Last year the heavily promoted opening of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s $110 million new home, Symphony Center, tended to dwarf just about everything else going on during the local classical music season. The 1998-99 season offers nothing quite so auspicious, which may not be such a bad thing if it reminds audiences there is plenty of worthwhile concert activity beyond Michigan Avenue’s citadel of establishment culture.
A great many small and midsized organizations felt overshadowed by the events jammed into Symphony Center’s inaugural season. This year should bring a course correction. Symphony Center has cut back on the number of events it is presenting by roughly one-third, although the CSO’s downtown citadel still will be bursting with musical activity. The coming weeks will give us our first opportunity to evaluate the results of consultant Lawrence Kirkegaard’s acoustical fine-tuning, undertaken over the summer.
A glimpse at the season plans of the nearly 50 professional musical groups and presenters operating in the metropolitan area shows that many have caught the millennium bug, in keeping with the national trend. Premieres of new works and/or major revivals of contemporary pieces are designed to share with listeners the rich legacy of invention the nearly completed century has bequeathed us.
One organization, the Chicago Chamber Musicians, got the drop on everybody last season by launching a splendid three-year retrospective of 20th Century works, “Music at the Millennium.” Among the other midsize groups taking stock of the old century and looking ahead to the new in the months ahead are the CUBE Contemporary Music Ensemble, Mostly Music, His Majestie’s Clerkes, Concertante di Chicago, Performing Arts Chicago, the Rembrandt Chamber Players and the Orion Ensemble.
Very much involved, as ever, will be the Contemporary Chamber Players, celebrating its 35th anniversary with a new resident conductor, Cliff Colnot, and the first of a series of rotating resident ensembles, the Pacifica Quartet. And let’s not forget that the CSO’s own “Roots and Branches” retrospective of the 20th Century will enter its second season by including, among other worthy endeavors, a two-week residency by American composer-conductor John Adams.
But all this is merely the tip of a most formidable iceberg, as these highlights and accompanying listings covering the entire 1998-99 season should make clear.
BEST BETS
– Marvin David Levy’s “Mourning Becomes Electra,” Lyric Opera of Chicago, Oct. 6 to Nov. 7, Civic Opera House. Love, hate, vengeance, murder, adultery, incest, guilt, suicide — all the ingredients for a rollicking night at the opera. Eugene O’Neill’s Civil War-era update of the Aeschylus tragedy became a modern American opera in 1967, when composer Levy’s work debuted at the Metropolitan Opera as part of Lincoln Center’s opening season. Unaccountably, this major opera has not enjoyed a major U.S. revival in 31 years. For Lyric’s new production Levy has extensively revised the piece, sweetening the harmonies to produce, in his words, “20th Century bel canto.” The impressive cast includes Cynthia Lawrence, Lauren Flanigan, Randolph Locke, Jason Howard and Kevin Langan. Richard Buckley conducts, with Liviu Ciulei directing a production he designed with Miruna Boruzescu and Duane Schuler.
– Kennedy, violin, in recital, Nov. 4 at Symphony Center. During the 1980s and early ’90s when he was performing as Nigel Kennedy, the young Brit fiddler — he of the spiked hair and punk clothing — was known as classical music’s answer to Sid Vicious. He dropped out of concertizing for a while but now he is back, minus his first name but as hiply irreverent as ever. The Artist Formerly Known as The Nige will bring a half-classical, half-crossover program that holds solo pieces by J.S. Bach and Bartok along with his own arrangement of Jimi Hendrix rock songs.
– Chicago Baroque Ensemble, Nov. 7 at St. James Cathedral. As part of the Chicago Humanities Festival IX, whose theme this year is “He/She,” the crack period-instruments ensemble will unveil one of music’s earliest depictions of a battle of the sexes. Claudio Monteverdi’s “Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda” (1624), for voices and instruments, is a small dramatic masterpiece about the mortal combat between a Christian crusader and a Muslim girl disguised as a man.
– Rising Stars at Ravinia, Oct. 23 to May 15, Bennett-Gordon Hall, Ravinia, Highland Park. If you want to check out some of the most talented musicians of the under-30 generation before they become household names, this is the way to do it. Audiences have been steadily growing for the series, launched nine years ago by Zarin Mehta in his first official act as festival executive director. Of the numerous young pianists, violinists and chamber ensembles featured during the ninth season, you should give a listen to these — cellists Alisa Weilerstein, Nov. 13, and Amy Sue Barston, Dec. 18; violinists Julia Fischer, Nov. 20, and Elisabeth Batiashvili, April 23; pianist Jonathan Biss, March 26; and the Perlman/Nikkanen/Bailey Piano Trio, March 12.
– Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Shostakovich Festival, May 27 to June 12, Symphony Center. By the end of the CSO season subscribers may wish to rechristen Symphony Center as Shostakovich Center. The grand finale of the orchestra’s 108th season will be a three-week, nine-concert retrospective of the great Russian composer’s music as interpreted by one of his closest friends and musical colleagues, conductor and cellist Mstislav Rostropovich. The festival was planned by Shostakovich himself: The composer went so far as to specify the contents of each program and the order in which the concerts should be presented. Rostropovich will preside over a wide cross-section of Shostakovich works, including five symphonies, three concertos and vocal excerpts from the opera “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk.” Bass-baritone Sergei Aleksashkin, CSO principal trumpeter Adolph Herseth and cellist Rostropovich will be among the soloists.
DISTANT FUTURE
When Chicago last heard Steve Reich, in 1996, the former Minimalist composer was unveiling his multi-media opera “The Cave,” about the 4,000-year-old Cave of the Patriarchs in Israel’s West Bank. This time, he and his longtime collaborator, video artist Beryl Korot, are exploring more recent history. Through live music, newsreel images, electronically sampled speech and video, their newest high-tech theater piece, “Hindenburg,” replays the fateful saga of the flagship German zeppelin that exploded in 1937 while attempting to land at Lakehurst, N.J. It is planned as the first part of an evening-long trilogy of operas about the dangers of 20th Century technology. Performing Arts Chicago (PAC) will present the local premiere of “Hindenburg” next spring at a venue to be announced. Rounding out the program will be Reich’s instrumental classics “Drumming” and “Different Trains.” PAC executive director Susan Lipman expects to present the entire Reich-Korot trilogy here in 2001. 773-PAC-LINE (722-5463).
EVENTS
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Orchestra Hall, Symphony Center,
220 S. Michigan Ave.
312-294-3000
Daniel Barenboim, conductor; Cecilia Bartoli, mezzo-soprano. Works by Mozart, Haydn and Tchaikovsky.; Sept. 25.
“Day of Music.” 24-hour free open house at Symphony Center, featuring musical performances on five stages, including a concert by the CSO with Daniel Barenboim. Begins at 7 p.m. Sept. 26.
Daniel Barenboim, conductor; Maxim Vengerov, violin. Works by Mahler, Shchedrin and Brahms; Oct. 1-3, 6.
Yaron Traub, conductor; John Browning, conductor. Works by Soley, Barber and Mendelssohn; Oct. 8-11, 13.
Christoph Eschenbach, conductor. Mahler’s Symphony No. 6; Oct. 15-17.
Barenboim, conductor; Gidon Kremer, violin. Works by Kancheli and Brahms; Oct. 21-24.
Franz Welser-Most, conductor; Peter Donohoe, piano. Works by Haydn, Lutoslawski and Sibelius; Oct. 29-31.
Riccardo Chailly, conductor; Ivan Moravec, piano. Works by Ravel, Rachmaninov; Nov. 12-14, 17.
Chailly, conductor; Petra Lang, mezzo-soprano; Simon Keenlyside, baritone. Works by Mendelssohn and Mahler; Nov. 19-22, 24.
Pierre Boulez, conductor; women of the CSO Chorus. Works by Augusta Read Thomas, Debussy; Nov. 27, 28, Dec. 1.
Boulez, conductor; Gil Shaham, violin. Works by Messiaen, Bartok, Berg and Stravinsky; Dec. 3-5, 8.
Boulez, conductor; Shaham, violin. Works by Bartok; Dec. 10-12, 15.
Barenboim, conductor; Donald Peck, flute. Works by Nielsen, R. Strauss; Dec. 17-20.
Barenboim, conductor and piano; Yo-Yo Ma, cello. Works by Kurtag, Harbison and Brahms; Jan. 7-9.
Barenboim, conductor; Radu Lupu, piano. Works by Mozart, R. Strauss; Jan. 12.
Barenboim, conductor; Lupu, piano. Works by Boulez, Mozart and Brahms; Jan. 14-16.
Pinchas Zukerman, conductor and violin; Alex Klein, oboe. Works by Lutoslawski, Brahms, J.S. Bach and Haydn; Jan. 20-23, 26.
David Robertson, conductor; Kyung-Wha Chung, violin. Works by Debussy, Prokofiev and Stravinsky; Jan. 28-30.
Barenboim, conductor and piano; Joseph Guastafeste, bass. Works by R. Strauss, Tanenbaum and Mozart; Feb. 11-13.
