A salute to a stellar year, from Muti’s valedictory to a glittery lineup of guests

Honoring the final season of Riccardo Muti as its music director, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra delivered spectacular performances in Chicago and on tour in 2023. Meanwhile, the Symphony Center Presents series welcomed world-renowned guests such as CSO Artist-in-Residence Hilary Hahn, the Emerson String Quartet, jazz vocalist Samara Joy and the Staatskapelle Berlin, with a pinch-hitting Jakub Hrůša. 

In addition, the CSO collaborated with legendary film composer-conductor John Williams, gave the first Chicago performances of Julia Wolfe’s Her Story with the Lorelei Ensemble and performed the world premiere of Philip Glass’ The Triumph of the Octagon, to cite just a few highlights. Here are images of those many memorable moments, captured by photographers Todd Rosenberg, Anne Ryan, Nuccio DiNuzzo and Elliot Mandel.

Her Story, Jan. 6-7

A CSO co-commission by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Julia Wolfe, Her Story captures the passion and perseverance of women marshaling the fight for representation and gender equality. Guest conductor Marin Alsop led the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Lorelei Ensemble in Wolfe’s 40-minute theatrical experience, written for orchestra and women’s vocal choir, that highlights a turbulent moment in American history.

North American tour

In January, for their first outing since the pandemic, Riccardo Muti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra embarked on a North American tour, with stops in Arizona, California, Oklahoma, Iowa, Missouri and Florida. Also on the itinerary were the CSO’s first concerts in Canada since 1976.

Klaus Mäkelä and the CSO in Mahler 5, Feb. 16-18

At just 27, the very model of youthful exuberance, Finnish-born conductor Klaus Mäkelä has rapidly climbed the international citadels of classical music. Though he holds important posts in Oslo, Paris and Amsterdam, some remain skeptical. In her Chicago Tribune review, Hannah Edgar took on the unanswered question. “Mäkelä must be assessed on his own merits, not his age. His musicianship demands that respect, at a baseline. ... Here [in Mahler’s Fifth], Mäkelä did more than meet the occasion: He sailed over it.” (Note: Mäkelä returns this spring to lead the CSO in concerts April 4-6.)

An Evening with John Williams, March 24

The dean of Hollywood film music, with five Oscars (and 53 nominations to date), John Williams led the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in selections from his vast catalog of scores. The concert, part of the CSO at Movies series, proved to be so popular, it sold out weeks in advance. Williams, who turns 92 in February, continues to tour, with concerts planned for early 2024 in Philadelphia (with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Yo-Yo Ma) and elsewhere.

Pablo Sáinz-Villegas, Bernard Labadie, March 30-April 4

For his Chicago Symphony Orchestra debut in 2019, Spanish guitarist Pablo Sáinz-Villegas performed Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez, standard fare for his instrument. This time, with the CSO under early-music specialist Bernard Labadie, the guitarist tackled Baroque-era works by Boccherini and Vivaldi. Later, at a reception hosted by the CSO Latino Alliance, Sáinz-Villegas gave his endorsement to an Orchestra Hall titan. When asked about his choice of a potential dream-list collaborator, he quickly replied: “Your guy, Riccardo Muti.”

Thomas Adès, Kirill Gerstein and the CSO, April 6-11

Long regarded as one of the compositional greats of his generation, Thomas Adès also conducts; he made his belated Orchestra Hall debut with a program of Liszt, Janáček and his own Piano Concerto, here featuring Kirill Gerstein (for whom it was written). Lawrence A. Johnson of the Chicago Classical Review lauded it as “a piano concerto for our time — edgy and unsentimental, yet fresh and exhilarating in its solo fireworks and subversive exuberance.” Just days later, Adès came to the CSO’s rescue when he agreed to substitute the following week for an ailing Mikko Franck.

