2020 /21

CHICAGO SYMPHONY ZELL DIRECTOR PRESENTS

welcome to the 130th season

“The partnership of Riccardo Muti and the Symphony Orchestra has no real rival in the U.S. and precious few around the world.”

table of contents

04 Muti’s Vision for the Season 06 CSO Musicians in the Spotlight 08 Anything but Ordinary 12 Explore the 2020/21 Season 37 Discover Your Perfect Series 36 38 Chicago Symphony Orchestra 42 46 Symphony Center Presents 48 Subscribe 50 Season Grid 51 Support the CSO

cso.org 3 cso.org 3 muti’s vision for the season riccardoMozart said that the deepestmuti music conducts is the one hidden between the the notes. CSO The mystery is there in that space that encloses the universe. With each performance, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and I seek to communicate the infinite power of what cannot be said but what can be felt deeply by the spirit through music. Being a musician is a choice we have made for passion. We might even say it is a mission: it is the continuous search for an interpretative truth, for an unattainable perfection. It is a privilege to pursue this quest with this exceptional orchestra.

Please join us during the 2020/21 season as we explore the depths found in the music of humanity’s great composers. riccardo muti

The 2020/21 season celebrates the singular partnership the world of opera to sacred choral works and song between the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and its cycles. This season features remarkable examples of each 10th music director, Maestro Riccardo Muti. “This category, from Cherubini’s for the Coronation orchestra has given me the possibility to experience of Charles X (mar. 4–6) to a rousing season Ƃ nale complex, difƂ cult repertoire in a way that other, of Italian opera highlights (june 10–13). In many of these less virtuosic, could not,” said Muti of the performances, Muti and the Orchestra are joined ensemble he often fondly refers to as a Ferrari— by the , as well as esteemed an apt comparison as both are synonymous with singers from the world of opera, including the return excellence, power and agility. of mezzo-sopranos Anita Rachvelishvili in Brahms’ Alto Rhapsody (mar. 4–6) and Alice Coote in Elgar’s Sea The selected repertoire for this season displays these Pictures (oct. 22–27). qualities and more, whether evoking the exquisite reƂ nement of Mozart’s Gran Partita (mar. 18–20) or the Introducing new music to CSO audiences has been an searing intensity of Shostakovich’s Tenth Symphony important part of Muti’s artistic legacy as music director. (mar. 9). In addition to showcasing the Orchestra’s Having studied composition himself for 10 years, he talents with his programmatic choices for the ensemble, has the utmost respect for composers: “I approach Muti also continues to feature CSO musicians as music of the Classical period—Baroque, modern, soloists in concerts throughout the season. Romantic, contemporary—always in the same way, with the same seriousness,” he said. “The moment of truth As the new season begins, Muti continues the CSO’s comes when what the composer has sought is coming celebration of the 250th anniversary of Ludwig van to life in the performance.” He has selected Thomas Beethoven’s birth with his Missa solemnis (sept. 24–26). Adès, Gabriela Lena Frank, Magnus Lindberg, Kaija Muti describes this work as one of “vast dimensions” Saariaho and , among others, to represent the from a “metaphysical sphere.” To hear the Missa current generation of composers with performances of solemnis performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra their works, including the world premieres of two CSO and Chorus, along with an international cast of vocal commissions. soloists, will be a monumental artistic and cultural experience. Throughout their time together, Muti and the Orchestra have created a sound that is simultaneously deƂ ned The human voice in all its colors is a focal point by its excellence and its distinctiveness. “The revered of several special programs led by Muti. He Italian conductor has reinforced the Orchestra’s vaunted brings an unparalleled expertise that extends from international stature with stand-out concerts in Orchestra Hall and tours across Asia, and North America,” afƂ rms the Chicago Sun-Times. Experience this exceptional combination throughout the 2020/21 season with music selected to display all of the talents of the CSO.

4 cso.org 5 cso musicians in the spotlight

Riccardo Muti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra share an exceptional bond. As Muti observed in 2007, “The way they responded to my musical ideas and the sense of family that we immediately created together pushed me to accept this very prestigious commitment.”

Over the past 10 seasons, their music-making together has evolved into a partnership without equal. To showcase their artistry, Muti has invited CSO members to perform at Orchestra Hall and on tour. This tradition continues during the 2020/21 season with broad- ranging repertoire that illustrates their individual virtuosic talents.

Stefán Ragnar Höskuldsson principal flute Stephen Williamson principal Sarah Bullen principal harp “I fi rst heard the Copland performed by Benny “I’ve devoted my life to this, and I’m happy to share Goodman on the radio when I was in sixth grade. It it with you. That’s all it is. A performance just had such a profound impact on me. I wanted to has to be a pure exchange of your voice, of who you play this piece that very moment I heard its opening are.” sarah bullen phrase.” stephen williamson

Written for an aristocratic French father-and-daughter Commissioned by Chicago native Benny Goodman, duo, Mozart’s Concerto for Flute and Harp is a ’s seamlessly blends charming dialogue between instruments that blend classical and jazz infl uences. Copland composed the perfectly. “As a performer, you must draw these qualities score while traveling through South America in from within yourself to bring the piece to life,” 1947, and its second movement evokes a Brazilian says Sarah Bullen. “That exercise of self-exploration popular tune while also capturing Goodman’s elegant, is both a thrill and a joy.” Stefán Ragnar Höskuldsson swinging style. The concerto was praised by fellow adds, “There is an intensity with which I like to composers including Stravinsky, Bernstein and play. I meditate on my material and try to get inside the Ginastera, who said it represents “the condensed voices music.” sept. 18 & 20 of a whole country.” As Stephen Williamson notes, “The concerto truly runs the gamut combining fi nesse and tenderness with raucous joy and true ‘jam session’ with everyone on stage.” nov. 5–8

William Welter principal

“From the moment I set foot on the stage of Orchestra Hall, I was so impressed with the incredible sound I heard—it was a perfect blend of power and elegance.” william welter

Mozart completed only one concerto for oboe, and it is remarkable in every way. This music is not only deeply expressive, but also perfectly idiomatic, revealing the kind of gift for natural, memorable melody that few composers ever possess. This performance of Mozart’s in C Major, K. 314 will mark William Welter’s fi rst solo appearance with the Orchestra. dec. 3–8

6 David Herbert principal Robert Chen concertmaster

“When the musicians communicate to you directly “As a young man studying music and aspiring to a and sincerely, you will know it. That’s the pride solo career, I dreamt about playing with the and electricity of a CSO performance.” david herbert greatest orchestras in the world. I am living that dream.” robert chen Principal Timpani David Herbert solos in a work by William Kraft, one of America’s greatest living composers Mozart’s Concerto No. 4 is one of fi ve he and a champion of percussion repertoire. Although composed in the mid-1770s while still living Herbert has performed Kraft’s Timpani Concerto in his hometown of Salzburg, and undoubtedly designed No. 1 the world over, this will be the fi rst time to perform himself. It is also one Robert Chen holds with the CSO. He describes it as “beautiful, intimate, close to his heart. “It’s the fi rst Mozart concerto confrontational, colorful and most importantly, that I studied and the one I played for my CSO solo engaging.” Herbert is excited to showcase this work in debut,” Chen recalls. “What strikes me about Mozart’s the composer’s home city of Chicago. “The audiences music is the simplicity in which he communicates who attend the CSO are my favorite people in the human existence. In this concerto, he combines world, and I am honored to play music for you, in this youthful exuberance with subtle complexity. The great city!” jan. 14–16 second movement has a simple, yet profoundly moving melody.” He adds, “Each time I return to Mozart, there is something new to discover. I am really excited Gene Pokorny principal tuba to perform it with Maestro Muti.” mar. 9

“I realize more and more the special affi nity the subscribers have for the efforts and results achieved by members of the Orchestra on stage. What a great connection to have!” gene pokorny

For his latest concerto, famed Hollywood composer Lalo Schifrin refuses to put the tuba in a box: “In my inner ear, I heard a different quality after asking some virtuosi of the instrument to experiment with me in a melodic and linear way.” One of those virtuosi is CSO Principal Tuba Gene Pokorny, who premiered the work in 2018 and will perform it with the CSO. Pokorny hopes this music, which he describes as “panoramic in its orchestration,” will expand listeners’ appreciation of the composer famous for the Mission: Impossible top row left to right: stefán ragnar höskuldsson, sarah bullen, stephen williamson, william welter; theme. Composed in a -Baroque style, Schifrin’s bottom row left to right: gene pokorny, david herbert, Tuba Concerto “pushes the player to some extraordinary robert chen limits,” says Pokorny. jan. 14–16 cso.org 7 gabriela lena frank

amadeus

julia wolfe

jessie montgomery

8 anything but ordinary

The 2020/21 season not only features beloved masterworks but also a number of new and exceptional events, allowing listeners to experience the limitless versatility of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Amadeus Live Four Preludes on Playthings of the Wind Subscribers can experience the thrill of fi lm with live The Orchestra Hall stage will be transformed into a orchestra on the CSO Classical and CSO at the Movies theatrical space with lighting, costumes and movement series. Winner of eight Academy Awards® including for ’ Four Preludes on Best Picture, Miloš Forman’s 1984 feature fi lm Amadeus Playthings of the Wind, scored for soprano, two backup is a work of cinematic genius featuring nearly two singers, bar band and chamber orchestra. This song dozen of Mozart’s most celebrated works. The Chicago cycle fuses together the poetry of native Symphony Orchestra and Chorus and conductor Carl Sandburg with multiple musical styles, including Constantine Kitsopoulos bring this masterpiece to life, jazz, rock and soul, and infl uences of Gershwin, performing the score while the feature fi lm is shown on Bernstein and Stravinsky. The “versatile and theatrical a giant screen above the stage. oct. 8–13 soprano” ( Times) Measha Brueggergosman is featured in this exhilarating concert experience. An American Salute dec. 10–12 From the rustic optimism of Copland’s Suite from Appalachian Spring, written during World War II, to Rising Stars of the Violin the syncopated rhythms of , Edo de Waart conducts three top-prize winners from An American Salute celebrates the rich diversity of recent, major international violin competitions in American music. Bramwell Tovey, “one of the most their CSO debuts. Superb young soloists Stella Chen, versatile and charismatic musicians in the world” winner of the 2019 Queen Elisabeth Violin Competition; (Musical America), leads this program that also Timothy Chooi, fi rst-prize winner at the 2018 Joseph features Copland’s Clarinet Concerto, written for Benny Joachim Competition, and Sergei Dogadin, 2019 Goodman, and a world premiere by Gabriela Lena Tchaikovsky Competition winner, each will perform Frank. Frank’s compositions celebrate her cosmopolitan a virtuosic work for violin and orchestra. The program ancestry—Lithuanian, Peruvian and Chinese—in a also includes stirring music by Berlioz, Strauss and mix of styles that is, in her words, “deeply American.” Mendelssohn. dec. 17–19 nov. 5–8

