2015/16 Season Catalog

chicago symphony orchestra riccardo muti zell music director symphony center presents

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2015/16 anniversary season

Global Sponsor of the CSO

Welcome To our long-time subscribers as well as our new patrons coming to the symphony for the first time, I want to welcome you to the 2015/16 season of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Chicago is home to one of the greatest orchestras in the world. Both at home and around the globe, the musicians serve as Chicago’s cultural ambassadors. In a world so complicated, difficult and increasingly violent, it is necessary that the cultural identity of Chicago, and of the United States, is carefully preserved. Culture is one of the best defenses against the loss of humanity, and music, in particular, can help those afflicted by the problems of the world.

In this spirit, we begin the 2015/16 season in celebration of the 125th anniversary of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, which we hope, in the years ahead, will have an even greater impact on our culture and society with your continued support.

Riccardo Muti Zell Music Director

season highlights 4 125th Anniversary Season 6 Muti Conducts Verdi’s Falstaff 8 Masterworks from Handel to Mahler table of contents 10 Chicago Symphony Orchestra

10 Main Series

32 Afterwork Masterworks®

33 Beyond the Score®

34 CSO at the Movies 35 CSO Family Matinees/Once Upon a Symphony®

24 CSO Special Concerts 36 Symphony Center Presents 34 Jazz 36 Chamber Music

38 Piano 40 Orchestras 41 MusicNOW

42 Holiday Concerts 43 Special Concerts 47 CSO Media and Sponsors 24 How to Renew Guide center insert 24 Season Grid and Chronological Calendar center fold-out 24 Commemorative Poster center fold-out 2

125th anniversary season

In honor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s 125th season, we celebrate our unparalleled musicians and wonderful city with a series of portraits captured at iconic locations in Chicago. Enjoy these remarkable images in the pages of this catalog and throughout the season.

All photos © Todd Rosenberg Photography 2014

Qing Hou, Lawrence Neuman, Lei Hou, Kenneth Olsen promontory point

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chicago symphony orchestra

“Astonishing richness from the first note.”—tribune de genÈve “Unbelievable technique and power … in total harmony.”—le quotidien Luxembourg

celebrating 125 years of the chicago symphony orchestra The Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s distinguished history began in 1891, when Chicago’s top business leaders invited preeminent conductor Theodore Thomas to establish a first-class symphony orchestra. Since then, the CSO has become an internationally celebrated ensemble of unmatched power and virtuosity, one that has thrilled countless music lovers through its performances in Chicago and around the globe.

Always an advocate for new music, the CSO has given numerous world and U.S. premieres of groundbreaking repertoire, a role that remains a priority of the institution to this day. To pay tribute to this tradition, this anniversary season will include a collection of pieces that received their world or U.S. premiere by the Orchestra, as well as two brand-new works commissioned especially for the 125th season. work

To explore the CSO’s rich history, visit Sounds & Stories at cso.org/soundsandstories.

bartÓk Piano Concerto No. 2 bruckner Symphony No. 9 bruckner Te Deum casella Symphony No. 3 charpentier Impressions of Italy corigliano Campane di Ravello debussy Gigues dukas The Sorcerer’s Apprentice dusapin Cello Concerto* dvoŘÁk The Golden Spinning Wheel dvoŘÁk The Wild Dove elgar Enigma Variations elgar In the South franck Les Éolides glanert Brahms-Fantasie holst The Planets lutosŁawski Symphony No. 3 ogonek New Work* prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 3 prokofiev Scythian Suite respighi Concerto Gregoriano scriabin Prometheus sibelius Symphony No. 2 strauss Ein Heldenleben strauss Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks stravinsky Symphony in C tartini Pastorale (orch. Respighi)

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*2015/16 commission

125th anniversary season

premiere

U.S. premiere March 2, 1939 U.S. premiere February 19, 1904 U.S. premiere May 26, 1892 World premiere March 27, 1941 U.S. premiere November 24, 1893 World premiere October 9, 1987 U.S. premiere November 13, 1914 U.S. premiere January 13, 1899 World premiere May 26, 2016 U.S. premiere January 1, 1897 U.S. premiere October 20, 1899 U.S. premiere January 3, 1902 U.S. premiere November 4, 1904 U.S. premiere November 8, 1895 U.S. premiere October 8, 2015 U.S. premiere December 31, 1920 World premiere September 29, 1983 World premiere February 11, 2016 World premiere December 16, 1921 U.S. premiere December 6, 1918 U.S. premiere October 31, 1924 U.S. premiere March 15, 1915 U.S. premiere January 1, 1904 U.S. premiere March 9, 1900 U.S. premiere November 15, 1895 World premiere November 7, 1940 U.S. premiere October 28, 1927

2015/16 program

March 10–15 June 23–26 June 23–26 February 18–20 September 24–29 September 19 March 31–April 2 May 12 & 14 May 26–31 December 17–19 December 17–19 May 5–10 September 19 October 17 & 20 October 8–13 May 26–31 February 24–March 1 February 11–16 May 21 October 1–3 February 18–20 December 3–5 March 17–19 January 6–9 November 12–14 May 19 & 20 November 19–21

Gina DiBello, Joseph DiBello lincoln park zoo

Mihaela Ionescu pilsen

Peter Conover garfield park conservatory

Yuan-Qing Yu chicago water tower cso.org 312-294-3000  5

season highlight

MUTI conducts Verdi’s FALSTAFF

April 21–26 Riccardo Muti’s cycle of Giuseppe Verdi’s three Shakespeare operas culminates in performances of Falstaff. With his incomparable musicianship, command of style and unique understanding of Verdi’s genius, Muti will make Falstaff both a memorable highlight of the season and a crowning achievement of his Verdi performances in Chicago. Singing the title role is Ambrogio Maestri, “the most sought after Falstaff singer of his time” (The New York Times).

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Riccardo Muti conductor Ambrogio Maestri baritone (Sir John Falstaff ) Eleonora Buratto soprano (Alice Ford ) Luca Salsi baritone (Ford) Rosa Feola soprano (Nannetta) Saimir Pirgu tenor (Fenton) Daniela Barcellona mezzo-soprano (Mistress Quickly) Laura Polverelli mezzo-soprano (Meg Page) Anicio Zorzi Giustiniani tenor (Bardolfo) Luca Dall’Amico bass (Pistola) Saverio Fiore tenor (Dr. Caius) Chicago Symphony Chorus Duain Wolfe chorus director

Top row, left to right: Riccardo Muti, Ambrogio Maestri, Eleonora Buratto, Luca Salsi, Rosa Feola, Saimir Pirgu Bottom row, left to right: Daniela Barcellona, Laura Polverelli, Anicio Zorzi Giustiniani, Luca Dall’Amico, Saverio Fiore, Duain Wolfe

shakespeare in music These programs, which commemorate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, are part of Riccardo Muti’s exploration of music inspired by the Bard’s iconic works. Other masterworks include the greatest achievement to spring from Berlioz’s love of Shakespeare— his Romeo and Juliet—and Tchaikovsky’s popular interpretation of the same story.

April 7–9 Berlioz’s Romeo and Juliet 6

125th anniversary season

April 14–24 Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet

“Muti may be the finest interpreter in the world of Verdi’s works, and without question is the most influential.”—the new york times “Beautifully formed details, delicate nuances, and, where necessary, the highest level of drama could be heard and experienced as Muti showed himself once again to be an uncommonly eloquent and always cultivated storyteller.”—kurier Vienna

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season highlight

Masterworks handel mahler from

to

The 2015/16 season is filled with gems by some of the world’s most celebrated composers— Handel, Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Mahler and more. This beloved repertoire is classical music’s rich cornerstone, cherished by audiences and musicians the world over.

Witness the power and poetry of these treasured works played live by the world-renowned Chicago Symphony Orchestra. chicago symphony orchestra

chicago symphony orchestra

symphony center presents

Muti Conducts Beethoven 5* September 17

Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto and Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings February 11–16

Sir András Schiff: The Last Sonatas of Beethoven, Haydn, Mozart and Schubert November 1 & February 14

Series: Thu A, F

Muti Conducts Beethoven and Mozart* October 1–3 Series: Thu C and E, Fri C, Sat B and G

Brahms’ Violin Concerto and Symphony No. 1 October 8–13

Series: Thu B and H, Fri D, Sat C, Tues A

Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 3 and Brahms 2 March 24–26 Series: Thu C and E, Fri A, Sat C

Muti Conducts Mahler 4 April 14–24

Series: Thu B and I, Fri B, Tue A

Series: Thu A and F, Fri A and C, Sat B and H, Sun A

Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5 November 11–14

Holst’s The Planets May 26–31

Series: Thu C and D, Fri A, Sat A and E,

Series: Thu B and H, Fri A, Sat B and G, Sun A, Tue A

Afterwork Masterworks®

Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins November 19–21

Dohnányi Conducts Mozart and Beethoven* June 2–7

Series: Thu A and F, Fri C, Sat B and H

Series: Thu C and D, Fri C, Sat A and F, Tue B

Muti Conducts Beethoven 8 December 3–5

Dohnányi Conducts Mozart’s Jupiter Symphony* June 9–11

Series: Thu A and G, Fri B, Sat D

Handel’s Messiah December 10–20 Series: Thu C and E, Fri A, Sat A and E, Sun A, Tue A

Haydn’s Cello Concerto January 6–9 Series: Thu A and G, Fri A, Sat D, Afterwork Masterworks®

Series: SCP Piano A, B and E

Israel Philharmonic Orchestra: Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 (Eroica) November 15 Series: SCP Orchestras

Uchida with Musicians from the CSO: Mozart’s Quintet for Piano and Winds February 28 Series: SCP Chamber Music

Andsnes, Tetzlaff, Zimmermann and Hagen: The Complete Brahms Piano Quartets April 10 Series: SCP Chamber Music

Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra: Mahler 5 April 17 Series: SCP Orchestras

Series: Thu B and I, Fri A, Sat B and H

Beethoven’s Violin Concerto & Brahms Serenade No. 1* June 16–21 Series: Thu C and E, Fri B, Sat A and E, Tue A

Muti Conducts Bruckner June 23–26 Series: Thu A and G, Sat D, Sun A

“Under the baton of their Italian music director, we hear an orchestra of fine European tradition, with a string sound of

*The Randy and Melvin Berlin Family Fund for the Canon provides support for artistic excellence in the programming of masterpieces of core classical orchestral repertoire, recognizing and demonstrating the impact of great masters on the legacy of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Performances sponsored by the Randy and Melvin Berlin Family Fund for the Canon are indicated above.

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125th anniversary season

unexpected warmth and roundness.”

