HARRIS THEATER 2015–2016 HEAR THE MUSIC SEASON
Harris Theater Commissions, a World Premiere, and Iconic Collaborations Underscore This Historic Season
Highlights Include:
The World Premiere of the Harris Commissioned Work My Lai
Itzhak Perlman Returns to the Harris Conducting the Juilliard Orchestra
Harris Theater Debut of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Led by Pinchas Zukerman
Virtuoso Violinist Joshua Bell Performs with Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
Tenor Javier Camarena Makes His Chicago Debut
CHICAGO – The Harris Theater for Music and Dance today announced the music performances for the 2015–2016 Harris Theater Presents season, one of the most ambitious music offerings in the Theater’s history, featuring two Harris Theater commissioned works, a world premiere, and several Harris debuts.
The 2015–2016 music season will include the world premiere of the Harris commissioned operatic monodrama My Lai, composed by Jonathan Berger and performed by the Kronos Quartet, Rinde Eckert, and Vân-Ánh Vanessa Võ; the Juilliard Orchestra under the baton of conductor Itzhak Perlman; Academy of St. Martin in the Fields with virtuoso violinist Joshua
Bell; and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra led by Pinchas Zukerman, who also will perform on violin.
The Harris is proud to present the Chicago debut of the Carnegie Hall and Harris Theater co-commissioned work …Of Love And Longing composed by Richard Danielpour for classical guitarist Sharon Isbin and mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard. Gil Shaham with The Knights, tenor Javier Camarena, and the Chicago Children’s Choir and Sphinx Virtuosi’s second holiday performance completes the impressive lineup of this monumental season.
“This season marks another major milestone for the Harris,” said Michael Tiknis, President and Managing Director of the Harris Theater for Music and Dance. “As our legacy grows, we’re privileged to commission new works from some of the world’s foremost talent. We look forward to sharing these preeminent performances with our patrons and expanding the Harris’s influence in the international music community.”
Tickets are on sale now for the music performances of the 2015-2016 Harris Theater Presents season. Patrons can save 40% off the cost of single tickets by building their own subscription package of three performances through the Hear The Music Flex Pass. More details can be found on our website HarrisTheaterChicago.org or by calling the Box Office at 312.334.7777.
A full listing of the Harris Theater Presents 2015–2016 music performances is below.
Sharon Isbin, guitar, featuring Isabel Leonard, mezzo-soprano Chicago Debut
Monday, November 16, 2015, 7:30PM
Acclaimed for her extraordinary lyricism, technique, and versatility, multiple Grammy Award winner Sharon Isbin has been hailed as “the Monet of the classical guitar.” She will be joined for a one-night-only performance by the Grammy Award
winning vocalist Isabel Leonard, acclaimed for her highly “passionate intensity and remarkable vocal beauty.” This powerful performance will leave the audience in awe. Together they will give the Chicago debut of the Carnegie Hall and Harris Theater co-commissioned work …Of Love And Longing, composed for Isbin and Leonard by Grammy Award–winning composer Richard Danielpour.
Program:
Lorca Canciónes españolas antiguas
Granados Spanish Dance #5
Albeniz Asturias
Danielpour Songs of Love and Longing
Rodrigo Aranjuez ma pensée
Montsalvatge Selections from Cinco canciónes negras
Tarrega Recuerdos de la Alhambra
De Falla Siete canciónes populares españolas
Chicago’s Children’s Choir and Sphinx Virtuosi
Monday, December 7, 2015, 7:30PM
The Chicago Children’s Choir returns to the Harris Theater with the acclaimed musicians of Sphinx Virtuosi for a second annual holiday performance. Featuring a unique blend of genres and traversing time periods, they perform holiday favorites that are well-known and loved. This one-night-only performance will elevate the spirit and is the perfect way to kick off the holiday season. Serving nearly 4,000 children annually, Chicago Children’s Choir empowers singers to bridge cultural divides and become ambassadors to their communities. They continue to shape the future of young performer’s lives by making a difference through powerful musical excellence. Sphinx Virtuosi, one of the nation’s most dynamic professional chamber orchestras, is comprised of 18 of the nation’s top Black and Latino classical soloists. Its primary goals are to encourage, develop, and recognize classical music talent in the Black and Latino communities. Since its creation in 1997, Sphinx has been transforming lives through the power of diversity in the arts.
