker — which itself last performed here in 2009 — building on the orchestra’s celebrated Mahler tradition.

THE JOFFREY BALLET

17 18

THU 7:30

FRI 7:30

CSO MusicNOW

EDMAN MEMORIAL CHAPEL—WHEATON

19 SAT 8:00 20 SUN 3:00

Honeck, Capuçon & Shostakovich 5 Chicago Symphony Orchestra Manfred Honeck conductor Gautier Capuçon cello GLINKA Overture to Ruslan and Ludmila AUERBACH Diary of a Madman UNITED STATES PREMIERE, CSO CO-COMMISSION SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 5

A journey from brooding despair to rousing triumph, Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony rescued him from the grips of official Soviet disfavor. But to many listeners, it’s a more subversive critique of life under Stalin. This program, led by Manfred Honeck, also showcases the U.S. premiere of Lera Auerbach’s Diary of a Madman, composed for Gautier Capuçon.

19 SAT 11:00 & 12:45 Exploring the Orchestra: A Universe of Music Members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Andrew Grams conductor Justin Roberts co-host Program to include music by Ludwig van Beethoven, Duke Ellington and John Williams Join guest conductor Andrew Grams and members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, along with Grammy-nominated children’s rocker Justin Roberts, as they explore the rich and diverse universe of orchestral music from classical to film scores, jazz and beyond. PERFECT FOR AGES 5-12.

MON 7:00

Musicians from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Mark O’Connor violin Maggie O’Connor violin Xavier Foley double bass FOLEY Irish Fantasy FOLEY Etude No. 10 The Dance O’CONNOR String Quartet No. 3 FOLEY New Work

WORLD PREMIERE, CSO MUSICNOW COMMISSION

O’CONNOR Strings and Threads Suite

Savor the bold and unexpected. Mead Composer-in-Residence Jessie Montgomery curates exhilarating performances of works written by today’s composers to create Chicago’s most exciting contemporary music series.

25 26 27

FRI 7:30 SAT 7:30 SUN 3:00

The Princess Bride in Concert Chicago Symphony Orchestra Richard Kaufman conductor KNOPFLER The Princess Bride

Adapted from the 1973 novel by William Goldman, Rob Reiner’s iconic film The Princess Bride brings the swashbuckling fights, giant monsters and sweeping romance of classic fairy tales to a modern audience. A farmhand named Westley must rescue his true love, Princess Buttercup, from the odious Prince Humperdinck, making new friends — and a few enemies — along the way. Experience one of the most treasured films of the last few decades at Symphony Center as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra performs Mark Knopfler’s evocative score.

THE PRINCESS BRIDE BERLINER PHILHARMONIKER

DAVID FRAY

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December 1 2 3 6

THU 7:30 FRI 1:30 SAT 8:00 TUE 7:30

Stravinsky, Beethoven & Sibelius 2 Chicago Symphony Orchestra Thomas Søndergård conductor Francesco Piemontesi piano Chicago Symphony Chorus STRAVINSKY Symphony of Psalms BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 2 SIBELIUS Symphony No. 2 Sibelius’ intense love of nature is mirrored in his Second Symphony, which inhabits a world of rugged, windswept beauty. In his kaleidoscopic choral masterpiece, Stravinsky creates an otherworldly aura. Beethoven’s ebullient concerto features pianist Francesco Piemontesi in his CSO debut. “Piemontesi made a wonderful impression… [He] drew out the reflective undercurrents even while playing with grace and élan” (The New York Times).

FRI 8:00

The Brubeck Brothers Quartet Celebrates Dave Brubeck with special guests Catherine Russell, Joey DeFrancesco & Camille Thurman The Dave Brubeck Quartet made a splash in the jazz world of the 1950s with a singular style that put swing into classical music and defined the sound of West Coast cool jazz. More than a hundred years after Brubeck’s birth, the Brubeck Brothers Quartet salutes the legendary pianist and bandleader with the help of special guests vocalist Catherine Russell, Hammond B-3 organist Joey DeFrancesco and tenor saxophonist Camille Thurman.

 CSO CLASSICAL  JAZZ  CSO FOR KIDS  WORLD & FOLK  HOLIDAY

3 SAT 10:00 & 11:45 BUNTROCK HALL Once Upon a Symphony: Stone Soup Members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra A hungry traveler arrives at a village with nothing except an old cooking pot, arousing the curiosity of the townsfolk when he begins to make a pot of “stone soup.” One by one, the villagers contribute to the broth and find musical harmony as they enjoy the most delicious soup they have ever tasted. PERFECT FOR AGES 3-5. PRODUCED AND PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CHICAGO CHILDREN’S THEATRE

SUN 7:00

Itzhak Perlman: In the Fiddler’s House Itzhak Perlman violin Hankus Netsky music director, saxophone and piano Andy Statman clarinet and mandolin Members of the Brave Old World and Klezmer Conservatory Band Itzhak Perlman, reigning virtuoso of the violin, presents his collection of traditional klezmer music, In the Fiddler’s House. Released more than 25 years ago, the album became a PBS special that earned Perlman his third Emmy Award. Now, Perlman returns to this project, offering the opportunity to witness not only his masterful technique and remarkable artistry, but also “to see and hear a gifted musician experiencing the pleasure of getting in contact with his roots” (Los Angeles Times).

6 7

TUE 7:30 WED 7:30

A Chanticleer Christmas FOURTH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 126 E. CHESTNUT ST

The beloved, Grammy-winning men’s chorus brings its “rich, intricately blended sound” (Washington Post) to its signature holiday celebration. The centuries-spanning program, ranging from Renaissance polyphony to jazz and spirituals, will be performed at Chicago’s Fourth Presbyterian Church, known for its striking Gothic Revival architecture.