—le figaro Paris

Sarah Bullen, Rachel Goldstein, Stephen Lester chicago cultural center

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thursday

A 10 concerts at 8:00

| 5–concert series: Thu F or Thu G

SEP 17 NOV 19 DEC 3 JAN 7 MAR 10 MAR 31 APR 14 APR 28 MAY 19 JUN 23 September 17 F Muti Conducts Beethoven 5

Riccardo Muti conductor liszt From the Cradle to the Grave mozart Symphony No. 40 beethoven Symphony No. 5

series highlight

November 19 F Zukerman, Bach & Mozart

Pinchas Zukerman conductor, violin and viola Stephanie Jeong violin mozart Overture to The Magic Flute tartini, orch. respighi Pastorale telemann Viola Concerto in G Major bach Concerto for Two Violins mozart Symphony No. 39 Violinist, violist and conductor Pinchas Zukerman has remained a phenomenon in the world of music for over four decades. His prodigious technique and unwavering artistic standards are a marvel to audiences and critics. CSO Associate Concertmaster Stephanie Jeong joins Zukerman for Bach’s Double Concerto in a delightful program that also features Mozart’s Symphony No. 39 and Overture to The Magic Flute.

December 3 G Muti Conducts Beethoven 8

Riccardo Muti conductor Kirill Gerstein piano Chicago Symphony Chorus Duain Wolfe chorus director prokofiev Symphony No. 1 (Classical) scriabin Prometheus beethoven Coriolan Overture beethoven Symphony No. 8

January 7 G Haydn’s Cello Concerto

April 14 F Muti Conducts Mahler 4

March 10 F Denk Plays Bartók’s Piano Concerto No. 2

April 28 G Haitink Conducts An Alpine Symphony

Jonathan Nott conductor Johannes Moser cello berg Lyric Suite haydn Cello Concerto in C Major strauss Ein Heldenleben

Riccardo Muti conductor Rosa Feola soprano tchaikovsky The Tempest tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet mahler Symphony No. 4

Sir Mark Elder conductor Jeremy Denk piano dvořák Scherzo capriccioso bartók Piano Concerto No. 2 janáček Suite from The Cunning Little Vixen janáček Taras Bulba

Bernard Haitink conductor Till Fellner piano mozart Piano Concerto No. 22 strauss An Alpine Symphony

series highlight

May 19 F Dutoit Conducts The Firebird

series highlight

March 31 G Sheherazade

Charles Dutoit conductor stravinsky Fireworks stravinsky Symphony in C stravinsky The Firebird

Susanna Mälkki conductor Gil Shaham violin debussy Gigues bartók Violin Concerto No. 2 rimsky-korsakov Sheherazade Finnish conductor Susanna Mälkki conjures RimskyKorsakov’s hauntingly melodious and stunningly orchestrated evocation of several tales told by the legendary heroine Sheherazade, represented by a dazzling solo violin. The violin takes center stage again as Gil Shaham plays Bartók’s folksy Violin Concerto No. 2. Debussy’s quirky Gigues, based on the well-known English sailor’s chorus “The Keel Row,” rounds out this colorful program.

Charles Dutoit, renowned for his refined ear for orchestral color, conducts three of Stravinsky’s most expressive works. Two of Stravinsky’s early masterpieces, the brilliant Fireworks and the magical Firebird, frame one of his most powerful neo-classical scores, the Symphony in C.

June 23 G Muti Conducts Bruckner

Riccardo Muti conductor Erin Wall soprano Okka von der Damerau mezzo-soprano Steve Davislim tenor Christof Fischesser bass Chicago Symphony Chorus Duain Wolfe chorus director bruckner Symphony No. 9 bruckner Te Deum

Photos left to right: Pinchas Zukerman, Riccardo Muti, Johannes Moser, Till Fellner

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125th anniversary season

John Sharp, Robert Chen kinzie street bridge

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thursday

B 10 concerts at 8:00

| 5–concert series: Thu H or Thu I

SEP 24 OCT 8 DEC 17 FEB 11 FEB 25 MAR 17 APR 7 MAY 12 MAY 26 JUN 9 series highlight

September 24 H Muti Conducts Ravel’s Boléro Riccardo Muti conductor Xavier de Maistre harp chabrier España ginastera Harp Concerto charpentier Impressions of Italy ravel Boléro

This colorful program mixes Mediterranean inspiration with electrifying music from Latin America. Ginastera’s fiery Harp Concerto is performed by celebrated French harpist Xavier de Maistre, “a virtuoso of the highest order” (Gramophone). Riccardo Muti’s last performances of Boléro with the Orchestra in 2007 were hailed as “fresh, subtle…and genuinely exciting” (Chicago Tribune). This show-stopper will be an enthralling finish to a delightful program.

series highlight

October 8 I Bychkov Conducts Brahms

Semyon Bychkov conductor Renaud Capuçon violin glanert Brahms-Fantasie [U.S. Premiere] brahms Violin Concerto brahms Symphony No. 1 Conductor Semyon Bychkov brings an imaginative program inspired by Johannes Brahms. His triumphant First Symphony is coupled with a modernday reflection of Brahms’ work by one of Germany’s leading composers, Detlev Glanert. French violinist Renaud Capuçon, praised for his “intensely lyrical” tone and “gloriously rich sound” (BBC Music Magazine), is the soloist in Brahms’ invigorating and heavenly Violin Concerto.

December 17 H Conlon Conducts Dvořák

James Conlon conductor Alexander Hanna bass mozart Overture to Lucio Silla vanhal Double Bass Concerto in D Major dvořák The Wild Dove dvořák The Golden Spinning Wheel

February 11 H Muti Conducts Tchaikovsky & Mozart

Riccardo Muti conductor Stephen Williamson clarinet ligeti Ramifications mozart Clarinet Concerto ogonek New Work [CSO Commission, World Premiere] tchaikovsky Serenade for String Orchestra

series highlight

February 25 I Salonen & Yo-Yo Ma

Esa-Pekka Salonen conductor Yo-Yo Ma cello beethoven Overture to King Stephen lutosławski Symphony No. 3 salonen Foreign Bodies shostakovich Cello Concerto No. 1 Polish composer Witold Lutosławski wrote his Third Symphony for Sir Georg Solti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, who gave its world premiere in September 1983. Esa-Pekka Salonen leads the CSO in this compelling and powerful piece.

Yo-Yo Ma lends his stellar talent and showmanship to Shostakovich’s wryly playful Cello Concerto No. 1.

March 17 H Tilson Thomas & Ax

Michael Tilson Thomas conductor Emanuel Ax piano stravinsky Scherzo à la russe beethoven Piano Concerto No. 4 sibelius Symphony No. 2

Photos left to right: Xavier de Maistre, Ekaterina Gubanova, Riccardo Muti, Alisa Weilerstein

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125th anniversary season

April 7 I Muti Conducts Berlioz’s Romeo and Juliet

Riccardo Muti conductor Ekaterina Gubanova mezzo-soprano Paul Groves tenor Dmitry Belosselskiy bass Chicago Symphony Chorus Duain Wolfe chorus director berlioz Romeo and Juliet

May 12 I Dutoit Conducts Falla

Charles Dutoit conductor Javier Perianes piano Daniela Mack mezzo-soprano ravel Alborada del gracioso falla Nights in the Gardens of Spain dukas The Sorcerer’s Apprentice falla The Three-Cornered Hat

May 26 H The Planets

Cristian Măcelaru conductor Alisa Weilerstein cello Women of the Chicago Symphony Chorus Duain Wolfe chorus director ibert Bacchanale dusapin Cello Concerto [CSO Co-commission, World Premiere] holst The Planets

June 9 I Mozart’s Jupiter Symphony

Christoph von Dohnányi conductor Martin Helmchen piano mozart Symphony No. 25 beethoven Piano Concerto No. 2 mozart Symphony No. 41 (Jupiter)

Miles Maner, So Young Bae, Danny Lai, Sylvia Kim Kilcullen daley plaza

Brant Taylor lake & halsted

Wendy Koons Meir robie house cso.org 312-294-3000  13

thursday

C 10 concerts at 8:00

| 5–concert series: Thu D or Thu E

OCT 1 NOV 12 DEC 10 FEB 18 MAR 3 MAR 24 APR 21 MAY 5 JUN 2 JUN 16 series highlight

series highlight

Riccardo Muti conductor Leif Ove Andsnes piano beethoven Leonore Overture No. 3 mozart Piano Concerto No. 20 hindemith Concert Music for Brass and String Orchestra prokofiev Scythian Suite

Bernard Labadie conductor Lydia Teuscher soprano Allyson McHardy mezzo-soprano Jeremy Ovenden tenor Philippe Sly bass-baritone Chicago Symphony Chorus Duain Wolfe chorus director handel Messiah

October 1 E Muti & Andsnes

From the sweet melancholy of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20, played by Chicago favorite Leif Ove Andsnes, to the unbridled ferocity of Prokofiev’s Scythian Suite, this program embraces a wide gamut of emotions. Riccardo Muti also leads Beethoven’s hymn to fraternity and liberation, the Leonore Overture No. 3, and Hindemith’s intriguing blend of neoclassicism and modernism, strikingly scored for only strings and brass.

series highlight

November 12 D Mozart, Strauss & Adams

Edo de Waart conductor Augustin Hadelich violin strauss Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks mozart Violin Concerto No. 5 (Turkish) adams Harmonielehre Edo de Waart returns with a lively program starting with Richard Strauss’ mischievous Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks, a legendary CSO showpiece, followed

by Mozart’s Turkish Violin Concerto, played by rising young German violinist Augustin Hadelich.

The concert ends with John Adams’ striking Harmonielehre, inspired by a dream of an oil tanker suddenly pointing skyward and taking off like a rocket from the surface of San Francisco’s Oakland Bay.

Photos left to right: Augustin Hadelich, Julia Fischer, Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus

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125th anniversary season

December 10 E Handel’s Messiah

One of the most beloved choral masterpieces of all time, Handel’s Messiah has become a musical gem of the Christmas season. Bernard Labadie leads the CSO in a thrilling performance featuring a superb line-up of soloists and the Chicago Symphony Chorus.

