For Immediate Release: Press Contacts: December 4, 2015 Rachelle Roe, 312-294-3090 Eileen Chambers, 312-294-3092 Photos Available By Request [email protected]

JAMES CONLON LEADS THE CSO IN A PROGRAM OF WORKS BY DVOŘÁK, MOZART AND VANHAL

CSO Principal Bass Alexander Hanna Makes his CSO Debut as Soloist in Vanhal’s Double Bass Concerto

December 17, 18 & 19

CHICAGO—Guest conductor James Conlon leads the Symphony Orchestra (CSO) in a program of works by Dvořák, Mozart and Vanhal on Thursday, December 17 at 8:00 p.m., Friday, December 18 at 1:30 p.m., and Saturday, December 19 at 8:00 p.m. CSO Principal Bass Alexander Hanna makes his debut as a soloist with the CSO in performances of Vanhal’s Double Bass Concerto in D Major.

Conlon leads the CSO in two tone poems by Dvořák that received their U.S. premieres by the CSO under its first Music Director, Theodore Thomas, in 1897 and 1899 respectively. Dvořák’s The Golden Spinning Wheel and The Wild Dove come from a set of four pieces inspired by the dark fairy tales of Czech poet Karel Jaromír Erben. The program also features Vanhal’s Double Bass Concerto in D major, a piece which has become a staple of the double bass repertoire and receives its first-ever performance by the CSO in these concerts. Completing the program is the overture to Mozart’s powerful early opera Lucio Silla, also receiving its first performances by the CSO in these concerts.

James Conlon has conducted virtually every major American and European symphony orchestra, and is recognized as one of classical music’s preeminent interpreters. He is currently Music Director of the , and is well-known for his interpretation of Wagner, having conducted the first Ring cycle in the U.S. there. Since beginning his tenure with the LA Opera in 2006, Conlon has conducted 52 operas. He is also an advocate for the music of lesser-known composers who were suppressed by the Nazi regime, programming their works extensively. In addition to his frequent speaking engagements and educational activities, Conlon has also achieved a sizeable discography including two Grammy® Awards for LA Opera’s recording of Weill’s Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny. Conlon recently completed his six-

year directorship of the and has led the CSO on numerous occasions, most recently in August of this year.

CSO Principal Bass Alexander Hanna has been with the Orchestra since his appointment by Riccardo Muti in the Spring of 2012. Previously he served as principal bass of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for four years. He has played with such distinguished orchestras as the Boston Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra, and the Philadelphia Orchestra, and has played as principal bass for the Tanglewood, Verbier and Bellingham Festivals. Hanna is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music; he is also on the faculty at the DePaul University School of Music.

The Thursday, December 17 concert is part of CSO’s Classic Encounter series that includes a lively preconcert scene complete with food and drinks, as well as a multimedia presentation and conversation with a CSO musician hosted by WXRT and Radio Hall of Fame DJ Terri Hemmert. For the December 17 Classic Encounter, Hemmert welcomes CSO Assistant Principal Bassoon William Buchman for the preconcert conversation. Single tickets for the Classic Encounter preconcert reception can be added to any concert ticket order for December 17. More information is here. Four-concert, Classic Encounter series ticket packages include concert tickets and access to preconcert receptions and start at $140. More information is available at cso.org/classicencounter.

Tickets for all CSOA concerts can be purchased by phone at 800-223-7114 or 312-294-3000; online at cso.org, or at the Symphony Center box office: 220 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60604.

Discounted student tickets for select concerts can be purchased, subject to availability, online in advance or at the box office on the day of the concert. For group rates, please call 312-294- 3040.

Artists, programs and prices are subject to change.

Bank of America is the Global Sponsor of the CSO.