8 9 10

THU 7:30 FRI 1:30 SAT 8:00

Hilary Hahn, Tchaikovsky & Bartók Chicago Symphony Orchestra Dalia Stasevska conductor Hilary Hahn violin TARRODI Birds of Paradise II TCHAIKOVSKY Violin Concerto BARTÓK Concerto for Orchestra Dalia Stasevska surveys three concertos, from Bartók’s glittering late masterpiece — which shows off every section of the orchestra — to the scampering, playful sounds of Tarrodi’s Birds of Paradise II. CSO Artist-in-Residence Hilary Hahn joins the Orchestra for Tchaikovsky’s thrilling and tender Violin Concerto.

15 16 17 18

16 FRI 7:30 17 SAT 3:00 20 TUE 7:30 21 WED 3:00 22 THU 7:30 23 FRI 1:30 Merry, Merry Chicago! Members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Alastair Willis conductor Chicago Symphony Chorus Symphony Center’s joyous musical celebration of the season is the perfect holiday tradition for the entire family. Join members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Chicago Symphony Chorus for a program of traditional carols and festive holiday songs.

18 THU 7:30

SUN 7:30

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Brass

FRI 1:30 SAT 8:00 SUN 3:00

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice & Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony Chicago Symphony Orchestra Bramwell Tovey conductor Cameron Carpenter organ

Internationally recognized for its clarion power and gleaming brilliance, the legendary CSO brass section presents a virtuosic showcase of traditional favorites and symphonic masterworks arranged for brass ensemble.

DUKAS The Sorcerer’s Apprentice POULENC Concerto for Organ, Strings and Timpani SAINT-SAËNS Symphony No. 3 (Organ)

HILARY HAHN

Iconoclastic organist Cameron Carpenter, “one of the rare musicians who changes the game of his instrument” (Los Angeles Times), takes on Poulenc’s sparkling, Baroque-infused concerto, followed by the elegance and floor-shaking grandeur of Saint-Saëns’ Organ Symphony.

DALIA STASEVSKA ITZHAK PERLMAN

CSO BRASS

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January 6 7

 CSO CLASSICAL  CSO FOR KIDS  CSO AT THE MOVIES  JAZZ  PIANO  VOCAL  CHAMBER MUSIC

7 3

FRI 8:00 SAT 8:00

SAT 10:00 & 11:45 BUNTROCK HALL

Alsop Conducts Wolfe: Her Story

Once Upon a Symphony: Stone Soup

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Marin Alsop conductor Awadagin Pratt piano Lorelei Ensemble

Members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra

CLYNE This Midnight Hour MONTGOMERY Rounds WOLFE Her Story CSO CO-COMMISSION Conductor Marin Alsop leads the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in three pivotal works by 21st-century women composers. This Midnight Hour, a single-movement orchestral composition by former Mead Composer-in-Residence Anna Clyne, evokes a visual journey for the listener. Mead Composer-in-Residence Jessie Montgomery’s Rounds, commissioned for and performed by pianist Awadagin Pratt, is inspired by the constancy, rhythms and duality of life that impact all living things. Closing the program is Her Story, a CSO co-commission by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Julia Wolfe that captures the passion and perseverance of women who have led the fight for representation and gender equality. A 40-minute theatrical experience for orchestra and women’s vocal ensemble, the piece is the latest in a series of compositions by Wolfe that highlight monumental and turbulent moments in American history. MARIN ALSOP

A hungry traveler arrives at a village with nothing except an old cooking pot, arousing the curiosity of the townsfolk when he begins to make a pot of “stone soup.” One by one, the villagers contribute to the broth and find musical harmony as they enjoy the most delicious soup they have ever tasted. PERFECT FOR AGES 3-5. PRODUCED AND PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CHICAGO CHILDREN’S THEATRE

12 13 14

THU 7:30 FRI 7:30 SAT 7:30

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone™ in Concert Chicago Symphony Orchestra Justin Freer conductor WILLIAMS Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone More than 20 years ago, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone™ enchanted our screens and now it’s returning with the music of a live symphony orchestra. Momentous scenes from the film play on a giant screen in high-definition while John Williams’ unforgettable score is performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Experience the magic with the first installment of the Harry Potter™ Film Concert Series. WIZARDING WORLD and all related trademarks, characters, names, and indicia are © & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Publishing Rights © JKR. (s22)

February 27 28

FRI 8:00 SAT 8:00

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis Versatile, spontaneous and hard-swinging as ever, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra comprises 15 of the finest ensemble players in jazz today. Artistic director Wynton Marsalis, whose vast repertoire includes everything from new commissions to masterworks by Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Thelonious Monk, returns with the band for a residency featuring two unique concert programs, as well as educational activities.

SUN 3:00

Leif Ove Andsnes piano JANÁČEK Sonata (From the Street, October 1, 1905) VUSTIN Lamento BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 31 in A-flat Major, Op. 110 DVOŘÁK Poetic Tone Pictures Leif Ove Andsnes, “one of the most eloquent and incisive keyboardists of our time” (Chicago SunTimes), frames Beethoven’s transcendent Op. 110 sonata with two jewels of the Czech repertoire. Dvořák’s 13-part cycle ranges in mood from the dreamlike to cheerfully folkloric, while Janáček’s sonata pays tribute to a worker who was killed during a protest in 1905.

TUE 7:30

Juan Diego Flórez tenor Vincenzo Scalera piano Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Flórez brings his signature virtuosity, elegance and boundless charm to a selection of favorite opera arias and songs accompanied by pianist Vincenzo Scalera. Find out why Opera News likened his voice to “the engine in a Porsche 911; when you hear it, you know you’re in the presence of something finely tuned and luxurious.”