February 18 D Muti Conducts Respighi

Riccardo Muti conductor Robert Chen violin respighi Fountains of Rome respighi Concerto Gregoriano casella Symphony No. 3

March 3 D Vaughan Williams & Elgar

Sir Mark Elder conductor vaughan williams Overture to The Wasps vaughan williams Five Variants of “Dives and Lazarus” elgar Symphony No. 1

March 24 E Brahms 2 and Rachmaninov 3

Yuri Temirkanov conductor Denis Matsuev piano rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 3 brahms Symphony No. 2

April 21 D Muti Conducts Verdi’s Falstaff

Riccardo Muti conductor Ambrogio Maestri baritone (Sir John Falstaff) Eleonora Buratto soprano (Alice Ford) Luca Salsi baritone (Ford) Rosa Feola soprano (Nannetta) Saimir Pirgu tenor (Fenton) Daniela Barcellona mezzo-soprano (Mistress Quickly) Laura Polverelli mezzo-soprano (Meg Page) Anicio Zorzi Giustiniani tenor (Bardolfo) Luca Dall’Amico bass (Pistola) Saverio Fiore tenor (Dr. Caius) Chicago Symphony Chorus Duain Wolfe chorus director verdi Falstaff

May 5 E Elgar’s Enigma Variations

Donald Runnicles conductor britten Sinfonia da requiem strauss Death and Transfiguration elgar Enigma Variations

June 2 D Dohnányi Conducts Mozart & Beethoven

Christoph von Dohnányi conductor Daniel Gingrich horn mozart Symphony No. 38 (Prague) mozart Horn Concerto No. 3 beethoven Symphony No. 2

June 16 E Muti Conducts Beethoven & Brahms Riccardo Muti conductor Julia Fischer violin beethoven Violin Concerto brahms Serenade No. 1

Cynthia Yeh, Stephanie Jeong, Karen Basrak, Alexander Hanna soldier field

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friday

A 8 concerts at 1:30

NOV 13 DEC 11 JAN 8 FEB 19 MAR 25 APR 22 MAY 27 JUN 10 series highlight

November 13 Mozart, Strauss & Adams

Edo de Waart conductor Augustin Hadelich violin strauss Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks mozart Violin Concerto No. 5 (Turkish) adams Harmonielehre Edo de Waart returns with a lively program starting with Richard Strauss’ mischievous Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks, a legendary CSO showpiece, followed

by Mozart’s Turkish Violin Concerto, played by rising young German violinist Augustin Hadelich.

The concert ends with John Adams’ striking Harmonielehre, inspired by a dream of an oil tanker suddenly pointing skyward and taking off like a rocket from the surface of San Francisco’s Oakland Bay.

series highlight

December 11 Handel’s Messiah

Bernard Labadie conductor Lydia Teuscher soprano Allyson McHardy mezzo-soprano Jeremy Ovenden tenor Philippe Sly bass-baritone Chicago Symphony Chorus Duain Wolfe chorus director handel Messiah One of the most beloved choral masterpieces of all time, Handel’s Messiah has become a musical gem of the Christmas season. Bernard Labadie leads the CSO in a thrilling performance featuring a superb line-up of soloists and the Chicago Symphony Chorus.

January 8 Haydn’s Cello Concerto

series highlight

Jonathan Nott conductor Johannes Moser cello berg Lyric Suite haydn Cello Concerto in C Major strauss Ein Heldenleben

series highlight

February 19 Muti Conducts Respighi

Riccardo Muti conductor Robert Chen violin respighi Fountains of Rome respighi Concerto Gregoriano casella Symphony No. 3 Riccardo Muti pays homage to his homeland with two enchanting Respighi scores: Fountains of Rome, the vivid tone poem which established the Italian composer’s reputation and his soaring Concerto Gregoriano, showcasing CSO Concertmaster Robert Chen. Casella’s Third Symphony was commissioned for the CSO’s 50th anniversary by Frederick Stock, and was declared a “victory for the arts in Italy” (Giornale d’Italia) after its successful Italian premiere.

May 27 The Planets

Cristian Măcelaru conductor Alisa Weilerstein cello Women of the Chicago Symphony Chorus Duain Wolfe chorus director ibert Bacchanale dusapin Cello Concerto [CSO Co-commission, World Premiere] holst The Planets Rising conductor Cristian Măcelaru is joined by internationally acclaimed American cellist Alisa Weilerstein for a specially commissioned concerto by Pascal Dusapin. Ibert’s scintillating Bacchanale and Gustav Holst’s stunning and spectacular The Planets completes what will be an exhilarating concert.

June 10 Mozart’s Jupiter Symphony

Christoph von Dohnányi conductor Martin Helmchen piano mozart Symphony No. 25 beethoven Piano Concerto No. 2 mozart Symphony No. 41 (Jupiter)

March 25 Brahms 2 and Rachmaninov 3

Yuri Temirkanov conductor Denis Matsuev piano rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 3 brahms Symphony No. 2

April 22 Muti Conducts Mahler 4

Riccardo Muti conductor Rosa Feola soprano tchaikovsky The Tempest tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet mahler Symphony No. 4

Photos left to right: Riccardo Muti, Robert Chen, Denis Matsuev, Christoph von Dohnányi

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125th anniversary season

Christopher Martin wrigley field

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friday

B 8 concerts at 1:30

OCT 9 DEC 4 DEC 18 FEB 26 MAR 18 APR 1 MAY 20 JUN 17 series highlight

October 9 Bychkov Conducts Brahms

Semyon Bychkov conductor Renaud Capuçon violin glanert Brahms-Fantasie [U.S. Premiere] brahms Violin Concerto brahms Symphony No. 1

December 18 Conlon Conducts Dvořák

James Conlon conductor Alexander Hanna bass mozart Overture to Lucio Silla vanhal Double Bass Concerto in D Major dvořák The Wild Dove dvořák The Golden Spinning Wheel

Charles Dutoit conductor stravinsky Fireworks stravinsky Symphony in C stravinsky The Firebird

February 26 Salonen & Yo-Yo Ma

Riccardo Muti conductor Julia Fischer violin beethoven Violin Concerto brahms Serenade No. 1

Conductor Semyon Bychkov brings an imaginative program inspired by Johannes Brahms. His triumphant First Symphony is coupled with a modern-day reflection of Brahms’ work by one of Germany’s leading composers, Detlev Glanert. French violinist Renaud Capuçon, praised for his “intensely lyrical” tone and “gloriously rich sound” (BBC Music Magazine), is the soloist in Brahms’ invigorating and heavenly Violin Concerto.

Esa-Pekka Salonen conductor Yo-Yo Ma cello beethoven Overture to King Stephen lutosławski Symphony No. 3 salonen Foreign Bodies shostakovich Cello Concerto No. 1

series highlight

series highlight

Riccardo Muti conductor Kirill Gerstein piano Chicago Symphony Chorus Duain Wolfe chorus director prokofiev Symphony No. 1 (Classical) scriabin Prometheus beethoven Coriolan Overture beethoven Symphony No. 8

Michael Tilson Thomas conductor Emanuel Ax piano stravinsky Scherzo à la russe beethoven Piano Concerto No. 4 sibelius Symphony No. 2

December 4 Muti Conducts Beethoven 8

Two light-hearted classical works frame Scriabin’s colorful and mystic Prometheus, the culmination of Riccardo Muti’s Scriabin cycle with the CSO. Muti masterfully contrasts this piece with two twists on the Classical symphonic form: Beethoven’s inventive Eighth Symphony and Prokofiev’s mischievous Classical Symphony.

May 20 Dutoit Conducts The Firebird

June 17 Muti Conducts Beethoven & Brahms

March 18 Tilson Thomas & Ax

Innovative and influential conductor Michael Tilson Thomas joins forces with Symphony Center favorite Emanuel Ax in a program featuring Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto.

Tilson Thomas also leads Sibelius’ sensuous and lushly lyrical Symphony No. 2.

April 1 Sheherazade

Susanna Mälkki conductor Gil Shaham violin debussy Gigues bartók Violin Concerto No. 2 rimsky-korsakov Sheherazade

Photos left to right: Semyon Bychkov, Riccardo Muti, Michael Tilson Thomas, Charles Dutoit

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125th anniversary season

Ni Mei, Wei-Ting Kuo, Gene Pokorny, Weijing Wang, Michael Mulcahy union station

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friday

C 5 concerts at 8:00

OCT 2 NOV 20 FEB 5 APR 15 JUN 3 series highlight

series highlight

Riccardo Muti conductor Leif Ove Andsnes piano beethoven Leonore Overture No. 3 mozart Piano Concerto No. 20 hindemith Concert Music for Brass and String Orchestra prokofiev Scythian Suite

Riccardo Muti conductor Rosa Feola soprano tchaikovsky The Tempest tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet mahler Symphony No. 4

October 2 Muti & Andsnes

From the sweet melancholy of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20, played by Chicago favorite Leif Ove Andsnes, to the unbridled ferocity of Prokofiev’s Scythian Suite, this program embraces a wide gamut of emotions. Riccardo Muti also leads Beethoven’s hymn to fraternity and liberation, the Leonore Overture No. 3, and Hindemith’s intriguing blend of neo-classicism and modernism, strikingly scored for only strings and brass.

series highlight

November 20 Zukerman, Bach & Mozart

Pinchas Zukerman conductor, violin and viola Stephanie Jeong violin mozart Overture to The Magic Flute tartini, orch. respighi Pastorale telemann Viola Concerto in G Major bach Concerto for Two Violins mozart Symphony No. 39 Violinist, violist and conductor Pinchas Zukerman has remained a phenomenon in the world of music for over four decades. His prodigious technique and unwavering artistic standards are a marvel to audiences and critics. CSO Associate Concertmaster Stephanie Jeong joins Zukerman for Bach’s Double Concerto in a delightful program that also features Mozart’s Symphony No. 39 and Overture to The Magic Flute.

February 5 Shostakovich 1 & 15

Gennady Rozhdestvensky conductor shostakovich Symphony No. 1 shostakovich Symphony No. 15

April 15 Muti Conducts Mahler 4

Riccardo Muti conducts two of Tchaikovsky’s most romantic and vividly dramatic overtures inspired by two of Shakespeare’s greatest dramas: Romeo and Juliet and The Tempest. Completing the concert is one of Mahler’s most charming and best-loved works, the enchanting Fourth Symphony, featuring sparkling soprano Rosa Feola.

June 3 Dohnányi Conducts Mozart & Beethoven

Christoph von Dohnányi conductor Daniel Gingrich horn mozart Symphony No. 38 (Prague) mozart Horn Concerto No. 3 beethoven Symphony No. 2

“When Riccardo Muti, a living legend among conductors, came to the podium, the Polish audience welcomed him with warm applause. He answered in the most elegant manner …

The mastery of all the solo instruments provoked a respect for the technique, color, chamber music skills, expression and effortlessness with which the musicians trickled motif after

Photos top to bottom: Riccardo Muti, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Stephanie Jeong, Daniel Gingrich

20

125th anniversary season

motif, phrase after phrase.”