Juilliard Orchestra featuring Itzhak Perlman, conductor
Wednesday, January 6, 2016, 7:30PM
In their Harris Theater debut, and their first Chicago appearance in 10 years, the Juilliard Orchestra performs three well-known works by Tchaikovsky, including Tchaikovsky’s final completed symphony . The orchestra will be led by Emmy Award–winning violinist and conductor Itzhak Perlman, treasured by audiences throughout the world for his remarkable artistry and his irrepressible joy in making music. He will be returning to the Harris stage for a captivating performance that should not be missed.
Program:
Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasie
Tchaikovsky Rococo Variations (with Juilliard student soloist, TBA in November 2015)
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6 (“Pathetique”)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Pinchas Zukerman, conductor and violin
Wednesday, January 13, 2016, 7:30PM
Conductor Pinchas Zukerman leads one of the most illustrious orchestras in the world in a superlative performance at the Harris Theater. Known as a musical genius, Zukerman has marveled audiences and critics alike with his prodigious technique and unwavering artistic standards. Based in London, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra has enjoyed more than sixty-five years of success worldwide, giving first class performances of a vast range of musical repertoire with artists of the highest caliber.
Program:
Beethoven Egmont Overture
Beethoven Violin Concerto (Pinchas Zukerman, violin)
Elgar Enigma Variations, Op. 36
My Lai Kronos Quartet, Rinde Eckert, Vân-Ánh Vanessa Võ World Premiere
Friday, January 29, 2016, 7:30PM
My Lai, an operatic monodrama for voice, traditional Vietnamese instruments (various metallic percussion instruments, đàn bầu, and t’rưng), and string quartet, is composed by San Francisco Bay Area composer and Stanford University Professor of Music Jonathan Berger. An artistic portrayal of and response to the infamous 1968 civilian massacre by U.S. troops during the Vietnam War, this new work was commissioned for the Kronos Quartet, Rinde Eckert, and Vân-Ánh Vanessa Võ by the Harris Theater for Music and Dance and the Laura and Ricardo Rosenkranz Artistic Innovation Fund through Imagine: The Campaign for Harris Theater, the Gerbode-Hewlett Foundations 2013 Music Commissioning Awards initiative, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
My Lai approaches the story from U.S. Army helicopter pilot Hugh Thompson’s perspective. In lieu of a linear narrative, the story emerges in fragments as the aging and infirm Thompson reflects on the war and on decades of being maligned as unpatriotic and traitorous for attempting to stop the slaughter.
Dramatizing Thompson’s experience will engage audiences in the human story at the center of this historic event. My Lai will be more than just a reflection on a particular day, war, or time: it will challenge audiences to consider the consequences of human action and inaction, on the scale of society as a whole, and of a single human life. The relationship of the traditional Vietnamese percussion instruments, many of which are made from spent shell casings, to the Vietnam War and the intermixing of the traditional instruments with string quartet, voice, and
recorded sounds will produce a multi-layered musical experience in keeping with the complexity of the opera’s narrative.
Gil Shaham, violin, with The Knights, Eric Jacobsen, conductor
Thursday, February 18, 2016, 7:30PM
The Knights will be setting the stage, and expectations, high as they are joined by Grammy Award–winning violinist, Gil Shaham, for a performance that will captivate the audience. Dedicated to engaging listeners and defying boundaries, The Knights, under the direction of Colin Jacobsen & Eric Jacobsen, Artistic Directors, showcase their roots in classical tradition alongside their passion for musical discovery. Gil Shaham’s flawless technique combined with inimitable warmth has solidified him as a renowned American master.
Program:
Jean-Féry Rebel Les élémens
Prokofiev Violin Concerto No. 2, Op. 63
Beethoven Symphony No. 3, Op. 55 Eroica
Academy of St. Martin In The Fields featuring Joshua Bell, Director and violin
Saturday, March 12, 2016, 7:30PM
The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields is lauded for its polished and refined sound, rooted in outstanding musicianship. This tradition continues today with virtuoso violinist Joshua Bell as Music Director. Together, they will take the audience on a journey through an interpretation of classical music with a fresh and luminous twist. The
orchestra’s programs for this season contain many gems made possible due to Bell’s multifaceted passion for music. He is the first person to hold the position of Music Director since Sir Neville Marriner formed the orchestra in 1958.
