Create Your Own Series - Fall 2021 Season Guide

Fall 2021 Season Guide

CREATE YOUR OWN SERIES TODAY!

Let the power of live music move you again… …during the Fall 2021 Season at Symphony Center.

Filled with popular audience favorites and compelling new works, the lineup is best experienced exactly the way you want — Create Your Own Series.

Choose any three or more concerts and experience a variety of exciting performances that work best for your schedule, taste and budget. You get access to priority seating and a savings of 10% over full-priced single tickets. Easily create your own series at cso.org or call 312-294-3000 for personalized service.

Plans for the Fall 2021 Season have been made to ensure the health and safety of everyone at Symphony Center. Fall concerts from Sept. 2 to Nov. 21 will be presented without intermission and last less than 90 minutes. Additional safety measures following the latest public health guidelines may be in place.

Please visit cso.org/SafeAndSound for the most recent updates.

riccardo muti

2

herbie hancock

daniil trifonov

hilary hahn

lang lang

chicago symphony chorus

chicago symphony orchestra

leonidas kavakos

cso for kids: family matinees

missy mazzoli

jessie montgomery

yuja wang

michael tilson thomas

cso.org

3

Your Rewards Our way of saying thank you for becoming a subscriber and joining us for great musical experiences.  Priority access to the best seats of the season  A 10% savings over full-priced single tickets  Easy, fee-free ticket exchanges  10% off additional single-ticket purchases during the season  Exclusive offers, presales and much more!

4

Fall 2021 Season Calendar herbie hancock

September / October 2 THU 7:30 jazz

Herbie Hancock

Legendary keyboardist and Kennedy Center Honoree Herbie Hancock makes a long-anticipated return to Symphony Center. “[Hancock] remains one of the most protean artists in jazz, each project taking him into a different expressive language” (Chicago Tribune).

part of chicago in tune festival and 2021: year of chicago music

23 THU 7:30 24 FRI 1:30 25 SAT 8:00 cso classical

Muti Conducts Saint-Georges, Price & Beethoven 3

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Riccardo Muti conductor

Saint-Georges Overture to L’Amant anonyme Price Andante moderato Beethoven Symphony No. 3 (Eroica)

Riccardo Muti and the CSO reunite! Their first performance together since February 2020 features Beethoven’s stirring Eroica Symphony. The program opens with music from the only surviving opera by Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, the Guadeloupe-born composer, violinist and champion fencer who dazzled 18th-century Parisian society. Also featured is an enchanting, lyrical gem from the String Quartet in G Major by Florence Price, the first African American woman to have her music played by a major American orchestra — the CSO in 1933.

riccardo muti

cso.org

5

lang lang

leonidas kavakos

September / October 30 THU 7:30 1 FRI 1:30 2 SAT 8:00 cso classical

Muti, Kavakos & Beethoven 7

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Riccardo Muti conductor Leonidas Kavakos violin

Brahms Violin Concerto Beethoven Symphony No. 7

Greek virtuoso Leonidas Kavakos performs Brahms’ Violin Concerto, a work that he has recorded with a “wonderful poise and instinctive elegance” (The Guardian). A cornerstone of the violin repertoire, the concerto brims with orchestral drama, rapturous melodies and earthy folk-dance rhythms. Riccardo Muti concludes the program with Beethoven’s exhilarating Seventh Symphony.

7 THU 7:30 8 FRI 1:30 9 SAT 8:00 cso classical

Muti Conducts Mazzoli & Tchaikovsky Pathétique

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Riccardo Muti conductor

Mazzoli These Worlds In Us Liadov The Enchanted Lake Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6 (Pathétique)

Tchaikovsky called his Pathétique Symphony “the best and especially the most open-hearted of my works.” Riccardo Muti leads this masterful and deeply tragic score, which was the last of Tchaikovsky’s works to be premiered during his lifetime. It is preceded by Liadov’s luminous nighttime scene and former Mead Composer-in-Residence Missy Mazzoli’s evocative meditation on her father's experiences as a soldier in Vietnam.

