Music Of The Baroque Presents BAROQUE BEAUTIFUL - AN AT HOME GALA Featuring Sir James Galway and More

Originally intended for May 2020 and postponed as a result of the pandemic, Music of the Baroque's annual gala will take place online on Friday, October 23, at 7 pm.

"Baroque Beautiful-an At-Home Gala" features virtual performances from flutist Sir James Galway, pianist Angela Hewitt, bass-baritone Michael Sumuel, and members of the Music of the Baroque Chorus and Orchestra.

As Executive Director Declan McGovern says, "The greatest thing about this year's gala is the music. We've entitled it 'Baroque Beautiful' because the music is exactly that, as are the settings where the music is performed, including the Chicago Botanic Garden. People have been starved of live music for the past nine months, and now we are inviting everyone to enjoy, with our compliments, specially recorded performances by our musicians. We hope this will be uplifting for everyone in these trying times."

Music of the Baroque has also partnered with Blue Plate Catering to create a special gala feast, reserved at baroque.org/gala and picked up from one of two locations in the Chicago area. The online concert is free to the public; no tickets or registration is required. Also available during "Baroque Beautiful-an At-Home Gala" are signed portraits of Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, Haydn, and Mozart by New Yorker artist Tom Bachtell, which Music of the Baroque commissioned this season in honor of its 50th anniversary celebration.

Proceeds from "Baroque Beautiful" support Strong Voices-the organization's arts education program in six Chicago public high schools-as well as the organization's 50th anniversary concerts, most of which have been postponed to 2021-22. "Baroque Beautiful" takes place Friday, October 23, 7 pm, at baroque.org. Complete details are available here.