CSOradio
CSOtv
CSOradio
Name and instrument: Daniel Carson, bass
First season as member: 2023–24
Hometown: Golf, Illinois
Education: Indiana University, BM; University of Southern California, MM
What works or concerts are you most looking forward to this season and why?
I am really looking forward to playing Mahler’s Sixth and Seventh symphonies at the International Mahler Festival in Amsterdam. It is such an honor for the CSO to be invited to participate. I am also really looking forward to two spring concerts with Klaus Mäkelä: Mahler 3 and Dvořák 7.
What is your favorite music to perform, and why?
I adore Mozart. I love so much of his music, but his piano concertos hold a special place in my heart. He wrote 27 piano concertos, and many of them are masterpieces. They are all similar, and yet within that similarity, there is astounding variety. My favorite is No. 23 in A Major. Playing Mozart piano concertos with the CSO feels like playing chamber music, which is so wonderful.
Offstage, I like to:
I am passionate about playing bluegrass guitar. I got interested in bluegrass and folk music from my dad, and have been taking guitar lessons and going to jam sessions in Chicago for about a year. I am also a devoted Chicago pizza fan and love trying new pizza places — some deep dish, but mostly thin crust!
What is one of your favorite holiday traditions, musical or otherwise?
I love going with my family to see Illumination, the beautiful light exhibit at the Morton Arboretum. I also love playing music and singing with my family and friends during the holidays.
What is your most memorable CSO performance or experience?
My most memorable performance with the CSO was the Verdi opera Un Ballo in Maschera with Riccardo Muti in June 2022. Maestro Muti has such a unique and thrilling way of interpreting Italian music, and it was an absolute joy to work on the opera with him.
Currently I’m reading/watching/listening to:
I love horror movies, and had a great time working though some classics this fall: “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” “Friday the 13th,” “Poltergeist” and a terrifying new one called “Smile.”
