Chicago Sinfonietta Announces 2015-2016 Season
Featuring a multi-media concert celebrating 10th anniversary collaboration with Chicago artist/astronomer Dr. José Francisco Salgado plus collaborations with Grammy® Award winning electric bassist Victor Wooten, Clinard Dance Theatre, tapper Cartier Williams, Chicago Symphony Orchestra principal percussionist Cynthia Yeh, and more!
CHICAGO – The Chicago Sinfonietta, the nation’s most diverse orchestra dedicated to pushing artistic and social boundaries, announces programming for its 2015-2016 season. Under the leadership of Music Director Mei-Ann Chen, the Sinfonietta’s season includes five subscription concerts that move beyond the pure classical cannon and encompass music styles from around the globe and across the eras, including gospel, Hispanic and more accompanied by stunning visuals and vibrant dancing. In addition, Chicago Sinfonietta will also present a free, celebratory birthday concert to honor the 60th anniversary of Cantigny Park.
Highlights of the 2015-2016 season include a unique collaboration with Chicago-based flamenco dance troupe Clinard Dance Theatre and Washington, D.C based tap-virtuoso Cartier Williams; popular annual tributes to the Mexican holiday Day of the Dead and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. featuring the Chicago premiere and second performance worldwide of Conni Ellisor’s The Bass Whisperer featuring bass virtuoso and five-time Grammy® Award winner Victor Wooten, and the Chicago premiere of Michael Gandolfi’s Fourth Chickasaw Variations. The 2015-2016 season will also include a special multi-media concert celebrating the ten-year collaboration with the Chicago-based experimental visual artist and astronomer Dr. José Francisco Salgado including two World Premiere video presentations. Featured artists throughout the season also include guest conductor Andrés Franco of Tulsa’s Signature Symphony plus performances from Alcides Rodriguez of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra principal percussionist, Cynthia Yeh and the Apostolic Church of God Sanctuary Choir.
“I am extremely excited to continue building on the success we have experienced so far with the unique programming of our 15-16 Season,” said Chen. “From incorporating tap dancing and Flamenco, to another creative Day of the Dead program, several Chicago premiere works on the Annual Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a percussion-themed fiesta that will get everyone drumming with rhythm, to the celebration of Dr. Jose Francisco Salgado’s incredible video suites designed to complement master symphonic works. It will be a season not to be missed.”
The Sinfonietta performs its five subscription concerts in the western suburbs as well as in Chicago. The Sinfonietta’s suburban home is the Wentz Concert Hall of North Central College, 171 E. Chicago Avenue in Naperville, while downtown Chicago concerts take place in Orchestra Hall of Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Avenue. Chicago Sinfonietta will present the Cantigny Park 60th Birthday Celebration at Cantigny Park, 1S151 S Winfield Rd, Wheaton, IL. Before each show and at intermission, Chicago Sinfonietta audience members will also have the opportunity to participate in interactive activities in conjunction with each concert’s theme.
Chicago Sinfonietta’s 2015-2016 Season
Cantigny Park’s 60th Birthday Celebration Concert
Thursday, July 30 at 7:30 p.m. at Cantigny Park
Chicago Sinfonietta; Mei-Ann Chen, Music Director and Conductor; Rebecca Moy, violin; Jack McCammon, horn
| Happy Birthday | |
| COPLAND | Fanfare for the Common Man |
| HUANG | Saibei Dance |
| SARASATE | Carmen Fantasy performed by Rebecca Moy |
| GLIERE | Horn Concerto, Mvmnt #1 performed by Jack McCammon |
| TCHAIKOVSKY | Symphony No. 4 |
Join the Chicago Sinfonietta in celebrating the 60th anniversary year of the beautiful and historic Cantigny Park located in Wheaton, IL with a free musical performance led by Maestro Mei-Ann Chen. A birthday celebration under the stars, this classic music concert features Copland’s legendary Fanfare for the Common Man followed by Huang’s celebratory Saibei Dance. Up and coming young violinist Rebecca Moy joins the orchestra to perform a solo of Sarasate‘s Carmen Fantasy followed by horn virtuoso Jack McCammon’s solo performance of Gliere’s Horn Concerto, Mvmnt #1, and ends with Tchaikovsky’s stellar Symphony No. 4.
