CSOradio
CSOtv
CSOradio
The 2024/25 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. Tickets and subscriptions for all series are now on sale and can be ordered online or over the phone.
Can’t decide which concerts to select? Over the next weeks, staff members will offer their own choices for the must-see performances of 2024/25.
Patron Services associate Hayley Fox is excited about a little of everything — from the elegant piano works of Debussy to Bartók’s haunting one-act opera, Bluebeard’s Castle. Read on to explore her top concert picks — plus discover what she believes will be the “hidden hit” of the 2024/25 season.
Cécile McLorin Salvant, Feb. 21: I could not be a bigger fan of Cécile — I have been listening to her albums since high school, and her vocal stylings are not to be missed. She has the range of an opera singer, the knowledge of a musicologist and the mind of a curator. She started as a classical singer but was told by a clarinetist friend of hers that she should try jazz and improvising, and she fell in love with the freedom and versatility of the style. She has said in interviews that she would spend months studying one singer’s voice — going far back in the tradition to look at wax rolls of early blues singers, or listening only to Sarah Vaughan — and you can hear it in her technique. She has written a one-woman opera and is a MacArthur Genius Grant Winner. I truly can’t wait for the chance to see her again.
Jean-Yves Thibaudet plays Debussy, Jan. 19: I have always loved Debussy’s music. I discovered his Preludes in 2017 while studying some art songs of his as an opera singer, and I was blown away by the scope and difficulty of the works. Each one is based on a different interval, and this limitation provides an amazingly lush tonal landscape as you journey through the development of each movement. To get a chance to hear one of my favorite French pianists play them in concert will be a real treat.
Salonen Conducts Bluebeard’s Castle, Feb. 6-8: As I am going through my list, I am finding a lot of concerts in my birthday month, and I certainly don’t want to miss Bluebeard’s Castle. This opera has an amazingly haunting story, and I love that the CSO is doing this opera in concert this year, along with Hadyn’s Mass and the Verdi Requiem. It is wonderful to get to listen to an opera on its own — it almost feels like it gives me a chance to really focus on the musical aspects of the work. The cool things about this opera are that it has only two soloists — baritone and dramatic soprano — and it is only one act long. (Good to know for those who can’t sit through a long Wagner opera!) It’s based on an eerie symbolist French folk tale about a newlywed woman who comes to her husband’s castle, only to find that it is full of silent brides and secret doors that aren’t to be opened. I get goosebumps just thinking about it!
The Tempest and the Sea Hawk, Dec. 12-14: Four of my favorite composers on one concert inspired by sailors is the gift I didn’t know I needed. I am a sucker for anything ocean-themed: give me La Mer, give me Elgar’s Sea Pictures, give me this program. Britten, Mahler, Korngold and Tchaikovsky together will be such a treat. Songs of a Wayfarer? Peter Grimes? This concert is sure to rock the boat. Be sure to get Classic Encounter tickets with Terri Hemmert beforehand if you go.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon in Concert, Jan. 10-11: This film is going to be epic. I had never heard of it before this season’s announcement, but when I did my research and found it was a Tan Dun score, I knew I had to go. I learned about his Buddha Passion and Water Passion after Saint Matthew in an oratorio class in college, and his works are truly unique and vibrant. Besides, who doesn’t love a martial arts movie — especially one with over 40 awards and accolades, including nominations for best foreign language film, best picture, best art direction, best original score and best cinematography? A fun fact about the title: “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” is translated directly from a Chinese idiom that indicates a place filled with hidden masters, as well as the secrets behind polite society. It comes from a poem by the ancient Chinese poet Yu Xin. It has several layers of meaning, but one thing is for sure: this concert is bound to be a hidden hit!
Symphony Center’s 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 them on CSO.org.
