Chicago Symphony Orchestra Announces ComEd Classical Tapestry Series | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

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.

British Conductor and Harpsichordist Nicholas Kraemer Leads Chicago Symphony Orchestra Dec. 10-12 | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Russian conductor Alexander Polianichko returns to the CSO podium to conduct the all-Tchaikovsky programs, which also include selections from The Snow Maiden, narrated by actor Alex Balestrieri.

Tchaikovsky’s rarely heard overture The Storm—which the CSO has performed only once, in 1899—opens the concerts on Dec. 17-19.

Known for their enormous and spectacular live productions, Redmoon Theater and artistic director Frank Maugeri have constructed a unique addition to the standard concert-hall experience, to be staged in synchronization with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s performance of music from Swan Lake.

Redmoon’s specially created dramatization showcases an array of handcrafted shadow puppets, meticulous live puppetry and larger-than-life video projections, bringing to life the tragic story of a princess, who is turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer’s curse, and the prince who falls in love with her.

The program also includes Tchaikovsky’s incidental music to The Snow Maiden, featuring actor Alex Balestrieri reciting a new adaptation from Aleksandr Ostrovsky’s play.

Gerard McBurney, CSO artistic programming advisor and an authority on Russian music, has retailored key scenes from Ostrovsky’s original text, telling the poetic story of an ice goddess whose heart is warmed when she falls in love with a mortal.

Redmoon Theater was founded in 1990 to promote a unique brand of performance committed to the highest quality artistic product, to civic well-being and to creating unexpected theater in unexpected locations.

Drawing on both contemporary art forms and ancient theatrical traditions, Redmoon has forged a performance style that is equal parts pageantry, gadgetry, acrobatics and ephemera.

Over the past decade, Redmoon has garnered international attention for its theatrical productions and site-specific performances, which have been seen everywhere in Chicago from the Jackson Park Lagoon to the façade of Museum of Contemporary Art.

In addition, Redmoon has expanding projects in Holland, Ireland, France and Australia; in October 2009, Redmoon was selected to perform as part of the White House’s exclusive Halloween festivities.

Redmoon Theater Partners with Chicago Symphony Orchestra for Four Performances Dec. 16-19 | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Newest Beyond the Score Video Download of Dvořák’s New World Symphony Available at beyondthescore.org

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra kicks off the 2009-2010 Beyond the Score series with two performances exploring Mahler’s Symphony No. 4, on Friday, Dec. 4, at 1:30pm and Sunday, Dec. 6, at 3pm.

This unique program—entitled “Heaven or Earth?”—provides a fascinating investigation into the world of Mahler’s symphony, as told by Gerard McBurney, creative director of the series, who is joined by actors William Brown and Laura T. Fisher and pianist Elizabeth Buccheri.

Markus Stenz conducts the Orchestra with soprano soloist Nicole Cabell in musical excerpts, followed by a complete performance of the work after intermission.

Mahler’s Fourth Symphony is one of his most appealing and accessible works. Completed in 1901, it beautifully intertwines folk tunes, klezmer music, waltzes, marches and children’s songs in a passionate, dreamlike composition.

This Beyond the Score program explores the art and culture of late 19th-century Vienna, at the close of the decadent Habsburg Empire.

McBurney delves into the symphony’s final movement, which takes as its foundation Mahler’s song “Das himmlische Leben” (Heavenly life) from the earlier cycle Des Knaben Wunderhorn, a childlike vision of the life in heaven that greets those who have suffered on this earth.

To complement these December programs, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra has released a new free Beyond the Score video download at www.beyondthescore.org: Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 (From the New World), recorded live during the CSO’s Dvořák Festival in June 2009 under conductor Sir Mark Elder and led by Gerard McBurney.

The video spotlights Dvořák’s excited discovery of the expansiveness of North America and its cultures during his historic stay in the 1890s; it examines his absorption of African-American spirituals and Native American music into his own Czech-inspired musical language.

Three previous Beyond the Score presentations also are available online: Bartók’s Miraculous Mandarin, conducted by CSO Conductor Emeritus Pierre Boulez; Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 27, with Jeffrey Kahane conducting from the keyboard; and Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony, conducted by Alexander Polianichko.

In addition, the CSO’s Grammy Award-winning recording of Shostakovich’s Fourth Symphony with Principal Conductor Bernard Haitink, on the CSO Resound label, includes a bonus DVD video of the gripping Beyond the Score production examining Shostakovich’s controversial and powerful work.

The downloads feature the first half of the probing Beyond the Score programs with Gerard McBurney, recorded live in concert at Symphony Center.

The Beyond the Score Sunday matinees have proven so popular in the series’ first four seasons that this year Friday matinee performances of the three programs have been added as well.

Beyond the Score continues when Creative Director Gerard McBurney uncovers the mysteries of Rachmaninov’s The Isle of the Dead on March 26 and 28, 2010; the final concert of the series examines Debussy’s brilliant masterpiece La mer on May 7 and 9.

Designed not only for classical music aficionados, but also for newcomers looking to delve deeper into the world of classical music, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Beyond the Score concerts offer a live multimedia documentary of one selected score to illuminate the stories found “inside” the music—its context in history, how it fits into the composer’s output of works and the details of a composer’s life that influenced its creation.

In the first half of the program, Gerard McBurney brings the work to life, employing narration, imagery, video, actors and soloists, while live musical examples by the Orchestra are called upon to illustrate the structure of each composition.

After an intermission, concertgoers return to the hall with newly discovered knowledge to hear a performance of the score played in its entirety.

Owing to the tremendous success of Beyond the Score in Chicago, the CSO has licensed Beyond the Score presentations to orchestras around the world as part of their own audience-development efforts, including the New York Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam, National Arts Centre Orchestra of Canada, Cleveland Orchestra, Sinfonia Gulf Coast, Symphony Silicon Valley, Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra and Toronto Symphony.

For more information on Beyond the Score and to find video downloads, visit beyondthescore.org.

Complete program information follows.

Beyond the Score Friday, Dec. 4, 2009, 1:30 p.m.

• Chicago Symphony Orchestra Sunday, December 6, 2009, 3 p.m.
• Chicago Symphony Orchestra
• Markus Stenz, conductor
• Nicole Cabell, soprano
• Gerard McBurney, creative director and narrator
• William Brown, actor
• Laura T. Fisher, actor
• Elizabeth Buccheri, piano
• “Heaven or Earth?”
• MAHLER Symphony No. 4 in G Major
• Tickets: $22-$92

Major support for Beyond the Score is provided by a grant from The Davee Foundation.

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Examines Mahler’s Fourth Symphony in “Beyond the Score” Program Dec. 4 and 6 | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Having previously recorded Mahler’s First, Third and Sixth symphonies, Principal Conductor Bernard Haitink and the CSO continue to showcase their unique collaboration with Mahler’s Second Symphony.

Mezzo-soprano Christianne Stotijn sings the touching “Urlicht” solo, and soprano Miah Persson and the Chicago Symphony Chorus, under the direction of Duain Wolfe, are featured as well.

The two-disc album will be released in the United States on Tuesday, Nov. 17, and worldwide on November 30. It can be downloaded exclusively through iTunes for one month starting Nov. 17 and through other major digital music services beginning Dec. 17, including Amazon, Rhapsody, eMusic and HDtracks. Listeners can purchase the album in CD, hybrid SACD or digital download formats.

Beginning with this release, CSO Resound initiates a new distribution agreement with Naxos of America. The agreement encompasses the distribution of physical CDs and hybrid SACDs in the United States and Canada, as well as digital distribution worldwide.

Previously, CSO Resound had been distributed in the U.S. by Harmonia Mundi USA, in Canada by Harmonia Mundi France and digitally by the International Online Distribution Alliance (IODA). Harmonia Mundi France will continue to distribute CSO Resound products outside of North America.

Amsterdam-born Bernard Haitink is one of today’s most celebrated conductors, with an international conducting career that has spanned more than five decades.

Appointed principal conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 2006, he has established a remarkable rapport with the Orchestra, demonstrated by unsurpassed music making in Chicago, New York, Europe and Asia.

His distinguished 25-year tenure as music director of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, with which he has been associated since 1956, brought worldwide praise for his development of the ensemble and his interpretations of the music of Mahler and Bruckner.

He now serves as conductor laureate of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and is conductor emeritus of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, having been principal conductor there for nine years.

He has received many international awards in recognition of his services to music, including both an honorary knighthood and the Companion of Honour in the United Kingdom and the House Order of Orange-Nassau in the Netherlands. Haitink was named Musical America’s 2007 Musician of the Year.

Swedish soprano Miah Persson is in great demand with the major opera houses and orchestras of the world. She has appeared at the Salzburg Festival, Royal Opera, Aix-en-Provence Festival, Barcelona Liceu, Netherlands Opera, San Francisco Opera, Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin, Frankfurt Opera, Wiener Staatsoper and Paris Opera.

In concert, she has appeared at the BBC Proms and with the Deutsche Symphonie Orchester Berlin, Musiciens du Louvre, Budapest Festival Orchestra and Los Angeles Philharmonic.

She has given recitals at Wigmore Hall and Frankfurt Opera. Conductors with whom she has performed include Sir Charles Mackerras, Daniel Barenboim, Pierre Boulez, Iván Fischer, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Semyon Bychkov, René Jacobs, and Marc Minkowski.