Barenboim, conductor; Dorothea Roschmann, soprano; Thomas Quasthoff, baritone; Chicago Symphony Chorus. Brahms’ “A German Requiem”; Feb. 18-20.
William Eddins, conductor and piano. Works by Olly Wilson, Mozart and Dvorak; Feb. 27, March 2.
Andrew Davis, conductor; Andreas Haefliger, piano. Works by Mozart, Elgar/Payne; March 4-6, 9.
James Levine, conductor; Michelle DeYoung, mezzo-soprano; women of the CSO Chorus; Glen Ellyn Children’s Chorus. Mahler’s Symphony No. 3; March 11-13.
Boulez, conductor; Sarah Bullen, harp. Works by Stravinsky, Debussy and Berlioz; March 18, 20.
Boulez, conductor; vocal soloists to be announced; Chicago Symphony Chorus. Schoenberg’s “Moses und Aron,” concert performances; March 24, 26.
Yuri Temirkanov, conductor; piano soloist to be announced. Works by Rimsky-Korsakov, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov; April 9-11, 13.
Eschenbach, conductor; Emanuel Ax, piano. Works by John Adams, Bruckner; April 15-17.
Eschenbach, conductor; CSO Chorus. Works by Brahms/Schoenberg, John Harbison; April 22-24.
Gennady Rozhdestvensky, conductor; Viktoria Postnikova, piano. Works by R. Strauss, others; April 29, 30, May 1, 4.
John Adams, conductor; Garrick Ohlsson, piano. Works by Ives, Copland, Adams; May 6-8, 11.
Adams, conductor; Vadim Repin, violin. Works by Ives, Glass, Harrison and Adams; May 13-15, 18.
Zukerman, conductor and violin. Works by Dvorak; May 20-23.
Mstislav Rostropovich, conductor; vocal soloist to be announced. Works by Shostakovich; May 27, 28.
Rostropovich, conductor and cello; Sergei Aleksashkin, bass; men of the CSO Chorus. Works by Shostakovich; May 29, June 1.
Rostropovich, conductor; violin soloist to be announced. Works by Shostakovich; June 3, 4.
Rostropovich, conductor; soloists to be announced. Works by Shostakovich; June 10.
Rostropovich, conductor; Adolph Herseth, trumpet; pianist to be announced. Works by Shostakovich; June 11, 12.
Symphony Center Presents, in association with Ravinia Festival
Orchestra Hall,
220 S. Michigan Ave.,
312-294-3000
International Orchestras. St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Yuri Temirkanov, conductor; Jonathan Gilad, piano; Oct. 11. Kirov Orchestra, Valery Gergiev, conductor; Alexander Toradze, piano; Nov. 10. New York Philharmonic, Kurt Masur, conductor; Jan. 13. Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Riccardo Chailly, conductor; Vadim Repin, violin; Feb. 7. Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Pierre Boulez, conductor; Sarah Bullen, harp; March 19. NHK Symphony Orchestra, Charles Dutoit, conductor; Sarah Chang, violin; April 27.
Great Vocalists. Samuel Ramey, bass; Nov. 15. Robert Holl, bass-baritone, with Daniel Barenboim, piano; Jan. 17. Renee Fleming, soprano, with James Levine, piano; Jan. 24. Denyce Graves, mezzo-soprano, with Warren Jones, piano; March 7. Kathleen Battle, soprano; April 18. Dmitri Hvorostovsky, bass-baritone, with Mikhail Arkadiev, piano; May 2.
Great Recitals. Kennedy, violin, with John Etheridge, guitar; Rory McFarlane, bass; string quartet; Nov. 4. Maxim Vengerov, violin; Yo-Yo Ma, cello; Daniel Barenboim, piano; Jan. 10. Pinchas Zukerman, violin; Barenboim, piano; Feb. 21. Igor Oistrakh, violin; Natalia Zertsalova, piano; Feb. 28. Alfred Brendel, piano, with string quartet; April 6.
Virtuoso Piano Series. Daniel Barenboim; Oct. 4. Maurizio Pollini; Oct. 25. Richard Goode, Nov. 8. Evgeny Kissin; Jan. 29. Yefim Bronfman; March 14. Andre Watts; March 28. Alfred Brendel; April 4. Krystian Zimerman,; April 25. Maria Joao Pires; May 9. Rosalyn Tureck; May 16.