Her Story: Celebrating the Centenary of Women’s Right to Vote The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratifi ed in August 1920, granting women the right to vote. Her Story, a new commission by Pulitzer Prize winner Julia Wolfe, known for her energetic, vivid and powerful compositions on historical themes, celebrates the centenary of this watershed event. Marin Alsop and the all-female vocal ensemble Lorelei perform this new work, featuring costumes and lighting effects, in a dramatic presentation that honors the landmark achievement of women’s suffrage. Also featured on the program is the fi rst CSO performance of Jessie Montgomery’s Starburst. The work’s swiftly changing colors evoke a galaxy changed by a rapid formation of new stars—a metaphor for a changing, more inclusive social landscape. feb. 26 & 27

cso.org 9 “Every single soloist in Muti’s orchestra is a jewel.” frankfurter allgemeine zeitung

10 top right: esteban batallán; middle row: keith buncke; richard hirschl; bottom left: sando shia top left: oto carrillo; middle row: emma gerstein, youming chen; bottom right: patricia dash | cso photography by todd rosenberg cso.org 11 series at a glance

Explore the following season lineup to plan your Symphony Additional programs and series, including Symphony Center Center experience next season. Secure the biggest savings on the Presents Jazz and at the Art Institute, will be best seats by selecting from the Curated series below (details announced later in the year. Visit cso.org for details. start on page 37) or mix and match any combination of fi ve or more concerts to Create Your Own series. chicago symphony orchestra cso classical Dynamic performances with the CSO, Riccardo Muti and renowned guest artists Thursdays at 7:30 thu a–i new earlier time Fridays at 1:30 fri a & b Fridays at 8:00 fri c & d Saturdays at 8:00 sat a–h Sundays at 3:00 sun a Tuesdays at 7:30 tue a & b cso at the movies Your favorite Hollywood fi lms with the CSO performing the scores Fridays at 7:30 family matinees (ages 5–12) Saturdays at 11:00 a or 12:45 b stefán ragnar höskuldsson cso principal flute once upon a symphony (ages 3–5) Saturdays at 10:00 or 11:45

sarah bullen cso at wheaton cso principal harp CSO concerts at Wheaton College’s beautiful Edman Memorial Chapel Fridays at 7:30 musicnow Groundbreaking new music with musicians of the CSO at the for Music and Dance Mondays at 7:00 symphony center presents Internationally acclaimed in recital FPOFPO chamber music Intimate performances by the world’s fi nest classical artists orchestras Exceptional ensembles from around the world at Orchestra Hall 2020/21 season calendar september

17 thu 6:30 free 24 thu a/f 7:30 3 sat 6:30 25 fri c 8:00 concert for chicago 26 sat b/h 8:00 2020 symphony ball: Pritzker Pavilion, beethoven 5 muti conducts beethoven with red carpet and champagne reception Chicago Symphony Orchestra missa solemnis Riccardo Muti conductor Chicago Symphony Orchestra Chicago Symphony Orchestra Riccardo Muti conductor Beethoven Leonore Overture No. 3 Riccardo Muti conductor Yefi m Bronfman piano Rimsky-Korsakov Sheherazade Hanna-Elisabeth Müller soprano cso debut Gerhild Romberger contralto cso debut Beethoven No. 3 Experience the drama of Beethoven’s Matthew Polenzani tenor Beethoven Symphony No. 5 Leonore Overture and the opulence Tareq Nazmi bass cso debut of Sheherazade in a free CSO performance Chicago Symphony Chorus Celebrate at the annual Symphony Ball under the Chicago skyline in Millennium chorus director concert and the culmination of the Park. Beethoven anniversary. Yefi m Bronfman, a Beethoven Missa solemnis “leonine virtuoso” (Chicago Tribune), brings the power and poetry of the Third Piano 18 fri b 1:30 A highlight of our yearlong celebration Concerto to life. Riccardo Muti and the CSO 20 sun a 3:00 of the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s perform Beethoven’s iconic Fifth Symphony. birth, Muti conducts the composer’s muti conducts schubert 9 profound Missa solemnis. Premiered in Attend the concert, or attend the concert 1824, just one month prior to his Ninth and the Ball for the complete experience. Chicago Symphony Orchestra Symphony, it is one of Beethoven’s Gala packages include premium concert Riccardo Muti conductor most powerful and heartfelt expressions seating, plus postconcert dinner and dancing Stefán Ragnar Höskuldsson flute of faith and devotion. at the Four Seasons. Call 312-294-3185 Sarah Bullen harp or email [email protected] for more information. Mozart Concerto for Flute and Harp october Schubert Symphony No. 9 (The Great) 1 thu c/d 7:30 4 sun scp piano e/b 3:00 Muti launches the new season with the 2 fri a 1:30 expressive melodies of Schubert’s last richard goode piano completed symphony, and places two CSO brahms with muti & principals front and center for Mozart’s bronfman Mozart Sonata in F Major, K. 533/494 delightful fl ute and , his only Mozart Rondo in A Minor, K. 511 composition to feature the harp. Chicago Symphony Orchestra Brahms Seven Fantasies, Op. 116 Riccardo Muti conductor Chopin Mazurka in C Major, Op. 56, No. 2 Yefi m Bronfman piano Chopin Three Mazurkas, Op. 59 Debussy Images, Book II Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1 Debussy Selected Etudes Varèse Arcana Debussy L’isle joyeuse Wagner Overture to Tannhäuser Richard Goode is hailed for his “majestic, “Powerhouse ” (Los Angeles Times) profound readings” (). Yefi m Bronfman tackles Brahms’ epic First Hear one of today’s most revered pianists Piano Concerto. Edgard Varèse’s Arcana in a program of playful and touching works uses 40 different percussion instruments to from Mozart to Debussy. explore a kaleidoscopic palette of color and rhythm in his thrilling symphonic poem.

cso.org 13 october

08 thu b/h 7:30 18 sun scp chamber 3:00 25 sun 3:00 09 fri cso at the movies 7:30 10 sat a/e 7:30 note time violin china ncpa orchestra 13 tue 7:30 piano Lü Jia conductor amadeus live Wu Wei sheng scp debut One of the most celebrated violinists of Chicago Symphony Orchestra his era, Joshua Bell is praised for “his Chen Itinéraire d’une illusion Constantine Kitsopoulos trademark glowing sound and effortless Chin Šu, for sheng and orchestra conductor cso debut virtuosity” (The New York Times). He Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4 Chicago Symphony Chorus returns to Symphony Center in recital with Duain Wolfe chorus director award-winning Italian pianist Alessio Bax. One of China’s most prestigious ensembles, the National Centre for the Miloš Forman’s sumptuous Academy Performing Arts Orchestra, performs Award®–winning Amadeus comes 22 thu c/e 7:30 a program of contemporary and to life as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra 23 fri a 1:30 classical works including Unsuk Chin’s and Chorus perform the score, with 27 tue b 7:30 glistening Šu, a concerto for the ancient nearly two dozen of Mozart’s glorious Chinese mouth organ, written for compositions, alongside the feature fi lm muti conducts sheng virtuoso Wu Wei. The program on screen. britten, elgar & tchaikovsky concludes with Tchaikovsky’s powerfully dramatic Fourth Symphony. Chicago Symphony Orchestra 12 mon 7:00 Riccardo Muti conductor Alice Coote mezzo-soprano 29 thu a/f 7:30 musicnow 30 fri b 1:30 Harris Theater for Music and Dance Britten Four Sea Interludes 31 sat d 8:00 from Peter Grimes Chicago’s leading new music series. Elgar Sea Pictures tchaikovsky & bartók Program to be announced. Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5 Chicago Symphony Orchestra Be swept away to the coasts of England Xian Zhang conductor 15 thu a/g 7:30 in a program of sea-themed masterpieces. Simon Trpčeski piano 16 fri b 1:30 Riccardo Muti conducts works by 17 sat c 8:00 Britten and Elgar that use the ocean to Chen L’Eloignement represent profound human emotions. Tchaikovsky Francesca da Rimini bruckner & liszt British mezzo-soprano Alice Coote, whose Shostakovich Piano Concerto No. 2 voice “thrills you to the marrow” (The Bartók Suite from Chicago Symphony Orchestra Daily Telegraph), performs Elgar’s popular Marek Janowski conductor song cycle Sea Pictures. Muti ends the Benjamin Grosvenor piano cso debut evening with Tchaikovsky’s poignant Chinese-American conductor Xian Zhang Fifth Symphony. takes listeners on an alluring musical Weber The Ruler of the Spirits Overture journey through Eastern Europe and Liszt Piano Concerto No. 2 Asia. Simon Trpčeski, whose 2018 CSO Bruckner Symphony No. 3 appearance was hailed for its “poetry of phrasing and buoyancy of touch” (Chicago “A phenomenon brimming with talent” Tribune), returns for Shostakovich’s Second (), Benjamin Grosvenor Piano Concerto, which features one of makes his CSO debut with Liszt’s bold and the most beautiful slow movements in the brilliant concerto. The renowned Marek repertoire. Janowski conducts two rarely heard scores: Weber’s The Ruler of the Spirits Overture and Bruckner’s majestic Third Symphony.