—ruch muzyczny Warsaw

friday

d 5 concerts at 8:00

SEP 25 NOV 27 FEB 12 APR 8 APR 29 series highlight

September 25 Muti Conducts Ravel’s Boléro Riccardo Muti conductor Xavier de Maistre harp chabrier España ginastera Harp Concerto charpentier Impressions of Italy ravel Boléro

This colorful program mixes Mediterranean inspiration with electrifying music from Latin America. Ginastera’s fiery Harp Concerto is performed by celebrated French harpist Xavier de Maistre, “a virtuoso of the highest order” (Gramophone). Riccardo Muti’s last performances of Boléro with the Orchestra in 2007 were hailed as “fresh, subtle…and genuinely exciting” (Chicago Tribune). This show-stopper will be an enthralling finish to a delightful program.

series highlight

November 27 Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue

Marin Alsop conductor Jon Kimura Parker piano clyne Masquerade barber Second Essay for Orchestra gershwin Rhapsody in Blue dvořák Symphony No. 7 Marin Alsop, “a shooting star in the firmament of international conductors” (Penguin Guide to Compact Discs), conducts a program of absorbing masterworks. Barber’s noble Second Essay for Orchestra, written during World War II, prefaces Gershwin’s exuberant Rhapsody in Blue, featuring Jon Kimura Parker, an enormously versatile pianist who has a long history with the popular piece.

Dvořák’s glorious and emotional Symphony No. 7 closes the program.

April 8 Muti Conducts Berlioz’s Romeo and Juliet

Riccardo Muti conductor Ekaterina Gubanova mezzo-soprano Paul Groves tenor Dmitry Belosselskiy bass Chicago Symphony Chorus Duain Wolfe chorus director berlioz Romeo and Juliet

series highlight

April 29 Haitink Conducts An Alpine Symphony

Bernard Haitink conductor Till Fellner piano mozart Piano Concerto No. 22 strauss An Alpine Symphony Former CSO Principal Conductor Bernard Haitink returns to Symphony Center with a program including Till Fellner as soloist in Mozart’s sunny Piano Concerto No. 22. Haitink, an eminent Strauss conductor, also leads the Orchestra in a majestic performance of Strauss’ epic An Alpine Symphony. “Out of the lowest depths of the orchestra, murmurs arise, daylight gathers in the brasses, and then, wham! The sun appears in full orchestral blaze. Dawn arrives in Richard Strauss’ An Alpine Symphony, and so begins music’s most vividly depicted mountainous ascent” (The New York Times).

February 12 Muti Conducts Tchaikovsky & Mozart

Riccardo Muti conductor Stephen Williamson clarinet ligeti Ramifications mozart Clarinet Concerto ogonek New Work [CSO Commission, World Premiere] tchaikovsky Serenade for String Orchestra

Photos top to bottom: Marin Alsop, Jon Kimura Parker, Stephen Williamson, Bernard Haitink

cso.org 312-294-3000 21

saturday

A 10 concerts at 8:00

| 5–concert series: Sat E or Sat F

SEP 26 NOV 14 NOV 28 DEC 12 FEB 27 MAR 19 APR 23 MAY 7 JUN 4 JUN 18 series highlight

September 26 F Muti Conducts Ravel’s Boléro Riccardo Muti conductor Xavier de Maistre harp chabrier España ginastera Harp Concerto charpentier Impressions of Italy ravel Boléro

November 28 F Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue

Marin Alsop conductor Jon Kimura Parker piano clyne Masquerade barber Second Essay for Orchestra gershwin Rhapsody in Blue dvořák Symphony No. 7

This colorful program mixes Mediterranean inspiration with electrifying music from Latin America. Ginastera’s fiery Harp Concerto is performed by celebrated French harpist Xavier de Maistre, “a virtuoso of the highest order” (Gramophone). Riccardo Muti’s last performances of Boléro with the Orchestra in 2007 were hailed as “fresh, subtle…and genuinely exciting” (Chicago Tribune). This show-stopper will be an enthralling finish to a delightful program.

December 12 E Handel’s Messiah

series highlight

February 27 E Salonen & Yo-Yo Ma

November 14 E Mozart, Strauss & Adams

Edo de Waart conductor Augustin Hadelich violin strauss Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks mozart Violin Concerto No. 5 (Turkish) adams Harmonielehre Edo de Waart returns with a lively program starting with Richard Strauss’ mischievous Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks, a legendary CSO showpiece, followed

by Mozart’s Turkish Violin Concerto, played by rising young German violinist Augustin Hadelich.

The concert ends with John Adams’ striking Harmonielehre, inspired by a dream of an oil tanker suddenly pointing skyward and taking off like a rocket from the surface of San Francisco’s Oakland Bay.

Bernard Labadie conductor Lydia Teuscher soprano Allyson McHardy mezzo-soprano Jeremy Ovenden tenor Philippe Sly bass-baritone Chicago Symphony Chorus Duain Wolfe chorus director handel Messiah

Esa-Pekka Salonen conductor Yo-Yo Ma cello beethoven Overture to King Stephen lutosławski Symphony No. 3 salonen Foreign Bodies shostakovich Cello Concerto No. 1

March 19 F Tilson Thomas & Ax

Michael Tilson Thomas conductor Emanuel Ax piano stravinsky Scherzo à la russe beethoven Piano Concerto No. 4 sibelius Symphony No. 2

Photos left to right: Emanuel Ax, Ambrogio Maestri, Riccardo Muti, Donald Runnicles

22

125th anniversary season

April 23 F Muti Conducts Verdi’s Falstaff

Riccardo Muti conductor Ambrogio Maestri baritone (Sir John Falstaff) Eleonora Buratto soprano (Alice Ford) Luca Salsi baritone (Ford) Rosa Feola soprano (Nannetta) Saimir Pirgu tenor (Fenton) Daniela Barcellona mezzo-soprano (Mistress Quickly) Laura Polverelli mezzo-soprano (Meg Page) Anicio Zorzi Giustiniani tenor (Bardolfo) Luca Dall’Amico bass (Pistola) Saverio Fiore tenor (Dr. Caius) Chicago Symphony Chorus Duain Wolfe chorus director verdi Falstaff

May 7 E Elgar’s Enigma Variations

Donald Runnicles conductor britten Sinfonia da requiem strauss Death and Transfiguration elgar Enigma Variations

June 4 F Dohnányi Conducts Mozart & Beethoven

Christoph von Dohnányi conductor Daniel Gingrich horn mozart Symphony No. 38 (Prague) mozart Horn Concerto No. 3 beethoven Symphony No. 2

June 18 E Muti Conducts Beethoven & Brahms Riccardo Muti conductor Julia Fischer violin beethoven Violin Concerto brahms Serenade No. 1

saturday

B 10 concerts at 8:00

| 5–concert series: Sat G or Sat H

OCT 3 NOV 21 DEC 19 FEB 6 FEB 20 MAR 5 APR 16 APR 30 MAY 28 JUN 11 series highlight

series highlight

Riccardo Muti conductor Leif Ove Andsnes piano beethoven Leonore Overture No. 3 mozart Piano Concerto No. 20 hindemith Concert Music for Brass and String Orchestra prokofiev Scythian Suite

James Conlon conductor Alexander Hanna bass mozart Overture to Lucio Silla vanhal Double Bass Concerto in D Major dvořák The Wild Dove dvořák The Golden Spinning Wheel

October 3 G Muti & Andsnes

From the sweet melancholy of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20, played by Chicago favorite Leif Ove Andsnes, to the unbridled ferocity of Prokofiev’s Scythian Suite, this program embraces a wide gamut of emotions.

Riccardo Muti also leads Beethoven’s hymn to fraternity and liberation, the Leonore Overture No. 3, and Hindemith’s intriguing blend of neo-classicism and modernism, strikingly scored for only strings and brass.

series highlight

November 21 H Zukerman, Bach & Mozart

Pinchas Zukerman conductor, violin and viola Stephanie Jeong violin mozart Overture to The Magic Flute tartini, orch. respighi Pastorale telemann Viola Concerto in G Major bach Concerto for Two Violins mozart Symphony No. 39 Violinist, violist and conductor Pinchas Zukerman has remained a phenomenon in the world of music for over four decades. His prodigious technique and unwavering artistic standards are a marvel to audiences and critics. CSO Associate Concertmaster Stephanie Jeong joins Zukerman for Bach’s Double Concerto in a delightful program that also features Mozart’s Symphony No. 29 and Overture to The Magic Flute.

December 19 H Conlon Conducts Dvořák

James Conlon conducts Dvořák’s rambunctious The Golden Spinning Wheel, based on a dark Czech fairy tale. Chicago Symphony Orchestra Principal Bass Alexander Hanna will perform the rarelyheard and delightful Double Bass Concerto by the eighteenth-century Czech composer Johann Baptist Vanhal.

February 6 G Shostakovich 1 & 15

Gennady Rozhdestvensky conductor shostakovich Symphony No. 1 shostakovich Symphony No. 15

February 20 H Muti Conducts Respighi

Riccardo Muti conductor Robert Chen violin respighi Fountains of Rome respighi Concerto Gregoriano casella Symphony No. 3

March 5 G Vaughan Williams & Elgar

Sir Mark Elder conductor vaughan williams Overture to The Wasps vaughan williams Five Variants of “Dives and Lazarus” elgar Symphony No. 1

April 16 H Muti Conducts Mahler 4

Riccardo Muti conductor Rosa Feola soprano tchaikovsky The Tempest tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet mahler Symphony No. 4

April 30 G Haitink Conducts An Alpine Symphony

Bernard Haitink conductor Till Fellner piano mozart Piano Concerto No. 22 strauss An Alpine Symphony

May 28 G The Planets

Cristian Măcelaru conductor Alisa Weilerstein cello Women of the Chicago Symphony Chorus Duain Wolfe chorus director ibert Bacchanale dusapin Cello Concerto [CSO Co-commission, World Premiere] holst The Planets

June 11 H Mozart’s Jupiter Symphony

Christoph von Dohnányi conductor Martin Helmchen piano mozart Symphony No. 25 beethoven Piano Concerto No. 2 mozart Symphony No. 41 (Jupiter)

Photos left to right: James Conlon, Alexander Hanna, Women of the Chicago Symphony Chorus

cso.org 312-294-3000 23

more music from the cso Don’t miss these blockbuster 125th anniversary concerts that are sure to sell out!

These fantastic performances are not available on subscription, so add them to your package and get access to the best seats before they go on sale to the general public.

a remarkable musical celebration!

