Chicago Philharmonic Presents Nordic Romance, Scott Speck to Host
Join the Chicago Philharmonic on Sunday, April 21, 2013 at 7 p.m. at Pick-Staiger Hall in Evanston for a night of Scandinavian treasures. Nordic Romance will explore the folk-oriented music of Norway and Finland. In a unique twist, the musicians will assume a collaborative leadership style and present an orchestral performance without a conductor. Utilizing chamber ensemble techniques, they will collectively interpret the score creating an exciting concert experience. The Chicago Philharmonic's critically-acclaimed concertmaster David Perry will be featured in this evening's concert.
The Chicago Philharmonic's new artistic director Scott Speck will serve as host for the evening. Speck will introduce the pieces and offer interesting background details. Speck was just named as the orchestra's artistic director in March of 2013. Speck and members of the orchestra will be on hand to speak with patrons and answer questions after the concert.
Edvard Grieg's Two Lyrical Pieces were originally written for piano, but transcribed for orchestra to achieve a wider audience. Grieg's lush sound and original melodies will whisk you away to his distant homeland. Sibelius' En Saga is more commonly known as a full orchestral tone poem, but this rarely performed original version is written for only nine players featuring members of the Chicago Philharmonic. This deeply personal work for Sibelius is inspired by Icelandic Eddas and will take listeners on a Nordic adventure they will not soon forget.
The string section is then featured in Grieg's evocative Holberg Suite. Audience members will be surrounded by the rich string resonance of Grieg's music and treated by the talents of these players. Finally David Perry takes center stage once again to share his amazing sound and passion on the violin with a performance of Johann Svendsen's Romance for Violin and Strings.
The concert takes place at Pick-Staiger Hall on the Northwestern University Campus, 50 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston, IL 60201. Tickets range from $25-$75. Student tickets are $10. Contact the Chicago Philharmonic Ticket Hotline at 866.811.4111 or visit www.chicagophilharmonic.org. For additional information, call the Chicago Philharmonic office at 847-866-6888.
The Chicago Philharmonic Society is a musician-governed and driven Chicago-based not-for-profit organization originally established in 1988 by the principals of the Lyric Opera Orchestra. Over the years, the core group of Lyric players has expanded to become a community of over 200 professional musicians, which form the artistic strength of the Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra. Previous conductors have included Zubin Mehta, Sir Andrew Davis, Itzhak Perlman, Jesus Lopez-Cobos, Erich Kunzel, former Music Director Larry Rachleff and Scott Speck. Throughout the years, the Orchestra has also performed at Ravinia as the Festival Orchestra under the baton of James Conlon and Christoph Eschenbach, among others.
The Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra currently performs four to five main stage concerts per season in the Pick-Staiger Hall at Northwestern University, as well as approximately 50 performances per season in downtown Chicago as the official orchestra of the Joffrey Ballet,. The orchestra has often been contracted to perform in many locations throughout the Chicago area, including Ravinia Park and Symphony Center. In recent years, two chamber music series under Philharmonic auspices were initiated in Park Ridge and Hinsdale. The Society is actively pursuing outreach and youth programs. A central goal of the Society is to bring the excitement and engagement of live music performances to audiences throughout metropolitan Chicago.