14 xian zhang riccardo muti

alice coote

catherine brubaker cso

cso.orgcso.org 15 november

1 sun scp piano e/a 3:00 7 sat 10:00 | 11:45 16 mon 7:00 anna vinnitskaya piano scp debut once upon a symphony: musicnow goldilocks and Harris Theater for Music and Dance Schumann Arabesque in C Major, Op. 18 the three bears Schumann Sonata No. 1 in Buntrock Hall, Symphony Center Chicago’s leading new music series. F-sharp Minor, Op. 11 Program to be announced. Chopin Fantasy-Impromptu in Story-based concert featuring members of C-sharp Minor, Op. 66 the CSO, perfect for ages 3–5. This program Tchaikovsky Selection from The Seasons will be performed at the same location and 19 thu c/d 7:30 Ravel Valses nobles et sentimentales times on Dec. 12 and Jan. 16. 20 fri cso at wheaton 7:30 Ravel La valse 21 sat c 8:00 22 sun a 3:00 “A true lioness at the keyboard” 13 fri d 8:00 (The Washington Post), Anna Vinnitskaya 14 sat b/g 8:00 chopin & the mermaid debuts at Symphony Center with a program of popular works including rachmaninov Chicago Symphony Orchestra Chopin’s much-loved Fantasy-Impromptu piano concerto no. 2 Emmanuel Krivine conductor and Ravel’s whirling La valse. Yulianna Avdeeva piano cso debut Chicago Symphony Orchestra Edward Gardner conductor Berlioz Roman Carnival Overture 5 thu b/i 7:30 Alexander Gavrylyuk piano Chopin Piano Concerto No. 1 6 fri a 1:30 Zemlinsky The Mermaid 7 sat a/f 8:00 Wagner Prelude to 8 sun a 3:00 Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2 Emmanuel Krivine conducts Berlioz’s Walton Symphony No. 1 colorful evocation of Carnival an american salute celebrations, Chopin’s dazzling First A program of rich, Romantic intensity Piano Concerto and Zemlinsky’s lavishly Chicago Symphony Orchestra features Rachmaninov’s ravishing scored symphonic fantasy, based on Bramwell Tovey conductor Second Piano Concerto. The Guardian Hans Christian Andersen’s undersea fairy Stephen Williamson clarinet calls William Walton’s shattering First tale. Symphony “a volcanic eruption of Price Ethiopia’s Shadow in America dark, sensual passion,” leading to a fi nale Frank New Work that shouts with joy. 21 sat family a 11:00 | family b 12:45 world premiere, cso commission Copland Suite from Appalachian Spring peter and the wolf Copland Clarinet Concerto 15 sun scp orchestras 7:00 Bernstein Prelude, Fugue and Riffs Members of the Bernstein Three Dance Episodes from berliner philharmoniker Chicago Symphony Orchestra On the Town Erina Yashima conductor Kirill Petrenko conductor Magic Circle Mime Company Following the U.S. election, conductor Bramwell Tovey leads a salute to American Ives Central Park in the Dark Prokofiev Peter and the Wolf music that features Copland’s Suite from Norman Unstuck Appalachian Spring and a world premiere R. Strauss Till Eulenspiegel’s Prokofi ev’s beloved musical tale is by Gabriela Lena Frank, named by the Merry Pranks brought to life by members of the Chicago Washington Post as one of the 35 most R. Strauss Symphony Orchestra and artists from signifi cant female composers in history. the Magic Circle Mime Company. This The legendary Berliner Philharmoniker delightful, kid-sized concert is perfect for returns to Chicago, 11 years since its children ages 5–12. last appearance, with new chief conductor Kirill Petrenko. Hear one of the world’s fi nest orchestras, which called the “most intelligent, splendid and freshest orchestra I know.”

16 berliner philharmoniker

emmanuel krivine

anna vinnitskaya

erina yashima

stephen williamson cso principal clarinet

cso.org 17 november

27 fri cso at the movies 7:30 4 fri 7:30 10 thu a/g 7:30 28 sat 7:30 5 sat 3:00 11 fri d 8:00 29 sun 3:00 6 sun 3:00 12 sat b/g 8:00 star wars: the princess bride tilson thomas conducts the force awakens in concert in concert Chicago Symphony Orchestra Members of the Michael Tilson Thomas conductor Chicago Symphony Orchestra Chicago Symphony Orchestra Measha Brueggergosman soprano David Newman conductor Richard Kaufman conductor Kristen Toedtman vocalist cso debut Kara Dugan vocalist cso debut Thirty years after the Empire’s defeat, Experience the delightful tale of Princess a new threat has risen: The First Order, Buttercup and her true love Westley as Ruggles Angels enforced by the terrifying Kylo Ren. never before, with members of the Chicago Tilson Thomas Four Preludes on Scavenger Rey and ex-Stormtrooper Finn Symphony Orchestra performing a newly Playthings of the Wind must assist General Leia Organa in her orchestrated score alongside the full Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 2 search for the missing Luke Skywalker, feature fi lm. Missing this cinematic concert (Little Russian) the galaxy’s only hope at thwarting a experience would be inconceivable! new reign of evil. Come experience the Based on a poem by Carl Sandburg, beginning of a new saga as the Chicago Tilson Thomas’ Four Preludes on Playthings Symphony Orchestra performs John 7 mon 7:30 of the Wind draws on a wide range of Williams’ Academy Award®–nominated 8 tue 7:30 infl uences, from Stravinsky to soul. score. This theatrical presentation features the a chanticleer christmas brilliant and versatile soprano Measha Fourth Presbyterian Church Brueggergosman, along with backup december 126 E. Chestnut St. singers, a chamber orchestra and bar band. Tchaikovsky’s Little Russian Symphony 3 thu b/h 7:30 “The world’s reigning male chorus” brings the program to a lyrical and colorful 4 fri a 1:30 (The New Yorker) returns for an intimate close. 5 sat d 8:00 a cappella performance of cherished 8 tue a 7:30 Christmas favorites. 13 sun scp chamber 2:00 note time mozart, haydn & handel jean-yves thibaudet piano Chicago Symphony Orchestra lisa batiashvili violin Jane Glover conductor cso debut gautier capuçon Paul Jacobs organ William Welter oboe cso solo debut Shostakovich Piano Trio No. 1 Ravel Piano Trio Haydn Symphony No. 71 Mendelssohn Piano Trio No. 2 Mozart Oboe Concerto in C Major, K. 314 Handel Op. 4, No. 1 Three incomparable artists, called “a Mozart Symphony No. 29 supergroup to savor and a joy to behold” (The Arts Desk), come together for an Jane Glover leads an engaging program imaginative recital of three famous trios by of Baroque and Classical masterpieces. Shostakovich, Mendelssohn and Ravel. “Dazzling virtuoso” (The New York Times) Paul Jacobs performs one of Handel’s sparkling organ concertos, and the CSO’s own William Welter makes his fi rst solo appearance with Mozart’s expressive Oboe Concerto.

18 chanticleer

william welter cso principal oboe

michael tilson thomas

measha brueggergosman

jean-yves thibaudet merry, merry chicago!

david herbert edo de waart cso principal timpani

gene pokorny cso principal tuba

timothy chooi

sergei dogadin

stella chen

20 december january

16 wed 7:30 18 fri 7:30 07 thu b/i 7:30 19 sat 3:00 08 fri c 8:00 chicago symphony 20 sun 3:00 09 sat a/e 8:00 orchestra brass 22 tue 3:00 12 tue b 7:30 23 wed 1:00 | 4:30 Internationally renowned for its dvořák new world symphony tremendous power and purity of tone, merry, merry chicago! the legendary CSO brass section Chicago Symphony Orchestra presents an evening of traditional favorites Members of the Adam Fischer conductor and symphonic masterworks arranged Chicago Symphony Orchestra Martin Helmchen piano for brass ensemble. Chicago Symphony Chorus Duain Wolfe chorus director Haydn Symphony No. 97 This concert is presented in collaboration Liszt Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Midwest Clinic, an International Symphony Center’s joyous musical Dvořák Symphony No. 9 Band and Orchestra Conference. celebration of the season is the perfect (From the New World) holiday tradition for the entire family. Be captivated by Dvořák’s well-loved 17 thu c/e 7:30 New World Symphony, Haydn’s Symphony 18 fri b 1:30 21 mon 3:00 No. 97—which displays all of the 19 sat a/f 8:00 composer’s trademark elegance and wit— vienna boys choir: and Liszt’s thrilling virtuosic First Piano rising stars of the violin christmas in vienna Concerto with Martin Helmchen, “the kind of performer who lifts his audiences Chicago Symphony Orchestra Experience the world’s foremost up to heaven” (The Times, London). Edo de Waart conductor children’s choral group, adored around Stella Chen violin cso debut the world for six centuries, in a Sergei Dogadin violin cso debut rousing program of popular folk songs, 14 thu a/f 7:30 Timothy Chooi violin cso debut classical masterpieces and beloved holiday 15 fri a 1:30 favorites. 16 sat c 8:00 Berlioz Overture to Beatrice and Benedict muti conducts Beethoven Romance No. 2 respighi feste romane R. Strauss Symphonic Interlude No. 2 from Chicago Symphony Orchestra Tchaikovsky Valse-Scherzo Riccardo Muti conductor Saint-Saëns Introduction and David Herbert timpani cso solo debut Rondo capriccioso Gene Pokorny tuba Mendelssohn Symphony No. 4 (Italian) Vivaldi Concerto in A Major for Edo de Waart returns to lead three recent Strings and Continuo, R. 158 winners of prestigious violin competitions Kraft Timpani Concerto No. 1 in their CSO debuts. The concert concludes Schifrin Tuba Concerto with Mendelssohn’s effervescent Italian Schifrin Theme from Mission: Impossible Symphony, inspired by the art, people and Respighi Feste romane landscapes of Italy. Riccardo Muti leads an exceptional program that showcases timpani and tuba, putting CSO principals David Herbert and Gene Pokorny at the forefront in works by William Kraft and Lalo Schifrin. Muti then conducts Respighi’s vibrant fi nal installment of the composer’s spectacular Roman trilogy.

