Illinois Philharmonic Announces 45th Anniversary Season

Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra, under the direction of Maestro Stilian Kirov, has announced its 45th anniversary season. The 2022-23 season features some of the world's most celebrated musicians with cellists Oliver Herbert and Inbal Segev and multiple appearances by Grammy award-winning baritone Bill McMurray, soprano Kimberly E. Jones, and the Chicago Community Chorus.

Additionally, IPO will premiere two works - the Midwest Premiere of Vijay Iyer's Human Archipelago (following its unveiling with the London Philharmonic and its American premiere with Oregon Symphony) as well as the world premiere, co-commission of Augusta Reed Thomas' Gwendolyn Brooks Settings, complete with an accompanying performance by the Anima - Glen Ellyn Children's Chorus.

Another highlight of the new season will be the April 15, 2023, concert Soaring Strings: An Orchestral Celebration of Matthew Mantell. Taking center stage to celebrate Mantell, a longtime principal violist with IPO who lost his battle with cancer in 2019, will be his student Matthew Lipman along with Mantell's wife and daughter, Emily Lewis Mantell and Sonia Mantell. Lipman has been praised by the New York Times for his "rich tone and elegant phrasing." Sonia Mantell is a cellist with the Minnesota Orchestra while Emily Lewis Mantell is a former principal and current section cellist with IPO.

"We are very excited to unveil this special Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra 2022-2023 season," states an excited IPO Music Director Stilian Kirov. "We continue to present exceptional masterpieces to our audiences and our emphasis on performing outstanding American music and works by a myriad of composers in an effort to be more inclusive is stronger than ever before! I look forward to welcoming our IPO's audiences to this exceptional musical journey next season and to embrace our inspiring programs together."

Christina Salerno, Executive Director of IPO, shares Kirov's enthusiasm.

"IPO's 45th anniversary season is a celebration of the multitude of artistic voices that have, over generations, inspired, entertained, consoled, and touched humanity. We are excited to add to this impressive cannon of top-notch music with exciting premieres and many of the world's very best guest artists. We look forward to an exciting 2022-23 season of sound!"

During the 2022-2023 season, IPO will perform six magnificent classical concerts and one holiday concert at their home venue: the 1,100 seat Ozinga Chapel at Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights. In addition to its regular concert schedule, the orchestra performs a myriad of educational youth offerings each year. In total, IPO reaches over 10,000 individuals in the Chicago Southland, 3,500 of whom are served through Meet the Maestro, Artists in Schools, Pre-concert Performances, and additional community engagement programs. IPO also performs an annual four concert summer chamber series, IPO Summer @ Olympia Fields Country Club.

Concert tickets start at $35. Student tickets are $10, and group tickets are available with a minimum of seven patrons. Tickets can be purchased at ipomusic.org or by calling 708.481.7774.

2022-2023 SEASON DETAILS

OPENING NIGHT: PORGY AND BESS

OCTOBER 15, 2022, 5:30 pm

a-? Gershwin Girl Crazy Overture

a-? Stephenson Violin Concerto

a-? Gershwin Porgy and Bess: A Concert of Songs arr. Bennett

IPO will celebrate its 45th anniversary season opening on October 15, 2022, at 5:30 pm with seventy musicians onstage for an all-American Opening Night program featuring Netanel Draiblate in James M. Stephenson's Violin Concerto. Highlighting the incredibly diverse musical genius of American composers will be the vibrant vocals of Grammy Award winner Bill McMurray (baritone), Kimberly E. Jones (soprano), and the Chicago Community Chorus.

Act II, IPO's traditional Opening Night post-concert celebration event will feature dinner and a mix & mingle with the musicians at 7:30 pm that same evening.

MOZART, HAYDN & PROKOFIEV

NOVEMBER 12, 2022, 7:30 pm

a-? Cziner World Premiere

a-? Mozart The Impresario Overture

a-? Haydn Cello Concerto in C major

a-? Prokofiev Symphony No. 1 Classical

IPO presents the works of three celebrated composers in Mozart, Haydn & Prokofiev along with the IPO debut of their newly christened Composer-In-Residence Jonathan Cziner. The evening features a performance by cellist Oliver Herbert on the Haydn concerto.