Yo-Yo Ma, Carlos Miguel Prieto and the CSO, May 1

Superstar cellist, activist and goodwill ambassador Yo-Yo Ma joined the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Carlos Miguel Prieto, for a special, one-night-only concert anchored by Elgar’s Cello Concerto. The result was a genuine love fest. Chicago on the Aisle critic Lawrence B. Johnson described the scene: “Here was one of classical music’s genuine rock stars, rocked in turn by fans who had come not just to listen but to adore. Still, there was some question as to whether Ma would accommodate the standing, dare I say screaming, crowd with an encore — until Prieto, with a grand churning motion of his arm, urged a redoubling of the adulatory madness.” For the record, Ma compiled with an encore of Pablo Casals’ “Song of the Birds.”

Jessie Montgomery’s Transfigure to Grace, May 11-16

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, under Riccardo Muti, performed the world premiere of the CSO-commissioned Transfigure to Grace by CSO Mead Composer-in-Residence Jessie Montgomery. It’s a reworking of her 2019 ballet Passage, created for the Dance Theatre of Harlem to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the arrival of enslaved Africans in the New World. In her Chicago Tribune review, critic Hannah Edgar wrote: “Grace made plain what Chicago audiences already know: Montgomery is behind some of the most idiomatic and irresistible string writing being penned right now.” 

Emerson String Quartet with Emanuel Ax, June 4

After five decades together, the venerable ensemble performed its farewell tour in 2023, stopping June 4 at Orchestra Hall for an SCP Chamber Music concert with frequent collaborator, pianist Emanuel Ax. For the Chicago Classical Review, Tim Sawyier wrote, “Their final Chicago stand was a bittersweet reflection on a near half-century of music-making. ... The ensuing performance [with Ax in the second half] had a moving quality as one reflected on these relationships that have lasted the better part of a lifetime.”

Jakub Hrůša and the CSO in Mahler 9, June 8-10

The season brought a bounty of Mahler riches, with the Berlin Phil (Nov. 16) and Klaus Mäkelä (Feb. 16-18). But for many CSO regulars, the best was saved for last. Czech-born conductor Jakub Hrůša has burnished his already glowing reputation with performances in the world’s leading houses. He returned to Orchestra Hall to lead the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in Mahler’s monumental Symphony No. 9. “Interpretively, this was an estimable Mahler Ninth by any measure,” wrote Lawrence A. Johnson in the Chicago Classical Review. “Ultimately, it was the CSO’s night to shine in this intensely challenging score, and all musicians were at their considerable finest — as an ensemble, by section and individually.” (Note: Hrůša returns later this season to lead the CSO in concerts March 7-12 and March 14-16.)

Negaunee Music Institute Showcase, June 12

The Negaunee Music Institute, which connects the Chicago and the world to the resources of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, presents more than 30 public concerts each season. Under its umbrella are the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, CSO for Kids and Once Upon a Symphony concerts, the Notes for Peace program, the Youth in Music Festival and workshops for young instrumentalists, public school students/teachers and senior citizens. Its achievements receive a salute at its annual Negaunee Music Institute Showcase, depicted here.

‘Mission: Impossible’ encore, June 15-17

Though Lalo Schifrin’s Concerto for Tuba and Orchestra, featuring Principal Tuba Gene Pokorny as soloist, was the main attraction at this run, a happy surprise was in store. Schifrin specifically wrote the concerto for Pokorny, who performed its premiere in 2018 and regularly advocates for the composer, best known for his film scores. One can imagine the genial Pokorny approaching Muti with the line: “Your mission, Maestro, should you decide to accept it, will be to perform an encore of the ‘Theme to Mission: Impossible.’ ” Muti magnanimously accepted his assignment, and when the CSO and Pokorny broke into the theme’s distinctive first notes, the crowd went wild. As a happy coda, neither Muti nor Pokorny self-destructed.

Riccardo Muti and Missa solemnis, June 23-24

For his last subscription concert as music director, Riccardo Muti chose Beethoven’s mighty Missa solemnis, which he has called “the Sistine Chapel of music — a work so complex that it makes every interpreter’s wrists tremble.” Leading the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, along with guest vocalists, Muti delivered “a stupendous performance,” declared Kyle MacMillan in his review for the Chicago Sun-Times, one that “put an exclamation point on a dazzling era in the history of the CSO.” Adding to the sense of occasion, Muti was named Music Director Emeritus for Life after the run’s first concert on June 23. 