Christianne Stotijn earned her solo diploma for violin in 2000 at the Amsterdam Conservatoire. She has worked extensively with Bernard Haitink, who is one of the most influential figures in her career, having appeared with him and the symphony orchestras of Chicago, Boston, BBC Proms, Concertgebouw and Radio France.

She also has collaborated with conductors René Jacobs, Gustavo Dudamel, Marc Minkowski and Iván Fischer, and she has performed with the Czech Philharmonic, Budapest Festival Orchestra and La Scala Philharmonic.

An impassioned performer of song recitals, she has appeared at Wigmore Hall, Vienna Musikverein and Carnegie Hall. Christianne Stotijn is the recipient of the ECHO Rising Stars Award, Borletti Buitoni Award and Dutch Music Prize and was a BBC New Generation Artist.

A musical force in Chicago and around the world, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra has been consistently hailed as one of the finest international orchestras since its founding in 1891. At its helm are three of the greatest conductors of our time: Principal Conductor Bernard Haitink, Conductor Emeritus Pierre Boulez and Music Director Designate Riccardo Muti, who becomes the Orchestra’s 10th music director in September 2010.

The Orchestra’s expansive catalog of more than 900 recordings has earned 60 Grammy Awards—more than any other orchestra in the world. In 2007, in order to significantly broaden the reach of the world-class music making of the Orchestra, the CSO launched its own record label, CSO Resound.

All CSO Resound releases are selected from live recordings of CSO concerts in Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center, documenting and extending a unique concert experience.

Previous CSO Resound releases include Mahler’s Third Symphony, with Michelle DeYoung and the Chicago Symphony Chorus; Mahler’s First and Sixth symphonies; Poulenc’s Gloria with Jessica Rivera and Ravel’s complete Daphnis et Chloé; and Bruckner’s Seventh Symphony, all conducted by Bernard Haitink; Traditions and Transformations: Sounds of Silk Road Chicago, with Yo-Yo Ma, Wu Man, the Silk Road Ensemble and conductors Miguel Harth-Bedoya and Alan Gilbert (2008 Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Classical); and a download-only recording of Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony under Myung-Whun Chung.

A two-disc CD/DVD set of Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 4 conducted by Bernard Haitink (2008 Grammy Award for Best Orchestral Performance), with video of the CSO’s Beyond the Score exploration of the work, was released in August 2008. CSO Resound is underwritten by a generous gift from Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Smykal.

Founded in 1957, the Chicago Symphony Chorus, currently under the leadership of Director and Conductor Duain Wolfe, has earned admiration and acclaim as one of the world’s superior symphonic choruses.

The Chicago Symphony Chorus has performed and recorded virtually all the major works in the choral symphonic repertoire, including important world premieres, and has been a key part of the CSO’s history.

Chicago Symphony Orchestra recordings featuring the Chorus have won nine Grammy Awards for best choral performance, including Verdi’s Requiem, Beethoven’s Missa solemnis, Bach’s B minor Mass and two recordings of Brahms’ A German Requiem.

CSO Resound Releases Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 with Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Persson and Stotijn | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Additional Family-Friendly Programs Include Welcome Yule!, Vienna Boys Choir, The Wizard of Oz, Harry Potter, CSO with Redmoon Theater

Symphony Center‟s 2009-2010 season provides a wealth of family-friendly programming throughout the year, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra‟s three-concert Kraft Foods Family Matinee Series with special theatrical guests, festive concerts during the holidays, favorite movie music and more.

CSO Kraft Foods Family Matinee Series

The Kraft Foods Family Matinee Series features programs specifically designed to introduce children to orchestral music in an entertaining and educational way. This year, the CSO—with special guests Magic Circle Mime Company, Joffrey Ballet of Chicago and dynamic conductors and soloists—celebrates “Story Time with the Symphony,” exploring fantastic musical stories by some of the world‟s greatest composers.

Families will discover musical fairy tales of Ravel and Tchaikovsky, experience real-life adventures of the precocious young Mozart and explore Stravinsky‟s beautiful ballet The Firebird. The Saturday matinee concerts take place twice daily on Nov. 21, 2009, Feb. 27, 2010, and May 1, 2010, at 11 a.m. and 12:45pm.

In addition, starting one hour before each performance, Symphony Center hosts free, hands-on family activities led by The Art Institute of Chicago and other community arts and music organizations.

Kicking off the CSO‟s family series on Saturday, Nov. 21, is “Mother Goose and More!” Ravel‟s beloved Mother Goose ballet borrows stories from such classic tales as “Sleeping Beauty,” “Tom Thumb” and “Beauty and the Beast.”

Young conductor David Afkham leads members of the CSO in Ravel‟s adventuresome work, as well as bewitching music from Humperdinck‟s Hansel and Gretel, enchanting excerpts from Tchaikovsky‟s Sleeping Beauty, Rimsky-Korsakov‟s famous Flight of the Bumble-Bee and more.

Joining the Orchestra onstage will be narrators Gerard McBurney and Laura T. Fisher, weaving these tales together with the music in an original script penned by McBurney, who is highly praised for his enthralling CSO Beyond the Score explorations of orchestral masterworks.

A frequent guest on CSO kids‟ concerts, Magic Circle Mime Company returns on Saturday, Feb. 27, to present “The Mozart Experience” with members of the CSO under the direction of David Amado.

With excerpts from some of Mozart‟s most popular and exciting music—including Eine kleine Nachtmusik, The Magic Flute, Don Giovanni and the Jupiter Symphony—the program tells the story of a mischievous street musician suddenly and magically thrust into the role of Wolfgang Amadé Mozart, himself notorious for his precociousness and playful nature.

Orchestra, mimes and baritone Michael Cavalieri lead the audience through whimsical adventures like those faced by the great composer in his own lifetime.

Finally, the dramatic season closes on Saturday, May 1, as dancers from Chicago‟s own Joffrey Ballet join the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and conductor Edwin Outwater for Stravinsky‟s Suite from The Firebird, the breakthrough ballet score that launched the composer to international fame overnight.

In the ancient Russian folktale of good versus evil, Prince Ivan captures and then befriends the magnificent, mythical Firebird. The Firebird gives Ivan one of her brilliant golden feathers to protect the young man from evil, promising to come to his rescue if he is ever in danger.

Ivan then meets a beautiful princess being held captive by an evil sorcerer, and as he attempts to free her, he is caught. The sorcerer will turn him to stone, but Ivan remembers the magic feather and calls upon the Firebird to save him and the princess.

Then, with the aid of powers found within a mysterious egg, good conquers evil, the sorcerer vanishes, and the kingdom celebrates in joy.

A learning program of The Institute for Learning, Access and Training at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Kraft Foods Family Matinee Series is recommended for children ages 5 and up and is generously sponsored by Kraft Foods.

These programs are also presented twice under the banner of Very Special Promenades for school groups comprised of students in kindergarten through third grade and students of all ages with special needs.

Subscriptions for the three-concert Kraft Foods Family Matinee Series range in price from $18 to $87 and may be purchased by phone at 312-294-3000 or 800-223-7114, online at www.cso.org, or by visiting the Symphony Center box office; single tickets are $6 to $35.

In advance of the concerts, subscribers will receive Kidsbook, a free full-color preparatory guide filled with information about each program as well as fun musical games and activities for the whole family.

Patrons also are invited to the preconcert activities beginning one hour before each performance and featuring arts, crafts and interactive musical games and workshops led by teaching artists.

Special Holiday Concerts for Families

An annual Thanksgiving-weekend delight in Chicago, the Vienna Boys Choir returns to Symphony Center for a joyful performance on Saturday, November 28, at 3 p.m., featuring holiday favorites both sacred and secular, folk songs and popular numbers.

Founded more than 500 years ago, the beloved choir has worked with such musical luminaries as Mozart, Gluck and Bruckner, and it once counted Franz Schubert as one of its boy singers.

Today‟s ensemble consists of 100 choristers between the ages of 10 and 14, divided into four touring choirs that travel throughout Europe, Asia and North America and perform more than 300 concerts in front of nearly half a million people each year.

Members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus once again ring in the spirit of the holiday season with eight Welcome Yule! performances, December 18-23, led by chorus director and conductor Duain Wolfe.

These full-length musical productions—replete with favorite carols, dazzling spectacle and Christmas surprises—feature dancers, children‟s chorus and appearances by holiday characters, including the fat man in the red suit, in what has become a beloved holiday tradition unique to Chicago.

Movie Music and Stunning Spectacles

Hollywood‟s leading composer-conductor, John Williams leads the CSO in movie-music favorites on Friday, Nov. 27, at 8 p.m. (Friday Night at the Movies); Saturday, Nov. 28, at 8 p.m.; and a matinee on Sunday, Nov. 29, at 3 p.m.

The well-loved Harry Potter films are highlighted on the program, with Emmy-nominated actress Holland Taylor (Two and a Half Men, The Practice) weaving together with narration selections from Williams‟ magical, award-winning scores in “A Grand Suite from Harry Potter,” while movie clips are shown on the big screen above the orchestra.

Williams also is joined by renowned actor Michael York, who will narrate a tribute to director Sir David Lean, showing excerpts from his films The Bridge on the River Kwai, Dr. Zhivago, Lawrence of Arabia and others.

In a newly formed partnership, Chicago‟s Redmoon Theater will join the Chicago Symphony Orchestra onstage to perform a world-premiere shadow-puppetry spectacle accompanying a suite from Tchaikovsky‟s fairy-tale ballet Swan Lake.

