Music Director Riccardo Muti Begins 2015/16 Season with Celebration of Chicago Symphony Orchestra’S 125Th Anniversary
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contacts: September 3, 2015 Rachelle Roe, 312.294.3090 Eileen Chambers, 312.294.3092 Photos: [email protected] MUSIC DIRECTOR RICCARDO MUTI BEGINS 2015/16 SEASON WITH CELEBRATION OF CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA’S 125TH ANNIVERSARY September 17–October 3, 2015 Fall Residency Features Subscription Concerts, Free Concert for Chicago in Millennium Park, Symphony Ball Gala, and Appearances by Pianist Leif Ove Andsnes and Harpist Xavier de Maistre CHICAGO—Riccardo Muti’s sixth season as music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) begins with a multi-faceted celebration as the CSO kicks off its 125th anniversary season in 2015/16. In 1891, Theodore Thomas took the stage to conduct the Orchestra’s first concert nearly 125 years ago. Thomas could scarcely have imagined that this great ensemble would not only flourish, but would live on long after him. As the Orchestra looks back at its distinguished history this season, its programs reflect the CSO’s heritage and legacy, with most weeks including at least one work that was given its world or U.S. premiere by the CSO. Many of these premieres featured the composer as conductor or soloist, and have since taken their place as cornerstones of the standard orchestral repertoire. CSO Concerts Muti leads a wide range of programs and events between September 17–October 3, 2015, beginning with the season’s first subscription concert at Symphony Center on Thursday, September 17, at 8 p.m., which includes Liszt’s symphonic poem, From the Cradle to the Grave, Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 and Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. Continuing Riccardo Muti’s tradition of including a free community concert at the start of each season, which began in 2010 at the start of his tenure as music director with the CSO, Muti leads the CSO in a free Concert for Chicago in Millennium Park’s Pritzker Pavilion on Friday night, September 18, at 6:30 p.m. The program features two orchestral favorites: Beethoven’s Leonore Overture No. 3 and Mahler’s Symphony No. 1, and marks the first of the CSOA’s 125 concerts in the community during the anniversary season. The CSO’s annual fundraising gala, Symphony Ball, takes place on Saturday, September 19, at 7 p.m., with special 125th anniversary events that honor the CSO’s legendary legacy. The evening begins with a pre-concert reception at Symphony Center for all concert attendees, followed by a performance by Muti and the CSO, and concludes with celebratory post-concert dinner and dancing at the historic Palmer House hotel. The concert features a special one-night- only program that begins with John Corigliano’s Campane di Ravello, a piece that the CSO commissioned and gave the world premiere of in 1987, when Corigliano was serving as the Orchestra’s first composer-in-residence. Edward Elgar’s tone poem In the South (Alassio)— which received its U.S. premiere in 1904 by the CSO—follows, while Ravel’s famous orchestration of Mussorgsky’s showpiece, Pictures from an Exhibition, closes the concert program. Subscription programs continue on September 24-26 and 29, with Muti leading the CSO and the debut of French harpist Xavier de Maistre as soloist in Ginastera’s Concerto for Harp and Orchestra. Also included on this French and Spanish-inspired program are Chabrier’s España, Ravel’s Boléro, and Charpentier’s Impressions of Italy, which received its U.S. premiere in 1893 by the CSO. Muti’s final week of CSO concerts during his Fall residency, on October 1-3, feature pianist Leif Ove Andsnes as soloist in Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20 in D Minor. Beethoven’s Leonore Overture No. 3 opens this program, which also includes Hindemith’s Concert Music for String Orchestra and Brass. Prokofiev’s Scythian Suite, which received its U.S. premiere by the CSO in 1918, closes the program. This fall, Muti also leads a rehearsal for invited audiences of students and community groups on Thursday, October 1. Other Activities In addition to his subscription concert appearances with the Orchestra, Muti will appear as a special guest leading arrangements of Verdi’s overtures to La forza del destino and Nabucco for brass, performed by the National Brass Ensemble (NBE). Four current CSO musicians— Principal Trumpet Chris Martin, Trombone Michael Mulcahy, Principal Tuba Gene Pokorny and Assistant Principal Timpani Vadim Karpinos—as well as former Associate Principal Horn Gail Williams, and other renowned brass players from the orchestras of Cleveland, Boston, Philadelphia and Los Angeles, comprise the National Brass Ensemble, which performs a Symphony Center Presents Special Concert at Symphony Center, on Sunday, September 20 at 3 p.m. The program features arrangements of works by Gabrieli and Verdi, as well as Music for Brass, which was written especially for the NBE by Academy