SUN 3:00

Anne-Sophie Mutter & Mutter Virtuosi Anne-Sophie Mutter violin Mutter Virtuosi VIVALDI Concerto for Four Violins in B Minor CHIN Gran Cadenza SAINT-GEORGES Violin Concerto in A Major, Op. 5, No. 2 VIVALDI The Four Seasons The eminent German violinist arrives with her Mutter Virtuosi, an ensemble comprised chiefly of current and former scholarship recipients of the Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation. The emerging string stars present Vivaldi’s beloved Four Seasons, along with a concerto by Joseph Bologne, the Chevalier de Saint-Georges, and Unsuk Chin’s Gran Cadenza, a virtuoso duo for violins.

9 THU 7:30 10 FRI 8:00 11 SAT 8:00 Shani Conducts Rachmaninov Symphonic Dances Chicago Symphony Orchestra Lahav Shani conductor Beatrice Rana piano PROKOFIEV Symphony No. 1 (Classical) RACHMANINOV Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini RACHMANINOV Symphonic Dances In a program celebrating the 150th anniversary of Sergei Rachmaninov’s birth, Lahav Shani conducts the composer’s Symphonic Dances, which marries diabolical, jazzy melodies with plush, old-world grandeur. Italian pianist Beatrice Rana is soloist in Rachmaninov’s Paganini Rhapsody, a set of 24 variations that crackle with wit and furious energy. Prokofiev’s delightful Classical Symphony opens the program.

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February 11

 CSO CLASSICAL  CSO FOR KIDS  ORCHESTRAS  PIANO  CHAMBER MUSIC  WORLD & FOLK

 CSO MusicNOW

16 17 18

SAT 11:00 & 12:45

In Pursuit of Dreams Members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Tania Miller conductor Jessie Montgomery special guest

FRI 1:30 SAT 8:00

Mäkelä Conducts López & Mahler 5 Chicago Symphony Orchestra Klaus Mäkelä conductor

Program to be announced Where do you find inspiration? How do you set out in pursuit of your dreams and overcome the obstacles in your path? This program, led by guest conductor Tania Miller and with a special guest appearance by CSO Mead Composer-in-Residence Jessie Montgomery, takes listeners on a journey and shows that although life has many challenges, we all have the potential to find our own way. PERFECT FOR AGES 5-12.

THU 7:30

TUE 8:00

LÓPEZ Aino

CSO CO-COMMISSION, UNITED STATES PREMIERE

MAHLER Symphony No. 5 In his Fifth Symphony, Mahler embraces all aspects of life. After a tumultuous funeral march, the work’s five movements include folk-inspired dances, a tender love song and a boisterous finale. Noted for his “great affinity with Mahler” (Le Monde), Finnish conductor Klaus Mäkelä pairs the composer’s Fifth Symphony with the U.S. premiere of Aino by Peruvian American composer Jimmy López.

Toronto Symphony Orchestra

Gustavo Gimeno conductor María Dueñas violin MOUSSA Elysium for Orchestra LALO Symphonie espagnole PROKOFIEV Suite from Romeo and Juliet Perfect for Valentine’s Day, selections from Prokofiev’s masterpiece about Shakespeare’s starcrossed lovers are paired with Lalo’s salute to the sultry dance rhythms of Spain, featuring Menuhin Competition winner María Dueñas as soloist. Celebrating its centennial season, the Toronto Symphony makes its Symphony Center debut with its dynamic new music director, Gustavo Gimeno.

MON 7:00

CSO MusicNOW Musicians from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Sameer Patel conductor Andrea Casarrubios cello GOLIJOV Mariel CASARRUBIOS New Work

WORLD PREMIERE, CSO MUSICNOW COMMISSION

CASARRUBIOS Speechless OLIVERO Bashra’v GOLIJOV Tenebrae

Savor the bold and unexpected. Mead Composerin-Residence Jessie Montgomery curates exhilarating performances of works written by today’s composers to create Chicago’s most exciting contemporary music series.

KLAUS MÄKELÄ

JULIA FISCHER

CSO MUSICNOW

March 23 24 25

THU 7:30

FRI 1:30

Joshua Bell & Daniil Trifonov

SAT 8:00

Muti, Fischer & Tchaikovsky Manfred Chicago Symphony Orchestra Riccardo Muti conductor Julia Fischer violin SCHUMANN Violin Concerto TCHAIKOVSKY Manfred Symphony Tchaikovsky’s turbulent Manfred Symphony takes its inspiration from Lord Byron’s dramatic poem about a world-weary traveler who wanders the Alps and is bewitched by supernatural forces. German violinist Julia Fischer, acclaimed for her “pure and fine-spun tone” (Chicago Tribune), joins Riccardo Muti and the CSO for Schumann’s poetic and autumnal Violin Concerto.

Joshua Bell violin Daniil Trifonov piano BEETHOVEN Violin Sonata in D Major, Op. 12, No. 1 PROKOFIEV Violin Sonata No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 80 FRANCK Violin Sonata Two luminaries of their instruments team up for this joint recital at Symphony Center. Bell, whose recent Chicago performance was “profoundly lyrical and unflagging in emotional intensity” (Chicago Tribune), finds an ideal partner in Trifonov, “a remarkable artist” whose playing is “by turns daring and sensitive, impassioned and poetic” (The New York Times).

