On Thursday, the CSO played Rimsky-Korsakov’s Sheherazade, featuring CSO associate concertmaster Stephanie Jeong and the debut of Elim Chan. The piece was inspired by unique stories from Middle Eastern folktales featuring the heroine in The Arabian Nights.

📷: Todd Rosenberg

The future is here

Lovely photos Todd! Todd Rosenberg

Continuing his two-week March residency in Chicago, conductor Jakub Hrůša led the CSO in Strauss’ Also sprach Zarathustra on Thursday, evoking the extraterrestrial images of 2001: A Space Odyssey with its iconic opening chords, which were featured in the film.

📷: Todd Rosenberg

Violinist Josef Špaček (Josef Spacek) delighted the audience with his performance of Martinů’s First Violin Concerto, one of the composer’s most physically demanding pieces, while Bartók’s dark Suite from The Miraculous Mandarin rounded out the concert.

📷: Todd Rosenberg

Chicago-based chamber collective D-Composed gave an enlightening short performance in Grainger Ballroom before the concert, which featured musicians from the CSO and Lidiya Yankovskaya. It was followed by a casual afterparty in the Rotunda with Jet's Pizza.

📷: Todd Rosenberg

On Thursday, violinist Gil Shaham gave a sublime performance with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and conductor Jakub Hrůša at Symphony Center, showcasing his nimble fingers and virtuosity in Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto.

📷: Todd Rosenberg

On Friday night at Symphony Center, legendary Cuban guitarist and sonero Eliades Ochoa brought the house down with a high-spirited performance of original tunes, traditional Cuban folk songs and hits from his time with Buena Vista Social Club.

📷: Todd Rosenberg

Sunday’s CSO MusicNOW concert brought two world premieres to Orchestra Hall: Resonance by violinist-composer Curtis Stewart and Concerto Grosso by Mead Composer-in-Residence Jessie Montgomery. Music by Tania León and Tyshawn Sorey was also performed. Primo Artists

📷: Todd Rosenberg

Congratulations to steelpan player Jaden Teague-Núñez, winner of the 2024 Crain-Maling Foundation CSO Young Artists Competition. Finalists were accompanied by the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and conductor Kyle Dickson last Saturday in Orchestra Hall.

📷: Todd Rosenberg

Teague-Núñez and fellow finalists Elyse Schlesinger and Chloe Nam performed in the final round before an interview with WFMT's Robbie Ellis. As the winner, he will appear as a soloist in a CSO School and Family concert in the 2024/25 Season.

📷: Todd Rosenberg

The CSO traveled to the Krannert Center, located on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus, for an offsite performance of Tchaikovsky & Shostakovich on Thursday. Hannu Lintu led the CSO in Saariaho’s Ciel d'hiver (Winter Sky) followed by two works by Shostakovich.

📷: Todd Rosenberg

I’ve had a wonderful time in Chicago with Chicago Symphony Orchestra so far! Thank you to everyone who has come to the performances🙏🏽

📸: Todd Rosenberg

The CSO arrived in Paris on Friday after traveling by bus from their first tour stop in Brussels. Saturday night’s sold-out concert with @MaestroMuti brought them to the Philharmonie de Paris de Paris, where they played works by Glass, Mendelssohn and Strauss. #CSOonTour

📷: Todd Rosenberg

After a performance in Paris, the CSO stopped in Essen for a performance in Alfried Krupp Hall on Sunday. The Italian-inspired program led by @MaestroMuti highlighted the works of Philip Glass, Germans Mendelssohn and Strauss. Schauspiel Essen #CSOonTour

📷: Todd Rosenberg

It's lovely that Amazon and their Logistics department can lose a package and then wipe their hands of everything. Zero accountability. If you have something to ship, I highly suggest you avoid Amazon's SWIShip. Crooks and liars.

So true.

Violinist Ben Beilman, who spent some of his formative years in the Chicago area, demonstrated his deep rich tones in Saint-Saëns' virtuosic Third Violin Concerto.

📷: Todd Rosenberg

Grammy-winning violinist and CSO Artist-in-Residence Hilary Hahn joined the CSO on Thursday in a radiant performance of Brahms’ Violin Concerto, a beautifully lyrical work that showcased the extent of Hahn’s musicianship. Hilary Hahn Mikko Franck

📷: Todd Rosenberg

Watching the Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins and all I can think about is Shea in Irving from the Dan Patrick Show