cso.org 21 branford marsalis david afkham

karen basrak cso cello

pierre-laurent aimard

22 january february

24 sun scp piano e/a 3:00 28 thu c/e 7:30 4 thu b/i 7:30 29 fri b 1:30 5 fri cso at wheaton 7:30 leif ove andsnes piano 30 sat b/h 8:00 6 sat c 8:00 31 sun a 3:00 9 tue a 7:30 Schumann Three Romances, Op. 28 Janáček On an Overgrown Path, Book I elgar Bartók Three Burlesques with capuçon Schumann Carnaval Chicago Symphony Orchestra David Afkham conductor Chicago Symphony Orchestra With his trademark “poetic elegance, Pierre-Laurent Aimard piano Osmo Vänskä conductor unyielding clarity and nuanced touch” Gautier Capuçon cello (Chicago Sun-Times), Leif Ove Andsnes Mozart Piano Concerto No. 27 performs the fi rst book of Janáček’s R. Strauss An Alpine Symphony Saariaho Winter Sky from Orion intimate, evocative cycle On an Overgrown Elgar Cello Concerto Path and Schumann’s festive and scenic Celebrated French pianist Pierre-Laurent Mendelssohn Symphony No. 3 (Scottish) Carnaval. Aimard performs Mozart’s deeply emotional fi nal piano concerto, and David Afkham Finnish conductor Osmo Vänskä conducts returns to lead Strauss’ epic fi nal tone his compatriot Kaija Saariaho’s haunting, 26 tue 7:30 poem depicting a majestic hike through the glittering Winter Sky and Mendelssohn’s Bavarian Alps. vivid musical landscape painting of orpheus chamber orchestra Scotland. Gautier Capuçon, an artist with branford marsalis “virtuosity to burn” (Chicago Tribune), alto saxophone takes on Elgar’s elegiac Cello Concerto.

Rossini Overture to The Barber of Seville Rodrigo Suite from Soleriana 11 thu a/g 7:30 Debussy Rhapsody for 12 fri a 1:30 Alto Saxophone and Orchestra 13 sat a/f 8:00 Ibert da camera for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra blomstedt & levit Turina La oración del torero Bryan Carmen, Jazz Suite Chicago Symphony Orchestra on Themes by Bizet Herbert Blomstedt conductor Igor Levit piano One of jazz’s most revered musicians, Branford Marsalis collaborates with the Schumann Piano Concerto innovative Orpheus Chamber Orchestra for Stenhammar Interlude from The Song a program that explores the intersection Nielsen Symphony No. 5 of jazz and classical, from Debussy’s jazz-inspired Rhapsody to a newly Schumann’s only piano concerto, a commissioned work by Courtney Bryan that work that brims with joy and melody, is uses Bizet’s famous themes from Carmen. performed by Igor Levit, “one of our planet’s most stupendously gifted pianists” (The Arts Desk). Herbert Blomstedt leads Nielsen’s astonishing Fifth Symphony, which the composer described as “the division of dark and light, the battle between evil and good.”

cso.org 23 february

13 sat 2:00 18 thu c/d 7:30 21 sun scp piano e/b 3:00 19 fri d 8:00 chinese new year 20 sat d 8:00 paul lewis piano celebration 23 tue b 7:30 Mendelssohn Selections from Welcome the Year of the Ox with a mendelssohn Songs Without Words dazzling musical celebration at Symphony & bruckner 7 Mozart Sonata in A Major, K. 331 Center, featuring spectacular ensembles Haydn Piano Sonata in D Major, and musicians from China performing on Chicago Symphony Orchestra Hob. XVI:24 traditional instruments. conductor Scriabin Five Preludes, Op. 74 violin Mussorgsky Pictures from an Exhibition

14 sun scp orchestras 3:00 Mendelssohn Violin Concerto Paul Lewis brings “his customary Bruckner Symphony No. 7 intelligence and intensity” (The Guardian) mariinsky orchestra to a wide-ranging program including Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto is one Mozart’s energetic Sonata in A Major and conductor of the most exquisite in the canon. Hear Mussorgsky’s most famous piano work, Alexandre Kantorow piano scp debut it performed by Christian Tetzlaff, Pictures from an Exhibition. “one of the fi nest violinists performing Prokofiev Three Selections from today” (The New Yorker). Manfred Honeck, Romeo and Juliet a defi nitive Bruckner interpreter, leads Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2 the composer’s Seventh Symphony, with Symphony No. 5 its mighty, regal passages for brass.

The internationally lauded Mariinsky Orchestra presents a riveting program 20 sat family a 11:00 | family b 12:45 featuring Mahler’s epic Fifth Symphony. “The orchestra, under musical director the carnival of the animals Valery Gergiev, moves as if with a single mind and always with purposeful Members of the passion” (The Times, London). Chicago Symphony Orchestra Scott Speck conductor

Saint-Saëns The Carnival of the Animals

Conjure an imaginative zoo full of animals, from a lumbering elephant to an elegant swan, as Members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra perform Saint-Saëns’ popular musical suite The Carnival of the Animals. This delightful, kid-sized concert is perfect for children ages 5–12.

family matinees

24 chinese new year paul lewis

stephanie jeong cso associate concertmaster valery gergiev

manfred honeck

christian tetzlaff

cso.org 25 february march

26 fri c 8:00 4 thu b/h 7:30 9 tue a 7:30 27 sat b/h 8:00 5 fri d 8:00 6 sat a/e 8:00 muti conducts shostakovich 10 her story: celebrating the centenary of women’s right muti, rachvelishvili & Chicago Symphony Orchestra to vote chicago symphony chorus Riccardo Muti conductor Robert Chen violin Chicago Symphony Orchestra Chicago Symphony Orchestra Marin Alsop conductor Riccardo Muti conductor Mozart Violin Concerto No. 4 Lorelei Ensemble cso debut Anita Rachvelishvili mezzo-soprano Shostakovich Symphony No. 10 Chicago Symphony Chorus Montgomery Starburst Duain Wolfe chorus director For one night only, Riccardo Muti conducts Rachmaninov Symphonic Dances Shostakovich’s brooding, deeply personal Wolfe Her Story cso co-commission Schubert Song of the Spirits Tenth Symphony, his fi rst to be performed over the Waters after Stalin’s death. CSO Concertmaster Marin Alsop leads an immersive Brahms Alto Rhapsody Robert Chen takes center stage in Mozart’s presentation of Her Story, a new Cherubini Mass for the Coronation exuberant Fourth Violin Concerto. work by Julia Wolfe that celebrates the of Charles X centenary of the 19th Amendment. The all-female vocal ensemble Lorelei, Muti conducts the unparalleled Chicago 11 thu 7:30 praised for its “warm, lithe and beautifully Symphony Chorus in a rich program 12 fri 8:00 blended” sound (The New York Times), that includes Schubert’s dark-hued Song will use costumes and theatrical lighting to of the Spirits over the Waters, Brahms’ jazz at lincoln center bring the monumental struggle lush Alto Rhapsody, featuring the orchestra with and achievement of women’s suffrage to extraordinary Anita Rachvelishvili, and wynton marsalis life. Jessie Montgomery’s vibrant one- Cherubini’s remarkable mass, written movement composition for string orchestra in 1825 to mark the restoration of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra’s annual receives its fi rst CSO performance. French monarchy. residency at Symphony Center, its self- proclaimed second home, is “a cultural rite” and “a valued addition to Chicago’s 28 sun 4:00 7 sun 3:00 already intense jazz life” (Chicago Tribune). Secure your seats now for the ensemble’s kodo: legacy lang lang piano hotly anticipated visit in 2021.

Witness the incredible virtuosity, Bach Goldberg Variations These performances are part of precision and athleticism of the world’s Symphony Center Presents Jazz, which foremost taiko ensemble in a thunderous “The hottest artist on the will be fully announced in April 2020. performance that explores the planet” (The New York Times), piano limitless possibilities of traditional phenomenon Lang Lang comes back to Japanese drumming. “Kodo can raise Chicago for a solo performance of 13 sat scp orchestras 8:00 the roof” (The New York Times). Bach’s towering masterpiece, the iconic Goldberg Variations. chamber orchestra of europe

Yannick Nézet-Séguin conductor Lisa Batiashvili violin

Brahms Violin Concerto Brahms Symphony No. 3

Dynamic conductor Yannick Nézet- Séguin and “the fi nest chamber orchestra in the world” (BBC 2 Television) are an enchanting combination with “a sheer joy of playing that resonates with every single note” (Kölnische Rundschau).