8 FRI 8:00 piano

Lang Lang

Bach Goldberg Variations

“The hottest artist on the classical music planet” (The New York Times), piano phenomenon Lang Lang comes back to Chicago for a performance of Bach’s towering masterpiece, the iconic Goldberg Variations.

6

this performance is generously sponsored by ling z. and michael c. markovitz.

john sharp

michael tilson thomas

cso for kids: family matinees

October 14 THU 7:30 15 FRI 1:30 16 SAT 8:00 17 SUN 3:00 cso classical

Saint-Saëns & Schumann

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider conductor John Sharp cello

Holmès La Nuit et l'Amour Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto No. 1 Schumann Symphony No. 2

Composer Augusta Holmès broke gender barriers in 19th-century Paris, studying with Romantic master César Franck and writing symphonic works on a heroic scale. The sumptuous Night and Love offers a snapshot of her remarkable talents. Saint-Saëns’ richly melodic concerto highlights CSO Principal Cello John Sharp, and Schumann’s Second Symphony expresses triumph after his struggles with illness and depression.

these concerts are generously sponsored by the zell family foundation.

21 THU 7:30 22 FRI 8:00 23 SAT 8:00 cso classical

Tilson Thomas Conducts Grieg, Prokofiev & Brahms

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Michael Tilson Thomas conductor Alexander Gavrylyuk piano

Grieg The Last Spring Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 1 Brahms Serenade No. 1

Ukrainian-born piano powerhouse Alexander Gavrylyuk presents Prokofiev’s iridescent and rhythmically animated First Piano Concerto, the work with which the composer made his CSO performance debut, in 1918, as part of its U.S. premiere. Michael Tilson Thomas leads this program framed by Grieg’s The Last Spring, a poignant reflection on seasonal change, and Brahms’ First Serenade, which juxtaposes melancholy with sunlit joy.

23 SAT 11:00 AM & 12:45 PM cso for kids

Family Matinee

Members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Thomas Wilkins conductor

Bring the entire family for a fun and engaging concert created specifically for our younger audiences! This CSO for Kids Matinee features music that provides a sense of excitement and belonging after a year of uncertainty and isolation. Charismatic conductor Thomas Wilkins leads members of the CSO in this concert perfect for ages 5–12.

cso.org

7

denis matsuev

cso musicnow at symphony center

October / November 28 THU 7:30 29 FRI 1:30 30 SAT 8:00 cso classical

Tilson Thomas Conducts Still, Brahms & Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 3

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Michael Tilson Thomas conductor Denis Matsuev piano

Still Patterns Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 3 Brahms Serenade No. 2

A hundred years ago, the CSO gave the world premiere of Prokofiev’s Third Piano Concerto with the composer as soloist. Denis Matsuev joins Michael Tilson Thomas to celebrate this milestone with a performance of Prokofiev’s exuberant, poetic and witty score. William Grant Still, the first African American composer to have a symphony performed by a major orchestra, conjures a mesmerizing sound world in his Patterns.

Brahms offers warmth and serenity in his Serenade No. 2.

1 MON 7:00

note location: orchestra hall, symphony center

cso musicnow

Homecoming

Musicians from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Michael Lewanski conductor Whitney Morrison soprano

Smith Scions of an Atlas world premiere, cso musicnow commission Montgomery Loisada, My Love Montgomery Lunar Songs Joachim Seen Hearne Authority

The 2021/22 CSO MusicNOW series opens at Orchestra Hall with a program curated by Mead Composer-in-Residence Jessie Montgomery that celebrates composers with ties to Chicago. Featuring a work by daring, cutting-edge composer Ted Hearne and a world premiere by rising star Elijah Daniel Smith that reimagines the Baroque concerto grosso form. Haitian American flutistcomposer Nathalie Joachim explores individual and cultural identity in her wind quintet Seen, alongside Montgomery's set of enchanting vocal works based on text by J. Mae Barizo and Bimbo Rivas.

major support for cso musicnow is generously provided by the zell family foundation, cindy sargent, the sally mead hands foundation and the julian family foundation.

scions of an atlas is commissioned by cso musicnow through the helen zell commissioning program.