Saturday, September 19, 7:00

Symphony Ball Chicago Symphony Orchestra Riccardo Muti conductor

corigliano Campane di Ravello elgar In the South mussorgsky, orch. ravel Pictures from an Exhibition The Women’s Board of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra proudly presents Symphony Ball, a prestigious gala evening of music and celebration that launches our 125th season. Enjoy a festive preconcert reception at Symphony Center, followed by Riccardo Muti leading the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in Mussorgsky’s popular Pictures from an Exhibition. Gala patrons will continue their evening with postconcert dinner and dancing. Symphony Ball is one of Chicago’s not-to-be missed parties!

Thursday, October 15, 8:00

Saturday, May 21, 8:00

KISSIN plays Tchaikovsky

Lang Lang plays Prokofiev

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Sir Andrew Davis conductor Evgeny Kissin piano

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Charles Dutoit conductor Lang Lang piano

bach, arr. davis Passacaglia and Fugue in C Minor stravinsky Divertimento tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1

stravinsky Fireworks prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 3 stravinksy The Firebird

Legendary Russian pianist Evgeny Kissin, a Symphony Center favorite, joins the Orchestra for Tchaikovsky’s celebrated First Piano Concerto, one of the best-known concertos of all time.

Prokofiev’s witty and atmospheric Third Piano Concerto is performed by the phenomenally popular Lang Lang, “a spellbinding performer with a flair for drama” (CBS News).

24

125th anniversary season

Evgeny Kissin

Lang Lang

saturday

C 5 concerts at 8:00

OCT 17 FEB 13 MAR 26 APR 9 MAY 14 October 17 Rachmaninov 2

James Feddeck conductor Christopher Martin trumpet frank Les Éolides haydn Trumpet Concerto rachmaninov Symphony No. 2

series highlight

February 13 Muti Conducts Tchaikovsky & Mozart

Riccardo Muti conductor Stephen Williamson clarinet ligeti Ramifications mozart Clarinet Concerto ogonek New Work [CSO Commission, World Premiere] tchaikovsky Serenade for String Orchestra

Ligeti’s eerie and evocative Ramifications opens a program featuring CSO Principal Clarinet Stephen Williamson performing Mozart’s beautiful Clarinet Concerto. A world premiere specially commissioned for the CSO’s 125th season is followed by Tchaikovsky’s treasured Serenade for Strings, which spotlights the Orchestra’s brilliant string section.

series highlight

March 26 Brahms 2 and Rachmaninov 3

Yuri Temirkanov conductor Denis Matsuev piano rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 3 brahms Symphony No. 2

April 9 Muti Conducts Berlioz’s Romeo and Juliet

Riccardo Muti conductor Ekaterina Gubanova mezzo-soprano Paul Groves tenor Dmitry Belosselskiy bass Chicago Symphony Chorus Duain Wolfe chorus director berlioz Romeo and Juliet

series highlight

May 14 Dutoit Conducts Falla

Charles Dutoit conductor Javier Perianes piano Daniela Mack mezzo-soprano ravel Alborada del gracioso falla Nights in the Gardens of Spain dukas The Sorcerer’s Apprentice falla The Three-Cornered Hat Charles Dutoit conducts two enchanting scores

by Manuel de Falla. One of Spain’s most exciting young artists, Javier Perianes is the soloist for the atmospheric Nights in the Gardens of Spain, and the concert ends with charming music from Falla’s humorous ballet The ThreeCornered Hat. Ravel’s zesty Alborada del gracioso and Dukas’ ever-popular The Sorcerer’s Apprentice complete this vibrant program.

Denis Matsuev tackles Rachmaninov’s noble and demanding Piano Concerto No. 3 under legendary Russian conductor Yuri Temirkanov. Balancing this is Brahms’ sunniest symphony, No. 2 in D Major. “Temirkanov told stories in music.

Everything was direct, vivid and full of character” (The New York Times).

Photos top to bottom: Charles Dutoit, Yuri Temirkanov, Daniela Mack, Javier Perianes

cso.org 312-294-3000 27

saturday

D 5 concerts at 8:00

DEC 5 JAN 9 MAR 12 APR 2 JUN 25 series highlight

series highlight

Riccardo Muti conductor Kirill Gerstein piano Chicago Symphony Chorus Duain Wolfe chorus director prokofiev Symphony No. 1 (Classical) scriabin Prometheus beethoven Coriolan Overture beethoven Symphony No. 8

Susanna Mälkki conductor Gil Shaham violin debussy Gigues bartók Violin Concerto No. 2 rimsky-korsakov Sheherazade

December 5 Muti Conducts Beethoven 8

Two light-hearted classical works frame Scriabin’s colorful and mystic Prometheus, the culmination of Riccardo Muti’s Scriabin cycle with the CSO. Muti masterfully contrasts this piece with two twists on the Classical symphonic form: Beethoven’s inventive Eighth Symphony and Prokofiev’s mischievous Classical Symphony.

series highlight

January 9 Haydn’s Cello Concerto

Jonathan Nott conductor Johannes Moser cello berg Lyric Suite haydn Cello Concerto in C Major strauss Ein Heldenleben British conductor Jonathan Nott leads a wideranging program starting with Berg’s emotional Lyric Suite, inspired by the composer’s clandestine love affair, and ending with Ein Heldenleben, Strauss’ tongue-in-cheek tone poem that includes a wry portrait of his beloved wife, Pauline.

Also featured is Haydn’s charming and stylish Cello Concerto in C Major, played by rising young virtuoso cellist Johannes Moser.

April 2 Sheherazade

Finnish conductor Susanna Mälkki conjures RimskyKorsakov’s hauntingly melodious and stunningly orchestrated evocation of several tales told by the legendary heroine Sheherazade, represented by a dazzling solo violin. The violin takes center stage again as Gil Shaham plays Bartók’s folksy Violin Concerto No. 2. Debussy’s quirky Gigues, based on the well-known English sailor’s chorus “The Keel Row,” rounds out this colorful program.

June 25 Muti Conducts Bruckner

Riccardo Muti conductor Erin Wall soprano Okka von der Damerau mezzo-soprano Steve Davislim tenor Christof Fischesser bass Chicago Symphony Chorus Duain Wolfe chorus director bruckner Symphony No. 9 bruckner Te Deum

March 12 Denk Plays Bartók’s Piano Concerto No. 2

Sir Mark Elder conductor Jeremy Denk piano dvořák Scherzo capriccioso bartók Piano Concerto No. 2 janáček Suite from The Cunning Little Vixen janáček Taras Bulba

Photos top to bottom: Riccardo Muti, Kirill Gerstein, Jeremy Denk, Gil Shaham

28

125th anniversary season

sunday

A 5 concerts at 3:00

NOV 29 DEC 20 APR 24 MAY 29 JUN 26 series highlight

series highlight

Marin Alsop conductor Jon Kimura Parker piano clyne Masquerade barber Second Essay for Orchestra gershwin Rhapsody in Blue dvořák Symphony No. 7

Riccardo Muti conductor Erin Wall soprano Okka von der Damerau mezzo-soprano Steve Davislim tenor Christof Fischesser bass Chicago Symphony Chorus Duain Wolfe chorus director bruckner Symphony No. 9 bruckner Te Deum

November 29 Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue

Marin Alsop, “a shooting star in the firmament of international conductors” (Penguin Guide to Compact Discs), conducts a program of absorbing masterworks. Barber’s noble Second Essay for Orchestra, written during World War II, prefaces Gershwin’s exuberant Rhapsody in Blue, featuring Jon Kimura Parker, an enormously versatile pianist who has a long history with the popular piece.

Dvořák’s glorious and emotional Symphony No. 7 closes the program.

June 26 Muti Conducts Bruckner

Riccardo Muti closes the CSO’s 125th season with awe-inspiring power and grace. Bruckner’s mighty Te Deum mixes granite-like choral utterances with some of his most beautiful music.

Bruckner, who left his last symphony incomplete at his own death in 1896, regarded its noble slow third movement as his own “farewell to life.”

series highlight

December 20 Handel’s Messiah

Bernard Labadie conductor Lydia Teuscher soprano Allyson McHardy mezzo-soprano Jeremy Ovenden tenor Philippe Sly bass-baritone Chicago Symphony Chorus Duain Wolfe chorus director handel Messiah One of the most beloved choral masterpieces of all time, Handel’s Messiah has become a musical gem of the Christmas season. Leading Baroque specialist Bernard Labadie leads the CSO in a thrilling performance featuring a superb line-up of soloists and the Chicago Symphony Chorus.

April 24 Muti Conducts Mahler 4

Riccardo Muti conductor Rosa Feola soprano tchaikovsky The Tempest tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet mahler Symphony No. 4

May 29 The Planets

Cristian Măcelaru conductor Alisa Weilerstein cello Women of the Chicago Symphony Chorus Duain Wolfe chorus director ibert Bacchanale dusapin Cello Concerto [CSO Co-commission, World Premiere] holst The Planets

Photos top to bottom: Cristian Măcelaru, Bernard Labadie, Duain Wolfe, Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus

cso.org 312-294-3000 29

tuesday

A 6 concerts at 7:30

OCT 13 DEC 15 FEB 16 MAR 15 MAY 31 JUN 21 series highlight

series highlight

Semyon Bychkov conductor Renaud Capuçon violin glanert Brahms-Fantasie [U.S. Premiere] brahms Violin Concerto brahms Symphony No. 1

Sir Mark Elder conductor Jeremy Denk piano dvořák Scherzo capriccioso bartók Piano Concerto No. 2 janáček Suite from The Cunning Little Vixen janáček Taras Bulba

October 13 Bychkov Conducts Brahms

March 15 Denk Plays Bartók’s Piano Concerto No. 2

Conductor Semyon Bychkov brings an imaginative program inspired by Johannes Brahms. His triumphant First Symphony is coupled with a modernday reflection of Brahms’ work by one of Germany’s leading composers, Detlev Glanert. French violinist Renaud Capuçon, praised for his “intensely lyrical” tone and “gloriously rich sound” (BBC Music Magazine), is the soloist in Brahms’ invigorating and heavenly Violin Concerto.

series highlight

December 15 Handel’s Messiah

Sir Mark Elder conducts a program of rousing Central European music, starting with Dvořák’s quirky Scherzo capriccioso and ending with two haunting scores by Czech composer Janáček: a symphonic suite from his opera The Cunning Little Vixen and the wild and heroic Taras Bulba. Jeremy Denk, “a pianist you want to hear no matter what he performs” (The New York Times), is the featured soloist in Bartók’s thrilling Piano Concerto No. 2.