4 25 3

SAT 10:00 & 11:45 BUNTROCK HALL

Once Upon a Symphony: Stone Soup Members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra A hungry traveler arrives at a village with nothing except an old cooking pot, arousing the curiosity of the townsfolk when he begins to make a pot of “stone soup.” One by one, the villagers contribute to the broth and find musical harmony as they enjoy the most delicious soup they have ever tasted.

THU 8:00

SAT 8:00

Pink Martini featuring China Forbes Pink Martini and vocalist China Forbes bring their distinctive style, a captivating fusion of pop, jazz and classical music, back to Symphony Center. Leader and founder Thomas Lauderdale affirms the band’s collaborative spirit and long history of inclusivity with a roster of a dozen musicians performing songs in over 25 languages. Discover why this genre-defying sound has made Pink Martini an international phenomenon.

PERFECT FOR AGES 3-5.

PINK MARTINI

PRODUCED AND PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CHICAGO CHILDREN’S THEATRE

SUN 3:00

Marc-André Hamelin piano DUKAS Sonata in E-flat Minor BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 29 in B-flat Major, Op. 106 (Hammerklavier) The intrepid Marc-André Hamelin offers a characteristically fascinating program, pairing Beethoven’s olympian Hammerklavier Sonata with Dukas’ monumental sonata of 1901. The Guardian calls Dukas’ work “one of the underappreciated masterpieces of the French piano repertoire” and “a perfect showcase for Hamelin’s extraordinary keyboard talent."

JOSHUA BELL

DANIIL TRIFONOV

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 CSO CLASSICAL  WORLD & FOLK  JAZZ  CHAMBER MUSIC  CSO AT THE MOVIES

March 5

SUN 3:00

Kodo One Earth Tour 2023: Tsuzumi Experience the primal power and majesty of taiko drumming as Japan’s pioneering Kodo brings this centuries-old art form to Symphony Center. Since its debut in 1981, this 15-member troupe has traveled the globe, offering performances of emotional depth and thrilling, visceral physicality.

9 11 12

THU 7:30 SAT 8:00 SUN 3:00

Blomstedt Conducts Dvořák 8 Chicago Symphony Orchestra Herbert Blomstedt conductor Andrei Ioniță cello DVOŘÁK Cello Concerto DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 8 Eminent Swedish American conductor Herbert Blomstedt leads two Dvořák landmarks — the restless, bucolic Eighth Symphony and the impassioned Cello Concerto — each imbued with the composer’s hallmark warmth and Bohemian charm. Joining the CSO is the young Romanian Andrei Ioniţă, “one of the most exciting cellists to have emerged for a decade” (The Times of London).

FRI 8:00

Maria Schneider Orchestra: Data Lords Maria Schneider conductor and composer Composer, bandleader and NEA Jazz Master Maria Schneider makes a highly anticipated return to Symphony Center with her genre-defying, 18-piece orchestra. Her latest work, Data Lords, was a Pulitzer Prize finalist, a winner of two Grammy Awards and was named Jazz Album of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association.

ELLIOT MADORE

16 17 18

THU 7:30 FRI 1:30 SAT 8:00

Carmina burana Chicago Symphony Orchestra Osmo Vänskä conductor Joélle Harvey soprano Reginald Mobley countertenor Elliot Madore baritone Chicago Symphony Chorus Chicago Children’s Choir Josephine Lee artistic director MONTGOMERY Banner RAUTAVAARA Cantus Arcticus ORFF Carmina burana Carl Orff’s choral celebration of love, lust and youthful excess in medieval times is as iconic as ever — at once gloriously bawdy and touchingly beautiful. Rautavaara’s ethereal “concerto for birds and orchestra” features bird calls recorded in arctic Finland. Banner, by CSO Mead Composer-inResidence Jessie Montgomery, is a vibrant rhapsody on The Star-Spangled Banner.

SUN 3:00

Hilary Hahn violin BACH Selected Sonatas and Partitas CSO Artist-in-Residence Hilary Hahn returns to Symphony Center with a recital featuring selected Bach sonatas and partitas, highlighting the depth and versatility of her musicianship. Following her performances of Dvořák’s Violin Concerto in 2021, the Chicago Classical Review declared, “Hilary Hahn is one of those rare musicians who brings not just sterling technical gleam but individuality and communicative expression to every performance.” KODO

23 25 26

30 31

THU 7:30 SAT 8:00

SUN 3:00

Coleridge-Taylor, Copland & Dvořák 9 Chicago Symphony Orchestra Thomas Wilkins conductor Stephen Williamson clarinet COLERIDGE-TAYLOR Hiawatha Suite COPLAND Clarinet Concerto DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 9 (From the New World) Thomas Wilkins conducts three works featuring unique musical visions of America, capped with Dvořák’s majestic New World Symphony, which draws on African American and Native American source materials. Coleridge-Taylor’s ballet suite captures the spirit of Longfellow’s epic poem The Song of Hiawatha. CSO Principal Clarinet Stephen Williamson performs Copland’s Clarinet Concerto, premiered by Benny Goodman, which features a rollicking blend of jazz and classical sounds.

THU 7:30 FRI 7:30 EDMAN MEMORIAL CHAPEL—WHEATON

Apr 1 SAT 8:00 0 4 TUE 7:30 Boccherini, Vivaldi & Mozart 40

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Bernard Labadie conductor Pablo Sáinz-Villegas guitar BOCCHERINI Symphony No. 26 in C Minor VIVALDI Guitar Concerto in D Major, RV 93 BOCCHERINI Fandango from Guitar Quintet No. 4 in D Major MOZART Symphony No. 40 In his 2019 CSO debut, Spanish guitarist Pablo Sáinz-Villegas thrilled with “the profundities of his art,” along with “the sheen of his tone and the nobility of his rhythms,” wrote the Chicago Tribune. Sáinz-Villegas returns in two pieces with bright Mediterranean character. Bernard Labadie, making a welcome return to the CSO, conducts the program, which also features dark-hued symphonies by Mozart and Boccherini.

