Sheherazade

May 2-4, 2024

Overview

Elim Chan leads Rimsky-Korsakov’s sumptuous symphonic suite Sheherazade, inspired by the legendary heroine and tales of One Thousand and One Nights. Paul Jacobs, “a virtuoso of dazzling technical acumen” (The New York Times), performs Barber’s Toccata festiva, an exuberant showcase for organ containing echoes of J.S. Bach.

Program
Weber

Overture to Der Freischütz

Barber

Toccata festiva

Ives

Variations on “America” [May 2 Encore]

Paul Jacobs organ

Bach

Fugue in G minor, "Little," BWV 578 [May 4 Encore]

Paul Jacobs organ

Rimsky-Korsakov

Sheherazade

Extras

Enhance your concert experience with these additional events.

Preconcert Dining

Enhance your concert experience by dining at Forte featuring contemporary Mediterranean cuisine or the Thomas Club featuring traditional American fare. Learn more »


Preconcert Conversation

Explore the music in a free preconcert conversation featuring Johann Buis in Orchestra Hall 75 minutes before the performance. The talk will last approximately 30 minutes. No additional tickets are needed.


Classic Encounter

Terri Hemmert

Thursday, May 2: Pre-concert multimedia discussion hosted by Chicago’s favorite radio DJ, WXRT’s Terri Hemmert, and CSO bassoonist, Miles Maner.

You will have the opportunity to add Classic Encounter to your order after selecting your seats for the concert. Learn more about Classic Encounter »


Poems While You Wait

Poems While You WaitSaturday, May 4: Poems While You Wait is a collective of poets and their vintage typewriters who provide an unexpected and unpretentious encounter with poetry. The process is simple: give us your name, give us the topic that you would like us to write a poem about (funny, sad or serious; big or small), give us a $10 donation (all of which goes to the nonprofit book publisher Rose Metal Press), and go enjoy the performance. Upon your return you will have a custom-made, one-of-a-kind original poem to keep for yourself or to give as a gift. Poetry requests will take place in Grainger Ballroom starting at 6:30 PM. No additional tickets required.

Nights

A tale written in Arabic & living in a book,
earthly not divine; it was not buried yet has been lost.

The Nights has never been stable & has never stopped changing shape,
A loose collection of stories with no single author, scribe, translator.

Continue reading Nights »

Sponsors

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Elim Chan, 37, is making debuts with a dazzling array of orchestras this season. She said of these first-time engagements, “You meet a lot of new people and see how the dance goes.”
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