8

November 4 THU 7:30 5 FRI 1:30 6 SAT 8:00 cso classical

Mozart Jupiter & Robert Chen Plays Bruch

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Marek Janowski conductor Robert Chen violin

Mendelssohn The Hebrides Overture Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1 Mozart Symphony No. 41 (Jupiter)

A masterwork of unrestrained joy, Mozart’s final symphony is one of the greatest in the repertoire. Marek Janowski conducts the Jupiter Symphony, along with Mendelssohn’s The Hebrides Overture, a product of his trip to Scotland’s rugged west coast. CSO Concertmaster Robert Chen is soloist in Bruch’s beloved First Violin Concerto, noted for its rapturous melodies and crackling, dance-like finale.

7 SUN 3:00 chamber music

Leonidas Kavakos & Yuja Wang

Leonidas Kavakos violin Yuja Wang piano

Violin Sonatas by J.S. Bach, Busoni and Shostakovich

Superstar soloists Yuja Wang and Leonidas Kavakos, who together “sound like a single organism” (Financial Times), present works by J.S. Bach, along with two composers who fell under the master’s influence. Busoni’s Second Violin Sonata ends with a kaleidoscopic set of variations on a Bach chorale, while Shostakovich’s late-career sonata channels the grandeur and intensity in Bach’s music.

8 MON 8:00 free Civic Orchestra of Chicago

Thomas Wilkins conductor

Program to include: Hailstork An American Port of Call Still Symphony No. 1 (Afro-American Symphony)

The Civic Orchestra of Chicago returns to perform its first live concert at Symphony Center since March 2020. Led by guest conductor Thomas Wilkins, the program includes Adolphus Hailstork’s An American Port of Call, an energetic piece that evokes a bustling seaside port, and William Grant Still’s beautiful and fiery Symphony No. 1 (Afro-American), his most famous work, which blends blues elements into its orchestrations.

11 THU 7:30 12 FRI 1:30 13 SAT 8:00 cso classical

Coleridge-Taylor, Barber & Dvořák 6

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Jakub Hrůša conductor Joélle Harvey soprano

Coleridge-Taylor Ballade in A Minor Barber Knoxville: Summer of 1915 Dvořák Symphony No. 6

Jakub Hrůša conducts a joyful portrait of his Czech homeland in Dvořák’s folk-infused Sixth Symphony. Radiant soprano Joélle Harvey makes her CSO debut in Barber’s nostalgic recollection of small-town America. Opening the program is Coleridge-Taylor’s 1898 breakthrough score, the rhapsodic Ballade.

these concerts are generously sponsored by the zell family foundation.

cso.org

9

November / December 12 FRI 8:00 piano

Daniil Trifonov

Prokofiev Sarcasms, Op. 17 Szymanowski Sonata No. 3, Op. 36 Debussy Pour le piano Brahms Sonata No. 3 in F Minor, Op. 5

With “colorful, dazzling and imaginative playing,” Russian virtuoso Daniil Trifonov ranks as “one of the most awesome pianists of our time” (The New York Times). His Symphony Center Presents recital offers ravishingly colorful works by Debussy and Szymanowski, a set of brash and playful miniatures by Prokofiev and Brahms’ titanic F Minor Sonata.

18 THU 7:30 19 FRI 1:30 20 SAT 8:00 21 SUN 3:00 cso classical

Guerrero Conducts Piazzolla & Beethoven

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Giancarlo Guerrero conductor Daniel Binelli bandoneón

Buxtehude, arr. and orch. Chávez Chaconne in E Minor Piazzolla Bandoneón Concerto (Aconcagua) Beethoven Symphony No. 1

Astor Piazzolla, born a century ago, revolutionized the Argentine tango with urbane sophistication. His Aconcagua — named for an Andean mountain — is alternately pensive and streetwise in spirit. Giancarlo Guerrero leads a program bookended by Buxtehude’s Chaconne, vibrantly orchestrated by Mexican composer Carlos Chávez, and Beethoven’s witty and confident First Symphony

part of a worldwide celebration honoring the 100th anniversary of astor piazzolla's birth.

