NINETY-FIFTH SEASON
Friday, October 10, 2025, at 8:00
Jazz Series
CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE AND BRAD MEHLDAU
Christian McBride Bass
Brad Mehldau Piano
The program will be announced from the stage.
There will be no intermission.
This evening’s concert has been made possible through a generous grant from Dan J. Epstein, Judith Guitelman, and the Dan J. Epstein Family Foundation.
Funding for educational programs during the 2025–26 Season of SCP Jazz has been generously provided by Dan J. Epstein, Judith Guitelman, and the Dan J. Epstein Family Foundation.
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council.
Chicago Jazz, DownBeat magazine, and WDCB 90.9FM Jazz are Media Partners for this event.
This evening’s concert has been made possible through a generous grant from Dan J. Epstein, Judith Guitelman, and the Dan J. Epstein Family Foundation.
Funding for educational programs during the 2025–26 Season of SCP Jazz has been generously provided by Dan J. Epstein, Judith Guitelman, and the Dan J. Epstein Family Foundation.
Christian McBride Bass
Christian McBride is a nine-time Grammy Award–winning bassist, composer, and bandleader. He is the artistic director of the historic Newport Jazz Festival, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, TD James Moody Jazz Festival, and National Jazz Museum in Harlem. McBride is also a respected educator and advocate for youth, serving as artistic director of Jazz House KiDS and the Jazz Aspen Snowmass Summer Series. In addition to artistic directing and consistent touring with his ensembles, he hosts National Public Radio’s Jazz Night in America and The Lowdown: Conversations with Christian on SiriusXM. Whether behind the bass or away from it, Christian McBride is always part of the music. From jazz to R&B and pop/rock and hip-hop/ neo-soul to classical, he is a luminary with one hand ever reaching for new heights and the other extended in fellowship—and perhaps the hint of a challenge—inviting us to join him.
Brad Mehldau Piano
One of the most lyrical and intimate voices of contemporary jazz piano, Brad Mehldau has forged a unique path that embodies the essence of jazz exploration, classical romanticism, and pop allure. From critical acclaim as a bandleader to major international exposure in collaborations with Pat Metheny, Renée Fleming, and Joshua Redman, Mehldau continues to garner numerous awards and admiration from both jazz purists and music enthusiasts alike. His forays into melding musical idioms, in both trio and solo settings, have seen brilliant reworkings of songs by the Beatles, Cole Porter, Radiohead, Paul Simon, Gershwin, and Nick Drake, alongside the ever-evolving breadth of his own significant catalog of original compositions.
SYMPHONY CENTER PRESENTS
Jeff Alexander Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association President
Cristina Rocca Vice President for Artistic Administration
The Richard and Mary L. Gray Chair
James M. Fahey Senior Director, Programming, Symphony Center Presents
Lena Breitkreuz Artist Manager, Symphony Center Presents
Michael Lavin Director of Production
Joseph Sherman Associate Director of Production, SCP and Rental Events
PHOTOS BY EBRU YILDIZ, ELENA OLIVO
Celebrating Black Excellence in Classical Music and Beyond
The CSO African American Network aims to engage Chicago’s culturally rich African American community through the sharing and exchanging of unforgettable musical experiences while building relationships for generations to come. The AAN seeks to serve and encourage individuals, families, educators, students, musicians, composers and businesses to discover and experience the timeless beauty of music.
Be a part of the season with concerts across musical genres highlighting world-class performances and compositions from Christian McBride, Julia Bullock, Lizz Wright, Mike Reed, Wynton Marsalis and more!