Virtuoso Chamber Series. English Chamber Orchestra; Pinchas Zukerman, conductor and violin; Oct. 7. James Galway, flute, with Jeanne Galway, flute; Phillip Moll, harpsichord; Sarah Cunningham, viola da gamba; Monica Huggett, baroque violin; Oct. 20. Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields Chamber Orchestra, Iona Brown, conductor and violin; Feb. 22. Berlin Philharmonic Woodwind Quintet; March 1. Mozarteum Orchestra of Salzburg, Hubert Soudant, conductor; Till Fellner, piano; Katharine Goldner, mezzo-soprano; April 14.
Civic Orchestra of Chicago
Orchestra Hall,
220 S. Michigan Ave.
New Regal Theatre (Nov. 16)
Jay Friedman, conductor; Nancy Pifer, soprano; Tim Tobin, tenor; Kurt Link, bass; works by Sibelius and Wagner; Oct. 19. Christopher Wilkins, conductor; works by Copland, Gershwin and Rachmaninov; Nov. 15, 16. Pierre Boulez, conductor; open rehearsal of Bartok’s “The Wooden Prince”; Dec. 6. Pinchas Zukerman, conductor; Ann-Estelle Medouze, violin; works by Tchaikovsky and Schumann; Jan. 25. David Robertson, conductor; works by Debussy and Messiaen; Feb. 4. Daniel Barenboim, conductor; Feb. 15. Cliff Colnot, conductor; Augusta Read Thomas, composer-in-residence; April 11. John Adams, conductor; works by Debussy, Adams and Sibelius; May 10. Mstislav Rostropovich, conductor; works by Shostakovich; June 6.
Civic chamber ensemble series. Buntrock Hall, Symphony Center; Nov. 1, March 6, April 17. People’s Music School; Nov. 2. First Baptist Congregational Church; March 8. Malcolm X Community College; April 19.
Civic chamber orchestra concerts. First Baptist Congregational Church; December date to be announced. Malcolm X Community College; March 19, 20.
For more program information, contact the CSO’s Web site at www.chicagosymphony.org.
Lyric Opera of Chicago
Ardis Krainik Theatre, Civic Opera House,
20 N. Wacker Drive
312-332-2244
Ponchielli’s “La Gioconda.” With Jane Eaglen, Robynne Redmon, Nancy Maultsby, Johan Botha, Nikolai Putilin, Eric Halfvarson; Bruno Bartoletti, conductor; John Copley, director; Zack Brown, Duane Schuler, designers. Sept. 26, Oct. 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 23, 27.
Marvin David Levy’s “Mourning Becomes Electra.” New production; premiere of new version. With Lauren Flanigan, Cynthia Lawrence, Alicia Berneche, Randolph Locke, Jason Howard, Brett Polegato, Kevin Langan, Raymond Aceto; Richard Buckley, conductor; Liviu Ciulei, director and designer; Miruna Boruzescu, Schuler, designers. Oct. 6, 9, 12, 18, 22, 26, 30, Nov. 4, 7.
Strauss’ “Ariadne auf Naxos.” New production. With Deborah Voigt, Laura Aikin, Lynette Tapia, Elena Kolganova, Susan Graham, Jon Villars/John Horton Murray, David Cangelosi, Victor Braun; Robert Spano, conductor; John Cox, director; Robert Perdziola, Schuler, designers; Donald Palumbo, chorus master. Oct. 24, 28, 31, Nov. 2, 6, 12, 15, 17, 21, 24.
Weill’s “The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny.” New production. With Catherine Malfitano, Felicity Palmer, Kim Begley, John Duykers, Brad Cresswell, Timothy Nolen, Michael Devlin, Raymond Aceto; Sylvain Cambreling, conductor; David Alden, director; Paul Steinberg, Schuler, designers. Nov. 14, 18, 20, 23, 27, Dec. 1, 4, 7, 13.
Verdi’s “La Traviata.” With Andrea Rost/Ruth Ann Swenson, Vincenzo La Scola/Frank Lopardo, Dmitri Hvorostovsky/Carlos Alvarez, Jessie Raven, Dale Travis; Maurizio Benini/Edoardo Muller, conductors; Harry Silverstein, director; Desmond Heeley, Schuler, directors. Nov. 28, Dec. 2, 5, 10, 15, Feb. 22, 26, Mar. 2, 5, 8, 12.
Boito’s “Mefistofele.” With Samuel Ramey, Daniela Dessi, Elizabeth Byrne, Judith Christin, Richard Margison; Gyorgy Gyorivanyi Rath, conductor; Peter McClintock, director; Michael Levine, Schuler, designers. Dec. 14, 17, 19, Jan. 6, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, 30.