Concert I: Tap In. Turn Up
Saturday, October 3 at 8:00 p.m. at Wentz Concert Hall of North Central College
Monday, October 5 at 7:30 p.m. at Orchestra Hall of Symphony Center
Chicago Sinfonietta; Mei-Ann Chen, Music Director and Conductor; Clinard Dance Theatre, flamenco dance and Cartier Williams, tap dance
| SIERRA | Fandangos featuring Clinard Dance Theatre |
| STRAVINSKY | Excerpts from The Firebird: Suite featuring Cartier Williams |
| BORODIN | Prince Igor: Polovtsian Dances featuring Cartier Williams and Clinard Dance Theatre |
| RIMSKY-KORSAKOV | Scheherazade |
The percussive rhythms of dancing feet punctuate the sounds of classical works in a breathtaking collaboration featuring performances from Chicago-based flamenco troupe Clinard Dance Theatre and acclaimed Washington, D.C based tap-prodigy Cartier Williams. This global twist on classical masterworks begins with the Spanish sounds of Grammy® Award nominee Roberto Sierra’s Fandangos paired with contemporary flamenco movement followed by excerpts from Stravinsky’s The Firebird: Suite accompanied by the staccato rhythms of tap dancing. Then, all of the dancers unite in a joyful performance set to Alexander Borodin’s Prince Igor: Polovtsian Dances to conclude the first half of the concert. In a spectacular grand finale, the entire orchestra joins together in a sultry Arabian Nights performance of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade.
Concert II: Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)
Sunday, November 1 at 3:00 p.m. at Wentz Concert Hall of North Central College
Monday, November 2 at 7:30 p.m. at Orchestra Hall of Symphony Center
Chicago Sinfonietta; Andrés Franco, Guest Conductor and Waubonsie Valley High School Varsity Choir
| BARBER | Adagio for Strings |
|
FAURÉ |
Excerpts from Requiem – Introit and Kyrie, Agnus Dei |
| BARILARI | Offrendas (World Premiere) |
| FRANK | Three Latin American Dances for Orchestra |
|
FAURÉ |
Excerpts from Requiem – In Paradisum |
| WAGNER | Die Walküre: Ride of the Valkyries |
| MONCAYO | Huapango |
Artistic expressions of death and life provide a musical platform that compares emotion, culture, belief and sound in a harmonious journey inspired by the Mexican celebration of Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Guest conductor Andrés Franco of Tulsa’s Signature Symphony will lead the audience through dark moments of loss and despair traditionally reflected in this ancient holiday. The concert begins with the sounds of Barber’s Adagio for Strings followed by excerpts from Fauré’s Requiem. The first half ends with the first hints of light and salvation as Chicago-based composer Elbio Barilari’s Offrendas receives its World Premiere performance followed by Gabriela Lena Frank’s enchanting Three Latin American Dances for Orchestra. Moments of transcendence continue this musical experience with Faure’s In Paridisum followed by the expansive melodies of Wagner’s Die Walküre: Ride of the Valkyries, and concludes with the irrepressible and bright symphonic melodies of Moncayo’s Huapango.
Concert III: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Tribute Concert
Sunday, January 17 at 3:00 p.m. at Wentz Concert Hall of North Central College
Monday, January 18 at 7:30 p.m. at Orchestra Hall of Symphony Center
Chicago Sinfonietta; Mei-Ann Chen, Music Director and Conductor; Victor Wooten, The Apostolic Church of God Sanctuary Choir
| BONDS | Three Dream Portraits |
| ELLISOR | The Bass Whisperer featuring Victor Wooten (Chicago Premiere) |
| GANDOLFI | Fourth Chickasaw Variations (Chicago Premiere) |
| VARIOUS | Gospel and spiritual music performed by The Apostolic Church of God Sanctuary Choir. |
Dr. King’s life, legacy and visionary genius inspire this concert tribute, a Sinfonietta tradition since its founding in 1987. Themes of brotherhood, struggle, adversity, triumph and love open the performance with the words of civil rights poet Langston Hughes and the music of Margaret Bonds in Three Dream Portraits, followed by the Chicago premieres of Conni Ellisor’s The Bass Whisperer featuring bass virtuoso and five-time Grammy® Award winner Victor Wooten and Michael Gandolfi’s Fourth Chickasaw Variations. The concert ends with the Apostolic Church of God Sanctuary Choir joining the orchestra for a set of gospel and spiritual music.
Concert IV: BYOB – Bring Your Own Beat
Saturday, March 12 at 8:00 p.m. at Wentz Concert Hall of North Central College
Monday, March 14 at 7:30 p.m. at Orchestra Hall of Symphony Center
Chicago Sinfonietta; Mei-Ann Chen, Music Director and Conductor; Alcides Rodriguez, maracas; Cynthia Yeh, percussion
| STILL | Festive Overture |
| LORENZ | Maracas Concerto performed by Alcides Rodriguez |
| CHADWICK | Jubilee |
| CHADWICK | Noel |
| HIGDON | Percussion Concerto performed by Cynthia Yeh |
| GINASTERA | Excerpt from Estancia Dances—Malambo |
This season’s penultimate concert examines the most primal element of music: the beat. This rhythmic performance begins fittingly with William Grant Still’s infectious Festive Overture, followed by Ricardo Lorenz’s Maracas Concerto featuring Alcides Rodriguez performing on this unique and contemporary chamber piece and two works by Charles Whitefield Chadwick. The second half kicks off with Jennifer Higdon’s Percussion Concerto performed by Chicago Symphony Orchestra principal percussionist Cynthia Yeh, and concludes with the audience joining in on the fast-paced, indigenous sounds of Ginastera’s Malambo.
