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When it comes to holiday music, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and its presenting arm, Symphony Center Presents, have all the bases covered with programs offering the old and new, sacred and secular, and familiar and unfamiliar. Here is a quick overview of the many seasonal options, which all take place at Symphony Center, except where noted:
Nov. 18, Bach Marathon. J.S. Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos have no direct connection to the yuletide, but performances of the works have become a holiday tradition with many ensembles, including the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, the CSO’s pre-professional training arm. Ken-David Masur, the Civic’s principal conductor, is adding what he calls a “little twist” to the annual custom. Instead of all six Brandenburg Concertos, the finale concert will feature four of the works, along with Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 3. (Tickets become available Nov. 4.)
Nov. 21-23, Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake: Not holiday-themed per se, this program showcases the suite from Tchaikovsky’s ballet Swan Lake, which inspired the composer to create his most festive ballet, The Nutcracker. Hannu Lintu leads the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in works by John Adams, Sofia Gubaidulina and Stravinsky (his Violin Concerto, with Vilde Frang as soloist). The Nov. 22 concert is at Wheaton College’s Edman Memorial Chapel.
Nov. 29-Dec. 1, “The Wizard of Oz” in Concert. Though not a yuletide film, this classic, based on the book by onetime Oak Park resident L. Frank Baum, embodies the holiday spirit. Cheer on Dorothy (Judy Garland in her signature role) and revel in Herbert Stothart’s beautiful score, performed live by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, led by Richard Kaufman, as MGM’s Technicolor classic plays on the big screen.
Nov. 30, Vienna Boys Choir, Christmas in Vienna. There might be no more famous choral group in the world than this ensemble, which traces its storied history to an imperial decree from the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I in 1498. It maintains two ensembles, one of which is on the road at any given time. For this Symphony Center Presents Special Concert, the program will feature Austrian folk songs, classical masterpieces, holiday hymns and carols.
Dec. 10, A Chanticleer Christmas. The 12-member, male a cappella vocal group annually performs 25 or so holiday concerts nationwide between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Each year since 2000, except for the COVID-19 shutdown in 2020, Chanticleer has made a yuletide stop here for a Symphony Center Presents Special Concert. This season, the group performs at Orchestra Hall, instead of the Fourth Presbyterian Church. “We love coming to Chicago, and every year, our Christmas tour starts on the East Coast, and we wind our way back,” Music Director Tim Keeler told Experience CSO in 2022. “We would never miss a stop in Chicago.”
Dec. 13-15, “Elf” in Concert. Buddy, a misfit elf (Will Ferrell), travels from the North Pole, where he grew up, across the seven levels of the Candy Cane Forest, past the Sea of Twirly-Swirly Gumdrops and through New York’s Lincoln Tunnel in search of his biological father. Members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, under Justin Freer, will perform the score by John Debney, while the movie is projected above the stage.
Dec. 17, Chicago Symphony Orchestra Brass. While not a yuletide concert per se, this annual offering always occurs during the holiday season and is always festive in spirit. The event showcases the CSO’s brass section, which has built an international reputation for its bold, shining sound. As usual, this concert will be led by Michael Mulcahy, a member of the CSO trombone section since 1989.
Dec. 18-23, Merry, Merry, Chicago! This CSO Special Concert, an annual, family-friendly holiday revue, is performed by members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, led by Alastair Willis, and the Chicago Symphony Chorus, prepared by Cheryl Frazes Hill, associate chorus director. Featured will be yuletide favorites such as “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing,” “Joy to the World,” “Sleigh Ride” and “White Christmas.”