Concert for Chicago, June 27

For his last concert as CSO music director, Riccardo Muti returned to the same venue where he began his tenure, in September 2010 — Millennium Park’s Jay Pritzker Pavilion. Presented with the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, the free Concert for Chicago featured Florence Price’s Andante moderato and Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony. Following the program, Maestro Muti was recognized for his contributions to the City of Chicago during his 13-season CSO tenure. Bill Conway, alderman of the 34th Ward, which includes Symphony Center, read a resolution on behalf of the City Council and Mayor Brandon Johnson. CSOA President Jeff Alexander and Board Chair Mary Louise Gorno presented Muti with the inaugural Charles Norman Fay Award for Distinguished Leadership. As a finale, Muti handed over two batons — one from his final subscription concerts as music director and the other from this concert — to the CSOA Rosenthal Archives to cap his chapter as 10th music director.

Symphony Ball, Sept. 23

Music Director Emeritus for Life Riccardo Muti presided over the gala Symphony Ball concert, featuring superstar Leonidas Kavakos in Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, followed by instrumental selections from Italian operas — a Muti specialty. Symphony Ball raises funds for the CSOA’s Negaunee Music Institute, which supports Chicago-area children through programs such as CSO for Kids concerts, training opportunities for young musicians and free community performances and master classes.

The CSO and Riccardo Muti at Carnegie Hall, Oct. 4-5

Opening Carnegie Hall’s 2023-24 season, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Riccardo Muti performed two sold-out concerts there on Oct. 4-5. For the second program, the CSO and Muti took a voyage to Italy, anchored by Mendelssohn’s Italian Symphony and Strauss’ Aus Italien. Launching the sojourn was Philip Glass’ The Triumph of the Octagon, a work inspired by a photo of the 13th-century citadel Castel del Monte, which the composer spotted in Muti’s office at Symphony Center. Fittingly, Glass dedicated the work, a CSO commission, to Maestro Muti, who grew up near the region where the landmark castle still stands. When The Triumph of the Octagon received its world premiere during CSO concerts Sept. 28-30 in Chicago, Glass could not attend. But for the work’s New York premiere, Glass, a longtime Manhattanite, was in the audience and was acknowledged with sustained applause. In its review, the New York Times wrote of the Glass work: “The music gradually accumulated a mysterious timelessness with the shifting emphases of its time signatures and the delicate deployment of woodwind timbres.” Earlier in the review, the Times declared: “Under Muti, the Chicago Symphony is all power and finesse with no unsightly edges. ... The orchestra’s playing, strong yet nimble, drew on reserves of unforced power and charm.”

Jaap van Zweden, Christian Gehaher and the CSO, Oct. 12-15

After opening the Carnegie Hall season, the CSO reveled in another New York connection. Now in his last season as music director of the New York Philharmonic, Jaap van Zweden led the CSO in Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and songs from Mahler’s Des Knaben Wunderhorn, the latter featuring baritone Christian Gerhaher. In her review for WTTW, critic Hedy Weiss raved: “No matter how many times you might have heard [Beethoven’s] Fifth Symphony, it never loses its freshness as it moves from one thrilling passage to another. And the CSO captured them all — with the rousing opening movement full of intensity and high speed, and the rich response of each section of the orchestra generated by the animated van Zweden.”

Samara Joy, Oct. 27

The young sensation, winner of best new artist and best jazz vocal album honors at this year’s Grammy Awards, made her Orchestra Hall debut with a sold-out SCP Jazz performance that garnered raves from concertgoers and critics alike. In her Chicago Tribune review, Hannah Edgar wrote: “Not since Cécile McLorin Salvant has a vocalist so completely and galvanizingly gripped the genre. Joy’s plummy middle-low register, able to heat up even the palatial Orchestra Hall like a hearth, courts comparisons to Sarah Vaughan. When playfully ping-ponging up and down her register, there’s a sprinkle of Ella Fitzgerald.”