26 marin alsop

lang lang

robert chen cso concertmaster

anita rachvelishvili

wynton marsalis riccardo muti

miles maner cso & contrabassoon

seong-jin cho

thomas adès march

14 sun scp piano e/a 3:00 21 sun scp chamber 3:00 28 sun scp piano e/b 3:00 emanuel ax piano mahler chamber seong-jin cho piano scp debut orchestra scp debut Program to include: mitsuko uchida Schumann Humoreske Brahms Six Piano Pieces, Op. 118 piano and conductor Szymanowski Masques Norman Suspend Chopin Scherzo No. 1 in B Minor, Op. 20 Chopin Andante spianato and Mozart Piano Concerto No. 18 in Chopin Scherzo No. 2 in Grande polonaise brillante, Op. 22 B-fl at Major, K. 456 B-fl at Minor, Op. 31 Chopin Polonaise-Fantasy in Janáček Mládí Chopin Scherzo No. 3 in A-fl at Major, Op. 61 Mozart Piano Concerto No. 21 C-sharp Minor, Op. 39 in C Major, K. 467 Chopin Scherzo No. 4 in E Major, Op. 54 Admired worldwide for his “overwhelming authority as musician, technician and Mitsuko Uchida and the Mahler Chamber Seong-Jin Cho was brought to the world’s probing intellect” (Los Angeles Times), Orchestra are “an ideal match—a pianist attention in 2015 when he won the Emanuel Ax returns with a program that of impeccable Mozartean credentials First Prize at the International Chopin pairs Brahms’ beloved Six Piano Pieces and an orchestra of acute sensitivity and Competition. He brings his “poetic and with Andrew Norman’s Suspend, a musical awareness” (The Guardian). fi ery temperament” (Los Angeles Times) to rumination on the Brahmsian dualities of Hear this perfect pairing perform Mozart Chopin’s brilliant, virtuosic scherzos in freedom and solitude. concertos ranging in mood from sunny to his Symphony Center debut. dramatically striking.

18 thu a/g 7:30 19 fri b 1:30 25 thu c/e 7:30 20 sat b/g 8:00 26 fri sat d 8:00 note series 30 tue b 7:30 muti conducts mozart adès conducts adès Chicago Symphony Orchestra Riccardo Muti conductor Chicago Symphony Orchestra Thomas Adès conductor cso debut Cimarosa Overture to Kirill Gerstein piano Il matrimonio segreto Mozart Symphony No. 38 (Prague) Liszt Mephisto Waltz No. 1 Mozart Serenade No. 10 (Gran Partita) Adès Piano Concerto Liszt Battle of the Huns Muti conducts two infl uential works Janáček Taras Bulba of Mozart that highlight the wind section: the landmark Prague Symphony and Acclaimed composer-conductor Thomas the sublime Gran Partita. Adès leads a thrilling program of beauty and confl ict that opens with Liszt’s intoxicating Mephisto Waltz and the conductor’s own piano concerto. The New York Times described Adès’ work as “a little Gershwin, a little Beethoven, distorted through the prism of wry sensibility, written for Kirill Gerstein with a blend of staggering virtuosity and tenderness that fi ts him like a bespoke suit.” Two mercurial works fi ll the second half with vivid scenes of armed confl ict.

cso.org 29 zakir hussain

simone young

janine jansen

alexander hanna cso principal bass

the wizard of oz

30 april

1 thu b/h 7:30 2 fri 8:00 09 fri cso at the movies 7:30 2 fri b 1:30 11 sun 3:00 3 sat b/h 8:00 zakir hussain and the masters of percussion the wizard of oz britten & sibelius 2 in concert The greatest living master of the tabla and Chicago Symphony Orchestra “one of the architects of modern world Chicago Symphony Orchestra Thomas Søndergård conductor music” (NPR) brings his handpicked Richard Kaufman conductor Janine Jansen violin ensemble of world-class percussionists for a cultural boundary-crossing performance Follow the Yellow Brick Road to Walton Scapino, A Comedy Overture of awe-inspiring musicianship. Symphony Center and see one of the most Britten Violin Concerto enduring fi lms in cinema history Sibelius Symphony No. 2 with the incomparable Chicago Symphony 6 tue 7:30 Orchestra performing the lush score, Sensational Dutch violinist Janine including “Over the Rainbow,” immortalized Jansen brings her “radiant tone and george hinchliffe’s by Judy Garland. fi ery technique” (The New York Times) ukulele orchestra of to Britten’s Violin Concerto, a work great britain she champions for its intimacy and 12 mon 7:00 intensity of emotion. The program The playfully irreverent Ukulele concludes with Sibelius’ majestic and Orchestra of Great Britain offers up musicnow soulful Second Symphony. whimsical and expertly played Harris Theater for Music and Dance covers of well-known music, from Bach to Lady Gaga, and anything in between. Chicago’s leading new music series. The internationally celebrated group Program to be announced. comes across the pond for what promises to be an evening of “superbly tuneful fun” (The New York Times). 15 thu c/d 7:30 16 fri cso at wheaton 7:30 17 sat b/g 8:00 08 thu a/f 7:30 20 tue a 7:30 10 sat a/f 8:00 mahler 7 wagner & saint-saëns organ symphony Chicago Symphony Orchestra Simone Young conductor Chicago Symphony Orchestra Fabien Gabel conductor cso debut Mahler Symphony No. 7 Amanda Majeski soprano cso debut Australian conductor Simone Young, Wagner Prelude and Liebestod from celebrated for her “commanding presence, Tristan and Isolde bristling with energy and purpose” Wagner Wesendonck Lieder (New York Classical Review), leads Mahler’s Saint-Saëns Symphony No. 3 (Organ) enigmatic Seventh Symphony on the 100th anniversary of its U.S. premiere by favorite Amanda the CSO on April 15, 1921. Majeski, “a soprano of steel and silk” (Südkurier), makes her CSO debut in a Wagner’s yearning and impassioned song cycle, Wesendonck Lieder. Saint-Saëns’ magnifi cent Organ Symphony brings the program to a rousing close.

cso.org 31 april

17 sat 10:00 | 11:45 22 thu b/i 7:30 25 sun scp chamber 3:00 23 fri a 1:30 once upon a symphony: 24 sat a/e 8:00 jerusalem quartet the king elephant and the mice pinchas zukerman Buntrock Hall, Symphony Center shostakovich 12 violin and viola amanda forsyth Story-based concert featuring members of Chicago Symphony Orchestra cello the CSO, perfect for ages 3–5. This program Tugan Sokhiev conductor will be performed at the same location and Vadim Gluzman violin Bruckner Adagio from String Quintet times on May 8 and 22. in F Major Mussorgsky, orch. Rimsky-Korsakov Dvořák String Sextet in A Major, Op. 48 Prelude to Khovanshchina Brahms String Sextet No. 1 in 18 sun scp piano e/a 3:00 Shostakovich Violin Concerto No. 2 B-fl at Major, Op. 18 Shostakovich Symphony No. 12 evgeny kissin piano (The Year 1917) Witness the melodic brilliance of this all-star string sextet in a program Chopin Nocturne in B Major, A feast of exhilarating Russian music— of late Romantic works. “It is rare to fi nd Op. 62, No. 1 Tugan Sokhiev, a conductor who playing as beautiful . . . radiant warmth Chopin Impromptu No. 1 in “radiates charisma” (Chicago Tribune), and feeling fl owed everywhere” (Vancouver A-fl at Major, Op. 29 and Vadim Gluzman, a virtuoso of Classical Music). Chopin Impromptu No. 2 in “unassailable technique and gleaming F-sharp Major, Op. 36 performance” (Chicago Classical Review), Chopin Impromptu No. 3 in team up for Shostakovich’s darkly 29 thu c/e 7:30 G-fl at Major, Op. 51 introspective Second Violin Concerto. 30 fri c 8:00 Chopin Scherzo No. 1 in The program closes with Shostakovich’s may 1 sat c 8:00 B Minor, Op. 20 revolutionary Symphony No. 12. may 4 tue b 7:30 Chopin Polonaise No. 6 in A-fl at Major, Op. 53 vivaldi gloria Berg Sonata, Op. 1 Khrennikov Dance, Op. 5, No. 3 Chicago Symphony Orchestra Khrennikov Five Pieces, Op. 2 Giovanni Antonini conductor Gershwin Three Preludes Amanda Forsythe soprano Yulia Van Doren soprano cso debut Legendary Russian pianist Evgeny Julie Boulianne mezzo-soprano cso debut Kissin returns for a recital that features Chicago Symphony Chorus Chopin’s enchanting Impromptus and Duain Wolfe chorus director Nocturne in B Major. “It was in the Chopin where Kissin’s special gifts shone Vivaldi Concerto for Strings, RV 157 the brightest” (Chicago Tribune). Vivaldi Leggi almeno, tiranna infedele from Ottone in villa Vivaldi Armatae face et anguibus from Juditha triumphans Handel Dopo notte, atra e funesta from Ariodante Handel , Op. 6, No. 1 Vivaldi Kyrie, RV 587 Vivaldi Gloria, RV 589

Giovanni Antonini leads an evening of vocal and choral incandescence, culminating in a performance of Vivaldi’s soaring sacred masterwork, Gloria, last performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in 1972.