FRI 7:30

An Evening with John Williams Chicago Symphony Orchestra John Williams conductor Now in his 90th year, John Williams is an inimitable musical icon. He has taken us to galaxies far, far away. He has conjured up wizards, helped the Man of Steel fly above Metropolis and, with two notes, made beachgoers terrified of entering the water. Williams leads the CSO in an evening of highlights from his landmark film scores.

THOMAS WILKINS

FRI 8:00

Danilo Pérez’s Global Messengers and Children of the Light with John Patitucci & Brian Blade Panamanian-born Danilo Pérez is “practically peerless” (NPR) as a bandleader and composer, distinguished as the pianist of choice for such jazz legends as Wayne Shorter and Dizzy Gillespie. He returns to Symphony Center to lead two groups that showcase the expansiveness of his artistry: the nimble trio Children of the Light with bassist John Patitucci and drummer Brian Blade and his popular, multinational Global Messengers sextet.

DANILO PÉREZ

JOHN WILLIAMS

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April 01 29

 CSO CLASSICAL  CSO FOR KIDS  PIANO  WORLD & FOLK  JAZZ

SAT 10:00 & 11:45 BUNTROCK HALL

Once Upon a Symphony: The Elves and the Shoemaker Members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra The poor shoemaker and his wife have enough leather to make only one last pair of shoes. While the shoemaker sleeps, someone fashions the most perfect pair of shoes imaginable — and a delighted customer pays twice the asking price. Who could have done such marvelous work? And will the magic continue? We all need help at times, and when we receive it, we strengthen our connections with one another. PERFECT FOR AGES 3-5. PRODUCED AND PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CHICAGO CHILDREN’S THEATRE

ONCE UPON A SYMPHONY

SUN 3:00

Emanuel Ax piano Program to include: SCHUBERT Sonata in A Major, D. 664 SCHUBERT Sonata in B-flat Major, D. 960 An audience favorite since winning the Arthur Rubinstein Competition in 1974, Emanuel Ax brings his signature eloquence and insight to a program of early Romantic repertory. The Guardian said of Ax, “every phrase [was] perfectly conceived and balanced, his warm, velvety tone never threatening to become strident.”

6 7 8 11

THU 7:30 FRI 1:30 SAT 8:00 TUE 7:30

Adès Conducts Adès with Gerstein Chicago Symphony Orchestra Thomas Adès conductor Kirill Gerstein piano LISZT Mephisto Waltz No. 1 ADÈS Piano Concerto SIBELIUS Overture and Suite No. 1 from The Tempest JANÁČEK Taras Bulba Come along for an engrossing program of musical storytelling as Thomas Adès conducts Liszt’s swirling treatment of the Faust legend, Janáček’s depiction of a 17th-century Cossack warrior and Sibelius’ incidental music to Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Kirill Gerstein presents Adès’ own Piano Concerto, “an affectionate, joyous, remarkably uncomplicated tribute to tradition” (The New York Times).

EMANUEL AX

THOMAS ADÈS

FRI 8:00

Zakir Hussain and the Masters of Percussion

Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour: Celebrating 65 Years

Zakir Hussain is the “indisputable tabla maestro” (Gramophone), taking his instrument to the frontiers of Indian classical music while vastly expanding its presence on the world stage. For his long-running Masters of Percussion program, Hussain is joined by drumming virtuosos representing multiple cultures, genres, ages and instruments.

One of the world’s longest-running musical events, the Monterey Jazz Festival celebrates its 65th year with a once-in-a-lifetime ensemble. Featuring Tony and Grammy Award-winning NEA Jazz Master vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater alongside Grammy Award-winning vocalist Kurt Elling and critically acclaimed rising star saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin, this stellar band is directed by visionary pianist Christian Sands and anchored by his longtime rhythm section, bassist Yasushi Nakamura and drummer Clarence Penn.

13 14 15

THU 7:30 FRI 1:30 SAT 8:00

Mikko Franck & Hilary Hahn

SUN 3:00

Evgeny Kissin piano

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Mikko Franck conductor Hilary Hahn violin R. STRAUSS Don Juan RAUTAVAARA/AHO Deux Sérénades SARASATE Carmen Fantasy R. STRAUSS Suite from Der Rosenkavalier CSO Artist-in-Residence Hilary Hahn returns for Sarasate’s brilliant and sultry arrangement of Bizet’s Carmen and two beguiling serenades by the late Finnish master Einojuhani Rautavaara. Mikko Franck frames the program with two works by Richard Strauss: his thrilling portrait of the notorious Spanish libertine and his loving and graceful tribute to the Viennese waltz.

BACH Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 903 MOZART Sonata in D Major, K. 311 DEBUSSY Estampes RACHMANINOV Lilacs, Op. 21, No. 5 RACHMANINOV Prelude in A Minor, Op. 32, No. 8 RACHMANINOV Prelude in G-flat Major, Op. 23, No. 10 RACHMANINOV Etudes-tableaux, Op. 33 Chicago welcomes back Evgeny Kissin, “the master of the fiery grand gesture” (The New York Times), whose recitals are inevitably major events “filled with probing musical insights and beautiful tonal finish” (Chicago Tribune). The epoch-spanning program begins with J.S. Bach and ends with four selections to mark Rachmaninov’s 150th birthday in April 2023. DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER

ZAKIR HUSSAIN

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 CSO CLASSICAL  CSO MusicNOW  CHAMBER MUSIC  CSO FOR KIDS  PIANO

April 20 21

THU 7:30

22 23

SAT 8:00

FRI 7:30 EDMAN MEMORIAL CHAPEL—WHEATON SUN 3:00

Trifonov Plays Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 3 Chicago Symphony Orchestra Fabien Gabel conductor Daniil Trifonov piano LIADOV Kikimora STRAVINSKY Petrushka RACHMANINOV Piano Concerto No. 3 “Peerless today as a Rachmaninov interpreter” (The Guardian) and in possession of “monstrous technique and lustrous tone” (The New Yorker), pianist Daniil Trifonov performs Rachmaninov’s electrifying Third Piano Concerto. Russian folklore animates Stravinsky’s magical world of Petrushka and Liadov’s dark and fantastical Kikimora.

