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Canellakis, Tao & Tchaikovsky 5

Apr 30-May 3, 2026
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Overview

“With desire and passion,” Tchaikovsky writes on the score of his Fifth Symphony, and he’s as good as his word: It’s a work teeming with brilliant orchestral colors, stormy emotions and a fate motif that haunts each movement. Illinois native Conrad Tao is the soloist in Bartók’s Third Piano Concerto, the composer’s beguiling love letter to his wife and his native Hungary.

  • Venue
    Symphony Center
  • Price
    $39.00+ (incl. fees)
  • Length
    2 hours 10 minutes
  • Preconcert Conversation
    Johann Buis
Schedule
Program
Dvořák

Scherzo capriccioso

Bartók

Piano Concerto No. 3

Tchaikovsky

Symphony No. 5

Extras

Enhance your concert experience.

May 1-3: Haunts & Heroes photography exhibit

Part of the International Jazz Day celebrations in Chicago, the Haunts & Heroes exhibition is a photographic overview of the history of Chicago Jazz, harking back to the late Steve Shapiro’s portraits of Lil Hardin Armstrong and Earl “Father” Hines to Michael Jackson’s images of contemporary artists Isaiah Collier and Nicole Mitchell. Curated by Michael Jackson, the mobile exhibit includes pictorial visits to Fred Anderson’s Velvet Lounge, The Green Mill, Joe & Wayne Segal’s Jazz Showcase, Hothouse, Hungry Brain, Elastic, Andy’s, Constellation, the Southside’s legendary New Apartment Lounge and a host of other ‘haunts.’

Open to all ticketholders; doors open to the exhibit space 45 minutes prior to the concert start time.

Available Friday, May 1-Sunday, May 3 only.


Preconcert Dining

Explore Symphony Center’s on-site dining options for a seamless preconcert experience. Preorder a Sound Bites meal to enjoy in the Rotunda before the concert — or make a reservation to dine at the Thomas Club, offering a prix fixe menu featuring traditional American fare and a spectacular view of Lake Michigan. View menus and 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.

Sponsors & Partners

This performance is sponsored by the Bonnie Ann Barber Endowment Fund, which recognizes the importance of the CSO to Chicago and aims to preserve and support the CSO’s legacy for future generations.


Discover more on Experience CSO
Pianist Conrad Tao believes he owes a debt to Chicago: “Looking back, I’m just so delighted [Chicago] was where I got my musical start, because it has such amazing musicians, but there is also just an intimacy and a calmness to it.”
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“One of the things that resonates with people about Tchaikovsky’s music is that he put so much of himself into everything he wrote,” says conductor Karina Canellakis. “There’s such a core warmth to his music.”
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While the number of piano tuners has certainly declined in recent decades, the ones still at work are as busy as can be, especially the four elite technicians who take care of the pianos at Symphony Center.
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