Known for dynamic productions that challenge boundaries and transform perceptions, Redmoon celebrates our common humanity, speaking a universal, visual language accessible to all.

On this program, conductor Alexander Polianichko also leads the CSO in a suite from Tchaikovsky‟s The Snow Maiden; the concert is presented on the Afterwork Masterworks series on Wednesday, Dec. 16, at 6:30 p.m. with no intermission, as well as Thursday, Dec. 17, at 8 p.m.; a matinee on Friday, Dec. 18, at 1:30 p.m.; and Saturday, Dec. 20, at 8 p.m.

On Friday, May 28, at 8 p.m., the CSO presents a concert performance of one of the greatest movies of all time, The Wizard of Oz, on the Friday Night at the Movies series. Richard Kaufman conducts the complete score including songs by Arlen and Harburg, with unforgettable performances by Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley, Frank Morgan, Margaret Hamilton and Billie Burke.

With the full-length film shown on the big screen and new transcriptions of lost scores performed by the CSO, the movie musical masterpiece will come to life in Orchestra Hall—a treasured delight for the whole family.

TICKETS for all 2009-2010 Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Center Presents and Civic Orchestra of Chicago concerts can be purchased by calling CSO ticketing services at 312-294-3000 or 800-223-7114, online at cso.org, or by visiting the Symphony Center box office at 220 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60604.

Discounted student tickets 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 ticket prices are subject to change.

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Offers Wide Array of Concerts for Families in 2009-2010 | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Single tickets are only $20 (students, $10) and can be purchased online at cso.org, by calling 312-294-3000 or at the box office.

MusicNOW Principal Conductor Cliff Colnot leads the concert at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Millennium Park. Mezzo-soprano Barbara Rearick, in her series debut, sings Twice Through the Heart, a chilling dramatic scena for soloist and 16 players by Mark-Anthony Turnage.

Based on a poem sequence by Scottish poet Jackie Kay, the 30-minute work tells the painful story of a woman imprisoned for the murder of her violently abusive husband. Turnage’s compassionate and visceral score incorporates alluring vocal lines with his trademark jazz-inspired harmonies, transforming from intimate to despondent in reflection of the suffering of the main character.

The program opens with Jazz Calendar, Sir Richard Rodney Bennett’s musical interpretation of the nursery rhyme “Monday’s Child Is Fair of Face.” Bennett, a native Briton and longtime New Yorker, studied at the Royal Academy of Music and with Pierre Boulez in Paris during the late 1950s.

He acquired an early reputation through his substantial vocal and instrumental scores, notably operas (The Ledge, The Mines), which made effective use of a progressive, expressionistic style. Also an accomplished jazz pianist, Bennett is equally at ease with all 20th-century musical styles, with a prolific output including avant-garde, jazz and large-scale, lush film scores (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Far from the Madding Crowd, Nicholas and Alexandra).

The concert is hosted by Mark-Anthony Turnage, who will introduce each piece from the stage with anecdotes and descriptions of the compositions. Following the performance, MusicNOW fans are invited to stay and socialize at a free reception with complimentary pizza and beer.

Offering audiences a unique chance to mingle with composers and musicians, the MusicNOW receptions have become a highlight of these events at the modern-chic Harris Theater.

A champion of 20th-century music, American mezzo-soprano Barbara Rearick achieved international acclaim for her interpretation of the title role in Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia at the Aldeburgh Festival. This success led to her becoming a founding member of the prestigious Britten-Pears Ensemble.

Rearick has performed at major venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and Brooklyn Academy of Music; her orchestral performances this season include Messiah with the Indianapolis and Helena symphonies, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Colorado and Syracuse symphonies, Mozart’s Coronation Mass with the Eugene Symphony, and Falla’s El amor brujo and excerpts from Carmen with the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester, England.

In an ongoing collaboration with Sir Richard Rodney Bennett, she has performed with the composer-pianist in arrangements of Gershwin songs and Bennett’s A History of the Thé Dansant, a cycle written especially for Rearick, at London’s Wigmore Hall and at festivals throughout the U.K.

In the past decade, Cliff Colnot has emerged as a distinguished conductor and a musician of uncommon range. He has been the principal conductor of the MusicNOW series since its inception, and in 2005 he also was named principal conductor of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, an orchestra he has conducted since 1994.

Having worked extensively with Daniel Barenboim and with Pierre Boulez, he regularly conducts the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), and he collaborates with the acclaimed ensemble eighth blackbird. Colnot also conducts Contempo at the University of Chicago, the DePaul University Symphony Orchestra and orchestras at Indiana University.

He has appeared as a guest conductor with the American Composers Orchestra, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and the Utah Symphony.

In addition, Colnot is a master arranger and has composed music for film as well as for top rock-and-roll, pop and jazz artists. The Chicago Tribune named Cliff Colnot a Chicagoan of the Year in music in 2001 and again recognized his multifaceted work in 2007.

MusicNOW, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s nationally recognized and critically acclaimed new-music series, was created in 1998. The series provides a rare opportunity to experience concert programs completely dedicated to new music, offering works by some of today’s most prominent living composers, including Mark-Anthony Turnage, Osvaldo Golijov, Oliver Knussen, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Philip Glass and more.

Each program is performed by musicians from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra alongside guest artists. Many of the composers whose works are presented attend the concert make remarks to the audience and mingle with concertgoers at receptions, with free pizza provided by Edwardo’s and Matilda from Goose Island.

The 2009-2010 MusicNOW season continues with a celebratory tribute to Pierre Boulez at 85, featuring works by Boulez and premieres by Dai Fujikura and Johannes Boris Borowski, with soloists Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Tamara Stefanovich, John Sharp and Nathan Cole, taking place at Symphony Center on Sunday, Jan. 24, at 3pm (there is no reception following this performance).

The series finishes with a program of music by John Luther Adams, Osvaldo Golijov and hyper-accordionist Michael Ward-Bergeman at the Harris Theater on Monday, March 15, at 8pm.

Complete program details follow:

• DATE: Monday, Nov. 23, 2009, 8 p.m.
• LOCATION: Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph Dr.
• WHO: Musicians from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
• CONDUCTOR: Cliff Colnot
• Tickets: $20

TICKETS for all 2009-2010 Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Center Presents and Civic Orchestra of Chicago concerts can be purchased by calling CSO ticketing services at 312-294-3000 or 800-223-7114, online at cso.org, or by visiting the Symphony Center box office at 220 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60604.

Discounted student tickets 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 ticket prices are subject to change.

Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s MusicNOW Series Continues with Dramatic, Jazzy Performance Nov. 23 | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Since his appointment in May 2008, Maestro Muti and the CSO have been developing meaningful ways to deepen the Orchestra’s engagement with the Chicago community, to nurture the legacy of the CSO and symphonic music while supporting a new generation of musicians and patrons, and to collaborate with visionary partners who will bring unparalleled musical experiences to the CSO’s audiences while sustaining the distinguished artistic profile of the Orchestra.

In September 2010, when he assumes his post, Maestro Muti and the CSO will begin to realize his vision through new initiatives, artistic partnerships and collaborations in and around Chicago, with an emphasis on providing expanded opportunities for access to the CSO.

Among these new initiatives are:

• the appointments of Mason Bates and Anna Clyne as new CSO Mead Composers-in-Residence
• the development of special programs intended to benefit juvenile offenders and youth at risk
• the creation of the Sir Georg Solti Conducting Competition and Apprenticeship

Complementing these initiatives and furthering Maestro Muti’s vision of expanding the reach of the CSO into the Chicago community, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, along with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, will join with partners in the Mexican-American community to offer performances in celebration of two historic milestones: the 200th anniversary of Mexican Independence and the 100th anniversary of the Mexican Revolution.

Programs that celebrate the culture and history of the city’s Mexican-American residents will be offered at community venues throughout Chicago from September through November 2010.

Additionally, and most notably, Maestro Muti announced at the CSO Association’s annual meeting the continuation of the important relationships with conductors Bernard Haitink and Pierre Boulez in future seasons. Programming for the 2010-2011 season will be announced in February 2010.

“I am very happy to be here in Chicago, sharing many of the exciting plans for the future of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra,” said Riccardo Muti, CSO music director designate. “While making great music is at the heart of what we do, preserving the legacy of symphonic music and providing opportunities for all to have access to the art form are of equal importance.”

“Today is a very exciting day for the CSO and the Chicago community,” commented Deborah F. Rutter, president of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association.

“The initiatives and appointments announced today are a testament to Maestro Muti’s wide-reaching vision for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association, and they clearly define his dedication to serving the Chicago community and his commitment to preserving and deepening the legacy of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.”

“We are all truly energized and inspired by what has been outlined,” said William A. Osborn, chairman of the CSO Association Board of Trustees. “The dynamic partnership between the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Maestro Muti will take the institution to new heights and solidify Chicago’s standing as one of the world’s most important cultural capitals.

The human element of his vision will bring to the forefront the importance of cultural exchange in our society and raise awareness of the need for supporting the legacy of the arts for future generations.”

“The musicians are extremely pleased that Maestro Muti has made such important and far reaching plans for the Orchestra,” commented Stephen Lester, chairman of the CSO Members Committee.

“These plans show not only a deep commitment to the highest artistic standards, but a keen awareness of our community here in Chicago. Maestro Muti believes, as we do, that the music we perform has the power to change lives and communities. We look forward to working with him and making great music.”