MON 7:00

CSO MusicNOW Musicians from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Michael Mulcahy conductor Rachel Barton Pine violin Jessie Montgomery violin EINHORN Maxwell’s Demon EINHORN Pañca

MONTGOMERY Play PERRY Pastoral BERNSTEIN Dance Suite PISTON Fanfare for the Fighting French MONTGOMERY New Work CSO MUSICNOW COMMISSION, WORLD PREMIERE

27 28 29

THU 7:30 FRI 8:00 SAT 8:00

Jurowski, Helmchen & Shostakovich 8 Chicago Symphony Orchestra Vladimir Jurowski conductor Martin Helmchen piano MOZART Piano Concerto No. 25 SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 8 Vladimir Jurowski marks his return to Symphony Center with Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 8. In this immense wartime symphony, Shostakovich searches for hope and renewal beyond the anguish of violence and honors the ordinary people who contributed — and suffered — away from the frontlines. Celebrated pianist Martin Helmchen brings his “powerful yet refined approach” (The New York Times) to Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 25. This late Mozart masterwork navigates a fascinating series of twists and turns — from its expansive first movement and tranquil second to its triumphant finale.

SUN 3:00

Jerusalem Quartet with Pinchas Zukerman & Amanda Forsyth Jerusalem Quartet Pinchas Zukerman violin and viola Amanda Forsyth cello BRUCKNER Adagio from String Quintet in F Major DVOŘÁK String Sextet in A Major, Op. 48 BRAHMS String Sextet No. 1 in B-flat Major, Op. 18 The distinguished violinist and violist Pinchas Zukerman joins forces with cellist Amanda Forsyth and the Jerusalem Quartet in Dvořák’s enchanting String Sextet, Brahms’ String Sextet No. 1 and Bruckner’s Adagio. The ensemble plays this repertory with “a beguiling warmth and soaring cantabile to ravish the senses” (The Strad).

VLADIMIR JUROWSKI

AMANDA FORSYTH

May 4 5 6 9

THU 7:30

FRI 8:00

Víkingur Ólafsson piano

SAT 8:00 TUE 7:30

Vivaldi Gloria Chicago Symphony Orchestra Giovanni Antonini conductor Amanda Forsythe soprano Yulia Van Doren soprano Sasha Cooke mezzo Chicago Symphony Chorus VIVALDI Sinfonia from La Senna festeggiante VIVALDI Magnificat VIVALDI Kyrie VIVALDI Gloria Experience the uplifting power of Antonio Vivaldi’s joyous Gloria, with its gleaming vocal fireworks and richly embroidered orchestral passages. Early-music specialist Giovanni Antonini conducts this and other Vivaldi treasures, including the Magnificat, in all its variety and invention; the luminous nobility of La Senna festeggiante, and the poignant Kyrie.

SAT 11:00 & 12:45

Downtown Sounds

SUN 3:00

GALUPPI Sonata No. 9 in F Minor MOZART Rondo in F Major, K. 494 C. P. E. BACH Rondo in D Minor CIMAROSA ARR. ÓLAFSSON Sonata No. 42 in D Minor MOZART Fantasy in D Minor, K. 397 MOZART Rondo in D Major, K. 485 CIMAROSA ARR. ÓLAFSSON Sonata No. 55 in A Minor HAYDN Sonata in B Minor, Hob. XVI:32 MOZART Kleine Gigue in G Major, K. 574 MOZART Sonata in C Major, K. 545 MOZART ARR. ÓLAFSSON Adagio from String Quintet No. 3 in G Minor K. 516 GALUPPI Sonata No. 34 in C Minor MOZART Sonata in C Minor, K. 457 MOZART Adagio in B Minor, K. 540 MOZART TRANS. LIZST Ave verum corpus, K. 618 Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson, “an arresting artist who in concert creates unique aural landscapes” (Los Angeles Times), in his Symphony Center Presents debut, intersperses Mozart’s keyboard works with music by four contemporaries: C.P.E. Bach, Cimarosa, Galuppi and Haydn. The program includes Liszt’s sublime transcription of Mozart’s Ave verum corpus.

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Scott Speck conductor What does your neighborhood or town sound like? Many composers have written music about their favorite places, using melodies and rhythms to portray city streets and bustling neighborhoods. Be transported around Chicago without leaving Orchestra Hall in this program featuring music by Gershwin, Márquez and Tchaikovsky. PERFECT FOR AGES 5-12.