May 31 The Planets

Bernard Labadie conductor Lydia Teuscher soprano Allyson McHardy mezzo-soprano Jeremy Ovenden tenor Philippe Sly bass-baritone Chicago Symphony Chorus Duain Wolfe chorus director handel Messiah

Cristian Măcelaru conductor Alisa Weilerstein cello Women of the Chicago Symphony Chorus Duain Wolfe chorus director ibert Bacchanale dusapin Cello Concerto [CSO Co-commission, World Premiere] holst The Planets

One of the most beloved choral masterpieces of all time, Handel’s Messiah has become a musical gem of the Christmas season. Leading Baroque specialist Bernard Labadie leads the CSO in a thrilling performance featuring a superb line-up of soloists and the Chicago Symphony Chorus.

June 21 Muti Conducts Beethoven & Brahms Riccardo Muti conductor Julia Fischer violin beethoven Violin Concerto brahms Serenade No. 1

February 16 Muti Conducts Tchaikovsky & Mozart

Riccardo Muti conductor Stephen Williamson clarinet ligeti Ramifications mozart Clarinet Concerto ogonek New Work [CSO Commission, World Premiere] tchaikovsky Serenade for String Orchestra

Photos top to bottom: Sir Mark Elder, Renaud CapuÇon, Riccardo Muti

30

125th anniversary season

tuesday

B 6 concerts at 7:30

CSO Tuesday series concerts are sponsored by United Airlines.

SEP 29 OCT 20 MAR 1 APR 26 MAY 10 JUN 7 series highlight

series highlight

Riccardo Muti conductor Xavier de Maistre harp chabrier España ginastera Harp Concerto charpentier Impressions of Italy ravel Boléro

Riccardo Muti conductor Ambrogio Maestri baritone (Sir John Falstaff) Eleonora Buratto soprano (Alice Ford) Luca Salsi baritone (Ford) Rosa Feola soprano (Nannetta) Saimir Pirgu tenor (Fenton) Daniela Barcellona mezzo-soprano (Mistress Quickly) Laura Polverelli mezzo-soprano (Meg Page) Anicio Zorzi Giustiniani tenor (Bardolfo) Luca Dall’Amico bass (Pistola) Saverio Fiore tenor (Dr. Caius) Chicago Symphony Chorus Duain Wolfe chorus director verdi Falstaff

September 29 Muti Conducts Ravel’s Boléro

This colorful program mixes Mediterranean inspiration with electrifying music from Latin America. Ginastera’s fiery Harp Concerto is performed by celebrated French harpist Xavier de Maistre, “a virtuoso of the highest order” (Gramophone). Riccardo Muti’s last performances of Boléro with the Orchestra in 2007 were hailed as “fresh, subtle…and genuinely exciting” (Chicago Tribune). This show-stopper will be an enthralling finish to a delightful program.

series highlight

October 20 Rachmaninov 2

James Feddeck conductor Christopher Martin trumpet frank Les Éolides haydn Trumpet Concerto rachmaninov Symphony No. 2 After Principal Trumpet Christopher Martin’s 2007 performance of Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto with the CSO, the Chicago Tribune said, “Martin played beautifully spinning, shapely phrases with a sweet, rounded tone, nailing the high-wire runs of the finale with easy brilliance.” Martin returns to perform the concerto under James Feddeck, who makes his Symphony Center podium debut. Feddeck also leads Rachmaninov’s well-known Second Symphony, a masterpiece brimming with emotion and gorgeous melodies.

March 1 Salonen & Yo-Yo Ma

Esa-Pekka Salonen conductor Yo-Yo Ma cello beethoven Overture to King Stephen lutosławski Symphony No. 3 salonen Foreign Bodies shostakovich Cello Concerto No. 1

April 26 Muti Conducts Verdi’s Falstaff

Riccardo Muti’s cycle of Giuseppe Verdi’s three Shakespeare operas culminates in performances of Falstaff. With his incomparable musicianship, command of style and unique understanding of Verdi’s genius, Maestro Muti will make Falstaff both a memorable highlight of the season and a crowning achievement of his Verdi performances in Chicago. Singing the title role is Ambrogio Maestri, “the most sought after Falstaff singer of his time” (The New York Times).

May 10 Elgar’s Enigma Variations

Donald Runnicles conductor britten Sinfonia da requiem strauss Death and Transfiguration elgar Enigma Variations

June 7 Dohnányi Conducts Mozart & Beethoven

Christoph von Dohnányi conductor Daniel Gingrich horn mozart Symphony No. 38 (Prague) mozart Horn Concerto No. 3 beethoven Symphony No. 2

Photos top to bottom: James Feddeck, Christopher Martin, Yo-Yo Ma, Esa-Pekka Salonen

cso.org 312-294-3000 31

The music you love at the time you love

AFTERWORK MASTERWORKS ®

4 wednesdays at 6:30 Explore epic masterpieces with the renowned Chicago Symphony Orchestra in four concerts perfectly designed to fit your schedule. These midweek programs feature glorious orchestral music, an early start time and no intermission.

Concert length is approximately 75 minutes.

Extend your experience after each concert with complimentary wine and an engaging Q&A session with guest artists in the Grainger Ballroom.

There’s no better way to spend your weekday evenings than with the CSO!

November 11 Mozart & Adams

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Edo de Waart conductor Augustin Hadelich violin mozart Violin Concerto No. 5 (Turkish) adams Harmonielehre

January 6 Haydn’s Cello Concerto

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Jonathan Nott conductor Johannes Moser cello haydn Cello Concerto in C Major strauss Ein Heldenleben

February 24 Salonen Conducts Lutosławski

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Esa-Pekka Salonen conductor beethoven Overture to King Stephen lutosŁawski Symphony No. 3 salonen Foreign Bodies

March 30 Sheherazade

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Susanna Mälkki conductor Gil Shaham violin bartók Violin Concerto No. 2 rimsky-korsakov Sheherazade

Top four photos, clockwise from upper left: Edo de Waart, Jonathan Nott, Susanna Mälkki, Esa-Pekka Salonen

32

125th anniversary season

Telling the stories of music

Gerard McBurney creative director

2 fridays & 1 saturday at 7:30 3 sundays at 3:00

For newcomers to classical music and longtime aficionados alike, each Beyond the Score is a dramatic exploration of a composer’s music. With live actors, stunning visual projections and virtuosic fragments of live music by members of the CSO, the compelling story of the composer’s life and art unfolds, illuminating the world that shaped the music’s creation.

The 2015/16 season highlights three composers who brilliantly transformed the richly diverse and unique cultures and landscapes that surrounded them into visceral and dazzling musical masterpieces.

Photos left to right: Gerard McBurney, Sir Mark Elder, Charles Dutoit, Javier Perianes

October 24 & 25 Bernstein in New York City

March 11 & 13 Janáček in the Slavic Lands

In its fearless exuberance, stylistic openness and garish and unashamed variety, the music of Leonard Bernstein perfectly embodies the time and place in which he lived, the United States in the second half of the 20th century.

Beyond the Score celebrates the approaching 100th anniversary of this legendary artist’s birth with a loving portrait of the dazzling range of his imagination through passages from his iconic compositions and extraordinary footage and archival material. The performance ends with Bernstein’s most famous orchestral showpiece, the much loved Symphonic Dances from West Side Story.

One of the most original and wayward of all composers, Leoš Janáček shocked and baffled his contemporaries by turning his back on the old classical rule books. Instead, he chose to take his musical inspiration from the roughest and most contradictory sources all around him: peasants calling to one another in the marketplace, children playing in the streets, drunken village celebrations and the raw noises of the natural world. From such primitive materials, this stubborn Moravian genius created some of the most gripping and colorful dramas ever written, from world famous operas such as Kátya Kabanová and The Cunning Little Vixen to Taras Bulba, a rhapsody for orchestra that depicts three dramatic and bloodthirsty episodes in the violent life of a Cossack leader.

Chicago Symphony Orchestra beyond the score exploration -intermissionbernstein Symphonic Dances from West Side Story

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Sir Mark Elder conductor beyond the score exploration -intermissionjanáček Taras Bulba

May 13 & 15 Falla in the South of Spain

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Charles Dutoit conductor Javier Perianes piano beyond the score exploration -intermissionfalla Nights in the Gardens of Spain Passionately loyal to his ancestral roots in the far south of Spain, Manuel de Falla spent nearly 20 of the most intense years of his composing life in the beautiful and historic city of Granada in Andalusia. What so powerfully drew him there was the richly diverse culture of this ancient world, with its exotic blend of Islamic, Christian, Jewish and Romany traditions; its fabulous architecture and landscapes; and most of all, the unforgettably heart-rending and world famous music of flamenco—its sensual dancing, strummed guitars and “deep song,” the cante jondo, which Falla himself called the purest and oldest of all the different forms of gypsy music.

From such stunningly beautiful material, Falla created his own timeless world, a dream-like Spain of hot and perfumed nights, tragic passions and dark incantations.

EXTEND YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH A POSTCONCERT Q&A AFTER EACH BEYOND THE SCORE cso.org 312-294-3000 33

Experience your favorite films in a whole new way

e h t t a CSO

Movies

3 fridays at 8:00 on sale now!

OCT 23 MAR 4 MAY 6

Save your seat for three thrilling nights of musical movie magic. Enjoy hits ranging from Hollywood’s Golden Age to today’s blockbusters accompanied live by the incomparable Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Programs will be announced soon! This is one of our most popular series and tickets sell out quickly.

Add this package to your subscription order today!

SYMPHONY

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Jazz

Spectacular artists. Unforgettable concerts.

Artists and dates will be announced in April 2015.

Stay tuned!

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125th anniversary season

Great music. Unforgettable moments.

Perfect for ages 5 and up!

cso family matinees 3 saturdays at 11:00 am A or 12:45 pm B LET’S CELEBRATE! Music is an essential part of celebrations that mark the course of our lifetimes. Birthdays, anniversaries, and other holidays are incomplete without the festive spirit of great music, inspiring family and friends to sing, dance and play together. For the 2015/16 season, join us for three programs that explore how, when and why music is used as a part of our celebrations.

Enrich your child’s life through the one-of-a-kind experience of hearing the Chicago Symphony Orchestra playing orchestral masterpieces. Instill a lifelong love of music with these fun and engaging programs for the young and the young at heart.

Photos top to bottom: Scott Speck, Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater, Edwin Outwater Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater is in residence at Northeastern Illinois University.

November 21 Surprise Party

February 13 A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Cristian Măcelaru conductor

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Edwin Outwater conductor

Program to include:

Program to include:

haydn Symphony No. 94 (Surprise) strauss Champagne Polka

mendelssohn A Midsummer Night’s Dream

What kind of birthday party do you throw for an orchestra? A musical one, of course!

We are planning a surprise party for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s 125th birthday, and you’re invited. Make sure you keep this big surprise a secret! This program is part of the CSO’s 125th Anniversary Season celebration, honoring the incredible musical legacy and future of our orchestra.