19 FRI 8:00 world

Quinteto Astor Piazzolla

The Latin Grammy-winning quintet and “brilliantly assured” (BBC Music) standard-bearer for nuevo tango celebrates the centenary of its namesake, Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla, in a program of his most memorable compositions.

part of a worldwide celebration honoring the 100th anniversary of astor piazzolla's birth.

26 FRI 7:30 27 SAT 7:30 28 SUN 3:00 movies

Home Alone in Concert

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Richard Kaufman conductor Don’t miss this beloved holiday favorite on the big screen at Symphony Center as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra performs John Williams’ delightful, Academy Award-nominated score. Home Alone is hilarious, heart-warming fun for the entire family! © 1990 twentieth century fox

2 THU 7:30 3 FRI 8:00 4 SAT 8:00 cso classical

Lindberg, Lalo & Brahms 4

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Hannu Lintu conductor Ray Chen violin

Lindberg Serenades world premiere, cso co-commission

10

through the helen zell commissioning program.

Lalo Symphonie espagnole Brahms Symphony No. 4

Ray Chen returns to present Lalo’s salute to the vigorous and sultry dance rhythms of Spain. A new work by renowned Finnish composer Magnus Lindberg and Brahms' richly autumnal Fourth Symphony complete this program led by Finnish conductor Hannu Lintu.

December 6 MON 7:00

fourth presbyterian church, 126 e. chestnut st.

free

Civic Orchestra of Chicago: Bach Marathon Finale

The Civic Orchestra of Chicago brings performances of J.S. Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos to communities across Chicago as part of the seventh annual Bach Marathon on December 6. Principal Conductor Ken-David Masur joins the Civic for the event’s culminating moment in a finale concert at Fourth Presbyterian Church.

7 TUE 7:30 8 WED 7:30 holiday

fourth presbyterian church, 126 e. chestnut st.

A Chanticleer Christmas “The world’s reigning male chorus” (The New Yorker) returns for an intimate a cappella performance of cherished Christmas favorites in the stunning Gothic Revival setting of the Fourth Presbyterian Church.

9 THU 7:30 10 FRI 8:00 11 SAT 8:00 cso classical

Hilary Hahn, Dvořák Violin Concerto & Tchaikovsky 5

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Andrés Orozco-Estrada conductor Hilary Hahn violin

Frank Haillí-Serenata world premiere, cso commission Dvořák Violin Concerto Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5

Intrepid superstar and CSO Artist-in-Residence Hilary Hahn returns to perform Dvořák’s Violin Concerto, a work laced with the vibrant colors and dance rhythms of the composer’s native Bohemia, which was given its U.S. premiere by the Orchestra in 1891. Andrés Orozco-Estrada leads a world premiere by Gabriela Lena Frank, named by the Washington Post as one of the 35 most significant female composers in history, and Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony, a work that embodies the struggle of triumph over adversity.

15 WED 7:30 chamber music

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Brass

Experience the staggering power and razor-sharp precision of the legendary brass section of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in a program of traditional favorites and symphonic masterworks arranged for brass ensemble.

home alone in concert

presented in collaboration with the midwest clinic, an international band and orchestra conference

a chanticleer christmas

chicago symphony orchestra brass

cso.org

11

duain wolfe

vienna boys choir

December / January 16 THU 7:30 17 FRI 1:30 18 SAT 8:00 19 SUN 3:00 cso classical

Handel's Messiah

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Nicholas McGegan conductor Yulia Van Doren soprano Reginald Mobley countertenor Ben Bliss tenor Dashon Burton bass-baritone Chicago Symphony Chorus Duain Wolfe chorus director

Handel Messiah

From the awe-inspiring “Hallelujah” chorus to the many thrilling and intimate arias, Handel’s landmark oratorio is an unmissable CSO holiday tradition.

Nicholas McGegan, “one of the finest Baroque conductors of his generation” (The Independent), leads a glorious reunion of the assembled forces of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus.

17 FRI 7:30 18 SAT 3:00 21 TUE 7:00 22 WED 3:00 23 THU 1:00 & 4:00 holiday

Merry, Merry Chicago!