Gounod’s “Romeo et Juliette.” With Angela Gheorghiu/Elizabeth Futral, Roberto Alagna/Giuseppe Sabbatini, Patricia Risley, Dorothy Byrne, Rene Pape; John Nelson, conductor; Arnaud Bernard, director; Carlo Tommasi, Schuler, directors. Jan. 23, 26, 29, Feb. 1, 5, 13, 17, 20, 23, 28.
Wagner’s “Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg.” With Nancy Gustafson, Robynne Redmon, Gosta Winbergh/John Horton Murray, Eike Wilm Schulte, Michael Schade, Jan-Hendrik Rootering, Rene Pape; Christian Thielemann, conductor; Kurt Horres, director; Andreas Reinhardt, Schuler, designers. Feb. 8, 12, 16, 19, 24, 27, Mar. 3, 6, 10, 13.
For more program information, contact Lyric’s Web site at www.lyricopera.org.
CHAMBER MUSIC AND OTHER ORCHESTRAS
Ars Viva!, Alan Heatherington, conductor. North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, Skokie; 847-677-8482. Salute to Israel’s 50th birthday; Oct. 18. Bruckner Requiem, with New Oratorio Singers Ensemble; Feb. 7. American program; March 21. Concerto Competition winner; May 23.
Center for Performing Arts, Governors State University, University Park; 708-235-2222. Lira Ensemble; Sept. 27. Philadelphia Brass Ensemble; Oct. 11. Vienna Choir Boys; Nov. 6.
Chamber Music at North Park. Anderson Chapel, North Park College; 773-244-5630. David Schrader, keyboards; Robert Morgan, oboe; Sept. 18. Members of Chicago Symphony; Feb. 5. North Park Chamber Players; March 19. Alisa Weilerstein, cello; May 21.
Chamber Music Society of the North Shore. Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, Northwestern University, Evanston; 847-835-5084. Juilliard String Quartet; Sept. 27. Pacifica String Quartet; Nov. 1. Eroica Trio; Feb. 28. Colorado Quartet and guest artists; May 2.
Chicago Chamber Musicians, Michael Henoch, Joseph Genualdi, artistic co-directors. Pick-Staiger Concert Hall and DePaul University Concert Hall; 312-CALL-CCM (312-225-5226). Works by J.S. Bach, David Stock and Faure; Oct. 18, 19. Works by Gabrieli, Stravinsky, Janacek and Dvorak; Nov. 15, 16. Works by Spohr, Hindemith and Mozart; Feb. 7, 8. Works by Beethoven, Milhaud, Purcell, Carter and J.S. Bach; March 14, 15. Works by Saint-Saens, Baker and Brahms; April 18, 19.
Chicago Sinfonietta, Paul Freeman, music director. Dominican University, River Forest; Orchestra Hall; 312-857-1062. Anthony Molinaro, piano; Oct. 25, 26. Jazz meets Classical; Brian Groner, conductor; Orbert Davis, jazz trumpet; Nov. 22, 23. Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; Jan. 11, 17. Vermeer Quartet; Sarah Bullen, harp; Feb. 7, 8. Rachel Barton, violin; Ed Harrison, maracas; March 7, 15. Gershwin centennial concert; Joshua Cullen, piano; April 19.
Chicago String Ensemble, Allan Lewis, music director. First United Methodist Church, 1630 Hinman Ave., Evanston; and Newberry Library, 60 W. Walton St.; 312-332-0567. Gilles Apap, violin; Oct. 2, 4. Vivaldi Fest; Nov. 13, 15. Patrice Michaels Bedi, soprano; March 19, 21. Alan Gerhardt, cello; May 14, 16.
Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras, Rossen Milanov, music director. Orchestra Hall; 312-939-2207. Jonathan Venzon, cello; Nov. 28. Terrance Gray, Jonathan Yates, conductors; Chicago Cultural Center; Dec. 9. Milanov, Gray, conductors; Eugene Ovsyannikov, clarinet; May 2. Chicago Youth Chamber Orchestra, Gray, conductor; Mandel Hall, University of Chicago; May 23. Albert Schweitzer Youth Orchestra, Manfred Richter, conductor; Northwestern University, Pick-Staiger Concert Hall; Oct. 18.
Orpheus Young Artists Series; Harold Washington Library. Timothy Mah, piano; Tuesday. Demarre McGill, flute; Oct. 20. Avalon String Quartet; Nov. 17.
Concertante di Chicago, Hilel Kagan, artistic director. DePaul University Concert Hall; 312-621-5265. British Royal Strings; Nov. 22. Neoclassical Ties; Jan. 17. American Eclectic; March 7. Hungarian Soul (Kodaly and Bartok); April 17, 18.