Program:
Prokofiev Classical Symphony, op.25 (Symphony No.1)
Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto, op.35, TH 59, D major
Ligeti Concert Românesc (Romanian Concerto)
Beethoven Symphony No.8, op.93, F major
Javier Camarena, tenor, featuring Ángel Rodríguez, piano Chicago Debut
Wednesday, March 30, 2016, 7:30PM
Javier Camarena, performing for the first time in Chicago, is known for his fiery tone, firm and supple vocals, and his formidable coloratura. His legendary performance in Rossini’s La Cenerentola at the Metropolitan Opera in April 2014 earned him a rare encore; something given only twice before in the Met’s 70 year history. He has earned his roles alongside some of the most important figures in the world of opera under prestigious conductors. This performance is presented by the Harris Theater in association with Lyric Unlimited.
Program:
Beethoven Selections from 3 Songs, Op.83 (texts by Goethe)
Liszt Petrarch sonets
Tosti Quatro canzoni d’Amaranta
2015–2016 Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Haydn-Mendelssohn-Schumann
Wednesday, October 21, 2015, 7:30PM
The musicians of The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center will take listeners on a journey from the classical to romantic era. Mendelssohn’s sparkling sextet provides an eloquent bridge between Haydn’s elegant trio and Schumann’s passionate quintet.
Program:
Haydn Trio in A major for Piano, Violin, and Cello, Hob. XV:18 (1794)
Mendelssohn Sextet in D major for Piano, Violin, Two Violas, Cello, and Bass, Op. 110 (1824)
Schumann Quintet in E-flat major for Piano, Two Violins, Viola, and Cello, Op. 44 (1842)
Musicians:
Michael Brown, piano • Anne-Marie McDermott, piano • Wu Han, piano • Chad Hoopes, violin • Ani Kavafian, violin • Matthew Lipman, viola • Paul Neubauer, viola • Dmitri Atapine, cello • Joseph Conyers, double bass
The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center The Golden Age of the Violin
Friday, November 13, 2015, 7:30PM
A cast of quintessentially romantic string players brings the golden age of the violin to life. The evening celebrates the zenith of the expressive violin style epitomized by the legendary Fritz Kreisler.
Program:
Leclair Sonata in E minor for Two Violins, Op. 3, No. 5 (1730)
Dvořák Terzetto in C major for Two Violins and Viola, Op. 74 (1887)
Borodin Quartet No. 2 in D major for Strings (1881)
Musicians:
Benjamin Beilman, violin • Sean Lee, violin • Danbi Um, violin • Paul Neubauer, viola • David Finckel, cello
The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Brandenburg Concertos
Thursday, December 17, 2015, 7:30PM
Chicago’s holiday tradition is back for a third year. The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center performs the complete Bach Brandenburg Concertos. Called a “holiday staple” by The New York Times, this festive performance is not to be missed.
Program:
Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 in F major, BWV 1046
Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F major, BWV 1047
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G major, BWV 1048
Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G major, BWV 1049
Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D major, BWV 1050
Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 in B-flat major, BWV 1051
Musicians:
Kenneth Weiss, harpsichord • Chad Hoopes, violin • Paul Huang, violin • Erin Keefe, violin •Daniel Phillips, violin/viola • Paul Neubauer, viola • Richard O’Neill, viola • Dmitri Atapine,
cello • Jakob Koranyi, cello • Daniel Mcdonough, cello • Joseph Conyers, double bass • Sooyun Kim, flute • Demarre Mcgill, flute • Randall Ellis, oboe • James Austin Smith, oboe • Stephen Taylor, oboe • Marc Goldberg, bassoon • Julie Landsman, horn • Trevor Nuckols, horn • Brandon Ridenour, trumpet
The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Trio Concert: Philip Setzer, David Finckel, and
Wu Han
Tuesday, February 16, 2016, 7:30PM
Co-Artistic Directors of The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, cellist David Finckel and pianist Wu Han, are joined by longtime collaborator, violinist Philip Setzer, for performances of three extraordinary works for piano trio. Beethoven’s youthful Trio in G major is contrasted by Shostakovich’s powerful homage to a departed friend. One of Dvořák’s most beloved and oft-performed chamber music works, his “Dumky” Trio is filled with the music, color, and rhythms of the composer’s beloved Bohemia.
