Top concert picks for 2022-23 from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association staff

For Pavan Singh, manager of Patron Services, the CSO takes pride of place

Pavan Singh, manager of Patron Services, goes all out for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, with CSO concerts occupying four of his Top 5 picks for 2022-23.

The 2022-23 seasons of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Symphony Center Presents are just weeks away, and members of the Sales and Patron Experience team are here to help. The box office opened for single-ticket purchases beginning Aug. 3 — in person, by phone or online — and subscriptions for all series are available.

Can’t decide which concerts to select? Over the next weeks, staff members will offer their own choices for the must-see performances of 2022-23.

Pavan Singh, manager of Patron Services, goes all out for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra this season, with CSO concerts occupying four of his Top 5 picks for 2022-23.

1. Nov. 3-5, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in Wagner, Bartók and Vaughan Williams. Wagner’s overtures and preludes contain some of the greatest music ever composed. If you want to understand why the Romantic era needed to end, listen to Wagner. We had to go into modernity because there is simply nothing else you can do with Romantic music, thanks to Wagner. I love everything Vaughn Williams and Bartók composed. Bartók’s Second Violin Concerto is a tremendous exhibition of virtuosity.

2. Nov. 16, Berlin Philharmonic. In terms of musicality, Kirill Petrenko is one of the best conductors alive today, in my humble opinion. Mahler 7 is amazing. I can’t wait to see Petrenko’s interpretation live!

3. Jan. 6-7, Marin Alsop and the CSO in Wolfe: Her Story. Julia Wolfe is just amazing. I can’t do justice to her music with description. She takes American minimalism to a whole other level.

4. April 6-11, Thomas Adès, the CSO and Kirill Gerstein. I have been waiting for this concert for over a year, which originally was part of the 2020-21 season. The Adès Piano Concerto is terrific, and it will be a treat to see him conduct his own composition. A darling of music critics, Adès writes works that are accessible but still groundbreaking.

5. June 23-25, Riccardo Muti, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in Beethoven’s Missa solemnis: This is a must on any list for 2022-23 highlights. How could you not want to be a part of Maestro Muti’s final program as music director of the Chicago Symphony? It has been an amazing run for the Maestro, who has clearly established himself as one of the CSO’s greatest directors of all time. And what a piece to choose for his final concert run! Truly phenomenal!  

Our friendly and knowledgeable Sales and Patron Experience team members are here to help. For personalized assistance with your ticket order, call 312-294-3000 or chat with us on CSO.org.