Concerts Under the Dome. Ascension Church, 815 S. East Ave., Oak Park; 708-383-6456. American String Quartet, with Menahem Pressler, piano; Sept. 25. Nai-Yuan Hu, violin; Oct. 30. Center City Brass Quintet; Dec. 12. Paris Piano Trio; March 19. Pacifica String Quartet; April 17. Janos Starker, cello; May 14.
Contemporary Chamber Players, Cliff Colnot, resident conductor; Pacifica Quartet, resident ensemble. Mandel Hall, University of Chicago; 773-702-8068. Jan. 8; April 18; May 9.
CUBE Contemporary Music Ensemble, Patricia Morehead and Janice Misurell-Mitchell, directors; 773-536-4181. Making Art Sound, workshops for children; Art Institute of Chicago; Sept. 26 (for registration, 312-857-7161). Spirits and Shadows, collaboration with MASS Ensemble; Columbia College auditorium; Jan. 21, 22, 24. With Ensemble Noamnesia; Hot-House; April 11. Chicago and world premieres by Shapey, Bowlby, Misurell-Mitchell and others; Arts Club of Chicago; June 7.
Fine Arts Series. Lincolnwood Jewish Congregation, 7117 N. Crawford Ave., Lincolnwood; 847-676-0491. Hannah Barton, violin; Sarah Barton, cello; Sept. 8. Chicago Symphony String Quartet, with Samuel Magad, violin, and Arnold Sklar, viola; Oct. 27. Rising stars from Lyric Opera and Chicago Symphony Chorus; Nov. 17.
Jewish Community Centers of Chicago benefit concert. Israel Chamber Orchestra, Philippe Entremont, conductor; Andre-Michel Schub, piano; Symphony Center; Nov. 5. 312-357-4700.
Mostly Music. Various venues; 773-667-1618. Augustine Maruri, guitar; Michael Kevin Jones, cello; Oct. 25. Avalon String Quartet; Oct. 30. Jory Vinikour, harpsichord; Patricia Morehead, composer/oboist; Nov. 1. Julia Bentley, soprano; Nov. 15. Ray Still, oboe; Nov. 22, Dec. 13. Tara Louise Perrault, violin; Dec. 6. Brahms program with Samuel Magad, John Sharp, Dale Clevenger and Philip Sabransky; Jan. 24. Willie Brown Jr., baritone; Sharon Hamilton, soprano; Feb. 21. Salute to the Chinese exhibit “Transcience — Chinese Art”; Feb. 28. Elm City Ensemble; March 5. Jamie O’Reilly, Michael Smith, Irish musicians; March 14. Quinto di Chicago; March 21. Orion Ensemble; April 25. Lipati String Quartet; May 23. New Mirandas ensemble; June 6. Young award winners of 1999; June 13, 28.
Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts Series. Free noontime recitals each Wednesday in Preston Bradley Hall, Chicago Cultural Center; 312-670-6888.
Highland Park Strings, Francis Akos, conductor. Highland Park High School, Highland Park; 847-831-3810. Rachel Barton, violin; Oct. 25. 20th anniversary benefit concert, with Janos Starker, cello; Dec. 6. Gyorgy Sebok, piano; Feb. 7. Alex Klein, oboe; March 21. Dale Clevenger, horn; Lawrence Block, cello; June 6.
Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago Ave.; 312-397-4010. Ensemble Noamnesia performing works by Gerhard Staebler and Kunsu Shim; Nov. 21.
Music in the Loft, Fredda Hyman, artistic director. 1017 W. Washington Blvd.; 312-243-9233. Pacifica Quartet; Sept. 27. Joe Johnson, cello; David Dunford, piano; Oct. 25. Westside String Quartet; Nov. 22. Demarre McGill, flute; Anthony McGill, clarinet; Jan. 24. Young Award Concert; March 14.
Northbrook Symphony Orchestra, Samuel Magad, music director. Sheely Center for the Performing Arts, Glenbrook North High School, 2300 Shermer Rd., Northbrook; 847-272-0755. Yaron Traub, conductor; Magad, violin; John Sharp, cello; Oct. 18. Alan Heatherington, conductor; New Oratorio Singers; Dec. 20. Cliff Colnot, conductor; Donald Peck, flute; Feb. 14. Magad, conductor; Jorge Federico Osorio, piano; April 11; Heatherington, conductor; Rauquaia Hale Wallace, soprano; May 16.