CSO Mead Composers-in-Residence: Mason Bates and Anna Clyne

Riccardo Muti has named composers Mason Bates and Anna Clyne as the new CSO Mead Composers-in-Residence.

Both Bates and Clyne share Muti’s deep interest in reaching and establishing roots and partnerships in the Chicago community, and they have committed to extending their art of composition to be inclusive of other art forms such as film, dance and the visual arts.

Their term will begin in September 2010 and will last for two years. In their roles as CSO Mead Composers-in-Residence, both Bates and Clyne will curate the CSO’s contemporary music series, MusicNOW, and act as advocates within the Chicago community to further the understanding and appreciation of all music.

“Both Mason Bates and Anna Clyne are artists who write from the heart, who defy categorization and who reach across all barriers and boundaries” commented CSO Music Director Designate Riccardo Muti.

“Their compositions are meant to be played by great musicians and listened to by enthusiastic audiences no matter what their background. I know that we will do very important work, not only by deepening a connection to those who already know the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, but by bringing music to those who have not had many opportunities to experience it firsthand.”

The Mead Composers-in-Residence are generously supported by Cindy Sargent and the late Sally Hands.

Programs for Juvenile Offenders and Youth at Risk

Maestro Muti and the CSO share a strong belief that music can transform lives, enact social change and transcend cultural divides.

Acting on this belief, Maestro Muti and the CSO’s Institute for Learning, Access and Training are designing programming that will touch an often overlooked segment of society—juvenile offenders and youth at risk.

Currently, the CSO Association and Maestro Muti are developing innovative programming that will provide juvenile offenders and youth at risk with the opportunity to participate in music—as students, performers, composers and audience members.

These experiences will offer outlets for self-expression and creativity and will contribute to the development of positive self-image.

By providing incarcerated youth with opportunities to work together, develop musical skills and showcase these skills in the presence of friends and family members, it is intended that they will leave detention facilities with a sense of empowerment that will help counteract any stigma of having been there.

In partnership with several organizations in the Chicago area currently offering programs that serve incarcerated youth through the arts, the CSO will help to address the great need for this kind of programming.

Through the extraordinarily diverse musical resources of the CSO and the Institute—including the musicians of the CSO, Chicago Symphony Chorus and the Civic Orchestra, as well as the CSO’s Percussion Scholarship Group, CSO Mead Composers-in-Residence, and Maestro Muti—the CSO Association will develop a compelling program that includes role modeling, hands-on instruction and training, youth-generated compositions and inspirational music making.

Further details associated with the programs for juvenile offenders and youth at risk will be announced at a later date.

The Sir Georg Solti Conducting Competition and Apprenticeship

Building on its great tradition of training young musicians, and as a vital investment in the future of the art form, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Maestro Muti, in collaboration with Lady Valerie Solti, have developed the Sir Georg Solti Conducting Competition and Apprenticeship.

The program is so named not only because of the deep and long connection Solti had with the CSO, but in honor of his commitment to connecting with young musicians in the same way that he himself developed as a conductor through his work as a repetiteur in the opera house.

This new program will offer a conductor at the start of his or her career the opportunity to come to Chicago to study and train with Riccardo Muti and with other distinguished CSO guest conductors. The selection of an apprentice will be held through a competitive process.

After a preliminary and objective review of applicants, finalists will be invited for a round of auditions, after which a winner will be selected. The apprentice will receive direct financial support annually for two years. Full details and application forms will be available after Jan. 1, 2010 at cso.org.

“Maestro Muti’s immense talent, experience and wisdom will ensure that the traditions, standards and innovations of this renowned ensemble continue,” said Lady Valerie Solti.

“I am very touched that Maestro Muti expressed his wishes to name the project after my husband, Sir Georg Solti, whose belief was that experienced musicians should pass their expertise to future generations. There could be no finer example of that than the musicians of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, who have traditionally been outstanding music educators and builders of the future.”

Funding for the Sir Georg Solti Conducting Competition and Apprenticeship is provided by a grant from The Claire Rosen & Samuel Edes Foundation.

The foundation’s deep commitment to education and the arts in America will provide a promising young artist the financial means to focus exclusively on their work with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Maestro Muti and the rare opportunities it presents.

About the Chicago Symphony Orchestra

The CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA is consistently hailed as one of today’s leading orchestras. Live performances by the CSO are much in demand at home and in the most prestigious musical venues around the world.

In collaboration with preeminent conductors and guest artists on the international music scene, the CSO performs well over 150 concerts each year at its downtown home, Symphony Center, and at the Ravinia Festival on Chicago’s North Shore, where it is in residence each summer.

With the launch of its Institute for Learning, Access and Training, the CSO engages more than 150,000 Chicago-area residents annually.

Music lovers outside Chicago enjoy the sounds of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra not only through its BP Chicago Symphony Orchestra Radio Broadcast Series and best-selling recordings on its highly acclaimed record label CSO Resound, but also through frequent sold-out tour performances in the United States and around the globe.

Since 1971, the CSO has undertaken 36 overseas tours: 27 to Europe, six to the Far East, as well as one each to Russia, Australia and South America.

For more information about the CSO, visit cso.org.

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association and Maestro Muti Announce Major CSO Initiatives for 2010 | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

McCoy Tyner Trio and Chicago Jazz Orchestra on Friday, Dec. 11

The 2009-2010 Jazz at Symphony Center season continues in November and December with two concerts by renowned veterans of the genre.

On Friday, Nov. 13, pianist George Wein and the Newport All-Stars bring their swinging style to Symphony Center’s stage; and on Friday, Dec. 11, venerated pianist McCoy Tyner performs both with his trio and with our hometown Chicago Jazz Orchestra and conductor Jeff Lindberg.

Veteran impresario, producer and pianist George Wein brings his Newport All-Stars to Symphony Center on Friday, Nov. 13, at 8pm.

Arguably the father of the jazz festivals movement, Wein founded the Newport Jazz Festival in 1954, which for generations has hosted the most important names in jazz.

For this concert, a phenomenal ensemble of new and old friends includes Wein on piano, Lew Tabackin on tenor sax, trumpeter Randy Sandke and guitarist Howard Alden.

Special guests include revered pianist Dick Hyman, guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli and newcomer Anat Cohen on clarinet and tenor sax.  Together these all-star artists will celebrate the golden age of jazz in a swinging jam-style performance.

Jazz at Symphony Center honors its 2009-2010 Jazz Icon, pianist McCoy Tyner, in an appearance with his trio and the renowned Chicago Jazz Orchestra on Friday, Dec. 11, at 8pm.

NEA Jazz Master and four-time Grammy Award winner McCoy Tyner’s blues-based piano style has transcended conventional forms to become one of the most recognizable sounds in improvised music.

Tyner rose to fame as part of the John Coltrane Quartet, performing on such landmark recordings as My Favorite Things, Live at the Village Vanguard and A Love Supreme.

As a leader on Impulse! Records, he assured his status as a jazz luminary with 1963’s Inception and subsequent releases such as Nights of Ballads and Blues and McCoy Tyner Plays Ellington, to name a few.  His 1967 Blue Note record The Real McCoy stands as one of the greatest jazz recordings of all time.

The first half of this Jazz at Symphony Center concert brings forward the McCoy Tyner Trio—Tyner on piano, Gerald Cannon bass and Eric Kamau Gravatton on drums—and after intermission they’ll be joined by the Chicago Jazz Orchestra for a performance of Tyner’s signature big-band charts, known for his brilliant melodies and lavishly textured harmonies.

The pioneering pianist is teaming up for a unique collaboration with the Chicago Jazz Orchestra (CJO), whose roaring swing has been a fixture on Chicago’s jazz scene for more than 30 years.

CJO Artistic Director Jeff Lindberg is a highly accomplished conductor and transcriber, and he has contributed a vast number of jazz arrangements to the tight ensemble, including re-creations of famous works by Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Benny Carter and Ray Charles.

Remaining concerts on the Jazz at Symphony Center series this season include:  Dave Holland, Jason Moran, Chris Potter and Eric Harland plus the Vijay Iyer Trio on Oct. 30; “Kings of the Crescent City” on Jan. 29, 2010; Conrad Herwig and his Latin Side All-Star Band, along with Eliane Elias, on Feb. 19; the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis on March 19; Sonny Rollins on April 9; Joshua Redman and the Anat Cohen Quartet on April 23; and Danilo Pérez, in a salute to Dizzy Gillespie’s United Nations Orchestra, on May 21.

Jazz at Symphony Center media sponsors: DownBeat and WBEZ

MEDIA CONTACT:

• Raechel Alexander
• Rachelle Roe
• Christopher Slavik

Chicago Symphony Center Heats Up Winter Weather with Legendary Jazz Greats November and December | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

In its 35 years, the sextet of vocalist-percussionists, accompanied by an onstage sign language interpreter, has been internationally embraced for its genre-spanning mixture of gospel, folk, blues, rap and ethnic styles, and for seeking to entertain, inspire and educate.

With spirited, inspiring performances, this African-American a cappella ensemble showcases its deep ties to the sacred music of the black churches—spirituals, hymns and gospel—as well as its affinity for blues, reggae, African chants, hip-hop, ancient lullabies and jazz improvisation.

Its music, derived from African-American legacy and experience, denounces injustice while championing activism and celebrating the universality of love.

Accompanied by hand percussion instruments such as rattles and gourds, the six-member ensemble combines four- and five-part harmonies, intricate rhythms, and songs with social and political messages that are both topical and timeless.

