British Conductor and Harpsichordist Nicholas Kraemer Leads Chicago Symphony Orchestra Dec. 10-12

British conductor and harpsichordist Nicholas Kraemer returns to Symphony Center to lead the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) in a program highlighting three composers of the 18th century—Telemann, Haydn and Mozart—as well as 20th-century master Richard Strauss.

Performances are Thursday, Dec. 10, at 8pm, Friday, Dec. 11, at 1:30pm and Saturday, Dec. 12, at 8pm.

Well known as an authority of Baroque and Classical period music, Nicholas Kraemer is equally successful leading music by composers of the 20th century and today; his repertoire ranges from Vivaldi and Monteverdi to Britten and Musgrave.

Kraemer, familiar to Chicago audiences as principal guest conductor of Music of the Baroque, made his CSO debut in November 2007 with works by Handel, Haydn and Telemann, earning critical acclaim for his stylish, lively interpretations.

His December concerts contain Haydn’s Symphony No. 88—one of the composer’s finest and the first in which he uses trumpets and timpani in a slow movement; Mozart’s spirited Divertimento in D Major, K. 131; selections from Telemann’s second volume of imaginative Tafelmusik, which Kraemer will lead from the harpsichord; and Strauss’ elegiac Metamorphosen, composed at the end of World War II as a heartfelt lament on the destruction of his beloved opera houses and cultural monuments of Germany.

Nicholas Kraemer began his career as a harpsichordist and soon moved from playing Baroque continuo at the back of the orchestra to directing from the keyboard at the front. While performing with the English Chamber Orchestra in the 1970s, his repertoire widened to encompass the 19th and 20th centuries.

He formed Raglan Baroque Players in 1978 and served as its music director, and he held conducting posts with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Irish Chamber Orchestra and London Bach Orchestra.

In addition to his current position with Music of the Baroque, he is permanent guest conductor of the Manchester Camerata in England.

Kraemer regularly conducts ensembles, orchestras and opera companies throughout the world, including the Hallé Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic and National Orchestra of Wales, Berlin Philharmonic, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Royal Symphony Orchestra of Seville, Toronto Symphony, Detroit Symphony, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and Ensemble Kanazawa in Japan.

Upcoming debuts include the West Australian Symphony and Colorado Symphony Orchestra.

Committed to working with young musicians, Kraemer has directed orchestras and choirs of Venezuela’s El Sistema programs and has led master classes at the Aspen Music Festival; he regularly conducts the Northern Sinfonia’s Young Sinfonia and in 2010 will lead Handel’s Belshazzar in a collaboration of the Manchester Camerata and the Royal Northern College of Music.

His discography includes dozens of concertos by Vivaldi with both the City of London Sinfonia and Raglan Baroque Players; music of Locatelli, Tartini and Pergolesi as well as Handel’s Rodelinda with Raglan Baroque Players; several works by Thea Musgrave with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra; and choral works by Scarlatti, Mozart, Handel and Haydn.

He also has contributed to several feature films, most notably as Baroque music director for The Madness of King George.