Concert V: Cosmic Convergence
Saturday, May 21 at 8:00 p.m. at Wentz Concert Hall of North Central College
Monday, May 23 at 7:30 p.m. at Orchestra Hall of Symphony Center
Chicago Sinfonietta; Mei-Ann Chen, Music Director and Conductor. All works during the second half of this concert feature visuals created by Dr. José Francisco Salgado
| SIERRA | Júbilo |
| ABELS | Global Warming |
| TCHAIKOVSKY | Capriccio Italian |
| HOLST | The Planets – Jupiter |
| ESTACIO | Borealis featuring video by Dr. José Francisco Salgado (World Premiere) |
| BERLIOZ | Mvt. 2, Un bal, from Symphonie Fantastique, Op. 14 featuring video by Dr. José Francisco Salgado entitled “Around the Earth in 90 Minutes” (World Premiere) |
| MUSSORGSKY (arr. Ravel) | Excerpts from Pictures at an Exhibition– Hut on Fowl’s Legs and The Great Gate of Kiev |
| HOLST | The Planets – Mars |
Ten years ago, Chicago Sinfonietta collaborated with lauded Chicago visual artist and astronomer Dr. José Francisco Salgado on an award-winning suite of seven short films set to Gustav Holst’s most famous work, The Planets. Throughout the last decade, this highly acclaimed creative partnership was renewed with performances of works by Mussorgsky and Ravel set to Salgado’s films, opening the Sinfonietta to an even-broader international audience including a multimedia experience performed for over 12,000 people at Millennium Park in 2008. To mark this special anniversary, Chicago Sinfonietta presents an encore performance of its “greatest hits” while introducing two never-before-seen films produced specifically for John Estacio’s lyrical, contemplative Borealis and Hector Berlioz’s epic Symphonie Fantastique. The concert ends as this partnership began ten years ago with a thunderous performance of the Mars movement from Holst’s epic work, The Planets.
Ticket Information
Season subscription discount packages are now available and entitle the buyer to a full range of exclusive membership benefits, including: ticket exchange or replacement privileges; discounts on additional single ticket purchases; a “Bring a Friend for Free” pass to the concert of one’s choice; priority seating; and access to exclusive subscriber events.
Single tickets for the 2015-2016 Season go on sale July 1, 2015 with prices ranging from $18-$99 for concerts at Symphony Center and $48-$60 for concerts at Wentz Concert Hall, with special $10 pricing available for students at both concerts. Season subscriptions are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Chicago Sinfonietta at 312-236-3681 ext. 2 or online at www.chicagosinfonietta.org.
Season subscription packages and single tickets can be purchased by calling the Chicago Sinfonietta Box Office at 312-236-3681 ext. 2 or online at www.chicagosinfonietta.org.
About the Sinfonietta
Entering its 28th season, the Chicago Sinfonietta has pushed artistic and social boundaries to provide an alternative way of hearing, seeing and thinking about a symphony orchestra. Each concert experience blends inventive new works with classical masterworks, each from a diverse array of voices, to entertain, transform and inspire. Learn more at www.chicagosinfonietta.org.
The Chicago Sinfonietta is grateful to it supporters including: The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The Joyce Foundation, Nicor, Chicago Magazine, Southwest Airlines, the Hotel Arista, the Fairmont Hotel, WXRT 93.1, Chicago Reader, Naperville’s SECA fund, Naperville Magazine, the Illinois Arts Council and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. Chicago Sinfonietta is also grateful to its event sponsors Exelon, PWC, Hyatt, Molex, ABC7, and Telemundo.
About Mei-Ann Chen
Innovation, passion and dynamism are the hallmarks of American conductor Mei-Ann Chen. Music Director of the Memphis Symphony since 2010 and of the Chicago Sinfonietta since 2011, she has infused both orchestras with energy, enthusiasm and high-level music-making, galvanizing their audiences and communities alike. A sought-after guest conductor, Ms. Chen’s reputation as a compelling communicator has resulted in growing popularity with orchestras both nationally and internationally. Distinguished orchestras and opera companies with whom she has guested internationally include Sweden’s Gothenburg Symphony and Norrlands Opera, the BBC Scottish Symphony, Bournemouth Symphony, Austria’s Grosses Orchester Graz, and Brazil’s São Paulo Symphony and Minas Gerais Philharmonic, Denmark’s Danish National Symphony and other principal orchestras, Germany’s Badische Staatskapelle Karlsruhe, Finland’s Tampere Philharmonic the Netherlands Philharmonic, Norway’s Norwegian Radio Orchestra and Trondheim Symphony, and Taiwan’s National Symphony. North American guest engagements include the symphony orchestras of Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Cincinnati, Colorado, Detroit, Fort Worth, Houston, Nashville, Oregon, Pacific, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto, Vancouver, and the National Symphony in Washington, D.C., among others.
For more information on the Chicago Sinfonietta, please visit www.chicagosinfonietta.org.
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