
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Thursdays, 8 to 10 pm on WXXO-FM 91.5, WXXY 90.3, WXXO-FM/HD1 and online at wxxiclassical.org
Produced by Marty Ronish and hosted by Lisa Simeone, this weekly, two-hour series offers a unique format of engaging and lively content, including produced segments created to provide deeper insight into the music and programmatic themes found within the CSO’s concert season; interviews with CSO musicians, guest artists, and composers; and an exploration of the stories found within the CSO’s rich heritage of recordings and the Orchestra’s illustrious history in Chicago.
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Elgar's Enigma Variations began as a doodling on the piano, and developed into a series of sketches of the composer's friends.
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In the 20/21 season, pianist and conductor Lahav Shani started his position as Music Director of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, taking over from Zubin Mehta. Previously Principal Guest Conductor of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, in February 2023 Shani was appointed the new Chief Conductor of the Münchner Philharmoniker, starting in September 2026.
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Beethoven composed Die Ruinen von Athen in 1811 to accompany the play of the same name. The action depicted is allegorical, perhaps to a logical extreme: the goddess Athene visits Athens to find it in ruins, but is led by her herald Hermes to Pest, where she enters the theatre and joins Holy Roman Emperor Francis II in consecrating the new building.
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Commissioned by the Chicago Symphony, Haillí-Serenata by Gabriela Lena Frank was inspired by a visit to the city of Cajamarca, Peru, the site of the Inca Empire's defeat by the Spanish. Frank presents this serenade to their ancestors in this short work (Haillí means “prayer” in Quechua).
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Grammy Award winning, American composer Bryce Dessner, is "a vital and rare force in new music." (Wise Music Classical)
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