Do dreams influence reality? Felix Mendelssohn takes us into the magical woods where a group of fairies hilariously fumble in their attempts to manipulate the lives of ordinary people.

This program celebrates the legacy of William Shakespeare whose comedic masterpiece A Midsummer Night’s Dream inspired brilliant music by Felix Mendelssohn.

April 30 Spanish Rhythm and Dance

Members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Scott Speck conductor Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater guest artists Program to include:

bizet Excerpts from Carmen rimsky-korsakov Capriccio espagnol What celebration is complete without dancing?

Infectious Spanish rhythms will make you tap your toes and clap your hands in this festive program featuring the magnificent dancers from Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater, celebrating its 40th anniversary during the 2015/16 season. ¡Vamos a bailar! Let’s dance!

Perfect for ages 3–5!

6 saturdays at 10:00 and 11:45 am DEC 5 JAN 9 FEB 20 MAR 19 APR 16 MAY 7 Start your child’s engaging journey into the world of music with Once Upon a Symphony.

Be transported by musical performances by small ensembles of CSO musicians with vivid storytelling, sets, costumes and images created by Chicago Children’s Theatre.

FOR CSO FAMILY MATINEE AND ONCE UPON A SYMPHONY CONCERTS, EXTEND THE FUN WITH FREE PRECONCERT ADVENTURES IN THE ROTUNDA, featuring activities with partner organizations, colorful and engaging exhibits and interactive musical experiences. cso.org 312-294-3000 35

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Chamber music 4–concert series

With an outstanding variety of pieces ranging from well-loved classics to cutting-edge premieres, the Symphony Center Presents Chamber Music series gives audiences the opportunity to witness small ensemble music-making at an exceptional level. Hear four thrilling recitals of breathtaking masterworks composed for intimate ensembles.

Photo top: Joshua Bell Photo bottom: Mitsuko Uchida

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125th anniversary season

Exceptional Artistry. Intimate Collaborations.

Friday, October 30, 8:00 Joshua Bell violin

Joshua Bell, the “most perfect interpreter of this generation” (Houston Chronicle) and a Symphony Center favorite, returns to Chicago. Expect an evening of Bell’s signature combination of technical precision and breathtaking artistry.

Sunday, February 28, 3:00 Mitsuko Uchida with Musicians from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Program to include:

mozart Quintet for Piano and Winds in E-flat Major Don’t miss Mitsuko Uchida in her only 2015/16 appearance at Symphony Center. The sublime pianist collaborates with musicians from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in delightful chamber music. “With Mitsuko Uchida, even matters of sheer technique emerge as poetry” (The New York Times).

Sunday, April 10, 3:00 The Complete Brahms Piano Quartets Leif Ove Andsnes piano Christian Tetzlaff violin Tabea Zimmermann viola Clemens Hagen cello brahms Piano Quartet No. 1 brahms Piano Quartet No. 2 brahms Piano Quartet No. 3

Johannes Brahms’ piano quartets are jewels of the beloved composer’s output. This all-star ensemble presents all three of these rich and romantic masterpieces in one afternoon at Symphony Center.

Sunday, June 12, 3:00 Yo-Yo Ma with Musicians from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra: A Distant Mirror

One of the most venerated performing artists today, Yo-Yo Ma displays his peerless musicianship in a unique program. A Distant Mirror explores the musical worlds and contemporary resonances of the 16th and 17th centuries, including the impact of the period’s most celebrated literary figures, Shakespeare and Cervantes.

Photos clockwise from upper left: Christian Tetzlaff, Tabea Zimmermann, Yo-Yo Ma, Leif Ove Andsnes

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Piano

Virtuosity at its finest

sundays at 3:00 10-concert series E 5-concert series A or B The most sought-after names of the keyboard world take the stage in our Symphony Center Presents Piano series. Experience the transformative power of solo piano recitals with the artists on this unparalleled lineup, which includes Chicago favorites and rising stars.

October 4 B Maurizio Pollini

Maurizio Pollini, one of the world’s most celebrated pianists, returns to open the 2015/16 Symphony Center Presents Piano series. “Noted for his crystalline interpretations of modern masterpieces, the Italian pianist can also transform the simplest Mozart sonata into an elevating experience and the most intellectual Beethoven sonata into an emotional catharsis” (Chicago Reader).

.

November 1 B Sir András Schiff The Last Sonatas: Part 2

mozart Sonata in B-flat Major, K. 570 beethoven Sonata No. 31 in A-flat Major, Op. 110 haydn Sonata No. 61 in D Major schubert Sonata in A Major, D. 959 Sir András Schiff returns for the second installment of The Last Sonatas, a series of three recitals comprising the final three sonatas of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert. This program highlights these beloved composers’ second-to-last sonatas, from Mozart’s quintessentially classical Sonata in B-flat Major to Schubert’s bold and romantic Sonata in A Major.

November 15, 2:00 note time A Evgeny Kissin

mozart Sonata No. 10 in C Major, K. 330 beethoven Sonata in F Minor, Op. 57 (Appassionata) brahms Three Intermezzos, Op. 117 albéniz Selected Works larregla ¡Viva Navarra!

Dazzling virtuosity, poetic interpretations, extraordinary talent—expect these and more when phenomenal pianist Evgeny Kissin returns to Orchestra Hall. Kissin, a long-time Symphony Center favorite, never fails to awe sold-out houses with his incredible depth, lyricism and power. “The capacity crowd leapt to its feet at the end, roaring its appreciation, clearly hoping to hear another marathon of encores” (Chicago Tribune).

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January 24 B Menahem Pressler

Program to include:

schubert Sonata in G Major, D. 894 kurtÁg Impromptu al ongarese… to Menahem Pressler Menahem Pressler is among the world’s most distinguished and honored musicians, with a career that spans almost six decades. He continues to captivate audiences throughout the world as performer and pedagogue, presenting solo and chamber music recitals to great critical acclaim and amassing over 30 solo recordings. “A poet, time and again revealing unexpected depths in works that have been endlessly plumbed and surveyed” (The New York Times).

February 14 A Sir András Schiff The Last Sonatas: Part 3

haydn Sonata in E-flat Major beethoven Sonata in C Minor, Op. 111 mozart Sonata in D Major, K. 576 schubert Sonata in B-flat Major, D. 960 Sir András Schiff’s Chicago installment of The Last Sonatas comes to a close with a performance of the final piano sonatas of Haydn, Beethoven, Mozart and Schubert. The program includes Haydn’s Sonata in E-flat Major, widely considered to be his greatest, and Schubert’s nostalgic Sonata in B-flat Major, written during the last months of the composer’s life.

March 6 A Lise de la Salle

One of today’s most exciting young artists, French pianist Lise de la Salle makes her SCP Piano series debut. At 26 years old, she has achieved an impressive international career and has been praised as a musician of uncommon sensibility and maturity.

“De la Salle played so well that, for much of the concert, the audience had to remember to breathe” (The Washington Post).

April 3 B Richard Goode

bach French Suite No. 6 bach Sinfonias Nos. 1–15 bach Partita No. 2 in C Minor bach Italian Concerto Richard Goode is hailed for music-making of tremendous emotional power, depth and expressiveness. His rare balance of mind and spirit makes him one of today’s leading interpreters of Classical and Romantic music. He returns to Symphony Center for an afternoon of selections

by Johann Sebastian Bach. “Goode has so thoroughly entered into the spirit of the compositions he performs that you’d swear the composer himself was at the keyboard” (Toronto Globe and Mail ).

May 1 A Yefim Bronfman

prokofiev Sonata No. 6 in A Major prokofiev Sonata No. 7 in B-flat Major prokofiev Sonata No. 8 in B-flat Major Prokofiev’s ominous and emotional “War Sonatas” are tackled by Yefim Bronfman, one of the most talented virtuosos performing today. His combination of impressive technique and fiery passion is a perfect match for this collection of exciting, emotional works. “A marvel of digital dexterity, warmly romantic sentiment, and jaw-dropping bravura” (Chicago Tribune).

June 5 A David Fray

An artist who “walks the fine line between expression and intellect, emotion and technique perfectly” (Gesellschaft Freunde der Künste), David Fray closes the 2015/16 SCP Piano series. The award-winning French pianist has garnered worldwide attention for his fascinating performance style and unique interpretations. After his Chicago debut at Symphony Center in 2011, Fray was praised for being a “true individual” with “remarkable technique” (Chicago Sun-Times).

May 22 B Marc-André Hamelin

mozart Sonata in D Major, K. 576 debussy Images, Book 2 hamelin Pavane variée hamelin Variations on a theme by Paganini schubert Four Impromptus, D. 935 “One-of-a-kind concert artist” (The Los Angeles Times) Marc-André Hamelin constantly breaks boundaries with his original interpretations of classic repertoire.

Hamelin appears on the SCP Piano series in a program exemplifying his surreal technique and adventurous curiosity, featuring works by Mozart, Debussy, Schubert and Hamelin himself.

Photos top row, left to right: Maurizio Pollini, Lise de la Salle, Evgeny Kissin, Menahem Pressler Photos bottom row, left to right: David Fray, Yefim Bronfman, Marc-André Hamelin, Richard Goode, Sir András Schiff

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Orchestras 3–concert visiting orchestra series Three high-caliber ensembles led by today’s preeminent conductors come to Chicago.

Don’t miss your chance to hear these stellar groups from around the globe on the Symphony Center Presents Orchestras series.

Sunday, November 15, 7:00 Israel Philharmonic Orchestra

Friday, March 18, 8:00 Montreal Symphony Orchestra

Sunday, April 17, 3:00 Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra

Zubin Mehta conductor

Kent Nagano conductor

Mariss Jansons conductor

ravel La valse beethoven Symphony No. 3 (Eroica) The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, led by acclaimed conductor Zubin Mehta, is recognized internationally as an eminent musical institution and as Israel’s musical ambassador. The legendary ensemble returns to Symphony Center with a program featuring Ravel’s whirling and exhilirating La valse and Beethoven’s famous Eroica Symphony. “Mr. Mehta drew pulsing, rich and varied playing from the orchestra” (The New York Times).

Daniil Trifonov piano

Program to include:

debussy Jeux prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 3 stravinsky The Rite of Spring The Montreal Symphony Orchestra brings its “beautiful and enormously powerful” (La Razon) sound to Chicago with celebrated music director Kent Nagano. Phenomenal young pianist Daniil Trifonov joins the Orchestra for Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3. The program closes with a fiery performance of Stravinsky’s savage and revolutionary The Rite of Spring.

mahler Symphony No. 5 The Bavarian Symphony Orchestra has made regular guest appearances in the most important musical capitals and music festivals around the world.