Award-winning composer John Williams. Riccardo Muti’s dedication to nurturing and supporting young talent and to sharing the knowledge and experience that he has amassed throughout his distinguished career remains a priority for him, and each season he leads at least one open rehearsal with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. The first of these is on Monday evening, September 28, at 7:00 p.m., and is free and open to the public; tickets are required. Muti has selected Charpentier’s Impressions d’Italie (Impressions of Italy) as repertoire for this session. Offstage, Muti’s activities continue to be varied. Muti will be honored by the Juvenile Justice Initiative (JJI) at an event on September 16 at the Union League Club of Chicago. JJI is an Evanston-based nonprofit working to transform the juvenile justice system in Illinois by reducing reliance on incarceration, ensuring fairness for all youth and creating a network of community- based resources throughout the state. Since coming to Chicago, Riccardo Muti has made sharing live classical music with incarcerated youth one of his signature issues. The award will recognize his time, effort and commitment to young people in conflict with the law. For more information, visit www.jjustice.org. In addition, Muti will visit the Illinois Youth Center in Warrenville for the fourth time on September 27 to perform with musicians from the CSO and singers from the Ryan Opera Center at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. On Monday, September 21, at 6 p.m., Muti participates in conversation with CSO program annotator Phillip Huscher, presented by the University of Chicago and its Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts at the Logan Center Performance Hall (915 E 60th St. at Drexel Ave). University President, Robert J. Zimmer, will deliver opening remarks. The event is free and reservations are recommended. The University will be commemorating its 125th anniversary from September through December 2015. The University’s celebration, 125 Years of Inquiry and Impact, reflects on the intellectual history and evolution of the University’s College, divisions, schools and other units, and aims to engage the University community as well as the general public. More details are available at 125.uchicago.edu. For the third consecutive year, Muti will visit the Oak Park River Forest Symphony—whose music director is CSO Principal Trombone Jay Friedman—to lead a rehearsal of Verdi’s Four Seasons from I vespri siciliani which is open to the public. Rehearsal takes place on Wednesday, September 23, at 7:30 p.m., at Dominican University Performing Arts Center, 7900 W. Division St. in River Forest. New CSO Resound Release As part of the CSO’s 125th anniversary season celebration, the CSO releases a new recording with Riccardo Muti on its CSO Resound label on September 11: Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique and its seldom-heard sequel, Lélio, narrated by French actor Gérard Depardieu. Recorded live in September 2010 during Muti’s first Orchestra Hall concerts as music director, the performances also included the Chicago Symphony Chorus, Duain Wolfe, director, as well as tenor Mario Zeffiri and bass-baritone Kyle Ketelsen. cso.org/resound Bank of America is the global sponsor of the CSO. The CSO gratefully acknowledges and celebrates the following Grand Patrons who have made the CSO’s 125th anniversary season possible: Rosemarie and Dean L. Buntrock, Daniel Fischel and Sylvia Neil, Judson and Joyce Green, Kenneth C. Griffin, Verne and Judy Istock, Cathy and Bill Osborn, and Helen and Sam Zell. CSO Tuesday series concerts are sponsored by United Airlines. # # # Complete program details follow: Chicago Symphony Orchestra Thursday, September 17, 2015, 8:00 p.m. Riccardo Muti, conductor LISZT From the Cradle to the Grave MOZART Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550 BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67 Tickets: $39-$287 This performance is generously sponsored by the Randy L. and Melvin R. Berlin Family Fund for the Canon. Chicago Symphony Orchestra Friday, September 18, 2015, 6:30 p.m. Concert for Chicago Riccardo Muti, conductor Pritzker Pavilion, Millennium Park BEETHOVEN Leonore Overture No, 3, Op. 72b MAHLER Symphony No. 1 in D Major Tickets: Free and open to the public Northern Trust is the Presenting Sponsor of the CSO’s 125th Opening Weekend Celebration. The CSO’s Concert for Chicago is generously sponsored by the Kenneth C. Griffin Fund. Chicago Symphony Orchestra Saturday, September 19, 2015, 7:00 p.m. Symphony Ball Riccardo Muti, conductor CORIGLIANO Campane di Ravello ELGAR In the South (Alassio), Op. 50 MUSSORGSKY orch. RAVEL Pictures from an Exhibition Tickets: $45-$235 (concert only) Northern Trust is the Presenting Sponsor of Symphony Ball Symphony Center Presents Sunday, September 20, 2015, 3:00 p.m. Special Concert National Brass Ensemble Special Guest: Riccardo Muti, conductor VERDI, arr. HIGGINS Overture to La forza del destino GABRIELI, arr.