Founded by longtime civic rights activist Bernice Johnson Reagon in 1973 at the Black Repertory Company in Washington, D.C., Sweet Honey in The Rock has since toured throughout the world and has been featured on Grammy Award-winning recordings, as well as in several documentaries and books.

More than 20 members have passed through Sweet Honey’s ranks over the past 35 years; the current lineup features Aisha Kahlil, Carol Maillard, Louise Robinson, Ysaye Maria Barnwell, Nitanju Bolade Casel, and sign-language interpreter Shirley Childress Saxton.  Dr. Reagon retired from the ensemble in 2004.

The group takes its name from a biblical passage found in Psalm 81:16. In it, King David promises his people that if they are obedient to God they will be rewarded with “honey out of the rock,” an apt metaphor for African-American women who are at once strong and enduring, sweet and nurturing.

Sweet Honey in The Rock has released more than 20 albums, including 2004’s Raise Your Voice, the soundtrack to the PBS film by Stanley Nelson that documented the life of the group.

The group’s 2007 album, Experience . . . 101, received a Grammy nomination in 2008 for Best Musical Album for Children; their latest release is Go in Grace.

Coming to Chicago Symphony Center

The Symphony Center Presents series continues its season with additional classical, pop and world-music presentations this fall and winter, including “Hallowed Haunts” with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago (Oct. 24), Los Lobos and The Duhks (Nov. 1), Vienna Boys Choir (Nov. 28), Chanticleer (Dec. 7-8), the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Brass (Dec. 17); the BoDeans (January 30); the Swedish Radio Choir (Feb. 23); Paddy Moloney and The Chieftains (March 7); Zakir Hussain and the Masters of Percussion (March 21); Gilberto Gil (April 2); and P.D.Q. Bach with members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (May 23).

World music at Symphony Center is sponsored by American Express Company.

MEDIA CONTACT:

• Raechel Alexander
• Rachelle Roe
• Christopher Slavik

Award-Winning Vocal Ensemble “Sweet Honey in the Rock” Returns to Chicago Symphony Center Nov. 15 | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Tortelier replaces guest conductor Roberto Abbado, who has withdrawn from these concerts due to a post-surgical infection arising from surgery to repair a damaged Achilles tendon.

For the programs on Oct. 8, 9 and 10, Fauré’s Pelléas et Mélisande Suite replaces the previously announced Horace victorieux by Honegger.

The remainder of the program remains the same: Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 and Saint-Saëns’ Introduction and Rondo capriccioso, both with Joshua Bell as soloist, and Saint-Saëns’ Symphony No. 3 (Organ) with Henry McDowell as soloist.  The Afterwork Masterworks program on October 7 remains unchanged.

More About Conductor Yan Pascal Tortelier

Born into an intensely musical family, son of the late Paul Tortelier, YAN PASCAL TORTELIER studied piano and violin from the age of 4 and at 14 won first prize for violin at the Paris Conservatoire.

Since then, his career has included engagements with leading orchestras throughout Europe, North America, Japan and Australia.

In recognition of his outstanding work as chief conductor of the BBC Philharmonic between 1992 and 2003, Tortelier was given the title of conductor laureate and continues working with the orchestra regularly.

During recent seasons, Tortelier has worked with such orchestras as the London Symphony, Philharmonia, London Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Oslo Philharmonic, Filarmonica della Scala Milan, and Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

In North America, he has conducted the Los Angeles Philharmonic; the San Francisco, Baltimore, St. Louis, Dallas and Pittsburgh symphony orchestras; the Philadelphia Orchestra; and the Montreal Symphony.

In March 2009 he began a three-year term as principal conductor of the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra.

MEDIA CONTACT:

• Raechel Alexander
• Rachelle Roe
• Christopher Slavik

Conductor Yan Pascal Tortelier Replaces Roberto Abbado for Chicago Symphony Orchestra Concerts Oct. 7-10 | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) kicked off the 2009-2010 season with style at its annual Opening Night Gala, a one-night-only, black-tie event on Saturday, Oct. 3.

The evening, which raised funds to support the CSO’s operations and community engagement programs, featured a cocktail party at Symphony Center prior to a performance by the world-renowned CSO and guest soprano Renée Fleming to a full house.

Following the program of music by Samuel Barber, Richard Strauss and Leonard Bernstein, approximately 650 guests celebrated at the Chicago Hilton with hors d’oeuvres, dinner and dancing.

Among the VIPs in attendance were CSOA President Deborah Rutter, soprano Renée Fleming, guest conductor Paavo Järvi, Chairman of the CSOA Board of Trustees William A.  Osborn, gala committee chairs Jane and Ken Piggott and Melissa and Jamey Fadim.

Kirkland & Ellis LLP is the Presenting Sponsor of the CSO’s Opening Night Gala 2009.  The 2009 Opening Night Gala Committee is chaired by Jane and Ken Pigott.  Honorary chairs are Mayor Richard M.  and Mrs.  Daley.

The 2009 Opening Night Gala Committee partnered with Chicago’s Glass Slipper Project—a local non-profit, volunteer organization that provides prom attire to high school girls throughout the Chicago area—in order to collect donations of women’s evening attire and accessories for the organization.

Renée Fleming graciously donated a Henri Bendel evening bag to the Project.  Donations to the Glass Slipper Project will continue to be accepted at Symphony Center through Nov. 6, 2009.

Following the CSO performance, guests traveled to the Chicago Hilton via trolley, and arrived in the Grand Ballroom decorated in autumn colors by Heffernan Morgan.  Terra cotta linens graced the tables lit with votive candles, while centerpieces of etched hurricane globes, magnolia leaves, other greens and blush and pink roses added softness and elegance.

A selection of savory and sweet hors d’oeuvres were served before dinner: Mediterranean tartlets, sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, eggplant, capers, rosemary chicken skewers, mini cornmeal muffins, lobster and guacamole, flourless chocolate cake bites, Nutella and banana turnovers, and fruit tarts.

Dinner began with a first course of mixed baby greens with goat cheese, poached pear, dried cranberries, candied walnuts, cucumber and tomato flower, with a choice of vinaigrette dressings, accompanied by chilled butternut squash soup.

The entrée was a duet of filet and halibut with red wine, Buckingham’s potatoes, and baby vegetables, followed by dessert of caramelized apple tarte tatin with toasted brioche, caramel, chocolate and warm cherries.  Wine and Prosecco were provided by DaVinci.

The Chicago-based eight-piece dance band, Entourage, performed live music for dancing during dessert and afterwards.

One of the most beloved and celebrated musical ambassadors of our time, soprano RENÉE FLEMING captivates audiences with her sumptuous voice, consummate artistry, and compelling stage presence.

Known as “the people’s diva,” she continues to grace the world’s greatest opera stages and concert halls, now extending her reach to include other mediums.  Over the past few seasons, Fleming has hosted a wide variety of television and radio broadcasts, including the Metropolitan Opera’s Live in HD series for movie theaters and television and Live from Lincoln Center on PBS.

In 2008, a precedent was broken when she became the first woman in the 125-year history of the Metropolitan Opera to headline an opening night gala.  As a musical stateswoman, Renée Fleming has been sought after for numerous distinguished occasions, from the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize ceremony to performances in Beijing during the 2008 Olympic Games.

On January 18, 2009, she performed for the televised We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial concert for President Obama.

The CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA is consistently hailed as one of today’s leading orchestras.  Live performances by the CSO are much in demand at home and in the most prestigious musical venues around the world.

In collaboration with preeminent conductors and guest artists on the international music scene, the CSO performs well over 120 concerts each year at its downtown home, Symphony Center, and at the Ravinia Festival on Chicago’s North Shore, where it is in residence each summer.

With the launch of its new Institute for Learning, Access and Training, the CSO will engage more than 200,000 Chicago-area residents annually.  Music lovers outside Chicago enjoy the sounds of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra not only through its BP Chicago Symphony Orchestra Radio Broadcast Series and best-selling recordings on its new highly acclaimed in-house record label CSO Resound, but also through frequent sold-out tour performances in the United States and around the globe.

Since 1971, the CSO has undertaken 36 overseas tours: 27 to Europe, six to the Far East, as well as one each to Russia, Australia and South America.  For more information about the CSO, visit cso.org.

About the Glass Slipper Project

The GLASS SLIPPER PROJECT is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization staffed entirely by volunteers and funded by both individual and corporate donations.

Founded in 1998, the Glass Slipper Project has provided more than 10,000 Chicago-area high school students with dresses, accessories, shoes, jewelry and beauty services to help them prepare for an important rite of passage, the high school prom.

MEDIA CONTACT:

• Raechel Alexander
• Rachelle Roe
• Christopher Slavik

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Opens 2009-2010 Season With Black Tie Gala Evening and Soprano Renée Fleming | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

The legendary Mexican-American five-piece ensemble Los Lobos is an instantly identifiable band that has assembled a diverse and captivating body of work—drawing equally on rock, country, Tex-Mex, folk, R&B, and traditional Spanish and Mexican music—over the course of 36 years together.

With three Grammy Awards to its name so far, Los Lobos is currently at work on its highly anticipated 18th album, a follow-up to The Town and The City.  The new disc will be the group’s first release on the Shout! Factory label since joining its roster in June 2009.

Perhaps best known for the double-platinum record “La Bamba,” featured the 1987 Ritchie Valens biopic of the same name, Los Lobos came together in East Los Angeles in 1973 when multitalented singer-instrumentalists David Hidalgo, Louie Perez, Cesar Rosas and Conrad Lozano were still in high school and playing souped-up Mexican folk music at parties.