Members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Alastair Willis conductor

Chicago’s favorite musical holiday celebration returns to Symphony Center!

Members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and special guests share music of the holiday season in this festive program for the whole family.

21 TUE 1:30 holiday

Vienna Boys Choir: Christmas in Vienna

Experience the world’s foremost children’s choral group, adored around the world for six centuries, in a rousing program of popular folk songs, classical masterpieces and beloved holiday favorites.

6 THU 7:30 7 FRI 8:00 8 SAT 8:00 cso classical

Rhapsody in Blue & Boléro

Chicago Symphony Orchestra André de Ridder conductor Inon Barnatan piano

Gershwin, arr. Bennett Porgy and Bess, A Symphonic Picture Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue Ravel Piano Concerto in G Major Ravel Boléro

In a vibrant program of classical music inspired by the jazz revolution of the 20th century, two of George Gershwin’s iconic works are paired with one he undoubtedly influenced, Ravel’s jazzy Piano Concerto in G Major. Ravel’s most famous work, the mesmerizing Boléro, brings the program to a rousing close.

12

Our Sponsors The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association is grateful for the generous support of these leading corporate and foundation sponsors:

Maestro Residency Presenter

Youth Education Program Sponsor

Official Airline of the CSO

SCP Jazz Series Sponsor

The Artist in Residence at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra is made possible through a generous gift from James and Brenda Grusecki.

The 2021/22 Civic Orchestra of Chicago season is generously sponsored by The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation.

Major support for CSO MusicNOW is generously provided by the Zell Family Foundation, Cindy Sargent, the Sally Mead Hands Foundation and the Julian Family Foundation.

Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Merry, Merry Chicago! media partner:

SCP Jazz series, CSO MusicNOW series and select special concerts media partner:

SCP Jazz series media partner:

CSO for Kids media partner:

PART OF 2021: YEAR OF CHICAGO MUSIC

Symphony Center events are also made possible by our many generous donors.

Make a gift today at cso.org/give.

SPRING 2022 PROGRAMS TO BE ANNOUNCED IN OCTOBER cso.org

13

Pricing and Seating Guide Create Your Own savings are applied to current ticket prices at the time of purchase, which can increase based on demand.

Order early to lock in the best prices!

MAIN FLOOR

BOX SEATS

LOWER BALCONY

UPPER BALCONY

GALLERY

TERRACE

CSO Classical

$55–164

$210–276

$67–222

$38–87

$32–51

$60–123

Movies

$65–85

$110

$65–85

$50-55

$50

n/a

Family Matinees

$25–45

$65

$35-45

$25

$15

$25

Family Matinees

$15–25

$35

$20–25

$15

$5

$15

Piano

$35-54

$75–199

$36–150

$25–60

$23–55

$29–155

Chamber Music

$51–74

$112

$61–84

$42-46

$39–42

$38–59

Jazz, World & Folk

$50–80

$80–110

$50–80

$40–60

$25–50

$45–60

Holiday

$50–121

$80–163

$50–132

$38–74

$25–64

$45–65

$20

n/a

$20

n/a

n/a

n/a

adult

youth 12 & under

CSO MusicNOW

ORCHESTRA HALL AT SYMPHONY CENTER

Subscribe Today!

CSO.ORG/CYO | 312-294-3000 14

Pick Your Concerts Choose any three or more to access priority seating and save 10%!

CON ERT #

TI LE

/ TE AD

/ TIM E

/ P R E F D T SI N E G A A R E

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 01 SEATING IS PROCESSED IN PRIORIT Y ORDER BASED ON SEVER AL FACTORS, INCLUDING SUBSCRIBER TENURE AND THE DATE ORDERS ARE RECEIVED. PLEASE NOTE: ALL PRICES, ARTISTS, DATES AND PROGR AMS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. CREATE YOUR OWN SAVINGS CANNOT BE COMBINED WITH OTHER OFFERS, DO NOT APPLY OVER MULTIPLE ORDERS AND ARE NOT RETROACTIVE. ALL ORDERS ARE SUBJECT TO A $15 HANDLING FEE.

cso.org

15