Staatskapelle Berlin, Nov. 28

Anticipation ran high ahead of the SCP Orchestras performance of the Staatskapelle Berlin, one of Europe’s oldest ensembles. Making its first Chicago appearance in 19 years, the venerable orchestra was to have been conducted on its North American tour by Daniel Barenboim, its general music director from 1992 to 2023 (and music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from 1991 to 2006). However, due to illness, Barenboim had to drop out of the tour just days before its start in Toronto. Fortunately, Jakub Hrůša, who had just completed a run of Janáček’s Jenůfa at Lyric Opera of Chicago, agreed to step in for the Orchestra Hall date. The result was a night to remember. As Lawrence A. Johnson wrote in the Chicago Classical Review: “The Staatskapelle Berlin served up some bracingly fresh and exhilarating Brahms, [showing] itself [to be] a fine, flexible and virtuosic ensemble. ... Hrůša is a dynamic podium figure, and his energetic persona drew committed and propulsive playing. The Staatskapelle musicians were clearly grateful and impressed by their maestro du jour.”

Michael Tilson Thomas, Nov. 30-Dec. 5

Long an Orchestra Hall favorite, Michael Tilson Thomas made an emotional and triumphant return, leading the CSO in a program of Mozart and Brahms. After a diagnosis of brain cancer, he has embarked on a series of farewell performances with orchestras that have played a significant role in his stellar podium career. His relationship with the CSO stretches back to 1970, the longest of any living conductor. “What quickly became clear is that no allowances had to be made for the circumstances,” wrote Kyle MacMillan in the Chicago Sun-Times. “Tilson Thomas was here to work, and that’s what he did, delivering a performance that will stand up to any in this hall this season. What most of us want ... is to go out on our own terms, and that is exactly what Tilson Thomas is doing: still making superb music and following his passion. For a little more than two hours, he transcended the bounds of mortal earth and took a roomful of grateful listeners with him.”

Montgomery and the Blacknificent 7, Dec. 3

The first CSO MusicNOW concert of the 2023-24 season marked the stage debut of the Blacknificent 7, a collective anchored by CSO Mead Composer-in-Residence Jessie Montgomery. Before the program began, she reminded the audience that “this is history in the making,” and the record turnout affirmed that statement. The group, devoted to a mission of advancing social change through music, consists of seven Black composers, some also performers, all experiencing critical and popular acclaim. The seven are Jasmine Barnes, Damien Geter, Shawn Okpebholo, Dave Ragland, Carlos Simon, Joel Thompson and Montgomery. Now in her third season as Mead Composer-in-Residence, Montgomery also was named Chicagoan of the Year for Classical Music by the Chicago Tribune.

Hilary Hahn, Mikko Franck and the CSO, Dec. 7-9

Now in her third season as CSO Artist-in-Residence, Hilary Hahn performed as soloist in two CSO subscription programs and a Symphony Center Presents Chamber Music recital, hosted families with infants at one of her signature Bring Your Own Baby concerts, coached young musicians at the People’s Music School and worked with visual-arts students at the Chicago High School for the Arts. Named Musical America’s 2023 Artist of the Year, the violinist will return June 9 for an SCP Chamber Music program titled Hilary Hahn and Friends. 

Merry, Merry Chicago!, Dec. 15-23

Always an audience favorite, Symphony Center’s annual holiday revue proved to be especially so this season, breaking the $1 million mark in ticket sales for the first time. Joining members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in traditional carols and yuletide songs were conductor Thomas Wilkins and musical-theater star Ashley Brown, who originated the title role of Mary Poppins on Broadway. Of special note on the festive program was Herald Angels, featuring Principal Trumpet Esteban Batallán, and composed by CSO viola Max Raimi.

Sir Andrew Davis, Handel’s Messiah, Dec. 14-16

Though originally composed for the Easter season, Handel’s Messiah has become a yuletide tradition over the centuries. Sir Andrew Davis, music director emeritus of Lyric Opera of Chicago, has rearranged the Christmas chestnut, aiming to “underline the mood and meaning of the individual moments.” Leading the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, along with guest vocalists, Davis gave the U.S. premiere of his arrangement. For the Chicago Classical Review, Graham Meyer wrote that Davis’ revamped Messiah makes “one listen in a fresh and engaging fashion. ... His use of woodwinds and brass does amplify and heighten the drama and interest of the instrumental music. ... It seems right for this to be a living, breathing tradition.”