Saxophonist Steve Berlin joined the group later, and they went on to redefine how and rock music could sound—Rolling Stone named the band Artist of the Year in 1984 (along with Bruce Springsteen).

Since then Los Lobos has released such groundbreaking records as the 1992 masterpiece Kiko, 1996’s Colossal Head and 2006’s The Town and The City, which London’s Daily Mirror called “an epic voyage through exotic Americana, sly funk and raw blues.”

On Los Lobos’ creative process, band member Steve Berlin comments, “With each project, we try to make our songwriting an artistic statement, where the stories we’re telling and the arrangements we’re composing get our point across.  But to a certain extent, we make our songs opaque, serious.  We leave it up to the listener to interpret … That’s the highest purpose of artists.”  For this Chicago appearance on its 2009 tour, the band has traded their plugged instruments for guitarrones, jaranas and bajo sextos, providing a stunning set list full of acoustic verve.

The Duhks, a rootsy acoustic quintet of fiddle, guitar, banjo, percussion and vocals, based in Winnipeg, Ontario, has been making a name for itself in the past six years with their sharp ensemble playing and crisp solos.

With a self-described blended style of “gospel, Celtic, old-time, zydeco, country, Latin, French-Canadian and sheer rock and roll,” The Duhks have earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Country Vocal Performance and also have become known for their eco-conscious activism.

The group’s 2008 album, Fast-Paced World, shows off the powerhouse vocals of lead singer Sarah Dugas while shifting easily from pop to spirituals to bluegrass to Brazilian.

The Symphony Center Presents series continues its season with additional classical, pop and world-music presentations this fall and winter, including Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán (Oct. 4), “Hallowed Haunts” with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago (Oct. 24), Sweet Honey in the Rock (Nov. 15), Vienna Boys Choir (Nov. 28), Chanticleer (Dec. 7-8), the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Brass (Dec. 17) and An Acoustic Evening with the BoDeans (Jan. 30).

MEDIA CONTACT:

• Raechel Alexander
• Rachelle Roe
• Christopher Slavik

Chicago Symphony Center Presents Rock Icons “Los Lobos” In Special Concert Nov. 1; Special Guests “The Duhks” Make Symphony Center Debut | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) kicks off the 2009-2010 season with its annual Opening Night Gala, a one-night-only performance on Saturday, October 3.  The concert features soprano Renée Fleming in Samuel Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 and a selection of songs by Richard Strauss, led by guest conductor Paavo Järvi.  Also on the program are Bernstein’s Divertimento and Strauss’ Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks.

Soprano Renée Fleming charms audiences around the world with her superb vocal flair and musical grace.  She joins the CSO at the Opening Night Gala to sing Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915, a nostalgic depiction of an evening in the American South, as well as four songs by Richard Strauss, known for their passion and lyricism, to close the program.  The concert also includes Strauss’ musical portrayal of the famously mischievous German rogue in the tone poem Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks.

Gala packages include both a pre-concert cocktail party and post-concert dinner and dancing at the Chicago Hilton.  The CSO’s Opening Night Gala is a black-tie fundraising event that supports the CSO’s operations and community engagement programs.  Kirkland & Ellis LLP is the Presenting Sponsor of the CSO’s Opening Night Gala 2009.  Tickets for the concert only are available through the box office.

The 2009 Opening Night Gala Committee has partnered with Chicago’s Glass Slipper Project this year, in order to collect donations of women’s evening attire and accessories for the organization, which serves young women throughout the Chicago area.  Renée Fleming has graciously donated an evening bag to the Project.  Donations to the Glass Slipper Project will be accepted at Symphony Center from October 3 to November 6, 2009.

The 2009 Opening Night Gala Committee is chaired by Jane and Ken Pigott.  Honorary chairs are Mayor Richard M. and Mrs. Daley.

Grammy Award-winning conductor PAAVO JÄRVI’s remarkable reputation makes him one of the most in-demand conductors on the international stage.

Born in Tallinn, Estonia, he studied percussion and conducting at the Tallinn School of Music, then, in 1980, moved to the USA, where he continued his studies at the Curtis Institute of Music and at the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute, with Leonard Bernstein.  He was appointed music director of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in September 2001 and has recently extended his contract with the orchestra until August 2011.  During his music directorship, they have toured together throughout America—including Carnegie Hall—Europe and Japan.

One of the most beloved and celebrated musical ambassadors of our time, soprano RENÉE FLEMING captivates audiences with her sumptuous voice, consummate artistry, and compelling stage presence.  Known as “the people’s diva,” she continues to grace the world’s greatest opera stages and concert halls, now extending her reach to include other mediums.  Over the past few seasons, Fleming has hosted a wide variety of television and radio broadcasts, including the Metropolitan Opera’s Live in HD series for movie theaters and television and Live from Lincoln Center on PBS.

In 2008, a precedent was broken when she became the first woman in the 125-year history of the Metropolitan Opera to headline an opening night gala.  As a musical stateswoman, Renée Fleming has been sought after for numerous distinguished occasions, from the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize ceremony to performances in Beijing during the 2008 Olympic Games.  On January 18, 2009, she performed for the televised We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial concert for President Obama.

The CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA is consistently hailed as one of today’s leading orchestras.  Live performances by the CSO are much in demand at home and in the most prestigious musical venues around the world.  In collaboration with preeminent conductors and guest artists on the international music scene, the CSO performs well over 120 concerts each year at its downtown home, Symphony Center, and at the Ravinia Festival on Chicago’s North Shore, where it is in residence each summer.

With the launch of its new Institute for Learning, Access and Training, the CSO will engage more than 200,000 Chicago-area residents annually.  Music lovers outside Chicago enjoy the sounds of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra not only through its BP Chicago Symphony Orchestra Radio Broadcast Series and best-selling recordings on its new highly acclaimed in-house record label CSO Resound, but also through frequent sold-out tour performances in the United States and around the globe.

Since 1971, the CSO has undertaken 36 overseas tours: 27 to Europe, six to the Far East, as well as one each to Russia, Australia and South America.  For more information about the CSO, visit cso.org.

The GLASS SLIPPER PROJECT is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization staffed entirely by volunteers and funded by both individual and corporate donations.  Founded in 1998, the Glass Slipper Project has provided more than 10,000 Chicago-area high school students with dresses, accessories, shoes, jewelry and beauty services to help them prepare for an important rite of passage, the high school prom.

Presenting sponsor: Kirkland & Ellis LLP

MEDIA CONTACT:

• Raechel Alexander
• Rachelle Roe
• Christopher Slavik

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Kicks Off the 2009-2010 Season with its Annual Opening Night Gala October 3 | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

The spirit of Halloween is creeping into Symphony Center! On Saturday, October 24, at 3pm, the Civic Orchestra of Chicago presents “Hallowed Haunts”—a special concert for families featuring spine-tingling musical tales.  Before the concert, Symphony Center hosts spooky festivities for kids in the “Haunted Ballroom” from 1:30 to 2:30pm.

The centerpiece of Symphony Center’s Halloween merriment is the thrilling “Hallowed Haunts” concert performed by the festively costumed Civic Orchestra of Chicago, under the direction of Stuart Chafetz.

The fun-filled program brings to life some of the most deliciously spooky and exciting music ever composed, including Saint-Saëns’ Danse macabre, excerpts from Stravinsky’s Firebird and Holst’s The Planets, as well as the music of John Williams from the Harry Potter films and more!

Actress Sheri Williams Pannell joins the orchestra to narrate Dukas’ famously ominous The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, based on the Goethe poem of wizardry gone awry.  Civic also plays the Chicago premiere of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, a haunting work by contemporary composer Steven Reineke, who was recently appointed music director of the New York Pops and for 13 years served as associate conductor, composer and arranger for the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra.

“Hallowed Haunts” is recommended for ages 5 and up, with special pricing for ages 5 to 17.

The frightful afternoon of Halloween entertainment gets underway even before the concert in Symphony Center’s “Haunted Ballroom,” from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.  Young ghosts, goblins and ghouls can partake in fun Halloween games (with wacky prizes) and arts-and-crafts activities throughout Symphony Center’s Grainger Ballroom, Rotunda, Arcade and Orchestra Hall.  All patrons, young and old, are encouraged to come dressed in their most imaginative costumes for Halloween trick-or-treating.

In addition to the Saturday concert, “Hallowed Haunts” will be performed for students of Chicago-area schools in grades 4 and 5 with back-to-back concerts on Friday, October 23.  Members of the student audience also are invited to attend the concert in costume.  Questions regarding tickets to the Friday student matinees should be directed to the CSO’s Institute for Learning, Access and Training at 312-294-3410.

Stuart Chafetz is resident conductor of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and was music director of the Maui Symphony Orchestra from 1999 to 2003.  An advocate for the musical education of young people, he is known for engaging audiences with his innovative and exciting classical, pops and family concerts.  Chafetz has conducted hundreds of performances nationwide focusing on the importance of classical music and the fine arts in our everyday lives, and he has worked with a variety of classical and pop artists, including George Benson, Regina Carter, Richard Chamberlain, John Denver, Randy Newman and Bernadette Peters.

About the Civic Orchestra of Chicago

The Civic Orchestra of Chicago, founded in 1919 by CSO Music Director Frederick Stock, is the only training orchestra affiliated with a major American orchestra.  It is a signature program of The Institute for Learning, Access and Training at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, which offers a comprehensive sequence of programs intended to transform the lives of young people through active participation in music.