VÍKINGUR ÓLAFSSON

CSO FAMILY MATINEE

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May

 CSO CLASSICAL  JAZZ  VOCAL  CSO FOR KIDS  PIANO

11 THU 7:30 12 FRI 1:30 13 SAT 8:00 16 TUE 7:30

Renée Fleming & Evgeny Kissin Renée Fleming soprano Evgeny Kissin piano

Muti, Montgomery & Rachmaninov 2 Chicago Symphony Orchestra Riccardo Muti conductor WAGNER Overture to Tannhäuser MONTGOMERY New Work

WORLD PREMIERE, CSO COMMISSION

RACHMANINOV Symphony No. 2

Rachmaninov’s Second Symphony marked a personal comeback after a debilitating crisis of confidence. In the spring of 2023, a century and a half after the composer’s birth, Riccardo Muti conducts this sumptuous score, along with a world premiere by Mead Composer-in-Residence Jessie Montgomery, who writes with “a Technicolor brilliance and harmonic plushness perfect for the CSO’s own heart-on-its-sleeve proclivities” (Chicago Tribune).

SUN 3:00

FRI 8:00

An Evening with Dave Holland featuring Kenny Barron, Kevin Eubanks & Obed Calvaire NEA Jazz Master Dave Holland has long been considered one of the most forward-thinking, experimental bassists, breaking ground for the acoustic and electric bass beginning in the late 60s. He assembles a true all-star group of jazz heavyweights and frequent collaborators comprised of pianist and fellow NEA Jazz Master Kenny Barron, guitarist Kevin Eubanks and drummer Obed Calvaire for a single evening of unforgettable music.

Legendary soprano Renée Fleming and worldrenowned pianist Evgeny Kissin join forces for an extraordinary event. Fleming’s sumptuous voice and Kissin’s virtuosity shine in a program featuring songs by Rachmaninov. Experience this dream pairing of megastars at Symphony Center! A SYMPHONY CENTER PRESENTS AND LYRIC OPERA OF CHICAGO COLLABORATION

18 19 20 23

THU 7:30 FRI 1:30 SAT 8:00 TUE 7:30

Muti, Chen & Mozart Gran Partita Chicago Symphony Orchestra Riccardo Muti conductor Robert Chen violin CIMAROSA Overture to Il matrimonio segreto MOZART Violin Concerto No. 4 MOZART Serenade No. 10 (Gran Partita) In his Gran Partita for 13 instruments, Mozart achieves a sublime combination of grandeur, complexity and sunny charm. CSO Concertmaster Robert Chen presents the composer’s stately and rustic Violin Concerto No. 4, a product of his Salzburg years. Riccardo Muti opens the concert with Cimarosa’s overture, which echoes Mozart’s comic vein and abounds in freshness and invention.

DAVE HOLLAND

RENÉE FLEMING

EVGENY KISSIN

20 SAT 10:00 & 11:45 BUNTROCK HALL Once Upon a Symphony: The Elves and the Shoemaker Members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra The poor shoemaker and his wife have enough leather to make only one last pair of shoes. While the shoemaker sleeps, someone fashions the most perfect pair of shoes imaginable — and a delighted customer pays twice the asking price. Who could have done such marvelous work? And will the magic continue? We all need help at times, and when we receive it, we strengthen our connections with one another. PERFECT FOR AGES 3-5. PRODUCED AND PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CHICAGO CHILDREN’S THEATRE

SUN 3:00

Seong-Jin Cho piano HANDEL Suite in E Major GUBAIDULINA Chaconne BRAHMS Handel Variations BRAHMS Capriccio in F-sharp Minor, Op. 76, No. 1 BRAHMS Capriccio in B Minor, Op. 76, No. 2 BRAHMS Intermezzo in B-flat Major, Op. 76, No. 4 BRAHMS Capriccio in C-sharp Minor, Op. 76, No. 5 SCHUMANN Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13 Seong-Jin Cho, making his Symphony Center Presents debut, brings “world-class technique, polished to a high sheen of expression” (Los Angeles Times) to a wide-ranging program pairing Handel’s E Major Suite with Brahms’ Handel Variations. The afternoon culminates in Schumann’s mercurial Symphonic Etudes.

25 26 27

THU 7:30 FRI 1:30 SAT 8:00

Muti, Herbert & Pines of Rome Chicago Symphony Orchestra Riccardo Muti conductor David Herbert timpani MOZART Divertimento in F Major, K. 138 KRAFT Timpani Concerto No. 1 RESPIGHI Ancient Airs and Dances, Suite I RESPIGHI Pines of Rome Riccardo Muti conducts two of Respighi’s vibrant orchestral tapestries: his sumptuous homage to Rome’s iconic neighborhoods and pine groves and his masterful evocation of Renaissance lute music. The program includes the vivid First Concerto for Timpani by American composer William Kraft, featuring CSO Principal Timpani David Herbert.

SUN 3:00

Maria João Pires piano Program to include: SCHUMANN Arabeske, Op. 18 SCHUMANN Carnival Scenes from Vienna DEBUSSY Pour le piano Portuguese pianist Maria João Pires has been hailed as “an elegant technician and probing interpreter” (The New York Times), whose playing is “modest in scale, gloriously immodest in its beauty” (Financial Times). Acclaimed for her recordings of music by Mozart, Chopin and Schubert, Pires makes a rare Chicago recital appearance.

SEONG-JIN CHO

MARIA JOÃO PIRES

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June 1 2 3 6

 CSO CLASSICAL  JAZZ  CHAMBER MUSIC  CSO AT THE MOVIES

THU 7:30

SUN 3:00

Emerson String Quartet & Emanuel Ax

FRI 1:30 SAT 8:00 TUE 7:30

Debussy La mer & Ravel La valse Chicago Symphony Orchestra David Afkham conductor Vadim Gluzman violin RAVEL Menuet antique SHOSTAKOVICH Violin Concerto No. 1 DEBUSSY La mer RAVEL La valse David Afkham conducts landmarks of early 20thcentury French music, including Debussy’s La mer, a shimmering depiction of the sea and its many moods, and Ravel’s La valse, in which a misty waltz morphs into a delirious portrait of a vanished age. Turning to Russia, Israeli violinist Vadim Gluzman takes on Shostakovich’s alternately biting and poignant First Violin Concerto.