32 pinchas zukerman evgeny kissin

cynthia yeh cso principal percussion

once upon a symphony

amanda forsythe

giovanni antonini itzhak perlman behzod abduraimov

tania miller

max raimi cso viola

lahav shani

maurizio pollini

34 may

1 sat family a 11:00 | family b 12:45 6 thu a/f 7:30 13 thu b/h 7:30 7 fri d 8:00 14 fri a 1:30 on the waves of sound 8 sat b/h 8:00 15 sat a/e 8:00 16 sun a 3:00 Chicago Symphony Orchestra Tania Miller conductor prokofiev & rachmaninov Chicago Symphony Orchestra The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Philippe Jordan conductor Chicago Symphony Orchestra presents a program that demonstrates Jean-Yves Thibaudet piano Lahav Shani conductor cso debut how composers have been inspired Behzod Abduraimov piano cso debut by the beauty and power of water. Debussy Prelude to This delightful, kid-sized concert is The Afternoon of a Faun Rachmaninov, orch. Stokowski perfect for children ages 5–12. Saint-Saëns Piano Concerto No. 5 Prelude in C-sharp Minor (Egyptian) Rachmaninov Rhapsody on Stravinsky The Rite of Spring a Theme of Paganini 2 sun 7:00 Prokofiev Symphony No. 5 Swiss conductor Philippe Jordan leads a itzhak perlman violin survey of decadent fi n-de-siècle Paris Israeli conductor Lahav Shani makes his in the fiddler’s house that includes Debussy’s setting of a CSO debut in a program of Russian sensuous Mallarmé poem, Saint-Saëns’ passion with two of Rachmaninov’s most Featuring: scintillating fi nal piano concerto with celebrated works and Prokofi ev’s powerful Hankus Netsky music director, the “superbly elegant brilliance” (Sydney wartime statement on triumph over saxophone and piano Morning Herald) of French pianist Jean- adversity. Behzod Abduraimov, a pianist of Andy Statman clarinet and mandolin Yves Thibaudet and the visceral power “prodigious technique and rhapsodic fl air” Members of the Brave Old World and of Stravinsky’s iconic The Rite of Spring. (The New York Times), also makes his CSO Klezmer Conservatory Band debut.

Beloved violinist Itzhak Perlman 9 sun scp piano e/b 3:00 revisits his iconic project In the Fiddler’s 17 mon 7:00 House, a charming journey through maurizio pollini piano traditional klezmer music, in celebration musicnow of its 25th anniversary. “With klezmer, Celebrated for music-making of matchless Harris Theater for Music and Dance Perlman appears to be perfectly at home... sophistication, unshakable concentration the look of sheer delight that continually and unyielding integrity, Maurizio Pollini Chicago’s leading new music series. illuminates his face underscores the occupies a special place among the ranks of Program to be announced. sense of discovery that touches almost today’s great pianists. Hear this “towering every note he plays” (Los Angeles Times). musical presence” (Gramophone) in his annual recital appearance at Symphony Center.

cso.org 35 may june

20 thu a/g 7:30 23 sun scp piano e/b 3:00 3 thu b/i 7:30 21 fri b 1:30 4 fri c 8:00 22 sat b/g 8:00 marc-andré hamelin piano 5 sat a/f 8:00 25 tue a 7:30 C.P.E. Bach Rondo in C Minor muti, trifonov & tchaikovsky 6 strauss Schubert Sonata in A Major, D. 959 & Schumann Waldszenen Chicago Symphony Orchestra Ravel Gaspard de la nuit Riccardo Muti conductor Chicago Symphony Orchestra Daniil Trifonov piano Mikko Franck conductor Marc-André Hamelin brings his Vilde Frang violin cso debut “commanding technique” Liadov The Enchanted Lake (The New York Times) to a program Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 2 Lindberg New Work that includes Schumann’s pastoral Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6 world premiere, cso commission Waldszenen and Ravel’s fantastical (Pathétique) Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1 suite Gaspard de la nuit. R. Strauss Don Juan The bracing modernity and technical R. Strauss Suite from Der Rosenkavalier demands of Prokofi ev’s Second Piano 27 thu 7:30 Concerto are the perfect showcase for Bruch’s legendary First Violin Concerto is 28 fri cso at the movies 7:30 the blistering virtuosity of Daniil Trifonov, performed by Vilde Frang, a young 29 sat 7:30 “without question the most astounding violinist of profound musicianship, pianist of our age” (The Times, London). exceptional lyricism and “the knack of close encounters Muti bookends this performance breathing life into every note” (BBC Music of the third kind with Liadov’s shimmering fairy-tale scene Magazine). Mikko Franck returns to in concert and Tchaikovsky’s heartrending fi nal lead a new work by renowned Finnish symphony. composer Magnus Lindberg and two Chicago Symphony Orchestra works by Strauss: the raucous tone poem Richard Kaufman conductor Don Juan and the alluring, waltz-laden Chicago Symphony Chorus 6 sun scp piano e/a 3:00 orchestral suite from Der Rosenkavalier. Duain Wolfe chorus director david fray piano Widely considered one of the most infl uential science fi ction fi lms of all Praised by The New York Times for a time, Steven Spielberg’s fi rst-contact story Schubert performance that was “beautifully features John Williams’ groundbreaking played and rapturously received,” David score, performed here by the incomparable Fray returns to Symphony Center for an Chicago Symphony Orchestra and all-Schubert recital. Chorus alongside a screening of the 1977 masterpiece. 10 thu c/d 7:30 12 sat d 8:00 13 sun a 3:00

riccardo muti e l’opera italiana

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Riccardo Muti conductor Krassimira Stoyanova soprano Francesco Meli tenor

Riccardo Muti brings the 2020/21 season to a glittering close with a night of festive Italian opera favorites featuring two of the most sought-after soloists of the opera world, Krassimira Stoyanova and Francesco Meli, who previously appeared with the Orchestra in Verdi’s Aida.

36 2020/21 subscription series guide

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cso.org 37 chicago symphony orchestra

classical thursday evenings at 7:30 new earlier time

thursday a thursday c

Thursday’s A series is packed with highlights: Riccardo Muti From Mendelssohn’s soaring Violin Concerto to Mahler’s whirling, continues the Beethoven 250 celebration with the stunning tumultuous Seventh Symphony, Thursday’s C series is bursting Missa solemnis, Michael Tilson Thomas conducts Tchaikovsky, with music that stirs the soul, concluding with two vocal the CSO performs The Rite of Spring, Saint-Saëns’ Organ celebrations: Vivaldi’s choral masterpiece Gloria and festive Italian Symphony, Mozart’s Gran Partita, Strauss’ Don Juan and Suite opera selections conducted by Muti. from Der Rosenkavalier and more.

a Full 10-concert series c Full 10-concert series f 5-concert selection d 5-concert selection g 5-concert selection e 5-concert selection — — 09/24 f Muti Conducts Beethoven Missa solemnis 010/1 d Brahms with Muti & Bronfman 10/15 g Bruckner & Liszt 10/22 e Muti Conducts Britten, Elgar & Tchaikovsky 10/29 f Tchaikovsky & Bartók 11/19 d Chopin & The Mermaid 12/10 g Tilson Thomas Conducts 12/17 e Rising Stars of the Violin 01/14 f Muti Conducts Respighi Feste romane 01/28 e An Alpine Symphony 02/11 g Blomstedt & Levit 02/18 d Mendelssohn Violin Concerto & Bruckner 7 03/18 g Muti Conducts Mozart 03/25 e Adès Conducts Adès 004/8 f Wagner & Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony 04/15 d Mahler 7 005/6 f The Rite of Spring 04/29 e Vivaldi Gloria 05/20 g Strauss Don Juan & Der Rosenkavalier 06/10 d Riccardo Muti e l’Opera Italiana

thursday b

Miloš Forman’s masterpiece Amadeus comes alive as the CSO performs the score alongside the feature fi lm, Bramwell Tovey conducts an all-American program featuring the music of Aaron Copland, and Muti is joined by Russian powerhouse Daniil Trifonov for Prokofi ev’s titanic Second Piano Concerto on the Thursday B series.

daniel gingrich b Full 10-concert series cso associate principal h 5-concert selection i 5-concert selection — 010/8 h Amadeus Live 011/5 i An American Salute 012/3 h Mozart, Haydn & Handel 001/7 i Dvořák New World Symphony 002/4 i Elgar Cello Concerto with Capuçon 003/4 h Muti, Rachvelishvili & Chicago Symphony Chorus 004/1 h Britten & Sibelius 2 04/22 i Shostakovich 12 05/13 h Prokofiev & Rachmaninov 006/3 i Muti, Trifonov & Tchaikovsky 6

38 classical friday matinees at 1:30 friday a friday b

Friday’s A series of matinee performances includes three A feast of stunning solo performances is in store for the Friday B thrilling Muti-led programs: Brahms’ epic Piano Concerto matinee series. Witness the CSO debuts of Benjamin Grosvenor, No. 1 with Yefi m Bronfman, Tchaikovsky’s powerful Vilde Frang (in Bruch’s beloved Violin Concerto) and three recent Fifth Symphony and the fi rst CSO performances of William prestigious violin competition winners in showcase performances, Kraft’s Timpani Concerto No. 1 and Lalo Schifrin’s as well as the long-anticipated returns of Pierre-Laurent Aimard Tuba Concerto with the CSO’s own David Herbert and Gene and Janine Jansen. Pokorny taking center stage.

8-concert series 8-concert series

010/2 Brahms with Muti & Bronfman 09/18 Muti Conducts Schubert 9 10/23 Muti Conducts Britten, Elgar & Tchaikovsky 10/16 Bruckner & Liszt 011/6 An American Salute 10/30 Tchaikovsky & Bartók 012/4 Mozart, Haydn & Handel 12/18 Rising Stars of the Violin 01/15 Muti Conducts Respighi Feste romane 01/29 An Alpine Symphony 02/12 Blomstedt & Levit 03/19 Muti Conducts Mozart 04/23 Shostakovich 12 004/2 Britten & Sibelius 2 05/14 Prokofiev & Rachmaninov 05/21 Strauss Don Juan & Der Rosenkavalier cso friday matinee shuttle

The CSO Shuttle is a wonderful way to eliminate the stress of getting to Orchestra Hall. Enjoy round-trip luxury bus service from the North Shore directly to Symphony Center. Learn more at cso.org/fridayshuttle or call 312-294-3000. Space is limited—reserve today!

classical friday evenings at 8:00 friday c friday d

On Friday’s C series, Marin Alsop conducts a new work by For lovers of sweeping romantic repertoire, Friday’s D series Julia Wolfe that celebrates the centenary of women’s right to vote. gives you two greats: Rachmaninov’s unassailable Second Piano Additionally, experience two stunning programs featuring the Concerto and Mendelssohn’s tempestuous Violin Concerto. Chicago Symphony Chorus: Beethoven’s Missa solemnis led by Capping off the series is Stravinsky’s visceral The Rite of Spring. Muti and Vivaldi’s well-loved Gloria.