The principal goal of the Civic Orchestra is to recruit a diverse group of gifted preprofessional musicians from across the country, train them at the highest level as orchestral players and further develop skills of advocacy and mentoring, which are essential to the role of orchestral musicians in communities, now and in the future.  More than half of Civic’s 90 players have completed graduate degrees—many are alumni from the top-tier music schools in the nation.

Additional classical, pop and world-music presentations coming up this fall and winter on the Symphony Center Presents series include Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán (October 4), Los Lobos with special guests The Duhks (November 1), Sweet Honey in the Rock (November 15), Vienna Boys Choir (November 28), Chanticleer (December 7 and 8), the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Brass (December 17) and An Acoustic Evening with the BoDeans (January 30).The Civic Orchestra of Chicago is sponsored in part by Sara Lee Foundation.

MEDIA CONTACT:

• Raechel Alexander
• Rachelle Roe
• Christopher Slavik

Chicago Symphony Center Celebrates Halloween With Annual “Hallowed Haunts” Family Concert Oct. 24 | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

The 2009-2010 Jazz at Symphony Center concert series, presenting both living legends and today’s top talent, gets underway with two exceptional programs in October.  On Friday, October 16, at 8pm, sultry vocalist Dianne Reeves returns to Chicago along with guitarists Russell Malone and Romero Lubambo in a program titled “Strings Attached.”

And on Friday, October 30, at  8pm, bassist Dave Holland joins forces with pianist Jason Moran, saxophonist Chris Potter and drummer Eric Harland for an evening of vibrant quartet arrangements, opening with the Symphony Center debut of the Vijay Iyer Trio.

Dianne Reeves: “Strings Attached”

Dianne Reeves’ Symphony Center “Strings Attached” program, on Friday, October 16, at 8 p.m., is a seductive collection of standards infused with the great guitar traditions of blues and bossa nova, featuring guitar masters Russell Malone and Romero Lubambo.  Renowned for her rhythmic virtuosity and powerful storytelling, Reeves is one of the best loved jazz vocalists in the world today.

Her improvisational prowess and unique R&B stylings have earned her an unprecedented four Grammy Awards for Best Jazz Vocal Performance.  She has a vast and varied performance and recording career, having collaborated with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and with Daniel Barenboim and members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, as well as appearing in George Clooney’s “Good Night, and Good Luck” (the soundtrack recording of the Oscar-nominated film won Reeves her fourth Grammy).

Russell Malone’s career has included touring stints with Harry Connick Jr. and Diana Krall—for which he received great acclaim as Krall’s right-hand man—as well as concerts with organist Jimmy Smith, Bucky Pizzarelli, Freddie Cole, Mulgrew Miller and Roy Hargrove, to name just a few.

Romero Lubambo, a native of Rio de Janeiro, has established himself as a performer and composer of exceptional skill, versatility and fluency in both jazz and Brazilian idioms; he has collaborated with many outstanding artists, including Michael Brecker, Yo-Yo Ma, Kathleen Battle, Diana Krall, Herbie Mann, Wynton Marsalis, and Luciana Souza, among many others.

Dave Holland plus the Vijay Iyer Trio

On Friday, October 30, at 8pm, Grammy-winning bassist Dave Holland joins forces with three exceptional young musicians—pianist Jason Moran, saxophonist Chris Potter and drummer Eric Harland—for an evening of vibrant quartet arrangements.  Holland’s versatility and creativity have made him one of the most sought after bassists in modern jazz, in solo, small ensemble or big band settings, and in multiple styles from traditional to blues to free improvisation.

The innovative Jason Moran most recently presented his Thelonious Monk multimedia retrospective, “In My Mind,” at Symphony Center in November 2007, and he was named Playboy’s first Jazz Artist of the Year in 2005.  Thirty-two-year-old drummer Eric Harland, whom Wynton Marsalis “discovered” in a high school workshop, is part of the SFJAZZ Collective and also has recorded with Charles Lloyd, Ravi Coltrane, Terence Blanchard and others; he was named number 1 rising star drummer in DownBeat’s 2008 Critics Poll.

Saxophonist Chris Potter has emerged as a world-class soloist, accomplished composer and formidable bandleader during his 20-year career; a potent improviser, he was nominated for a Grammy Award for his solo work on “In Vogue,” from Joanne Brackeen’s 1999 album “Pink Elephant Magic,” and was prominently featured on Steely Dan’s Grammy-winning album “Two Against Nature.”

This concert opens with the Symphony Center debut of the Vijay Iyer Trio.  Indian American pianist and composer Vijay Iyer has been picking up worldwide critical recognition and effusive acclaim for his compositions, recordings and performances since 2001.  Largely self-taught, this rising star creates music that is built on the American jazz idiom but also draws from a range of non-Western traditions.

Iyer’s emotionally powerful music making is firmly grounded in groove and pulse, with intricate rhythms and an interactive, improvisational feel.  Its diverse points of reference include Monk, Ellington and Tyner; Ligeti, Debussy and Bartók; rock, soul, funk and hip-hop; African drumming and the hypnotic music of India.  In addition to jazz compositions, his output includes concert orchestral pieces, chamber music, electronica and music for theater, film and television.

The 10-concert Jazz at Symphony Center season also includes:  George Wein and the Newport All-Stars on November 13; McCoy Tyner with Jeff Lindberg’s Chicago Jazz Orchestra on December 11; “Kings of the Crescent City” on January 29, 2010; Conrad Herwig and his Latin Side All-Star Band, along with Eliane Elias, on February 19; the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis on March 19; Sonny Rollins on April 9; Joshua Redman and the Anat Cohen Quartet on April 23; and Danilo Pérez, in a salute to Dizzy Gillespie’s United Nations Orchestra, on May 21.

Jazz at Symphony Center media sponsors: DownBeat and WBEZ

MEDIA CONTACT:

• Raechel Alexander
• Rachelle Roe
• Christopher Slavik

Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s “Jazz at Symphony Center” Presents Outstanding Artists in Two October Concerts | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Chicago Radio Personality Richard Steele and CSO’s Jim Fahey Host Lively Preconcert Receptions with Q&A and Refreshments

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra has announced the lineup for its 2009-2010 ComEd Classical Tapestry series—three specially selected concerts designed to showcase the outstanding musical talent of today’s leading black artists.  ComEd, a longtime partner of the CSO, renews its generous support of the series for the fourth year.

The ComEd Classical Tapestry season begins Friday, Oct. 9, when organist Henry McDowell makes his debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as soloist in Saint-Saëns’ Symphony No. 3 (“Organ”).  On Saturday, Dec. 5, opera star Nicole Cabell appears as soprano soloist in Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 with the Orchestra.  And rounding out the season is a Jazz at Symphony Center performance on Friday, April 9, with tenor saxophone great Sonny Rollins.

Central to the ComEd Classical Tapestry experience, each event begins with an exclusive preconcert reception at 6:30 p.m., featuring a discussion with the evening’s special-guest artist, hosted by Chicago radio personality Richard Steele and Jim Fahey, the CSO’s director of programming for Symphony Center Presents.  Steele notes, “No other musical experience around brings together such incredible guest artists with the Grammy Award-winning Chicago Symphony Orchestra and lively conversation with old and new friends.”

The gatherings are held in Symphony Center’s Grainger Ballroom, where subscribers mingle and enjoy free drinks and hors d’oeuvres while Steele and Fahey provide an engaging “behind the music” discussion of the music and musicians presented in the evening’s concert.  Each reception ends with an audience question-and-answer session before attendees move to Orchestra Hall for the concert at 8 p.m.

The first performance of the 2009-2010 ComEd Classical Tapestry series on Friday, Oct. 9, introduces CSO audiences to Henry McDowell, who makes his debut performing the prominent organ solo in Saint-Saëns’ Symphony No. 3 under the direction of Roberto Abbado.  McDowell is director of music at Christ the King Roman Catholic Church in Dallas as well as at Holy Trinity Seminary in Irving, Texas.  He holds degrees in organ performance from the North Carolina School of the Arts and Southern Methodist University; he is recipient of first-place awards from several organ competitions and was a featured Emerging Artist of the American Guild of Organists in 1992.  McDowell has played some of the country’s largest organs in such notable venues as Meyerson Symphony Hall in Dallas and the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.  This CSO program also includes Honegger’s “Horace victorieux” and Bruch’s “Scottish Fantasy” with violinist Joshua Bell.

A familiar guest of both the CSO and Lyric Opera of Chicago and a much sought after performer on the international music scene, soprano Nicole Cabell returns to Chicago as featured artist of ComEd Classical Tapestry on Saturday, Dec. 5.  She sings the pastoral solo in Mahler’s Symphony No. 4, “Das himmlische Leben” (Heavenly Life), with conductor Markus Stenz.  Cabell has earned incredible critical and popular acclaim for her operatic and symphonic appearances, including performances of Musetta in “La bohème” and Leïla in “The Pearl Fishers” at Lyric Opera of Chicago; Micaëla in “Carmen” at Cincinnati Opera and Deutsche Oper Berlin; and major roles at the Metropolitan Opera, Santa Fe Opera and Royal Opera, Covent Garden.  She won the 2005 BBC Singer of the World Competition, and her debut solo album, “Soprano,” was named Editor’s Choice by Gramophone and received an Echo Klassik Award.  This concert opens with Russian violinist Viviane Hagner performing Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto.