Orion Ensemble. Fox Valley Unity Church, 230 Webster St., Batavia; Roosevelt University, Ganz Hall, 430 S. Michigan Ave; 773-327-3830. New work by James Wintle; Oct. 4, 5. Michel Debost, guest flutist; Nov. 22, 23. Messiaen’s “Quartet for the End of Time”; Feb. 28, March 1. Premiere of new work by Augusta Read Thomas; May 2, 3.
Performing Arts Chicago. Various venues; 312-663-1628. American Concerto Orchestra and chamber group Fulcrum Point, Stephen Burns, conductor; Nov. 1, Dec. 11, April 23. Cabaret artist Dominique Horwitz, “The Best of the Three Penny Opera”; Nov. 5. Chicago premiere of Steve Reich and Beryl Korot’s multimedia opera, “Hindenburg”; spring 1999; venue to be announced.
Rembrandt Chamber Players. Lutkin Hall, Northwestern University, Evanston; DePaul University Concert Hall; other venues; 847-328-4883. Zeyda Suzuki, piano; Sept. 27, 28. Holiday concerto concerts, with David Schrader, organ and harpsichord; Church of the Ascension, Dec. 6; St. Luke’s Church, Evanston, Dec. 8. Music about Love; Feb. 14, 15. Winners of annual High School Chamber Music Competition; April 11, 12.
Rising Stars at Ravinia. Bennett-Gordon Hall, Ravinia, Highland Park; 847-266-5100. Violin Series. Priya Mitchell; Oct. 23. Julia Fischer; Nov. 20. Amy Sue Barston; Dec. 18. Misha Keylin; March 19. Elisabeth Batiashvili; April 23. Soovin Kim; May 14. Piano Series. Jeremy Denk; Nov. 6. Claire-Marie Le Guay; Dec. 4. Anthony Molinaro; March 5. Jonathan Biss; March 26. Aviram Reichert; April 16. Naida Cole; April 30. Chamber Music Series. Musicians from Marlboro; Oct. 16. Alisa Weilerstein, cello; Nov. 13. Magellan String Quartet; Dec. 11. Navah Perlman/Kurt Nikkanen/Zuill Bailey Trio; March 12. Musicians from the Steans Institute; April 9. Albert Kim/Colin Jacobsen/Edward Arron Trio; May 7.
Symphony II, Larry Rachleff, conductor. Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, Northwestern University, Evanston; 847-866-6888. Works by R. Strauss, Barber and Mahler; March 28. Jeffrey Siegel, piano; April 25. Lambert Orkis, piano; David Perry, violin; Barbara Haffner, cello; May 16.
Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art. 2320 W. Chicago Ave.; 773-227-5522. Alexander Slobodianyk, Alex Slobodianyk, pianos; Oct. 11. Natalia Khoma, Martusia Khoma, Suren Bagratuni, cellos; Mykola Suk, piano; Dec. 6. Oleh Krysa, violin; Tatiana Tchekina, piano; March 14. Volodymyr Vynnystsky, piano; May 16.
University of Chicago Presents. Mandel Hall; 773-702-8068. Chamber Music Series. Guarneri String Quartet; Oct. 23, April 30 (Claude Frank, piano). Hilary Hahn, violin; Nov. 20. Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio, with Steven Tenenbom, viola; Feb. 12. Philharmonia Quartett Berlin; Feb. 26. Peabody Trio, with Andre Braugher, narrator; April 9. Howard Mayer Brown International Early Music Series. Cappella Pratensis; Rockefeller Chapel; Oct. 25. Rebel; Dec. 4. Chicago Baroque Ensemble, with Aldo Abreu, recorder; Jan. 29. Theatre of Voices, Paul Hillier, director; April 16. Regents Park Discovery Concert. Duke Trio; Oct. 29.
Vermeer Quartet and Friends. DePaul University Concert Hall, 800 W. Belden Ave.; 312-663-1628. Rami Solomonow, viola, and Nicole Johnson, cello; Sept. 27. Works by Haydn, Verdi and Dvorak; Dec. 13. Works by Beethoven, Berg and Mendelssohn; March 28. Ueli Wiget, piano; May 9.
Wheaton College Artist Series. Edman Memorial Chapel, Wheaton College, Wheaton; 630-752-5010. Canadian Brass; Sept. 26. St. Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra, Vladimir Rylov, conductor; Oct. 23. Dawn Upshaw, soprano; Nov. 6. Billy Taylor, jazz piano, and Turtle Island String Quartet; Jan. 23. King’s Singers; Feb. 27. Midori, violin; March 23.
