The Chicago Philharmonic's 25th Anniversary Season Features 'Celebrating the Senses', 2/15

The Chicago Philharmonic continues its 25th Anniversary Season, "Celebrating The Senses," with a program inspired by the sense of taste on February 15, 2015 at 3:00 p.m. at Nichols Hall in Evanston. This concert is the third in the orchestra's 2014-15 subscription series dedicated to the five senses as expressed through music.

Artistic Director Scott Speck and David Perry, Concertmaster and soloist, share leadership roles. The evening begins with Speck conducting Darius Milhaud's lighthearted Le boeuf sur le toit (The Ox on the Roof). Next, concertmaster David Perry leads a performance of Bohuslav Martinu's one-act comedic ballet La revue de cuisine, where kitchen utensils such as a pot lid, dishcloth, and mop come alive in a romantic culinary soap opera. Special guests Visceral Dance Chicago enact the story with original choreography by Nick Pupillo. Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante for violin and viola follows, with soloists David Perry, leader, and Carol Cook. To close, Scott Speck returns to the podium to conduct Johann Strauss II's Champagne Polka.

Biographies: David Perry, Carol Cook, & Visceral Dance Chicago

Violinist David Perry enjoys an international career as soloist, chamber musician, concertmaster, and teacher. As first violinist of the Pro Arte Quartet he is artist-in-residence at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he was granted a Paul Collins Endowed Professorship. Perry also performs and teaches at the Aspen Music Festival and is a founding member of the Aspen Ensemble. Active with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra since the late 1980s, he can be heard on many of the conductorless orchestra's Deutsche Grammophon recordings and has performed (often as concertmaster) in Carnegie Hall and most of the major cultural centers of North and South America, Europe and the Far East. Perry received his early training from John Kendall. Following solo debuts with the St. Louis Symphony and the Chicago Symphony in 1985, he studied at The Juilliard School with Dorothy DeLay, Paul Kantor, and Masao Kawasaki.

Hailed by the Boston Globe as a "terrific violist," Carol Cook has appeared in concert halls worldwide as both a soloist and ensemble musician. As a soloist she has performed with the Metamorphosen Chamber Orchestra in Boston, the Edinburgh Symphony, the Guildhall Symphony Orchestra, the Cambridge Sinfonia, and the Edinburgh Players, among others. She has frequently performed with the New York Philharmonic, the London Symphony Orchestra, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and is currently a member of Chicago's Lyric Opera Orchestra and the Metamorphosen Chamber Orchestra. Cook holds a master's degree from the Juilliard School under the tutelage of Hsin-Yun Huang and Toby Appel, as well as an artist diploma from Oberlin Conservatory. A native of Scotland, she is also an accomplished Scottish fiddler. After winning the National Young Fiddler of The Year award in 1992, she released a solo album entitled "The Cook Collection." Her playing has been featured on NPR, BBC Radio Scotland, and Moray Firth Radio.

Founded in 2013 by Artistic Director Nick Pupillo, Visceral Dance Chicago is a contemporary dance company dedicated to a bold and progressive world of movement. In its inaugural season, the company premiered at the Harris Theater to great critical acclaim. Featuring an "eclectic cast of impressive dancers" (Art Intercepts) performing "expertly devised and stylish" repertoire (Chicago Tribune), Visceral Dance Chicago prides itself on its commitment to diverse artists, programs, and collaborations.

Venue and Ticket Information

Nichols Concert Hall: Nichols Hall is located at 1490 Chicago Avenue in Evanston, IL. Parking on the street and at the nearby Sherman Parking Garage is free on Sundays. The venue is walking distance from the Purple Line Dempster and Metra (UP-N) Davis stops and is accessible by patrons with disabilities. Please see the "plan your visit" section of our website for more information, including shuttle service.

Tickets range from $25-$75, and student tickets are $10. Call 312-957-0000 or purchase online at www.chicagophilharmonic.org. Please note that student tickets cannot be purchased online.

About The Chicago Philharmonic

The Chicago Philharmonic is a musician-governed not-for-profit organization founded 25 years ago by principals from the Lyric Opera of Chicago Orchestra. Today, the orchestra is a collaboration of over 200 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 at Pick-Staiger Hall and Nichols Concert Hall 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 Ravinia Festival for over 20 years.

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