Frank Villella has been a member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association’s Rosenthal Archives’ staff since 1993, serving as archivist since 2002 and director since 2014. He is responsible for the preservation of and access to collections that document the activities of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Chorus, Civic Orchestra of Chicago and Symphony Center.
For the Association, he has co-produced several compilations of archival sound recordings; has contributed articles to the CSO’s program book, syndicated radio broadcasts and cso.org/experience; and is a frequent host of the Salon Series. Villella also is the author of Chicago Symphony Orchestra: 125 Moments and the From the Archives blog; has written program notes for the DePaul University School of Music, GIA Publications, the Juilliard School and the Decca and RCA Red Seal record labels; and has contributed research to Sir Georg Solti’s Memoirs and biographies of Margaret Hillis, Jacqueline du Pré, Leonard Slatkin, Isaac Stern, Bruno Walter and Carlo Maria Giulini.
Also an active musician, Villella has performed and recorded with the Cathedral Singers, Bella Voce, William Ferris Chorale, The Rookery and Schola Antiqua of Chicago. He was a 20-year veteran of the Chicago Symphony Chorus, where he served as a section leader and appeared on numerous recordings on Deutsche Grammophon, London, Erato, Teldec, Nonesuch, American Gramaphone and CSO Resound, including two Grammy Award winners: Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, conducted by Sir Georg Solti, and Verdi’s Requiem, conducted by Riccardo Muti.
Villella is chair emeritus of the board of directors for Art Song Chicago and a board member of the Solti Foundation US and Glessner House. He also has served on the board of governors of the Chicago chapter of the Recording Academy, and the board of directors of Rush Hour Concerts, the International Music Foundation and the Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus.