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Chicago Symphony Orchestra Thursday, December 17, 2015, 8:00 p.m. Friday, December 18, 2015, 1:30 p.m. Saturday, December 19, 2015, 8:00 p.m. Chicago Symphony Orchestra James Conlon, conductor Alexander Hanna, bass

MOZART Overture to Lucio Silla, K. 135 VANHAL Double Bass Concerto in D Major DVOŘÁK The Wild Dove, Op. 110 DVOŘÁK The Golden Spinning Wheel, Op. 109

Tickets: $30-$217

James Conlon James Conlon, one of today’s most versatile and respected conductors, has cultivated a vast symphonic, operatic and choral repertoire. Since his 1974 debut with the , he has conducted virtually every major American and European symphony orchestra. Through worldwide touring, an extensive discography and videography, numerous essays and commentaries, frequent television appearances and guest speaking engagements, Mr. Conlon is one of classical music’s most recognized interpreters.

Conlon is Music Director of LA Opera, the Ravinia Festival (summer home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra) and the May Festival, America’s oldest choral festival, where he has served as Music Director for 36 years-–more than any other music director in the festival’s 143-year history. He will also take the post of Principal Conductor of the RAI National Symphony Orchestra in Torino, Italy in 2016. Mr. Conlon served as Principal Conductor of the Paris National Opera (1995-2004); General Music Director of the City of Cologne, Germany (1989-2002), where he was Music Director of both the Gürzenich Orchestra-Cologne Philharmonic and the ; and Music Director of the Rotterdam Philharmonic (1983-1991). Mr. Conlon has conducted more than 270 performances at the since his debut there in 1976. He has also conducted at Teatro alla Scala, the Royal Opera at Covent Garden in London, the , the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino and the Teatro del Opera di Roma.

At LA Opera, where he has served as Music Director since 2006, Mr. Conlon has conducted 52 different operas including 19 company premieres, two U.S. premieres and one world premiere. Highlights of his tenure include the first Ring cycle in Los Angeles, initiating the groundbreaking Recovered Voices series, and spearheading Britten 100/LA, a city-wide celebration honoring the centennial of the composer’s birth. His pre-concert lectures at LA Opera consistently attract capacity crowds. This season at LA Opera, Mr. Conlon conducts Jake Heggie’s Moby Dick, Bellini’s Norma, Mozart’s , and Puccini’s Madame Butterfly. He also leads Mussorgsky’s Khovanshchina at the Wiener Staatsoper and Verdi’s at Teatro Real.

Conlon marks his final season as Music Director of the Ravinia Festival in the summer of 2015 with programming that celebrates his 11-year tenure including Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman, Zemlinsky’s The Mermaid and works by Mahler, Mozart and Shostakovich. In the 2015-2016 season he returns to conduct the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Orchestra Hall, as well as the San Francisco Symphony. In Europe he leads the Deutsche Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, RAI National Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre National de France, and the National Philharmonic of Russia.

In an effort to raise awareness of the significance of the lesser-known works of composers silenced by the Nazi regime, Conlon has devoted himself to extensive programming of this music throughout Europe and North America. In 2013 he was awarded the Roger E. Joseph Prize at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion for his extraordinary efforts to eradicate racial and religious prejudice and discrimination, in 2007 he received the Crystal Globe Award from the Anti-Defamation League, and in 1999 he received the Zemlinsky Prize for his efforts in bringing that composer’s music to international attention. His work on behalf of suppressed composers led to the creation of The OREL Foundation, an invaluable resource on the topic for music lovers, students, musicians and scholars, and the Ziering- Conlon Initiative for Recovered Voices at the Colburn School. His appearances throughout the country as a speaker on a variety of cultural and educational topics are widely praised.

Conlon’s extensive discography and videography can be found on the EMI, Erato, Capriccio, Decca and Sony Classical labels. He has won two Grammy Awards for Best Classical Album and Best Opera Recording for the LA Opera recording of Weill’s Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny. He was among the five initial recipients of the Opera News awards and was honored by The New York Public Library as a “Library Lion.” Mr. Conlon’s other honors include a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Istituto Italiano di Cultura in Los Angeles (2010), the Music Institute of Chicago’s Dushkin Award (2009), the Medal of the American Liszt Society (2008) and Italy’s Premio Galileo 2000 Award for his significant contribution to music, art and peace in Florence (2008). Mr. Conlon was named Commandeur de L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Minister of Culture and, in 2002, he received the Légion d’Honneur, France’s highest distinction, from then-President of the French Republic, Jacques Chirac.