5-concert series 5-concert series

09/25 Muti Conducts Beethoven Missa solemnis 11/13 Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2 001/8 Dvořák New World Symphony 12/11 Tilson Thomas Conducts 02/26 Her Story: Celebrating the 02/19 Mendelssohn Violin Concerto & Bruckner 7 Centenary of Women’s Right to Vote 003/5 Muti, Rachvelishvili & Chicago Symphony Chorus 04/30 Vivaldi Gloria 005/7 The Rite of Spring 006/4 Muti, Trifonov & Tchaikovsky 6

cso.org 39 chicago symphony orchestra

classical saturday evenings at 8:00

saturday a saturday c

Saturday’s A series combines treasured favorites, such as Copland’s Saturday’s C series is full of the new, with CSO debuts from Suite from Appalachian Spring and Saint-Saëns’ Organ Symphony, celebrated pianists Benjamin Grosvenor and Yulianna with the exciting and the new. Witness the world premiere of a Avdeeva performing concertos by Liszt and Chopin, and Muti new work by Gabriela Lena Frank, one of the Washington Post’s 35 a pair of works by composer Lalo Schifrin, best known most signifi cant female composers in history, and a trio for his body of scores for fi lm and TV. Your mission, should of rising stars performing showpieces for violin. you choose to accept it, is to subscribe.

a Full 10-concert series 5-concert series e 5-concert selection f 5-concert selection 10/17 Bruckner & Liszt — 11/21 Chopin & The Mermaid 10/10 e Amadeus Live 7:30 start time 01/16 Muti Conducts Respighi Feste romane 011/7 f An American Salute 002/6 Elgar Cello Concerto with Capuçon 12/19 f Rising Stars of the Violin 005/1 Vivaldi Gloria 001/9 e Dvořák New World Symphony 02/13 f Blomstedt & Levit 003/6 e Muti, Rachvelishvili & Chicago Symphony Chorus saturday d 04/10 f Wagner & Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony 04/24 e Shostakovich 12 Star conductors in their element make up this wonderful Saturday 05/15 e Prokofiev & Rachmaninov D series. Witness Manfred Honeck leading Bruckner 7, Riccardo 006/5 f Muti, Trifonov & Tchaikovsky 6 Muti conducting Italian opera and Jane Glover leading a program of Baroque and Classical music that highlights the organ and oboe.

saturday b 5-concert series

An enthralling variety of music can be heard on Saturday’s B 10/31 Tchaikovsky & Bartók series, from Beethoven’s transcendent Missa solemnis to 012/5 Mozart, Haydn & Handel Sibelius’ sweeping Second Symphony, to a theatrical staging 02/20 Mendelssohn Violin Concerto & Bruckner 7 of Michael Tilson Thomas’ Four Preludes on Playthings of 03/26 Adès Conducts Adès friday at 8:00 the Wind. 06/12 Riccardo Muti e l’Opera Italiana

b Full 10-concert series g 5-concert selection h 5-concert selection — 09/26 h Muti Conducts Beethoven Missa solemnis 11/14 g Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2 12/12 g Tilson Thomas Conducts h An Alpine Symphony 01/30 charles vernon 02/27 h Her Story: Celebrating the cso trombone & bass trombone Centenary of Women’s Right to Vote 03/20 g Muti Conducts Mozart 004/3 h Britten & Sibelius 2 04/17 g Mahler 7 005/8 h The Rite of Spring 05/22 g Strauss Don Juan & Der Rosenkavalier

40 classical sunday matinees at 3:00 sunday a

Sunday’s matinee series is bookended with two great Muti programs. It opens with Muti conducting Schubert’s majestic Ninth Symphony, with its allusion to Beethoven’s Ninth, and closes with a sparkling program of Italian opera favorites featuring Krassimira Stoyanova and Francesco Meli.

6-concert series

09/20 Muti Conducts Schubert 9 011/8 An American Salute 11/22 Chopin & The Mermaid john sharp 01/31 An Alpine Symphony cso principal cello 05/16 Prokofiev & Rachmaninov 06/13 Riccardo Muti e l’Opera Italiana classical tuesday evenings at 7:30 tuesday a tuesday b

Variety is the spice of Tuesday’s A series. Hear a program of Tuesday’s B series opens with Muti leading Tchaikovsky’s Fifth popular works by Mozart, Haydn and Handel led by Jane Glover, Symphony, a landmark work of boldness and poignancy, and a program that pairs Elgar’s mournful Cello Concerto with only goes up from there. Hear Dvořák’s ever-popular New World Mendelssohn’s moody Scottish Symphony, and Riccardo Muti Symphony, Mendelssohn’s exquisite Violin Concerto, Vivaldi’s conducting Shostakovich’s blistering Tenth Symphony. exuberant Gloria and showstopping composer Thomas Adès leading his own breathtaking Piano Concerto with Kirill Gerstein.

5-concert series 5-concert series

012/8 Mozart, Haydn & Handel 10/27 Muti Conducts Britten, Elgar & Tchaikovsky 002/9 Elgar Cello Concerto with Capuçon 01/12 Dvořák New World Symphony 003/9 Muti Conducts Shostakovich 10 02/23 Mendelssohn Violin Concerto & Bruckner 7 04/20 Mahler 7 03/30 Adès Conducts Adès 05/25 Strauss Don Juan & Der Rosenkavalier 005/4 Vivaldi Gloria

cso.org 41 cso at the movies fridays at 7:30

Enjoy hits ranging from Hollywood’s Golden Age to today’s blockbusters with the incomparable CSO playing the scores alongside the full feature fi lms. Save your seats for four thrilling nights of musical movie magic.

4-concert series

010/9 Amadeus Live 11/27 Star Wars: The Force Awakens 004/9 The Wizard of Oz 05/28 Close Encounters of the Third Kind cso family matinees saturdays at 11:00 a or 12:45 b

Share your love of music with the next generation at Symphony Center and make musical memories that will last a lifetime. This series features fun, engaging, kid-friendly programs of beloved classical music performed by musicians of the CSO. perfect for ages 5–12

3-concert series

11/21 Peter and the Wolf 02/20 The Carnival of the Animals 005/1 On the Waves of Sound once upon a symphony® saturdays at 10:00 or 11:45

Once Upon a Symphony programs combine vibrant music played by CSO musicians, storytelling and enchanting visuals for a playful concert experience designed especially for our youngest audience members. Produced and presented in collaboration with Chicago Children’s Theatre. perfect for ages 3–5

Buntrock Hall, Symphony Center

11/7, 12/12, 1/16 Goldilocks and the Three Bears 4/17, 5/8, 5/22 The King Elephant and the Mice new this season Subscribe to both programs and save! Choose your preferred date and time for each performance.

Adults Subscription $36 Single tickets $20 Youth 12 and under Subscription $16 Single tickets $10

42 cso at wheaton fridays at 7:30

Acclaimed conductors and guest artists join the world-renowned CSO to perform symphonic masterworks in the western suburbs. Emmanuel Krivine leads rising star Yulianna Avdeeva in Chopin’s ravishing First Piano Concerto, Gautier Capuçon tackles Elgar’s plaintive Cello Concerto and Simone Young conducts Mahler’s stormy Seventh Symphony.

3-concert series Edman Memorial Chapel, 401 E. Franklin St., Wheaton College

11/20 Chopin & The Mermaid 002/5 Elgar Cello Concerto with Capuçon 04/16 Mahler 7

Subscriptions Main floor front left $231 Main floor front right $225 Main floor back left $159 Main floor back right $153 Balcony $144

Single tickets $60–100 musicnow mondays at 7:00

Hailed as Chicago’s leading new music series, MusicNOW delivers an innovative multimedia experience featuring musicians of the CSO. Experience four exhilarating chamber concerts at the Harris Theater, followed by casual afterparties with free pizza and beverages. Programs to be announced.

4-concert series Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph Dr.

