Music of the Baroque's Music Director Makes First Appearance In 50th Season

Music of the Baroque's esteemed music director, Dame Jane Glover, makes her first appearance in the organization's revised 50th season later this month, joined by American-Israeli virtuoso pianist Inon Barnatan, in Barnatan Plays Mozart. Barnatan makes his debut with the ensemble with Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 14.

Mozart's intensely personal Symphony No. 29 and dramatic music by Handel round out a program highlighting the talents of two composers who defined their musical eras. Dame Jane Glover commented, "To say that I am excited to be returning to Chicago, to work with my favourite musicians in the world, would be a hopeless understatement! This year has been so absolutely dreadful for everyone. But to perform Handel and Mozart with Music of the Baroque, alongside the truly extraordinary pianist Inon Barnatan, will be the most perfect way to return to something approaching normality. I cannot wait."

Barnatan Plays Mozart also marks Music of the Baroque's first performance of the season at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Millennium Park, where the organization has been a resident company since 2004. The concert is supported by funding from the theater's newly created Harris Theater Creative Future Fund. Barnatan Plays Mozart will be streamed live from the Harris Theater for Music and Dance Monday, March 29, 7:30 PM CDT. $25 streaming tickets are available at baroque.org or by calling 312.551.1414. The concert will be available On Demand through Music of the Baroque from April 1 through May 1, and will be broadcast on 98.7/WFMT 10 days following the performance. The program will also be available on the Harris Theater's Virtual Stage platform at a later date. More information about Barnatan Plays Mozart is available here.

In April, Music of the Baroque's principal guest conductor, Nicholas Kraemer, makes his first season appearance leading the Music of the Baroque Orchestra in three of Bach's six Brandenburg Concertos: the joyful Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 for string orchestra, the maverick Brandenburg No. 5 with its wild harpsichord solo, and the dusky-hued No. 6 featuring violas and viole da gamba. Bach's Brandenburg Concertos will be streamed live from the Harris Theater for Music and Dance Monday, April 26, 7:30 PM CDT. $25 streaming tickets are available at baroque.org or by calling 312.551.1414. The concert will be available On Demand through Music of the Baroque from April 29 through May 29, and will be broadcast on 98.7/WFMT 10 days following the performance. More information about Bach's Brandenburg Concertos is available here.

While both performances will be streamed live, small in-person audiences may be admitted depending on venue, municipal, and state guidelines. Executive Director Declan McGovern summarized, "As much as we miss performing for a live audience, the health and safety of our musicians, and indeed our audience, is our top priority. We will make a decision about in-person audiences closer to each concert date and in the meantime, we are glad that audiences can continue to experience the concerts live through our online platform."

Long recognized as one of the region's top classical groups, Music of the Baroque Chorus & Orchestra is devoted to the performance of eighteenth-century music. While the pandemic forced the ensemble to cancel the final two performances of its 2019-2020 season and revise its 50th anniversary season, Music of the Baroque has continued to keep audiences engaged since March. Highlights of the past ten seasons were showcased in a weekly series of nine broadcasts on 98.7/WFMT between August and October, and a new recording of Bach's Mass in B Minor, recorded live in concert at the start of the 2019-2020 season, was released in September. Music of the Baroque continues to produce weekly video interviews featuring Principal Guest Conductor Nicholas Kraemer and Music Director Jane Glover, including a three-part series on the lives of Bach and Handel between Glover and renowned early music specialist Sir John Eliot Gardiner. Music of the Baroque also presented two free performances, "Baroque Beautiful-MOB's At-Home Gala" and "A Baroque Thanksgiving," in the fall. More information on the ensemble's virtual programming is available at baroque.org/virtual.

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