IPO HOLIDAY CONCERT: HANDEL'S Messiah

DECEMBER 17, 2022, 3:00 pm

IPO's traditional holiday celebration returns with this family-friendly program featuring an all-star cast of guest musicians including Kimberly E. Jones (soprano), Annie Rosen (mezzo-soprano), Ryan Townsend Strand (tenor), Grammy Award winner Bill McMurray (baritone), and the Chicago Community Chorus.

IYER & SIBELIUS

FEBRUARY 25, 2023, 7:30 pm

a-? Cziner World Premiere

a-? Iyer Human Archipelago - Midwest Premiere

a-? Sibelius Symphony No. 2

Inbal Segev, world-renowned cellist noted by the Washington Post for her "thrillingly projected, vibrato-rich playing," joins IPO for what is sure to be a standout performance in the Midwest premiere of Vijay Iyer's Human Archipelago. Iyer brings his work to IPO for only its third appearance worldwide after debuting with the London Philharmonic and then the Oregon Symphony. "Human Archipelago addresses the entangled processes of climate change and migration, and the societal imbalances that are both their cause and their result," muses Iyer. "The piece is intended to take the performers to a point of vulnerability and the brink of possibility that brings the music to life and expresses human inter-reliance."

DEBUSSY, RAVEL & THOMAS

MARCH 11, 2023, 3:00 pm

a-? Debussy Children's Corner

a-? Debussy Danse sacrée et danse profane

a-? Ravel Le Tombeau de Couperin

a-? Thomas Gwendolyn Brooks Settings - World Premiere

With a special afternoon matinee show time set for this youth-centered program, IPO will be performing two works by Debussy - Children's Corner and Danse sacrée et danse profane with Lisa Tannebaum on harp along with Ravel's Le Tombeau de Couperin. The program is completed with the world premiere of Augusta Reed Thomas' Gwendolyn Brooks Settings, a piece featuring the Anima-Glen Ellyn Children's Chorus that was originally prepared for an IPO performance in March of 2020, postponed for two seasons due to the pandemic.

SOARING STRINGS: An Orchestral Celebration of Matthew Mantell

APRIL 15, 2023, 7:30 pm

a-? Montgomery Strum

a-? Estilo Conflict Concerto

a-? Bragato Graciela y Buenos Aires

a-? Popper Requiem

a-? Brahms Symphony No. 3

This evening's string-led program will be a lofty celebration of the life and talents of the late, longtime IPO principal violist Matthew Mantell. Taking center stage to celebrate Mantell will be his student Matthew Lipman along with Mantell's wife and daughter, Emily Lewis Mantell and Sonia Mantell. Lipman has been praised by the New York Times for his "rich tone and elegant phrasing." Sonia Mantell is a cellist with the Minnesota Orchestra while Emily Lewis Mantell is a former principal and current section cellist with IPO.

DVORÁK & BEACH

MAY 13, 2023, 7:30 pm

a-? Cziner World Premiere

a-? Dvorak Symphony No. 8

a-? Beach Symphony in E minor op. 32

IPO lowers the curtain on their 45th season with a stunning celebration of Dvořák and Beach. Additionally, Jonathan Cziner finishes out his run as IPO Composer-in-Residence.

CLASSICAL EVOLVE

SEPTEMBER 21, 2022, 6:30 pm

In addition to the regular season program, as part of Maestro Stilian Kirov's vision to encourage the development of new musical voices, IPO conducts an annual Classical Evolve, a composition competition aimed at expanding the canon of classical music for current and future generations. This night, three finalists will have their original score workshopped and performed live in front of an IPO audience. Additionally, the winning composer will be named IPO "Composer-in-Residence" and have the opportunity to compose three works during the 2023-2024 season.

Named the 2020 "Illinois Professional Orchestra of the Year" by the Illinois Council of Orchestras, Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra will celebrate its 45th Anniversary Season in 2022-2023. From its community orchestra roots in Park Forest, the 69-member orchestra has grown into a critically acclaimed professional regional orchestra. Under the leadership of Music Director Stilian Kirov and Executive Director Christina Salerno, the mission of IPO is to provide concerts of compelling professional symphonic music, support music education, and expand audience awareness of musical excellence for the diverse communities of the greater Chicago region.

Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra is supported in part by: Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelly Foundation, Illinois Arts Council Agency, National Endowment for the Arts, Southland Arts, the Ozinga Foundation, and the Walder Foundation among others. For more information, visit ipomusic.org or call 708.481.7774.

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