CSOradio
CSOtv
CSOradio
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra was met with a blast of snow and cold as members traveled to Luxembourg City, Luxembourg, by bus on Monday, January 15. However, the weather didn’t stop them from taking a few strolls around the beautiful city before load-in for the first of two concerts at Philharmonie Luxembourg’s Grande-Duchesse Joséphine-Charlotte Concert Hall.
CSO violin Qing Hou walks through the falling snow upon arrival in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg, on Monday afternoon. The CSO last toured to Luxembourg in January 2020, just a couple months before international travel came to a standstill due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Todd Rosenberg Photography
Out in the cold and snow, James Smelser, CSO horn, buzzes his lips on his instrument’s mouthpiece to emulate a brrr-sound. In addition to his role in the horn section, Smelser was elected by his orchestra colleagues to serve as chair of the Orchestra’s Members Committee, which exists to represent the musicians in the day-to-day business of performing with an orchestra.
Todd Rosenberg Photography
A fresh snowfall calls for a snow person. Which instrument is this one suited to play?
Todd Rosenberg Photography
The CSO’s international touring activities allow the musicians to experience beauty in several different ways. In addition to seeing a serene snowscape like this one, they take in the architecture and public art that define so many cities, as well as the unique acoustics of each hall that shape their performances.
Todd Rosenberg Photography
After the bus ride from Essen, CSO bass trombone Charles Vernon and his wife, Alison Vernon, stroll through town to stretch their legs. A member of the CSO since 1986, Charles is not the only musician in his family; his wife is a conductor and vocalist and currently serves as music director of Countryside Church Unitarian Universalist in Palatine, Ill.
Todd Rosenberg Photography
Now in his 25th year as concertmaster of the CSO, Robert Chen warms up on stage before the first Luxembourg concert, on Monday, January 15. A concertmaster sits in the first-chair position of the violin section and serves as a leader not only to his or her section, but to the entire orchestra. Some of a concertmaster’s responsibilities include leading the orchestra in tuning at the beginning of rehearsals and concerts, making decisions regarding bowing and other technical details, and participating in the audition process for other principal positions in the orchestra. At the end of a performance, a conductor will often shake a concertmaster’s hand as a gesture of mutual respect.
Todd Rosenberg Photography
Julia Coronelli, guest harp, adjusts her instrument on stage before the concert. Guest musicians are invited to perform with the CSO when there are vacancies among its ranks. Coronelli’s primary gig is as principal harp of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.
Todd Rosenberg Photography
While the musicians are inside the hall preparing for their performance, patrons enter the Philharmonie Luxembourg’s Grande-Duchesse Joséphine-Charlotte Concert Hall. This hall was designed by Christian de Portzamparc, who was selected from an international architectural competition, and opened in 2005.
Todd Rosenberg Photography
Maestro Riccardo Muti, CSO music director emeritus for life, shares a smile with members of the violin section. Muti’s connection with this hall dates to its opening, when he was invited to lead the first concert of the Philharmonie’s first season, in 2005.
Todd Rosenberg Photography
The bassoon section—principal Keith Buncke, Miles Maner and William Buchman on contrabassoon—perform Strauss’ Aus Italien. Strauss himself described the work as “the connecting link between the old and the new methods” of composition—the transition between his early orchestral pieces that are rarely heard today and the landmark tone poems for which he is now known.
Todd Rosenberg Photography
The CSO bass section is back to full strength after filling all vacant positions prior to the beginning of the 2023/24 concert season.
Todd Rosenberg Photography
After leading a program of Italian-inspired music, the Naples-born Maestro Riccardo Muti leads the CSO in an encore of music by the composer he is most closely associated: Giuseppe Verdi.
Todd Rosenberg Photography
The brass section performs during the encore, Verdi’s Overture to Giovanna d’Arco. For this piece, CSO principal tuba Gene Pokorny has traded his regular instrument for a cimbasso, a low brass instrument first used in 19th-century Italian operas.
Todd Rosenberg Photography
The audience rose to its feet following the CSO’s first of two performances scheduled during this tour at the Philharmonie Luxembourg’s Grande-Duchesse Joséphine-Charlotte Concert Hall. The hall’s shoebox design features eight towers of boxes located around stalls in an irregular patter to create uniform sound distribution.
Todd Rosenberg Photography
Stage technicians Paul Christopher and Todd Snick open the stage doors for musicians to exit the stage following their performance. This tour will be Snick’s final one with the CSO before his retirement later this year.
Todd Rosenberg Photography
