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Chicago Philharmonic Releases Schedule of Upcoming 2015-16 Season
By: Matt Smith Apr. 19, 2015
Chicago, IL - (April 16, 2015) The Chicago Philharmonic announces its 2015-16 season, Chasing the Sun: Transitions and Transformations. The season explores works written by composers at moments of significant change in their lives or careers. Scott Speck leads the orchestra in his third season as artistic director.
"With a beloved masterwork, a virtuoso soloist, and a 21st century composer represented on every concert, the Chicago Philharmonic continues its adventures in direct, urgent, truly relevant music-making," said Speck.
Celebrated guest artists Robert McDonald, David Perry, and the Lincoln Trio will be featured this season, along with a number of concert enhancements and artistic collaborations that will be announced in the fall.
As the Chicago Philharmonic continues its historic symphonic series in Evanston, its long-term strategy includes new ventures around Chicago in 2015-16. Among the orchestra's new pursuits are its first self-presented symphonic concert in downtown Chicago, to be announced soon; two programs in Chicago's parks; and the expansion of chamber concerts at City Winery, in Hinsdale, and throughout the greater Chicago metropolitan area. "The 2015-16 season will be a milestone in the Chicago Philharmonic's history," said board chairman Paul R. Judy. "By our Evanston concert series, we are reaffirming our longstanding contribution and commitment to the musical culture of Chicago's North Shore. At the same time, we will initiate future growth and participation in the musical life of downtown Chicago." The orchestra will also continue to perform with the Joffrey Ballet and alongside performers at the Ravinia Festival.
CONCERTS
Turning Points
November 15, 2015, 7:00 P.M. Pick-Staiger Concert Hall (Evanston)
Scott Speck, Conductor Robert McDonald, Piano
Franz Schubert: Symphony No. 8 in B Minor (Unfinished) Johannes Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1
Wojciech Kilar: Small Overture for Orchestra
Contact: Stefan Scherer-Emunds stefan@chicagophilharmonic.org (312) 957-0000
To begin the season, the orchestra explores the ultimate of all personal transformations - death - as they perform Franz Schubert's Unfinished Symphony, written as Schubert faced his own mortality. Also on the program is Johannes Brahms's Piano Concerto No. 1, a landmark piece for the composer as he overcame self-doubt in striving to be counted with Beethoven and Mozart. Acclaimed soloist Robert McDonald joins the Chicago Philharmonic for this masterwork. Small Overture for Orchestra, the final piece of the evening, was the first true success for Polish composer Wojciech Kilar, who went on to score 130 films including Bram Stoker's Dracula.
Eight Seasons
February 7, 2016, 2:00 P.M. Pick-Staiger Concert Hall (Evanston)
Scott Speck, Conductor David Perry, Violin
Antonio Vivaldi: The Four Seasons
Astor Piazzolla: The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires Osvaldo Golijov: Last Round
Eight Seasons showcases several stunning works of string music. Antonio Vivaldi's four short violin concertos known as The Four Seasons form the centerpiece of this concert. Next, Argentina's greatest tango composer and master of the bandoneon, Astor Piazzolla, pays tribute to Vivaldi with a tango masterpiece, The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires. David Perry - Chicago Philharmonic Concertmaster and First Violin of the Pro Arte Quartet - performs the solo violin parts in both works. Closing the program is a composition honoring the tangos of Piazzolla: Last Round by living Argentinian composer Osvaldo Golijov.
Triumph and Transcendence
April 3, 2016, 7:00 P.M.
Pick-Staiger Concert Hall (Evanston)
Scott Speck, Conductor
Lincoln Trio: Desirée Ruhstrat, Violin; David Cunliffe, Cello; Marta Aznavoorian, Piano
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4 Ludwig van Beethoven: Triple Concerto John David Earnest: Chasing the Sun
Scott Speck leads the orchestra in Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4, often cited as the most significant stylistic turning point for the great Russian composer. Beethoven's Triple Concerto for solo violin, cello, and piano follows, the first piece written in such a form. The Grammy- nominated Lincoln Trio is featured on this forward-thinking work. The program ends with the title work of the season, Chasing the Sun, which composer John David Earnest envisioned while gazing out the window of a soaring airplane.
ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES
Scott Speck, Artistic Director
Scott Speck has inspired international acclaim as a conductor of passion, intelligence, and winning personality. He is the Artistic Director of the Chicago Philharmonic and Music Director of the Mobile (AL) and West Michigan Symphony Orchestras. He has led major orchestras at London's Royal Opera House, the Paris Opera, Washington's Kennedy Center, San Francisco's War Memorial Opera House, and the Los Angeles Music Center. He recently conducted four performances for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and was immediately reengaged for the following season. He has been Conductor of the San Francisco Ballet, Music Advisor/Conductor of the Honolulu Symphony, and Associate Conductor of the Los Angeles Opera. He was named Principal Guest Conductor of the China Film Philharmonic in Beijing. Scott Speck is the co- author of three of the world's best-selling books on classical music and dance: Classical Music for Dummies, Opera for Dummies, and Ballet for Dummies. These books have been translated into twenty languages and are available around the world. A Fulbright scholar and summa cum laude graduate of Yale, Scott is a regular commentator on NPR, the BBC, ABC Australia, and Voice of Russia. He has been featured in TED talks and at the Aspen Ideas Festival. His writing appears in numerous magazines and journals.
Robert McDonald, Piano
Robert McDonald has toured extensively as a soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, and South America. He has performed with major orchestras in the United States and was the recital partner for many years to Isaac Stern and other distinguished instrumentalists. He has participated in the Marlboro, Casals, and Luzerne Festivals and the Chamber Music Society at Lincoln Center, and he has broadcasted for BBC Television worldwide. He has appeared with the Takács, Vermeer, and Juilliard string quartets. His discography includes recordings for Sony Classical, Bridge, Vox, Musical Heritage Society, ASV, and CRI. Mr. McDonald's prizes include the Gold Medal at the Busoni International Piano Competition, the top prize at the William Kapell International Competition, and the Deutsche Schallplatten Critics Award. His teachers include Theodore Rehl, Seymour Lipkin, Rudolf Serkin, Mieczyslaw Horszowski, Beveridge Webster, and Gary Graffman. He holds degrees from Lawrence University, the Curtis Institute of Music, the Juilliard School, and the Manhattan School of Music. A member of the piano faculty at the Juilliard School since 1999, Mr. McDonald joined the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music in 2007, where he holds the Penelope P. Watkins Chair in Piano Studies. During the summer, he is the artistic director of the Taos School of Music and Chamber Music Festival in New Mexico.
David Perry, Violin
David Perry enjoys an international career as a chamber musician, soloist, and teacher. Mr. Perry has performed in Carnegie Hall and many other major cultural centers of North and South America, Europe, and the Far East. Mr. Perry joined the Pro Arte Quartet and the UW-Madison faculty in 1995. The Pro Arte Quartet celebrated its Centennial Anniversary in 2011-2012. Former concertmaster of the Aspen Chamber Symphony, Mr. Perry was on the artist-faculty of the Aspen Music Festival and School for nearly two decades and continues to tour the U.S. annually as founding violinist of the Aspen String Trio. He has served as guest concertmaster with such groups as the Chicago Philharmonic, China National Symphony Orchestra, the Ravinia Festival Orchestra, the American Sinfonietta, and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. Active with Orpheus since the late 1980s, he may be heard on many of the ensemble's Deutsche Grammophon recordings. Mr. Perry's chamber and solo recordings can be found on the Naxos, Sonos, Sonari, and Albany labels. A 1985 U. S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts, his first prizes have included the International D'Angelo Competition, National MTNA Auditions, and the Juilliard Concerto Competition. Mr. Perry studied with Dorothy DeLay, Paul Kantor, and Masao Kawasaki at the Juilliard School. Thanks to the Nathan McClure Opportunities Fund, he plays on a 1711 Franciscus Gobetti violin, arranged by Chancellor John Wiley and the UW Foundation.
