News from the CSO
The
Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association is thrilled to announce the
appointment of composer, violinist and educator Jessie Montgomery as its
next Mead Composer-in-Residence. A winner of both the Sphinx Medal of
Excellence and the ASCAP Foundation’s Leonard Bernstein Award, Montgomery has
emerged as one of the most compelling and sought-after voices in new music
today. Appointed by Zell Music Director Riccardo Muti, she will begin her
three-year tenure on July 1, 2021, and will continue in the role through June
30, 2024.
Read more about this exciting news here.
News from the OC — Join the Soundpost Committee!
We'd like to invite Overture Council members to participate in the planning and marketing for Soundpost. The next Soundpost Committee meeting is Tuesday, May 11 at 6:00 PM. Join Soundpost Co-Chairs Taylor Poulin (assistant curator at the Terra Foundation of American Art in Chicago) and Benjamin Levy (a gastroenterologist and cellist who completed a Fulbright Fellowship in Music with the Orchestre de Paris and Paris Opera) to help plan our May 25 event and beyond.
*Zoom information for the Soundpost Committee meeting can be found in the Membership section.
OC May Happy Hour
Tuesday, May 4 at 6:00 PM
The OC had a great time on gather.town last month, so we're doing it again! To celebrate our Star Wars Day, we will be meeting on a space station that will have Codewords, Fishbowl and other fun games! If you missed us last month, gather.town is like a Zoom where you can explore and select your own breakout room. There will be spaces where two people can video chat alone and places for group conversations.
The link will be posted here 30 minutes prior to the event, or you can email overturecouncil@cso.org by 5 PM on May 4 to be added to the list.
*Add this event to your calendar here.
OC Virtual Event with Houston's Young Professionals
Saturday, May 15 at 6:30 PM
Join us for an exciting and interactive virtual event with the Houston Symphony Young Associates Council.
Mix your favorite cocktail, treat yourself to your favorite food and enjoy our first-ever event with our counterparts from the Houston Symphony, featuring appearances from the extremely talented musicians of both orchestras! We'll spend time learning about each organization and mixing and mingling. Fun and new friendships are guaranteed!
*Add this event to your calendar here.
Beyond the Page: Exploring Jazz Improvisation
Tuesday, May 25 at 6:00 PM
The next Soundpost will take place on Tuesday, May 25 at 6:00 PM featuring a panel of jazz musicians discussing the art of improvisation. Musicians include Willie Jones III (jazz drummer and adjunct professor at Northwestern; he has toured with Herbie Hancock, Roy Hargrove, Milt Jackson and Wynton Marsalis), John D'earth (trumpeter and director of jazz erformance at the University of Virginia, who has recorded with the Dave Matthews Band), James Gailloreto (saxophonist, CSO collaborator and professor at Roosevelt University) and Michele Thomas (director of vocal jazz ensemble at DePaul). Scott DeVeaux (jazz pianist, professor of music at the University of Virginia, former Fulbright Fellow and author of "The Birth of Bebop: A Social and Musical History") will moderate the discussion.
*Add this event to your calendar here.
More Events
OC Happy Hour with Members of the Civic Orchestra
Tuesday, May 18 at 6:00 PM CDT
More information coming soon!
San Francisco Opera Bravo! Club Presents: Virtual Trivia
Thursday, May 20 at 7:30 PM CDT
Mark your calendar for another virtual Trivia Night with our friends from the SF Opera Bravo! Club and other young professional opera organizations across the country. Sign up here!
The CSO is always adding great new content to CSOtv — check out the latest episodes!
This month, check out CSOtv Episode 18: Messian Quartet for the End of Time (available through May 21). Written in a German prison camp during World War II, Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time was premiered by the composer to an audience of guards and fellow prisoners. Evoking sounds and imagery from his surroundings, including the famous birdsong clarinet solo, Messiaen’s powerful quartet transcends the dark circumstances of its inspiration and attempts to give new meaning to the word eternity. By the final movement, time seems to slip away, bringing to mind the apocalyptic passage that inspired the work’s title: “There shall be no more time.”
Dive into the CSO's Archives with a free episode of Great Music From Chicago Episode 4: Walter Hendl & Isaac Stern. Frequent and favorite soloist Isaac Stern was back in Chicago in January 1963 to appear with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, performing Beethoven’s Second Violin Romance and Bruch’s First Violin Concerto on this television concert. Walter Hendl, the Orchestra’s associate conductor, was on the podium and opened the program with Beethoven’s Coriolan Overture. Recorded January 30, 1963, WGN-TV
Gustavo Dudamel Named Music Director of Paris Opera
The Opéra National de Paris has announced that Gustavo Dudamel will be the company’s new music director while continuing his commitment to the LA Philharmonic. The appointment begins August 1, 2021, and will last for six seasons.
“From the first downbeat, my experience with the artists of the Paris Opera was simply magnificent,” Dudamel said in a press release. “The immediate sensation at that decisive encounter – feelings of trust, connection, musicality, and a shared vision – were born from this first meeting in 2017. The exceptional level of the musicians of the Orchestra and the artists of the Chorus and the strong bond that we were able to weave together during the rehearsals and the performances of ‘La Bohème’ are what made me accept Alexander Neef’s proposal.”
“Alongside my continued commitment to the LA Phil and to the beloved musicians of El Sistema in Venezuela and around the world, I want to devote all my energy toward creating extraordinary musical moments for our audiences, and to make the Paris Opera ever more connected to the soul of the city and country that surrounds it, with inclusion and access firmly at the core of everything we do together,” he said.
Dudamel has been artistic and music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since 2009. In 2009 Dudamel was named Chevalier in the French Order of Arts and Letters, and in 2019, he was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Have you renewed your membership yet? Membership grants you access to members-only events and resources. Renew today!
Looking to take your membership to the max? Join a committee!
Most committee business takes place on Slack, so be sure to check there for up-to-date committee happenings.
Social Media and Membership: Kim Ellwein
Brand Awareness: Aileen Markovitz
Next joint meeting: Monday, May 3 at 6:00 PM
Join Zoom
Core Member Activities: Leah Williams
External Relations: Anatoliy Mushtuk & Khrystyna Musiy
Next joint meeting: Thursday, May 6 at 6:30 PM
Join Zoom
Soundpost: Ben Levy & Taylor Poulin
Next meeting: Tuesday, May 11 at 6:00 PM
Join Zoom
Stay up to date on all Overture Council events and happenings by visiting our social media pages or following the complete season calendar. Have an idea to submit for our next Clef Notes? Let us know!
