Harris Theater Announces 2018-19 Chamber Music Society Series

Last night, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center artist Sean Lee announced the ensemble's upcoming season at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance from the Elizabeth Morse Genius Stage. The 2018-19 series will mark the eighth year of CMS's ongoing residency in Chicago.

"I am so proud to bring the intimacy of chamber music and the exceptional artistry of these musicians to the Harris stage," said Patricia Barretto, Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols President and CEO. "My hope is that we will continue to nurture and welcome new and returning audiences to this important musical genre."

The 2018-19 series will include the return of Bach's complete Brandenburg Concertos, "a fixture of the holiday season in downtown Chicago" (Chicago Tribune), and will open with a special recital by Co-Artistic Directors David Finckel and Wu Han - one month before the 15th anniversary of the Harris Theater's opening.

Barretto added, "I can think of no better way to celebrate the Theater's 15th anniversary than with two artists who have been part of the Harris family for years."

2018-19 Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Performances

October 3, 2018 / 7:30 p.m.
Wu Han and David Finckel

A Celebration of the Harris Theater's 15th Anniversary

Beethoven Sonata in A major for Cello and Piano, Op. 69 (1807-08)

Brahms Sonata No. 1 in E minor for Cello and Piano, Op. 38 (1862-65)

Mendelssohn Sonata in D major for Cello and Piano, Op. 58 (1843)

David Finckel, cello; Wu Han, piano

October 30, 2018 / 7:30 p.m.
Kreutzer Connection

A thread of intrigue connects the dramatic works on this fascinating program. A shocking Tolstoy novella is vividly captured in Janá?ek's quartet, and the cause of the story's mayhem - Beethoven's "Kreutzer" Sonata - concludes the evening. Kreutzer's beguiling Caprice, and highly-charged works by Beethoven and Prokofiev, complete this concert's thrilling, theatrical profile.

Beethoven Quartet in F minor for Strings, Op. 95, "Serioso" (1810-11)
Prokofiev Sarcasms, Five Pieces for Piano, Op. 17 (1912-14)
Janá?ek Quartet No. 1 for Strings, "The Kreutzer Sonata" (1923)
Kreutzer Caprice No. 35 in E-flat major for Violin (1796)
Beethoven Sonata in A major for Violin and Piano, Op. 47, "Kreutzer" (1802-03)

Juho Pohjonen, piano; Angelo Xiang Yu, violin; Calidore String Quartet

December 20, 2018 / 7:30 p.m.
Brandenburg Concertos

Arguably the greatest of all baroque concertos, Bach's six masterpieces unfailingly provide spiritual fulfillment for music lovers of all faiths and beliefs, inspiring strength at year's end and a vision of the brightest future.

J.S. Bach Brandenburg Concertos, BWV 1046-1051 (1720)

The complete Brandenburg Concertos will be performed with Bach's original instrumentation by 21 Chamber Music Society musicians.

February 11, 2019 / 7:30 p.m.
Total Mozart

Mozart's genius is unfathomable and inexplicable. The mystery of it, the state of supreme awe it holds us in, is why we flock to Mozart like no other. Join CMS for an immersion in this sublime and inspiring music.

Mozart Selections from Twelve Duos for Two Horns, K. 487 (1786)
Mozart Quartet in B-flat major for Strings, K. 589 (1790)
Mozart Concerto No. 12 in A major for Piano and String Quintet, K. 414 (1782)
Mozart Divertimento in F major for Two Horns and Strings, K. 247 (1776)

Juho Pohjonen, piano; Timothy Cobb, double bass; Escher String Quartet; Jennifer Montone, horn;
Eric Reed, horn

May 1, 2019 / 7:30 p.m.
Deeply Inspired

Composers from four eras and four cultures combine for this rare program that finds each of them at emotional heights, from Schubert's early, darkly passionate sonata, to Bloch's turbulent masterpiece composed between the first and second world wars.

Schubert Sonatina No. 3 in G minor for Violin and Piano, D. 408, Op. 137, No. 3 (1816)
Barber Dover Beach for Voice and String Quartet, Op. 3 (1931)
Arensky Quartet No. 2 in A minor for Violin, Viola, and Two Cellos, Op. 35 (1894)
Bloch Quintet No. 1 for Piano, Two Violins, Viola, and Cello (1921-23)

Yunpeng Wang, baritone; Michael Brown, piano; Kristin Lee, violin; Danbi Um, violin; Matthew Lipman, viola; Nicholas Canellakis, cello; David Finckel, cello

2018-19 CMS series subscriptions are on sale now.

Tickets and Subscriptions

Chamber Music Society series subscriptions are available now online and at the Harris Theater Box Office. Subscribers gain access to the best seats and deepest discounts, and unique benefits including:

• A 40% discount on Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center performances tickets, and a 40% discount on Harris Theater Presents mainstage performances when added on to subscriptions
• Access to discounted parking in the Millennium Park Garage - $16 for 7 hours - now available to purchase online
• Discounts and special offers when dining with Harris Theater Restaurant Partners, including Park Grill, Remington's, and Seven Lions
• Invitations to special events, artist talks, and receptions throughout the season

To purchase a subscription or request a brochure, contact the box office at 312.334.7777 or visit in person at 205 E. Randolph. Hours are noon to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday and performance days.

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center has its home in Lincoln Center's magnificent Alice Tully Hall. Through its many performance, education, recording, and broadcast activities, it brings the exhilarating experience of great chamber music to more people than any other organization of its kind. Under the inspired leadership of Artistic Directors David Finckel and Wu Han, CMS presents a wide variety of concert series and educational events for listeners of all ages, appealing to both connoisseurs and newcomers. The performing artists constitute a revolving multi-generational and international roster of the world's finest chamber musicians, enabling CMS to present chamber music of every instrumentation, style, and historical period. Annual activities include a full season in New York, an equally full season of national and international tours, nationally televised broadcasts on PBS's Live From Lincoln Center, an international radio series, and regular broadcasts on SiriusXM and American Public Media's Performance Today. Audiences worldwide enjoy an extensive selection of New York performances through live stream on the CMS website.

Harris Theater for Music and Dance

The Harris Theater is Chicago's primary residence for music and dance, connecting diverse audiences with outstanding artists from across the city, the nation, and the world. The Theater's activities fall under three central strategies: support for local music and dance companies, presentation of national and International Artists, and community engagement and educational programs. Now in its fourteenth season, the Theater has earned national recognition as a distinctive model for collaboration, performance, and artistic advancement.

Today, the Harris Theater's original group of 12 resident companies has grown to include 30 diverse music and dance companies, and its Harris Theater Presents series has featured world-renowned artists and ensembles including Mikhail Baryshnikov, Batsheva Dance, Joshua Bell, Renée Fleming, Sir John Eliot Gardiner and the Monteverdi Choir, Hamburg Ballet, Angélique Kidjo, Paris Opéra Ballet, and Stephen Sondheim. The Harris Theater's community engagement initiatives build bridges between artists and community members, providing master classes, artist talks, and free tickets for more than 35 partner organizations throughout Chicago.

To learn more about the Harris Theater, Chicago's state-of-the-art 1,499-seat performance venue, visit HarrisTheaterChicago.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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