Overview
In this special concert-theater work, conductor Dame Jane Glover, the Music of the Baroque Orchestra, violin soloist Brendon Elliott and four actors tell the remarkable story of the 18th-century Black composer, virtuoso violinist and friend of Mozart and Marie Antoinette, Joseph Bologne, known as the Chevalier de Saint-Georges. The Chevalier was the finest European fencer, a general of Europe’s first Black regiment and a crusader for the abolishment of slavery.
Written and directed by Bill Barclay, this concert presentation weaves together Bologne’s own music with semi-staged dialogue and offers a thoughtful meditation on the true nature of equality.
Cast
Brendon Elliott violin
R.J. Foster actor (Joseph Bologne)
Merritt Janson actor (Marie Antoinette)
David Joseph actor (W.A. Mozart)
Bill Barclay actor (Choderlos de Laclos)
Ticket holders are invited to a free Postconcert Conversation featuring Bill Barclay in Orchestra Hall after the performance. The conversation will last approximately 20 minutes. No additional tickets required.
The Midwest premiere of The Chevalier is presented by Music of the Baroque in partnership with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association.