Chicago Philharmonic Announces 2019-2020 Season

Following a season of record-breaking audiences, an inaugural international music festival, and prestigious recognition and awards from the Illinois Council of Orchestras, the Chicago Philharmonic shines a light on family and celebrates 30 years of making beautiful music for Chicago. The 2019-2020 season expands from six to seven self-presented symphonic concerts at Pick-Staiger Hall, North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, Harris Theater for Music and Dance, and adds an eighth symphonic concert in a first-time joint collaboration with the Lincoln Park Zoo.

Artistic Director Scott Speck and the Chicago Philharmonic Artistic Committee crafted a symphonic program that explores the events and ideas inspired by family including holidays, reunions, home, and the future. The season includes beloved symphonies alongside local and international collaborations with Visceral Dance Chicago, Indian classical music sarod master Amjad Ali Khan, and jazz giants Marcus Roberts Trio.

To promote and support both established and emerging composers, Chicago Philharmonic is hosting a Fanfare Competition, with one of the two winners opening the season at Life: Tchaikovsky 6 in October in Evanston. Headlined by Tchaikovsky's passionate Path tique Symphony, the concert also features Chicago Philharmonic family member and extraordinary trombonist Jeremy Moeller in Ferdinand David's Trombone Concertino, as well as living composer Anna Clyne's celebration of life, Masquerade. The orchestra returns to the North Shore in Skokie in November as they host a family reunion in honor of Beethoven's 250th birthday in Reunion: Beethoven 3 with their Music Director Emeritus and first conductor Larry Rachleff and beloved Philharmonic son, renowned violin virtuoso David Perry.

In December at Harris Theater, the orchestra is joined by sensational jazz trio Marcus Roberts Trio for Gershwin's Concerto in F in Holidays, and revels in the holiday spirit with Duke Ellington's jazzy Nutcracker Suite and season favorites from Coleridge-Taylor and Tchaikovsky. Pianist Marcus Roberts, an integral member of America's jazz family, has been hailed for his genius skill that makes him the logical successor to Thelonious Monk's wild style (Philadelphia Enquirer).

2020 opens with Promise, a program packed with composers who reached for the stars including Polish composer Grazyna Bacewicz's magnum opus, Concerto for String Orchestra, which led her to international acclaim. Dvorak and Mozart's works were composed at a time in their careers when they stood in the threshold of greatness. Chicago Philharmonic also welcomes back choreographer Nick Pupillo and friends at Visceral Dance Chicago to perform an electric new piece to Arvo Part's Trisagion, inspired by Orthodox prayer.

In April, Chicago Philharmonic welcomes a member of the worldwide classical music community, composer and master sarod player Amjad Ali Khan, for a performance of his sarod concerto Samaagam. Leading the concert is Chicago Opera Theater's acclaimed Music Director Lidiya Yankovskaya. Unity: Amjad Ali Khan, Shostakovich also features Kamala Sankaram's Aria from her opera Taking Up Serpents and Shostakovich's beautiful and intimate Chamber Symphony in C Minor.

In May, the start of spring and Mother's Day is commemorated with Home: Brahms 3 when the truly phenomenal (BBC Music Magazine) violinist Philippe Quint joins the orchestra for a concert shining a light on composers embracing their roots. Brahms' Symphony No. 3 and Korngold's shining Violin Concerto were both written after long absences from symphonic composing, and Li Huanzhi's Spring Festival Overture depicts the joy of new beginnings.

The season closes with a tribute to the Queen of Soul on Memorial Day weekend Aretha: A Tribute. Broadway star Capathia Jenkins and three-time Grammy Award nominee Ryan Shaw light up the Harris Theater with the orchestra, performing everyone's favorite hits including Respect, Think, A Natural Woman, Chain of Fools, Amazing Grace, and more.

In addition to a season of spectacular symphonic concerts, Chicago Philharmonic will present the first-ever co-production with Lincoln Park Zoo in August. The orchestra will perform a mixed program of classical favorites while audiences wander the zoo after hours. Tickets for Chicago Philharmonic at the Zoo are on sale now. Chicago Philharmonic will also return for a six-concert chamber series at City Winery, and continues to provide orchestral support for renowned artists at Ravinia Festival, Auditorium Theatre, Harris Theater, and more.

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