EARLY MUSIC, CHORAL MUSIC, OPERA AND MUSIC THEATER
Chicago a cappella, Jonathan Miller, director. Various venues; 708-383-7599. Winter A Cappella; Dec. 6, 12, 13. Housewarming benefit; Jan. 21. Go Down, Moses; May 15, 16, 22.
Chicago Baroque Ensemble, John Mark Rozendaal, director. Various venues; 312-464-0600. J. S. Bach and Friends; Jan. 9-11. Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons,” with Rachel Barton, violin; March 27-29. Rameau instrumental works, with David Schrader, harpsichord; April 24-26. Also appearing Oct. 17 at Beth Hillel Congregation, Wilmette; Nov. 7 at St. James Cathedral under auspices of Chicago Humanities Festival (Monteverdi’s “Il Combattimento di Tandredi e Clorinda”).
Chicago Choral Artists, Bart Bradfield, director. Various venues; 773-561-2424. Randall Thompson’s “The Peaceable Kingdom”; Oct. 17,18. Christmas Around the World; Dec. 5, 6, 12. Choral works by Chicago composers; March 6, 7. Robert Ray’s Gospel Mass; May 15, 16.
Chicago Opera Theater, Carl J. Ratner, artistic director; Lawrence Rapchak, music director. Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport Ave.; 773-292-7578. Humperdinck’s “Hansel and Gretel”; Nov. 13-21. Offenbach’s “The Tales of Hoffmann”; April 30-May 8. Conrad Susa’s “Transformations”; June 4-12.
Da Corneto Opera Ensemble. Church of St. Hilary, California and Bryn Mawr Avenues; 847-263-3637. Rossini’s “L’Italiana in Algeri”; Sept. 12-27. Donizetti’s “Lucrezia Borgia”; Oct. 16-25. Verdi’s Requiem; Dec. 4, 6.
William Ferris Chorale, William Ferris, director. Mt. Carmel Church, 690 W. Belmont Ave.; 773-325-2000. Works by Ferris; Oct. 2. Miracles of Christmas; Dec. 4. Honegger’s “King David”; Feb. 26. Three Choir Festival; April 16.
His Majestie’s Clerkes, Anne Heider, director. Various venues; 312-461-0723. The Secret-Springing Stream; Paul Nicholson, conductor; Oct. 17-24. Christmas in the New World; Dec. 12-20. Frank Ferko’s Stabat Mater; Feb. 20-28. Musique des Anges, with guest ensemble Seraphim; April 24, 25.
Jubilate benefit performance for Alexian Brothers Bonaventure House. Simpson Theatre, Field Museum; Oct. 25; 773-327-9921, ext. 25. Susanne Mentzer, Jane Eaglen, Catherine Malfitano, Richard Leech, other singers; “Frasier” cast members, including Kelsey Grammer and David Hyde Pierce; John Mahoney, Linda MacLennan, emcees.
Light Opera Works, Philip A. Kraus, artistic director. Cahn Auditorium, 600 Emerson St., Evanston; YMCA Child Care Center, Evanston; 847-869-6300. “The Fantasticks”; Oct. 10-Nov. 1. “The Desert Song”; Dec. 26-Jan. 3. “Rose Marie”; June 5-13.
Music of the Baroque, Thomas Wikman, music director. Various venues; 312-551-1414. Handel’s “Water Music” and “Music for the Royal Fireworks”; Oct. 11, 14. Bach’s Mass in B minor; Nov. 5-13. Holiday brass and choral concert; Dec. 19-23. Monteverdi’s “Orfeo”; Jan. 16-24. Mozart program; Feb. 9, 10. Viva Italia!; March 5-10. Mozart symphonies and opera arias; April 14-27. Bach’s Easter Oratorio; May 19, 21.
Newberry Consort, Mary Springfels, director and viola da gamba. Newberry Library, other venues; 312-255-3700. The World of John Dee, Elizabethan Magician; Oct. 29-Nov. 1. A New Year’s Gift; Jan. 7-10. Deliciae Musicae; Feb. 25-28. Celestial Sirens; April 29-May 2.
New Oratorio Singers, Alan Heatherington, director. Divine Word Chapel, Techny; and St. Francis Church, Lake Zurich; 847-604-1067. Mozart Requiem and Vespers; Nov. 6, 8. Christmas with Brass; Dec. 11, 13. Bach’s St. John Passion; April 17, 19.
Opera Studio of Highland Park. Highland Park Community House, 1991 Sheridan Rd., Highland Park; 847-831-2938. Donizetti’s “Don Pasquale”; Nov. 15, 21. Bizet’s “Carmen”; Jan. 24, 30.
