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Sunday, January 14, was a busy day of both travel and a concert for the CSO. After checking out of their Paris hotel, the group boarded a bus to the airport, where they boarded a charter flight, which was followed by another bus ride to their hotel in Essen, Germany. They enjoyed a short break before heading to the Philharmonie Essen to perform for the gracious audience that turned out for that evening’s concert.
Yevgeny Faniuk, assistant principal flute, give a thumbs up as he boards a charter flight from Paris to Dortmund, Germany. Faniuk, who was appointed to the CSO by Maestro Muti in 2022, is the newest member of the woodwind section.
Todd Rosenberg Photography
During the second bus ride of the day, a sign pointing them toward Essen was spotted. The CSO has performed in Essen three times prior to this engagement, most recently in 2014.
Todd Rosenberg Photography
Patrons begin to enter the hall for the evening concert, which will feature a repeat of the previous night’s program—music by Philip Glass and Germans Mendelssohn and Strauss. After seeing the ornate decor on the exterior of the concert halls previously visited during this tour, the architecture of this hall feels distinctly German with its low buildings and clean lines.
Todd Rosenberg Photography
CSO violin Florence Schwartz finds a seat on a stairwell, where she adjusts her instrument prior to the concert. Schwartz is a longtime member of the Orchestra, having been appointed by Sir Georg Solti in 1989.
Todd Rosenberg Photography
Miles Maner, CSO bassoon, is spotted capturing backstage video with his phone. Maner creates and posts content to the CSO musicians’ Instagram page, @csomusicans.
Todd Rosenberg Photography
During the Sunday evening performance of Philiip Glass’ The Triumph of the Octagon, CSO violin Lei Hou comes into focus. Hou and her sister, Qing Hou, were both appointed by Daniel Barenboim to the violin section in 1997.
Todd Rosenberg Photography
CSO flute Emma Gerstein and principal flute Stefán Ragnar Höskuldsson stand for a bow following the Orchestra’s performance of Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 4 (Italian), which the composer acknowledged as “the most cheerful piece I have yet composed.”
Todd Rosenberg Photography
Maestro Riccardo Muti, music director emeritus for life, smiles at the audience during their applause at the conclusion of the first half of Sunday’s concert.
Todd Rosenberg Photography
During intermission, CSO horn Oto Carrillo finds a place among the trunks to warm up his instrument for the second half of the concert. Before joining the CSO, Carrillo was a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, a training program for emerging professional musicians.
Todd Rosenberg Photography
Maestro Riccardo Muti leads the CSO in the second half of the concert, which features Richard Strauss’ musical souvenir from his travels to Italy, Aus Italien. Each movement of this work depicts vistas from his travels through the Roman countryside, the ruins of ancient Rome, the shores of Sorrento and bustling Naples.
Todd Rosenberg Photography
CSO trombone Michael Mulcahy, guest trombone Hillary Simms and CSO bass trombone Charles Vernon perform from the back row of the orchestra in Aus Italien by Richard Strauss. Strauss led the opening concert at this hall in 1904, the same year that Orchestra Hall in Chicago opened.
Todd Rosenberg Photography
The CSO’s performance in Alfried Krupp Hall at Philharmonie Essen on Sunday evening brought the audience to their feet.
Todd Rosenberg Photography
A peek over the shoulder of principal flute Stefán Ragnar Höskuldsson during the Orchestra’s performance of the evening’s encore, Verdi’s Overture to Giovanna d’Arco.
Todd Rosenberg Photography
Robert Kassinger, CSO bass, smiles backstage after the concert. When he’s not performing with the CSO, Kassinger can be found playing in Chicago’s jazz clubs.
Todd Rosenberg Photography
Marie Babette Nierenz, intendantin of the Philharmonie Essen, congratulates CSO violas Danny Lai, Wei-Ting Kuo and Sunghee Choi at a postconcert reception the venue hosted for all tour participants. Cheers to all!
Todd Rosenberg Photography
