Chicago Symphony Orchestra Upcoming Events

Beethoven 6 - May 16 2013

19 EDT

Takemitsu's riverrun draws its title from the opening word of James Joyce's Finnegans Wake, and it explores a river's flow as a metaphor for how the great musical innovations of one composer may influence others. The work, heavily influenced by Debussy and Messiaen, was composed in 1985 for pianist Peter Serkin, who now brings this evocative piece to Chicago.

Inspired by the revolutionary qualities of Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos plunged into a dark, primitive world with Amazonas, a ballet which depicts a beautiful maiden who is devoured by a monster when she bathes in the Amazon. This bold work is followed by Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony, called the Pastoral for its depictions of countryside scenes including a rambling walk along a stream.

Beethoven 6 - May 18 2013

19 EDT

CSO Chamber at the Art Institute of Chicago - May 19 2013

19 EDT

Imagery of rivers abounds in the Art Institute’s galleries: a shared experience, a passage of ideas from one land to the next, a life source, a solitude, a possibility. As the CSO’s RIVERS Festival reaches its full flow, we dive into the limpid streams of Schubert’s genius with a program centered on one of the most famous songs he ever composed, Die Forelle (The Trout). The Tononi Ensemble is joined by singers from the Chicago Symphony Chorus in a selection of Lieder on riverine topics as well as the heart-rending late song with clarinet obbligato, The Shepherd on the Rock. The well-known Trout Quintet closes the concert.

Learn more about the AIC/CSO Chamber series >

Please note the location of this event:
Fullerton Hall
Art Institute of Chicago
111 South Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60603

Marc-Andre Hamelin - May 19 2013

19 EDT

Marc-André Hamelin's unique blend of musicianship and virtuosity brings forth interpretations remarkable for their freedom and originality. In his 2010 Symphony Center recital, Hamelin "wore his firebrand and poet hats with equal distinction. His unruffled control was remarkable . . . Yet there was much ravishing detail" (Chicago Tribune).

Tesori is now serving lunch on the weekends! Make your reservation now or call 312-786-9911.

CYSO’s Symphony Orchestra Concert - May 19 2013

19 EDT

Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras' (CYSO) 123-member Symphony Orchestra presents its spring concert featuring highlights from the soundtrack of the Academy Award-winning film “2001: A Space Odyssey.” Conducted by CYSO Music Director Allen Tinkham, the orchestra will perform Khachaturian’s “Gayane Ballet Suite (Adagio),” Movements I and III of Khachaturian’s “Violin Concerto in D minor,” Ligeti’s “Atmosphères,” and Strauss’ “Also Sprach Zarathustra.” CYSO’s Concert Orchestra, led by CYSO Associate Conductor Terrance Malone Gray, will open the concert with the Finale of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony no. 4.

Tickets are $20-$50. Children 7 & under free. Tickets can be purchased by phone 312-294-3000 or at the Symphony Center box office.

Corporate Night - Janelle Monáe - May 20 2013

19 EDT

Janelle Monáe and members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra – tickets start at just $55

Join us on Monday, May 20 at 7:30 pm for a special concert fundraiser, featuring members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and guest artist Janelle Monáe.

Monáe’s popularity has skyrocketed since the 2010 release of her critically acclaimed debut album The ArchAndroid. Her success has garnered her several global appearances and collaborations, including the recent hit “We Are Young” with the Grammy Award-winning band Fun. Monáe will release a new album this fall entitled The Electric Lady. She was also recently signed as the newest CoverGirl spokesmodel.

After the concert, continue the festive evening at a party sponsored by the League of the CSOA, featuring live music, food and drinks!

Learn more about the post-concert party >

Concert-only tickets range from $55 - $139. Box Seats are $199.

Watch Janelle Monae’s Tightrope >

Watch Janelle Monae’s Q.U.E.E.N. >

Corporate Night is a fundraising project of the League of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association with proceeds going to support the CSO and its community engagement programs.

Corporate Night Post Party - May 20 2013

19 EDT

The night doesn’t end with Janelle! Guests will dance the night away at a postconcert celebration with live music, hors d’oeuvres, wine and fun. Presented by the League of the CSOA, this after-party will feature music by the Motown Singers with Michael Lerich and his Orchestra. You don’t want to miss it!

Please note: This event takes place in Buntrock Hall.

Learn more about the Corporate Night concert and how to purchase tickets >

Corporate Night is a fundraising project of the League of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association with proceeds going to support the CSO and its community engagement programs.

Beethoven 6 - May 21 2013

19 EDT

Civic Chamber Concert - May 23 2013

19 EDT

This event takes place in Buntrock Hall. It is free and open to the Public, no tickets required

Revueltas Noche de los Mayas - May 23 2013

19 EDT

French piano icon Jean-Yves Thibaudet draws out the subtleties and expressive colors of Saint-Saëns' exotic Fifth Piano Concerto, written while the composer was visiting Cairo. Carlos Miguel Prieto imbues the program with Latin flavor: the richly orchestrated Panambí Suite tells a pre-Colombian saga of the North Argentinean Indians, and the film score La Noche de los Mayas is regarded as Revueltas' masterpiece.

Composed when Ginastera was just turning 20, the exuberant ballet Panambí exhibits a fiery percussiveness recalling Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring and a deep lusciousness reminiscent of Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloé. Its exotic score is based on a romantic and supernatural legend of love and magic from the Guaraní Indians, a tribe from the headwaters of the Rio Paraná in northern Argentina.

Equally colorful is La noche de los mayas, an orchestral piece based on a film score by Mexican composer Silvestre Revueltas. A one-time student of Chicago’s College of Music, Revueltas died in 1940, shortly after the completion of this work, widely regarded as his greatest achievement.

French composer Camille Saint-Saëns completed his Fifth Piano Concerto during a trip to Cairo in 1896. The second movement evokes a Nubian love song heard while sailing down the Nile in a dahabeah—the traditional Egyptian vessel used on the river since the time of the Pharoahs.

Pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet will sign copies of his recordings in Grainger Ballroom after the concert on Saturday, May 25.