Lincoln Trio
In 2012, Fanfare Magazine hailed the Chicago-based Lincoln Trio as "one of the hottest young trios in the business." The Grammy-nominated trio - made up of Desirée Ruhstrat, David Cunliffe, and Marta Aznavoorian - has been praised for its polished presentations of well-known chamber works and its ability to forge new paths with contemporary repertoire. The trio has performed throughout the United States, including appearances at Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Ravinia Festival, (Le) Poisson Rouge, the Indianapolis Symphony Beethoven Chamber Music Series, and the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial celebration with President Barack Obama. Internationally, the trio has performed in Germany, Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam, and South America. Champions of new music, the Lincoln Trio has performed numerous compositions written especially for them. 2014 saw the premiere of a Chamber Music America Award commission with composer Laura Elise Schwendinger and a trio by renowned Chicago-based composer Stacy Garrop. The trio's extensive discography includes Notable Women, which featured Grammy and Pulitzer prize winning composer Jennifer Higdon. The CD has received numerous accolades, including The Guardian's Hidden Gems of 2011, and was listed on Alex Ross of the New Yorker's "Nightafternight playlist for summer's end."
SUBSCRIPTIONS AND TICKETS
The Chicago Philharmonic offers a flexible range of subscription packages to meet a variety of preferences and budgets, including packages of two or three concerts in three different seating/price ranges. From now until June 30, early bird subscription rates are available, offering up to 30 percent off the single-ticket rate. Early bird subscriptions range from $40 to $167. Single tickets are also available and range from $25 to $75. Subscriptions and single tickets can be purchased at chicagophilharmonic.org or by calling (312) 957-0000.
PICK-STAIGER CONCERT HALL
All concerts in the Chicago Philharmonic's 2015-16 subscription series in Evanston will take place at Pick-Staiger Hall, located on Northwestern University's campus at 50 Arts Circle Drive. Free parking is available on performance days in the adjacent parking lot and nearby parking garage. Pick-Staiger is within 15-minute walking distance from the CTA Purple Line (Foster station) and various bus routes.
BEYOND THE SUBSCRIPTION SERIES
Symphonic Concert Downtown
In 2016, the orchestra will present its first symphonic concert in downtown Chicago at a major venue to be announced soon.
(Chicago Philharmonic Chamber Players)
Chamber music series at City Winery and Union Church of Hinsdale continue, drawing from musicians from the whole orchestra. These concerts present a wide range of small ensembles in intimate settings.
Night out in the Parks
Members of the Chicago Philharmonic will perform two side-by-side concerts at Chicago Park District parks in the summer of 2015 as part of the city's Night out in the Parks program. Community members are invited to bring their instruments and join in the music-making.
Outreach Programs
Programs including the Chicago Philharmonic Mentorship Program, Side By Side, NEXT!, and Families To The Philharmonic will reach communities across Chicago and the surrounding area.
Joffrey and Ravinia
The Chicago Philharmonic will continue to serve as the official orchestra of the Joffrey Ballet, with more engagements in 2015-16 than in any other season to date. The orchestra will also perform alongside musicians of international fame at the Ravinia Festival.
ABOUT THE CHICAGO PHILHARMONIC
The Chicago Philharmonic is a musician-governed not-for-profit organization founded 25 years ago by principal musicians from the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Today, the orchestra is a collaboration of over 225 of the highest-level classical musicians performing in the metropolitan Chicago area and has consistently won accolades from music critics and audiences alike. The orchestra's symphonic concerts in Evanston, IL and their chamber series at locations all over the Chicago area cover the full spectrum of classical music, from the masters of Baroque to the composers of today. The Chicago Philharmonic is proud to serve as the official orchestra for the Joffrey Ballet and to have maintained a partnership with the Ravinia Festival for over 20 years.
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