Alexander Hanna Riccardo Muti appointed Alexander Hanna principal bass of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in the spring of 2012. His appointment comes after serving as principal bass of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for four years. Born and raised in Bowling Green, Ohio, Hanna began his musical studies at age 4 taking piano lessons at Bowling Green State University with Kay Moore. Inspired by the amazing sound of the symphony orchestra, at the age of 13 Hanna decided to pursue a career in a symphony orchestra as a bassist.

Throughout his youth he was performing all the time as a recitalist on both piano and bass and also as concerto soloist with the Toledo Symphony Orchestra on both instruments. In 2004 Hanna was invited to study at the Curtis Institute of Music with Hal Robinson and Edgar Meyer.

During Hanna’s studies at Curtis he began a very active freelance career and has since played with many of the world’s great orchestras including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra and Philadelphia Orchestra among many others. Hanna has served as principal bass of the Tanglewood, Verbier and Bellingham Festivals. He has also served as principal bass of the “All-star Orchestra” in : an orchestra comprised of musicians from many of America’s great orchestras. The orchestra’s performances will be featured in televised broadcasts on PBS in 2013.

A dedicated teacher, Hanna is on faculty at DePaul University and has given master classes and lectures at the Hawaii Contrabass Festival, the biannual convention of the International Society of Bassists and many of the country’s finest conservatories and universities. He is the coach for the Civic Orchestra of Chicago’s bass section and has coached the Detroit Civic Youth Ensembles.

In addition to music, Hanna pursues hiking, cycling, running and swimming.

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra: www.cso.org and www.csosoundsandstories.org Founded in 1891, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra is consistently hailed as one of the greatest orchestras in the world. Since 2010, the preeminent conductor Riccardo Muti has served as its 10th music director. Pierre Boulez is the CSO’s Helen Regenstein Conductor Emeritus, Yo-Yo Ma is its Judson and Joyce Green Creative Consultant, and Samuel Adams and Elizabeth Ogonek are its Mead Composers-in-Residence.

From baroque through contemporary music, the CSO commands a vast repertoire. Its renowned musicians annually perform more than 150 concerts, most at Symphony Center in Chicago and, each summer, at the suburban Ravinia Festival. They regularly tour nationally and internationally. Since 1892, the CSO has made 58 international tours, performing in 29 countries on five continents.

People around the globe listen to weekly radio broadcasts of CSO concerts and recordings on the WFMT radio network and online at cso.org/radio . Recordings by the CSO have earned 62 Grammy Awards, including two in 2011 for Muti’s recording with the CSO and Chorus of Verdi's Messa da Requiem (Muti’s first of four releases with the CSO to date). Find details on these and many other CSO recordings at www.cso.org/resound.

The CSO is part of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association, which also includes the Chicago Symphony Chorus (Duain Wolfe, Director and Conductor) and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, a training ensemble for emerging professionals. Through its prestigious Symphony Center Presents series, the CSOA presents guest artists and ensembles from a variety of genres—classical, jazz, world, and contemporary.

The Negaunee Music Institute at the CSO offers community and education programs that annually engage more than 200,000 people of diverse ages and backgrounds. Through the Institute and other activities, including a free annual concert with Muti and the CSO, the CSO is committed to using the power of music to create connections and build community.

The CSO is supported by thousands of patrons, volunteers and institutional and individual donors. Bank of America is the Global Sponsor of the CSO. The CSO’s music director position is endowed in perpetuity by a generous gift from the Zell Family Foundation. The Negaunee Foundation provides generous support in perpetuity for the work of the Negaunee Music Institute.