Program:
Beethoven Trio in G major for Piano, Violin, and Cello, Op. 1, No. 2 (1791-93, rev. 1794)
Shostakovich Trio No. 2 in E minor for Piano, Violin, and Cello, Op. 67 (1944)
Dvořák Trio in E minor for Piano, Violin, and Cello, Op. 90, “Dumky” (1890-91)
Musicians:
David Finckel, cello • Wu Han, piano • Philip Setzer, violin
The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Festive Classics
Wednesday, March 9, 2016, 7:30PM
Four jubilant works make up this program of chamber music favorites, beginning with Mozart’s masterful “Kegelstatt” Trio.
Mendelssohn’s joyful Andante and Allegro brillant is followed by Schoenfield’s Trio, a virtuosic piece which incorporates celebratory Hasidic melodies. Schumann’s ever-popular Piano Quartet, Op. 47, brings the program to an exuberant close.
Program:
Mozart Trio in E-flat major for Clarinet, Viola, and Piano, K. 498, “Kegelstatt” (1786)
Mendelssohn Andante and Allegro brillant for Piano, Four Hands, Op. 92 (1841)
Schoenfield Trio for Clarinet, Violin, and Piano (1986)
Schumann Quartet in E-flat major for Piano, Violin, Viola, and Cello, Op. 47 (1842)
Musicians:
Wu Han, piano • Gilles Vonsattel, piano • Chad Hoopes, violin • Paul Neubauer, viola • David Finckel, cello • Jose Franch-Ballester, clarinet
The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center American Visions
Thursday, April 21, 2016, 7:30PM
From patriotic tunes to familiar melodies, such as Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, composers will skillfully incorporate different aspects of music for an unforgettable performance.
Program:
Gottschalk The Union, Concert Paraphrase on National Airs for Piano, Op. 48 (1862)
Dvorák Sonatina in G major for Violin and Piano, Op. 100 (1893)
Ives “The Circus Band” for Voice and Piano (c. 1899 or c. 1920-21)
Ives “In Flanders Fields” for Voice and Piano (1917, rev. 1919)
Ives “The Things Our Fathers Loved” for Voice and Piano (1917)
Ives “Charlie Rutlage” for Voice and Piano (1920/1921)
Ives “The Indians” for Voice and Piano (arr. 1921)
Ives “The Housatonic at Stockbridge” for Voice and Piano (arr. 1921)
Musicians:
Randall Scarlata, baritone • Michael Brown, piano • Gilbert Kalish, piano • Chad Hoopes, violin • Christopher Froh, percussion • Ayano Kataoka, percussion • Eduardo Leandro, percussion • Ian David Rosenbaum, percussion
••• All programs and dates are subject to change. •••
Sponsors
The Harris Theater is proud to have the support of The Northern Trust Company as its 2015–2016 season sponsor. United Airlines is the official airline of the Harris Theater. The Theater gratefully acknowledges the Irving Harris Foundation for its leadership support of the Presenting Fund. The Theater is supported by the Illinois Arts Council Agency. All performances take place on The Elizabeth Morse Genius Stage at the Harris Theater.
Harris Theater for Music and Dance
The Harris Theater’s mission is to partner with an array of Chicago’s emerging and midsize performing arts organizations to help them build infrastructure and achieve artistic growth and long-term organizational sustainability. Opened on November 8, 2003, the Harris Theater for Music and Dance was the first multi-use performing arts venue to be built in the Chicago downtown area since 1929. Today the Theater continues to host the most diverse offerings of any venue in Chicago, featuring the city’s world-renowned music and dance institutions and the Harris Theater Presents series of acclaimed national and international artists and ensembles.
Imagine: The Campaign for Harris Theater, is a $38.8M comprehensive fundraising effort supporting the Theater’s multifaceted mission. The campaign ensures the continued growth and artistic development of the Harris Theater over the next 10 years.
The Imagine campaign is led by four transformational gifts: from The Irving Harris Foundation, Joan W. Harris; Alexandra and John Nichols; Chauncey and Marion D. McCormick Family Foundation, Abby McCormick O’Neil and D. Carroll Joynes; Caryn and King Harris, The Harris Family Foundation. Additional leadership gifts supporting programmatic and capital projects have been generously funded by Jack and Sandra Guthman, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The Neisser Family Foundation, The Northern Trust Company, Christine and Glenn Kelly, Laura and Ricardo Rosenkranz, and Marilyn and David J. Vitale. The Imagine campaign operational support has been underwritten by The Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust and Elizabeth Morse Genius Charitable Trust.
To learn more about the Harris Theater, please visit HarrisTheaterChicago.org. Call the Box Office at 312.334.7777 to request a brochure or additional information.
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