10/12, 11/16, 4/12, 5/17

Regular Subscription $84 Student Subscription $36 Single ticket $29

major support for musicnow is generously provided by the zell family foundation, the sally mead hands foundation, cindy sargent, the julian family foundation and an anonymous donor.

cso.org 43 44 clockwise from upper left: ni mei, michael mulcahy, david cooper, li-kuo chang “One could only marvel at the CSO’s virtuosity” financial times, london

top left: peter conover; middle row: silvia kim kilcullen, susan synnestvedt, bottom row: john hagstrom, john bruce yeh | cso photography by todd rosenberg symphony center presents

piano chamber orchestras

sundays at 3:00 music The world’s top orchestras led by today’s preeminent conductors come to Chicago. Be transformed by the power and passion sundays at 3:00 of solo piano recitals. This unparalleled 3-concert series lineup of internationally acclaimed Experience the most illustrious names in pianists from around the world ranges from classical music in intimate chamber 11/15 Berliner Philharmoniker rising stars to returning Chicago favorites. music performances featuring works Kirill Petrenko conductor ranging from well-loved classics to modern 02/14 Mariinsky Orchestra e Full 10-concert series masterpieces. Valery Gergiev conductor a 5-concert selection 03/13 Chamber Orchestra of Europe b 5-concert selection 4-concert series Yannick Nézet-Séguin conductor — 010/4 b Richard Goode 10/18 Joshua Bell 011/1 a Anna Vinnitskaya 12/13 Jean-Yves Thibaudet, 01/24 a Leif Ove Andsnes Lisa Batiashvili and 02/21 b Paul Lewis Gautier Capuçon 2:00 start time 03/14 a Emanuel Ax 03/21 Mahler Chamber Orchestra with 03/28 b Seong-Jin Cho Mitsuko Uchida 04/18 a Evgeny Kissin 04/25 Jerusalem Quartet with 005/9 b Maurizio Pollini Pinchas Zukerman 05/23 b Marc-André Hamelin and Amanda Forsyth 006/6 a David Fray

mitsuko uchida

paul lewis

leif ove andsnes

46 david fray

richard goode

yannick nézet-séguin

lisa batiashvili

gautier capuçon

joshua bell

kirill petrenko

cso.org 47 how to subscribe

online cso.org/subscribe

call 312-294-3000

For personalized assistance with fi nding the programs, series and seats that best fi t your needs, contact our Patron Services team.

in person symphony center box offi ce

220 S. Michigan Ave. Mon.–Sat. 12 p.m.–6 p.m. or until the end of intermission

enhance your subscription

see more concerts or bring a friend Save up to 37% on concerts added to your curated series before August 12, 2020, when single tickets go on sale to the general public. Beginning on that date, subscribers enjoy 10% savings (or 15% if subscribed to 10 or more concerts) on any concert tickets purchased throughout the season. Prices increase based on demand, so order early for maximum savings!

subscriber parking Details on discounted parking for subscribers to be announced.

convenient payment plan—FREE Easily pay for your subscription and additional concert tickets with as many as four installments charged monthly to your credit card. Call Patron Services at 312-294-3000 by April 3.

48 curated series prices subscribe to a curated series and save up to 39%!

MAIN FLOOR BOX LOWER BALCONY UPPER GALLERY TERRACE No. of BALCONY SERIES Concerts 1M 2M 3M 4M 5M 1B 1L 2L 3L 4L 5L 1U 2U 1G 2G 1T 2T CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Classical THU A-C 10 920 720 610 480 380 2,090 1,310 1,050 960 820 590 490 340 340 250 720 490

Classical THU D-I 5 520 390 330 265 215 1,090 705 585 510 435 315 255 170 180 130 365 265

Classical FRI A & B 8 768 624 520 448 448 1,592 1,024 824 768 648 472 424 264 280 240 592 432

Classical FRI C & D 5 510 410 335 275 230 1,055 700 570 525 455 335 285 170 190 135 380 285

Classical SAT A & B 10 920 720 610 480 380 2,090 1,310 1,050 960 820 590 490 340 340 250 720 490

Classical SAT C & D 5 585 445 385 345 290 1,095 770 620 550 475 340 315 190 215 160 415 340

Classical SUN A6702 534 462 414 348 1,314 924 744 660 570 408 378 228 258 192 498 408

Classical TUE A & B 5 460 360 305 240 190 1,045 655 525 480 410 295 245 170 170 125 360 245

CSO at the Movies 4 368 316 316 272 272 496 412 352 352 304 304 192 180 180 180 n/a n/a

Family A & B (Adult) 3 120 120 120 60 60 180 120 120 90 90 90 60 60 30 30 60 60

Family A & B (Youth 12 & under) 3 60 60 60 30 30 90 60 60 45 45 45 30 30 15 15 30 30 SYMPHONY CENTER PRESENTS

Piano E 10 419 358 305 279 279 736 491 407 375 356 340 239 230 223 217 476 476

Piano A5262 228 192 179 179 458 308 252 234 225 214 146 138 135 132 306 306

Piano B5217 182 156 140 140 382 253 214 194 182 174 128 125 119 116 238 238

Chamber Music 4 208 176 164 148 144 316 236 196 188 176 172 n/a n/a 120 112 168 108

Orchestras 3 298 249 190 159 142 406 336 298 267 246 226 n/a n/a 114 97 186 141

full single ticket prices save 10-20% when you create your own series! Savings are applied to full prices at the time of purchase, which can increase based on demand. Order early to lock in the best prices.

MAIN FLOOR BOX LOWER BALCONY UPPER BALCONY GALLERY TERRACE

CSO Classical $55–172 $210–315 $66–241 $36–89 $32–83 $59–123

Movies $55–150 $95–198 $65–165 $45–77 $45–72 n/a

Family Matinees (Adult) $25–45 $65 $35–45 $25 $15 $25

Family Matinees (Youth 12 & under) $15–25 $35 $20–25 $15 $5 $15

Piano $29–120 $75–199 $36–150 $25–60 $23–55 $29–155

Chamber Music $51–74 $112 $61–84 n/a $39–42 $38–59

Orchestras $49–193 $165–250 $88–218 $57–115 $35–73 $57–115

World, Pop and Jazz $40–125 $80–175 $40–125 $30–67 $25–45 $30–75

Holidays $50–110 $80–150 $50–120 $40–65 $25–55 n/a

subscription and single ticket prices for once upon a symphony, musicnow and cso at wheaton can be found on pages 42-43. visit cso.org/addons for subscriber add-on pricing.

*All printed prices are valid until August 12, 2020, and are subject to change based on demand beginning on that date. 2U-Upper Balcony and 2G-Gallery are partial view. Seating is subject to availability at the time of sale. Terrace subscriber seats may be changed to a different location if a concert involves a screen or chorus. Exchange restrictions may apply to select programs. Visit cso.org/exchange or contact Patron Services for more information.

All artists, programs, dates and times are subject to change. cso.org 49 orchestra hall seating charts

FLYNN GALLERY 1G Gallery 2G Gallery (Partial View) CLASSICAL, MOVIES & MERRY, MERRY CHICAGO CONCERTS KREHBIEL UPPER BALCONY 1U Upper Balcony 2U Upper Balcony (Partial View)

FADIM LOWER BALCONY 1L Lower Balcony 2L Lower Balcony 3L Lower Balcony 4L Lower Balcony 5L Lower Balcony

BOX SEATS

MELK MAIN FLOOR 1M Main Floor 2M Main Floor 3M Main Floor 4M Main Floor STAGE 5M Main Floor GRAY TERRACE 1T Left and Right 2T Center Left and Center Right

FLYNN GALLERY 1G Gallery 2G Gallery (Partial View) FAMILY, WORLD, POP & JAZZ CONCERTS KREHBIEL UPPER BALCONY 1U Upper Balcony 2U Upper Balcony (Partial View)

FADIM LOWER BALCONY 1L Lower Balcony 2L Lower Balcony 3L Lower Balcony 4L Lower Balcony 5L Lower Balcony

BOX SEATS

MELK MAIN FLOOR 1M Main Floor 2M Main Floor 3M Main Floor 4M Main Floor STAGE 5M Main Floor GRAY TERRACE For additional seating charts, 1T Left and Right visit cso.org/seats. 2T Center Left and Center Right

50 support your orchestra

Each year loyal audience members and generous friends support the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association. These gifts celebrate the extraordinary Orchestra and ensure its legacy for many years to come.

Bring the music you love to others by making a donation to the CSOA. Your gift will help the CSO remain a world-class orchestra and continue the programs that engage more than 425,000 people each year in life-changing musical experiences.

Donors receive additional special privileges and benefi ts as a way of saying “thank you.” Benefi ts include:

„ Invitations to attend CSO Open Rehearsals

„ An invitation to attend a backstage tour

„ Membership in The Richard and Helen Thomas Club at Symphony Center, a private dining facility

„ Access to VIP ticketing services

„ Invitations to Salon Series events . . . and more! make a gift today: cso.org/makeagift | 312-294-3100 Thank you for your support of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association. our sponsors

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association is grateful for the generous support of these leading corporate, foundation and government sponsors:

Maestro Residency Presenter Official Airline of the CSO

Julius N. Frankel The Elizabeth F. Cheney Zell Family Foundation The Negaunee Foundation Foundation Foundation

Paul M. Angell Walter E. Heller Foundation Family Foundation

cso.org 51 add concerts to your subscription and save up to 37%!

saturday, october 3, 6:30 2020 symphony ball: beethoven 5 Chicago Symphony Orchestra Riccardo Muti conductor YeƂ m Bronfman piano Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3 Beethoven Symphony No. 5

Celebrate at the annual Symphony Ball concert and the culmination of the Beethoven anniversary. YeƂ m Bronfman, a “leonine virtuoso” (Chicago Tribune), brings the power and poetry of the Third Piano Concerto to life. Riccardo Muti and the CSO perform Beethoven’s iconic Fifth Symphony.

Attend the concert, or attend the concert and the Ball for the complete experience. Gala packages include premium concert seating, plus postconcert dinner and dancing at the Four Seasons. Call 312-294-3185 or email [email protected] for more information..

december 18–23 merry, merry chicago! Members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Chicago Symphony Chorus Duain Wolfe chorus director The CSO’s annual holiday spectacular is festive fun for the entire family!

sunday, march 7, 3:00 lang lang piano Bach Goldberg Variations “The hottest artist on the classical music planet” (The New York Times), piano phenomenon Lang Lang comes to Chicago for a solo performance of Bach’s towering masterpiece, the iconic Goldberg Variations.

sunday, may 2, 7:00 itzhak perlman violin in the fiddler’s house Beloved violinist Itzhak Perlman revisits his iconic project In the Fiddler’s House, a charming journey through traditional klezmer music, in celebration of its 25th anniversary. cso.org