One of the most outstanding podium personalities of our time, Mariss Jansons brings the orchestra to Chicago for a performance of Mahler’s monumental Symphony No. 5.

Photos left to right: Zubin Mehta, Kent Nagano, Mariss Jansons

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125th anniversary season

SYMPHONY

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MusicNOW Announcing the CSO’s new Mead Composers-in-Residence The CSO is thrilled to announce the appointment of new Mead Composers-in-Residence Samuel Adams and Elizabeth Ogonek. These talented, next-generation composers will curate the MusicNOW series and premiere brand-new commissions with the CSO. Samuel Adams is a composer of acoustic and electroacoustic music whose works have been hailed as “wondrously alluring” (The San Francisco Chronicle), “thoroughly ingenious” (The San Francisco Examiner) and “music of a composer with a personal voice and keen imagination” (The New York Times). His atmospheric, inventively orchestrated portfolio draws from such diverse influences as ambient sounds and electronic music, jazz and field recordings, and includes commissions by Carnegie Hall, the San Francisco Symphony and the New World Symphony and collaborations with Anthony Marwood and Emanuel Ax. Learn more at samuelcarladams.com.

Elizabeth Ogonek creates music that is energetic, dramatic and colorful. Her imaginative compositions draw inspiration from text and explore the transference of poetic imagery to music. The winner of numerous awards and scholarships, she frequently collaborates with cutting-edge artists, authors, poets and actors, and has received commissions from members of eighth blackbird, Tanglewood Fromm Players, members of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival for the FLUX Quartet, and the London Symphony Orchestra’s Discovery Panufnik Commission. Learn more at elizabeth-ogonek.com.

4 concerts + pizza + drinks NOV 23 MAR 7 MAY 9 JUN 6 MONDAYS AT 7:00 Harris Theater for Music and Dance 205 E. Randolph Street Subscriptions: Regular $72, Student $28 Each MusicNOW concert is an audio/visual journey through groundbreaking repertoire with musicians from the CSO and Principal Conductor Cliff Colnot. The evening includes a reception with free food and drink.

Top two photos:

MusicNOW receives funding through a leadership challenge grant from IRVING HARRIS FOUNDATION, Joan W. Harris.

Samuel Adams, Elizabeth Ogonek

Major support is provided by Cindy Sargent and Sally Mead Hands Foundation.

cso.org 312-294-3000 41

Celebrate the holidays

at symphony center

Introducing two new musical celebrations for the whole family

December 18–23 Merry, Merry Chicago! with Members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Special Guests The von Trapps and Midwest Young Artists Voices Rising

December 11–13 Home Alone— Film with Live Orchestra ©1990 Twentieth Century Fox. All rights reserved.

Home Alone—Film with Live Orchestra produced by IMG Artists, LLC and The Gorfaine/Schwartz Agency, Inc.

annual favorites November 28 Vienna Boys Choir December 1 & 2 A Chanticleer Christmas Fourth Presbyterian Church

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125th anniversary season

Special Concerts Save up to 10% when you add these thrilling concerts to your subscription.

Call 312-294-3000 or visit cso.org for prices. a remarkable musical celebration!

Saturday, September 19, 7:00

Symphony Ball Chicago Symphony Orchestra Riccardo Muti conductor

corigliano Campane di Ravello elgar In the South mussorgsky, orch. ravel Pictures from an Exhibition The Women’s Board of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra proudly presents Symphony Ball, a prestigious gala evening of music and celebration that launches our 125th season. Enjoy a festive preconcert reception at Symphony Center, followed by Riccardo Muti leading the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in Mussorgsky’s popular Pictures from an Exhibition. Gala patrons will continue their evening with postconcert dinner and dancing. Symphony Ball is one of Chicago’s not-to-be missed parties!

Concert for Chicago Friday, September 18, 6:30 free! no ticket required

Pritzker Pavilion, Millennium Park Chicago Symphony Orchestra Riccardo Muti conductor beethoven Leonore Overture No. 3 mahler Symphony No. 1

chicago symphony orchestra

In celebration of the CSO’s 125th season, Riccardo Muti and the CSO offer a free concert. This joyous celebration is part of the organization’s ongoing commitment to Citizen Musicianship, using the power of music to contribute to our culture and to our community. This performance is part of the 125 community concerts the CSO will present during its 125th season. For more information, visit cso.org/soundsandstories.

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More Special Concerts These concerts make the perfect addition to any concert series.

Save up to 10% when you purchase by August 7, 2015.

the greatest mariachi in the world

kissin plays tchaikovsky’s electrifying concerto

an afternoon of old-world charm

Sunday, October 11, 3:00 Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán

Thursday, October 15, 8:00 Kissin Plays Tchaikovsky

Saturday, November 28, 3:00 Vienna Boys Choir

The world-renowned Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán returns for their annual Symphony Center program that has enchanted audiences year after year. Celebrated as “the greatest mariachi in the world,” the acclaimed ensemble showcases the rich tradition of Mexican folk music with unparalleled musicianship and joyful pageantry.

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125th anniversary season

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Sir Andrew Davis conductor bach, arr. davis Passacaglia and Fugue in C Minor stravinsky Divertimento tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 Bach’s timeless Passacaglia and Fugue in C Minor opens a program of expressive power and enchantment. Sir Andrew Davis conducts the Divertimento from Stravinsky’s The Fairy’s Kiss, a charming arrangement of transformed Tchaikovsky songs and piano pieces. Legendary Russian pianist Evgeny Kissin, a Symphony Center favorite, joins the Orchestra for Tchaikovsky’s celebrated First Piano Concerto, one of the best-known concertos of all time.

Ring in the holiday season with the enchanting sounds of the Vienna Boys Choir when they return for their annual Thanksgiving weekend performance!

This legendary choir has captivated millions with their incredible musicianship and unique charm.

Enjoy an afternoon filled with holiday favorites, secular music and popular folk songs.

grammy®-winning orchestra of voices

holiday fun for the entire family

the glorious sounds of the cso brass

Tuesday, December 1, 7:30 Wednesday, December 2, 7:30

Friday, December 11, 7:00 Saturday, December 12, 3:00 Sunday, December 13, 3:00 Home Alone— Film with Live Orchestra

Wednesday, December 16, 8:00 Chicago Symphony Orchestra Brass

Fourth Presbyterian Church 126 E. Chestnut Street

A Chanticleer Christmas

Chanticleer’s annual performances in Chicago are the perfect way to spark your holiday spirit.

This Grammy® Award-winning “orchestra of voices” will perform traditional Christmas music ranging from baroque classics to 21st-century favorites in Chicago’s beautiful Fourth Presbyterian Church.

Members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Richard Kaufman conductor A true holiday favorite, this beloved comedy classic features renowned composer John Williams’ charming and delightful score performed live.

Macaulay Culkin stars as Kevin McCallister, an 8-year-old boy who’s accidentally left behind when his family leaves for Christmas vacation, and who must defend his suburban Chicago home against two bungling thieves. Hilarious and heartwarming, Home Alone is holiday fun for the entire family!

Witness the staggering power, amazing precision and brilliant virtuosity that make the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Brass the best in the world. These acclaimed musicians will present a program of traditional favorites and symphonic masterworks arranged for brass ensemble.

This concert is presented in collaboration with the Midwest Clinic, an international band and orchestra conference.

© 1990 Twentieth Century Fox. All Rights Reserved.

Home Alone—Film with Live Orchestra produced

by IMG Artists, LLC and The Gorfaine/Schwartz Agency, Inc.

cso.org 312-294-3000 45

More Special Concerts Save up to 10% when you add these thrilling concerts to your subscription.

Call 312-294-3000 or visit cso.org for prices.

a truly captivating holiday celebration

mesmerizing improvisations and dazzling technique

lang lang returns for one night only

Friday, December 18, 8:00 Saturday, December 19, 3:00 Monday, December 21, 3:00 Tuesday, December 22, 3:00 Wednesday, December 23, 3:00 Merry, Merry Chicago!

Sunday, March 20, 3:00 Zakir Hussain and the Masters of Percussion

Saturday, May 21, 8:00 Lang Lang Plays Prokofiev

International phenomenon Zakir Hussain, the greatest living master of the tabla, returns with his hand-picked ensemble of world-class Members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra percussionists. Don’t miss a performance Stuart Chafetz conductor that crosses the spectrum of Indian classical The von Trapps special guests music, filled with “mesmerizing improvisations, Midwest Young Artists: Voices Rising children’s choir dazzling technique and beguiling wit” (World Stevi Marks chorus director Music Institute).

Get in the Christmas spirit at Symphony Center with this magical event featuring members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and special guests! Joining the fun are The von Trapps, the talented greatgrandchildren of the family depicted in The Sound of Music, and children’s choral ensemble Midwest Young Artists: Voices Rising, who will set your spirits soaring with youthful merriment. This joyous celebration will include treasured carols, a sing-along of holiday favorites including “Christmas in Chicago,” and a visit by a very special guest from the North Pole!

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125th anniversary season

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Charles Dutoit conductor Lang Lang piano stravinsky Fireworks prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 3 stravinksy The Firebird Charles Dutoit conducts two dazzling showpieces

by Stravinsky: the explosive Fireworks and the electrifying Firebird. These frame Prokofiev’s witty and atmospheric Third Piano Concerto, performed by the phenomenally popular Lang Lang, “a spellbinding performer with a flair for drama” (CBS News).

Media Sounds & Stories CSO Sounds & Stories is your online multimedia magazine for all things CSO:

feature articles

previewing upcoming concerts and sharing the latest on Citizen Musician activities and more

cso radio broadcasts

of hundreds of recent performances

videos

of Muti, CSO musicians, visiting artists and Beyond the Score® productions

program notes

about this season’s concerts

Stay connected with the CSO

Visit the CSO’s digital magazine at cso.org/soundsandstories today on your computer, tablet or mobile device!

#CSO125th

prokofiev Suite from Romeo and Juliet

This album features a suite drawn from Prokofiev’s ballet score played with thrilling intensity by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Riccardo Muti. It presents their dynamic understanding of Prokofiev’s work in all its joy, anger and sorrow. Produced by David Frost, winner of the 2013 Grammy® Award for Producer of the Year, Classical, the exciting electricity between Maestro Muti and the CSO is showcased again. “[The CSO] played here with a brilliance and panache that brought the dramatic narrative alive.” —chicago tribune

Our Sponsors

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is grateful for the generous support of these leading corporate and foundation sponsors for the 2015/16 season.

Global Sponsor of the CSO

Julius N. Frankel Foundation

The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation

The Negaunee Foundation

AN AGENCY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS

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chicago symphony orchestra 220 south michigan avenue chicago, illinois 60604 312-294-3000 cso.org