Emerson String Quartet Emanuel Ax piano WALKER Lyric for Strings SHOSTAKOVICH String Quartet No. 12 DVOŘÁK Piano Quintet No. 2 In this farewell concert, the Emerson Quartet performs one final time for Chicago audiences before retiring from the concert stage in the fall of 2023. In what promises to be an unforgettable afternoon, the celebrated quartet presents cherished repertoire from its 47-year career with a special guest appearance by longtime collaborator Emanuel Ax.

8 9 10

THU 7:30 FRI 8:00 SAT 8:00

Hrůša Conducts Mahler 9

FRI 8:00

An Evening with Branford Marsalis Saxophonist Branford Marsalis, one of jazz’s most revered musicians, has become an avatar of contemporary artistic excellence. For more than 40 years, he has expanded his vision as an instrumentalist, composer, bandleader and educator, crossing stylistic boundaries while maintaining an unwavering creative integrity, and has reached “the highest echelon of jazz tenor saxophonists” (Los Angeles Times). Don’t miss an evening of virtuosic improvisations and stunning melodies that brings the 2022/23 SCP Jazz series to a close.

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Jakub Hrůša conductor MAHLER Symphony No. 9 Mahler “peacefully bids farewell to the world” is how the composer’s protégé Bruno Walter described the finale to his Ninth Symphony. This valedictory score contains the many hallmarks of Mahler’s symphonies — their grand scale, profound emotions and folk dance themes — capped by an ethereal finale that achieves a sense of transcendent rapture. EMERSON STRING QUARTET

BRANFORD MARSALIS

JAKUB HRŮŠA

15 16 17

THU 7:30 FRI 1:30 SAT 8:00

Muti, Pokorny & Schubert 9 Chicago Symphony Orchestra Riccardo Muti conductor Gene Pokorny tuba J. STRAUSS, JR. Overture to Indigo and the Forty Thieves SCHIFRIN Tuba Concerto SCHUBERT Symphony No. 9 (Great) Schubert’s magnificent final symphony and Johann Strauss Jr.’s Overture to Indigo and the Forty Thieves bookend this program with distinctive Viennese touches. CSO Principal Tuba Gene Pokorny takes the spotlight in a concerto written for him by Lalo Schifrin (best known for his Mission: Impossible theme), which incorporates Baroque and jazz influences.

23 24 25

FRI 8:00 SAT 8:00

29 30 July 1

THU 7:30 FRI 7:30 SAT 7:30

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Chicago Symphony Orchestra David Newman conductor WILLIAMS Star Wars: The Force Awakens The iconic music of John Williams weaves together a nine-film saga that spans half a century. Released over four decades after the original film in 1977, Star Wars: The Force Awakens brought Star Wars and the magic of Williams’ music to a new generation. Set 30 years after the defeat of Emperor Palpatine, this exciting seventh installment launches a new chapter in the Skywalker saga. Experience it on the big screen as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra performs John Williams’ epic score. ©2015 & TM LUCASFILM LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. © DISNEY. PRSENTATION LICENSED BY DISNEY CONCERTS IN ASSOCIATION WITH 20TH CENTURY FOX, LUCASFILM LTD. AND WARNER/CHAPPELL MUSIC.

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS

SUN 3:00

Muti Conducts Beethoven Missa solemnis Chicago Symphony Orchestra Riccardo Muti conductor Erin Morley soprano Alisa Kolosova mezzo-soprano Giovanni Sala tenor Ildar Abdrazakov bass Chicago Symphony Chorus BEETHOVEN Missa solemnis Few mass settings pose more questions of listeners than Beethoven’s Missa solemnis. A fervent meditation on faith and doubt, the piece spans moments of ecstasy and angst, soaring beauty and near-operatic theatricality. Riccardo Muti leads this rarely performed score with a thrilling quartet of international singers and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus.

RICCARDO MUTI

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Just announced! Yo-Yo Ma with the CSO May 1 | Monday | 7:30 Chicago Symphony Orchestra Carlos Miguel Prieto conductor Yo-Yo Ma cello ELGAR Cello Concerto TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 4

Tickets to this concert are currently only available to subscribers and donors. Add it to your Create Your Own series package to secure your seats today!

Support your orchestra Each year, loyal audience members and generous friends support the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association through tax-deductible donations. These gifts celebrate the extraordinary Orchestra and ensure its legacy for many years to come. 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, Civic Orchestra of Chicago and special concerts in community centers across the city. These programs, and many more, are made available completely free or at very low costs, thanks to many generous donors. Bring the music you love to others by making a donation to the CSOA. Your gift will not only help the CSO remain a world-class orchestra, but also will ensure the ongoing legacy of programs that engage thousands of people each year in life-changing musical experiences.

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Zell Family Foundation

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The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association is grateful to these generous individuals, corporations and foundations for their leadership support. Official Airline of the CSO

The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation

Kenneth C. Griffin Charitable Fund Ling Z. and Michael C. Markovitz Anonymous 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. Major support for CSO MusicNOW is generously provided by the Zell Family Foundation, Cindy Sargent, the Sally Mead Hands Foundation and the Julian Family Foundation.

Generous support for the Chicago Symphony Chorus has been provided by The Grainger Foundation. Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Merry, Merry Chicago! and CSO Tuesday series media partner: CSO at Wheaton performances are generously sponsored by the JCS Arts, Health and Education Fund of DuPage 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.

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