Jazz legend Sonny Rollins returns to Symphony Center on Friday, April 9, for the first time in five years.  Nicknamed the “Saxophone Colossus,” Rollins is universally hailed as the greatest living saxophonist and one of jazz’s most innovative and exhilarating practitioners.  His hard-bop character and spirit of creativity have endured over his six-decade career—he celebrates his 80th birthday in 2010.  Rollins has won best performance Grammy Awards for “This Is What I Do” (2000) and “Why Was I Born?” (2004) and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in 2004.  Most recently, the Jazz Journalists Association named him both Musician of the Year and Tenor Saxophonist of the Year.  His newest releases are “Road Shows, vol. 1,” featuring live concert recordings from the U.S., Japan, France and Sweden, and the DVD “Sonny Rollins in Vienne,” filmed during a 2006 performance in France’s Théâtre Antique de Vienne.  Please note that the Classical Tapestry interview with Sonny Rollins will begin promptly at 6:30, with the reception to follow.

Longtime Chicago radio personality Richard Steele is a noted jazz commentator and currently is host of Chicago Public Radio’s newsmagazine “Eight Forty-Eight.”  He has hosted a number of former programs on Chicago Public Radio, including “The Richard Steele Show,” “A Richard Steele Friday” and “Performance Space.”  Steele also hosted many other successful Chicago radio programs on such stations as WBMX, WVON and WGCI, and he became “The Real Steele” on WGRT-AM, where he progressed to program director shortly after the station’s transition to WJPC.

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s ComEd Classical Tapestry series is sponsored by ComEd, Illinois’ largest electric utility, serving 3.8 million customers.  “ComEd is committed to supporting diverse arts and culture programming, which is so integral to the vitality of the communities we serve,” said Frank M. Clark, chairman and CEO of ComEd and a Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association trustee.  “It gives us great pride to once again partner with one of the world’s premier orchestras to enhance Chicago’s already renowned musical reputation with the ComEd Classical Tapestry series.”

ComEd Classical Tapestry is available only as a subscription package, which includes all three concerts and preconcert receptions; prices range from $66 to $165.  To become a subscriber, or for more information, please call 312-294-3000 or visit cso.org/classicaltapestry.

ComEd Classical Tapestry is sponsored by ComEd.
Media Sponsors: N’Digo and WVON
Official Wine Sponsor of the CSO: Da Vinci
Food provided by: Rhapsody

MEDIA CONTACT:

• Raechel Alexander
• Rachelle Roe
• Christopher Slavik

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Announces 2009-2010 ComEd Classical Tapestry Series Presenting Popular Black Artists in Jazz and Classical Music | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association (CSOA) announces a newly revised structure and expansion of its volunteer opportunities, including the creation of two new affiliated groups and the reconfiguration of a longtime support network. These changes have been instituted with the goal of developing new and diversified ways to attract volunteers, while creating a variety of ways to support the CSO.

• Expansion Includes Creation of Overture Council and Women’s Board; Women’s Board Elects Karen Goodyear as President
• League of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association (Formerly Women’s Association) Expands Membership to Allow Men; Cheryl Istvan Elected League President

As of July 1, 2009, The Women’s Association (WA), which celebrated its 75th anniversary during the 2008-2009 season, will change its name to the League of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association (League) and will be open to men who wish to join, as well.

Deborah Rutter, president of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association, praises the work of the volunteers, stating, “The Women’s Association has been a beacon of advocacy and support for the CSO for three-quarters of a century—a remarkable and constant presence over such a long period of time. We are truly grateful for the WA’s extraordinary dedication, hard work and long-standing commitment to championing the CSO’s programs and initiatives. We look forward to working with the League, as they carry on so many of the WA’s great traditions, and to seeing the new Overture Council and Women’s Board establish their places in the CSO’s future, as well.”

As the largest of the CSO volunteer groups, the League will continue the WA’s ongoing and highly successful fundraising events, such as the annual Corporate Night benefit, as well its assistance with education programs by participating in Adventures in Music activities, serving as docents, and organizing CSO Youth Auditions, as well as other initiatives. The League will also research and develop further fundraising projects and opportunities. Cheryl Istvan will serve a two-year term as the League’s first president.

“It’s an honor for me to serve as the first president of the League of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association, following in the footsteps of Penny Van Horn and the many other women who have served the CSO so admirably throughout the history of the WA,” says incoming president Cheryl Istvan. “Now, as we move into the next phase of our identity and re-define ourselves as an organization, we are challenged to build on the strong foundation of The Women’s Association, as we welcome new members and create new opportunities to serve the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.”

In addition, the Association officially launches two new volunteer groups: the Overture Council, for men and women ages 25-45, and the new Women’s Board of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

The Overture Council will focus on audience development among young professionals, with an eye towards creating new opportunities for networking and cultivation. With the goal of providing access to the wide variety of the CSO’s initiatives, scheduled events include seasonal get-togethers, monthly gatherings and volunteer days centered around CSO performances. By the end of the summer, the CSO will select a current member to serve as the Overture Council’s first president.

The Women’s Board of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, under its first president, Karen Goodyear, will take shape this summer, as members from the Chicago community are recruited to join the team of women leaders and fundraisers. Expected membership will be a total of 40-50 women who will host an annual signature fundraising event in addition to the CSO’s annual Opening Night Gala, both of which will benefit the CSO. The mission of The Women’s Board is to promote the artistic excellence and exemplary education programs of the Orchestra by engaging women leaders in advocacy and fundraising efforts.

“I am honored and thrilled to be named the first president of the new Women’s Board of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra,” says Karen Goodyear. “The creation of the Women’s Board will offer a unique opportunity for women leaders of Chicago to establish a niche of their own within the overall structure of the CSO’s volunteer groups. With the arrival of Riccardo Muti as our new music director in 2010, it is a fabulous point in time to create a high-profile Board to support the mission of the CSO and undertake fundraising efforts for the organization.”

With the addition of these two new groups, there are more opportunities than ever for volunteers to become involved with the CSO. Volunteers may be a member of more than one group at a time, depending upon their interest, time and desire. The CSOA’s volunteer programs now include the Auxiliary Volunteers, League, Governing Members, the Overture Council and the Women’s Board of the CSO.

Newly appointed officers of the League, who will serve two-year terms, are Cheryl Istvan (President); Carol Brosk (VP, Administration); Margo Oberman (VP, Education—one year term); Barbara Oppenheim (VP, Finance); Bridgette Hayes (VP, Fundraising); Jennifer Bumbu (VP, Membership); Elizabeth Stein (Chairman, Social Events) and Beverly Adilman and Diane Collison (Members-at-Large—one year terms). They will be joined by the following officers who will be completing their terms: Barbara Linville (VP, Areas); Liz Rorke (Secretary); and Anne Fraumann (Chairman, Strategic Planning).

The CSO is grateful to the Women’s Association’s outgoing officers who gave so generously and effectively of their time, talent, energy and ideas for the past two years. Ending their terms on June 30 are Penny Van Horn (President); Barbara Oppenheim (VP, Administration); Karen Yates (VP, Education); Elizabeth Shelly (VP, Finance); Cheryl Istvan (VP, Fundraising); Marcia Devlin (VP, Membership); Karen Beal (Chairman, Social Events) and Dora Aalbregtse and Linda Neumann (Members-at-Large).

Outgoing president Penny Van Horn commented, “It has been a celebratory season, honoring 75 years of support and commitment to our beloved Orchestra and our history, which is rich in the diversity of membership who have shared their passion and love for the CSO. It has been a true pleasure serving as the WA President this year; I witnessed great dedication and many achievements accomplished by a strong group of talented women. We look forward to continuing our legacy with our name change and opening our membership to all who want to volunteer their time, talents and treasures on behalf of the CSO.”

About the Chicago Symphony Orchestra

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is consistently hailed as one of today’s leading orchestras. Live performances by the CSO are much in demand at home and in the most prestigious musical venues around the world. In collaboration with preeminent conductors and guest artists on the international music scene, the CSO performs well over 120 concerts each year at its downtown home, Symphony Center, and at the Ravinia Festival on Chicago’s North Shore, where it is in residence each summer.

With the launch of its new Institute for Learning, Access and Training, the CSO will engage more than 200,000 Chicago-area residents annually. Music lovers outside Chicago enjoy the sounds of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra not only through its BP Chicago Symphony Orchestra Radio Broadcast Series and best-selling recordings on its new highly acclaimed in-house record label CSO Resound, but also through frequent sold-out tour performances in the United States and around the globe. Since 1971, the CSO has undertaken 35 overseas tours: 26 to Europe, six to the Far East, as well as one each to Russia, Australia and South America.

Two of today’s most celebrated conductors assumed titled positions with the Orchestra in the 2006-2007 season. Eminent Dutch conductor Bernard Haitink is the Orchestra’s principal conductor, and renowned French composer and conductor Pierre Boulez is its conductor emeritus. In May 2008, the CSO announced the appointment of world-renowned conductor Riccardo Muti as its 10th music director. Maestro Muti currently serves as music director designate and will begin his tenure as music director in September 2010. For more information about the CSO, visit cso.org.

For information about joining a CSO Volunteer program, please call 312-294-3160.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Raechel Alexander, 312-294-3093

Rachelle Roe, 312-294-3090

Christopher Slavik, 312-294-3089

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association Expands Volunteer Opportunities, Creates New Groups | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.