Results tagged “chicagosymphonyorchestra”

Remember when Bush cut taxes disproportionately for the wealthy, and you were all, "This is exactly what I was afraid was going to happen," and then he sent out those rebate checks, and you were like, "Oh sure, he's just throwing money at us to distract us from all the terrible things he's doing," but then you got your few hundred dollars in the mail, and you went, "Eh, I might as well buy an iPod"? Well, think about that this Sunday when the Chicago Symphony Orchestra shows its support for the "Back the Bid" campaign by having a one-day sale where tickets are just $20.16.

Late summer is here, which for many classical musicians is one of the few times of year without commitments. At the conclusion of last Saturday's concert at Ravinia, members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra were mercifully unchained from their endowed chairs and allowed a few weeks of freedom.

This Saturday at Ravinia, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra will perform two of Dmitri Shostakovich's most famous works, the Symphony No. 5 in D Minor and the Violin Concerto No. 1 in A Minor. The programming of these two pieces should satisfy Shostakovich fans, but it'll also serve as a concise introduction to two sides of the Russian great's music.

Which Herbie Hancock do you prefer? The post-bopper from the revolutionary rhythm section of Miles Davis's 1960s quintet? The tripped-out, funky Head Hunters band leader? And how can you say no to "Rockit"?

Members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra loosen their cummerbunds tonight and Saturday as they share the stage with jazz guitar legend John Scofield, playing a piece by Duke Ellington and a piece co-written by Scofield and CSO Composer-in-Residence Mark-Anthony Turnage.

We had heard Sting was renting some practice space in Chicago and now we know why. Sting is performing at a private fundraising concert with the Chicago Symphony Ochestra on May 19. There are NO tickets available to the public. Well, almost none. The CSO is auctioning off a single pair on eBay ... so if you've ever wanted to see Sting backed by a world class orchestra break out your checkbook and prepare to drain your bank account before the auction closes on May 13. If you win you don't just get the two seats, you also get In addition to two prime seats to the concert, a night at the Four Seasons, dinner at Tru, and a program autographed by one Gordon Sumner. You'll be broke but it's worth it since you're supporting the arts, right?

Problem: You want to treat your mom to some classy tunes this Sunday, but you don't know which concert to see.

This Thursday the Chicago Symphony Orchestra is presenting the latest installment of their ClassicEncounter series, where they sweeten the concert-going deal by adding book-learnin' and booze.

If you haven't planned anything for your heartthrob tomorrow night, you may still be able to save the day (and your relationship) with an awesome concert. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is offering a package of prizes to two lucky Chicagoist commenters. Each winner will get:

With their Winter Series program wrapping up last weekend at Harris Theater, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago solidly defended their reputation as an internationally renowned contemporary dance company.

The London-based classical music magazine has just named our very own Chicago Symphony Orchestra the best orchestra in the United States, and 5th overall in the world. That seems like quite an honor -- the CSO must be excited about that, right? Not quite:

220 S. Michigan Ave., Symphony Center, tonight, 8:00 p.m., pre-concert conversation from 7 – 7:30 in the Grainger Ballroom, Young Frankenstein screens at 10:00 p.m.

If you are already drawing crowds to your venue for longish evening performances, you might as well capitalize on that fact by running some kind of restaurant or eatery directly nearby. Examples: the Rhapsody Restaurant inside the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s “Symphony Center” complex, or the revenue-generating shenanigans of the Park Grill in Millennium Park.

The mercury has cracked 50 degrees on consecutive days this week and that's had us thinking about Spring around here. We know, it's supposed to get cold again next week, but we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. It's time to start planning our summer excursions. Sure, Lollapalooza and the Pitchfork Music Fest made big headlines recently, but Ravinia's 2008 schedule was also released this week, meaning we can start incorporating trips to Highland Park into our plans.

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra has just announced its 2008 / 2009 season. Tickets are already on sale, so here are a few Chicagoist recommendations to keep in mind:

Random things that we like: those who do what they love, and groups that help to foster that experience. That’s why we are kinda interested when we hear about organizations like the Chicago Cello Society which, since its inception in 1980, has strived to unite Chicago amateur and professional cellists to promote the art of playing the instrument as well as its standing in the musical world.

We all know that Chicago has a little something for everybody. As far as dance classes go, there are bountiful opportunities throughout the city to try something new, develop a new skill, or just plain old embarrass yourself in front of your significant other. We went ahead and found some of the more interesting offerings in the way of dance classes:

It's going to be gorgeous this weekend but might rain tonight, so grab your umbrella before heading out. Just in case. The The Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled 1 million cribs today after a Trib investigation linked the cribs to the deaths of three children. Congressman Jerry Weller (R-Morris) won't be running for an eighth term because he wants to spend more time with his family. Not because he's been named one of the...

The Ravinia Festival summer schedule has been released, a consolation prize for those of us who couldn’t score cheap Lollapalooza passes. Online ticket sales begin April 19 and won’t require multiple browser windows and copious amounts of prayer. True to form, the 2007 schedule offers much to satisfy the 45-55 year old demographic: the Beach Boys, Doobie Brothers, Steve Miller, and that ABBA tribute band return. Programmers share Perry Farrell’s fondness for the 90s, booking...

"mrks" via abbyworld.

Remember to crack a window. You don't want to die from inhaling Liquid Plumr fumes, like this guy. The Bulls are teaming up with WFP to feed hungry schoolchildren in Darfur, Sudan, with a $100,000 donation. Chicago Symphony Orchestra donated $60k worth of musical instruments to Chicago Public Schools. Jewel is closing Starbucks' in-store cafes and Dominick’s is adding them. Rivalfish shows how terribly white they are by trying to put together a remix...

Daniel Barenboim has left Chicago, but he hasn’t stopped thinking big. Conducting his multicultural, multi-faith West-Eastern Divan Orchestra across Europe this week, Barenboim is taking a stand against war in the Middle East and, since 1998, has provided an example of how Israelis, Palestinians, and Arabs from across the region can work together. But the commendable project isn’t exactly a musical utopia. The tours have been outside the Middle East and certain musicians won’t develop friendships across the divide, afraid of how that will look back home. Prior to this week’s European tour, Barenboim drafted a statement condemning the violence in Israel and Lebanon. After intense debate, the ensemble accepted it without amendment and the orchestra played to rave reviews.

TECH NOTE: We're not trying to silence you today or anything, we're having technical difficulties that are causing comments to not work across the entire Gothamist Network. Hopefully this will be resolved by later tonight or tomorrow morning at the latest. This week's CTA news: US Cellular customers can make cell phone calls on the trains, everyone can make 911 calls, and we're now able to track buses to try to figure out why...

Some arty-farty Chicago stories we’ve been checking out on the internets today: * The National Endowment for the arts awarded $1.1 million in grants to various people, places and things that make life worth living in Illinois. Recipients include some Chicago heavyweights like the Lyric Opera and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as well as the Mexican Fine Arts Center and Tribune columnist Dawn Turner Trice. To our mind, the Chicago Jazz Orchestra Association is putting...

It’s a bad sign when even watching the news makes you miserable. While the flood waters have started to recede along the Gulf Coast and positive stories are emerging about Katrina survivors reunited with their families, the 24/7 aftermath coverage and Oprah’s inspired but rather graphic reporting have worn us down. As we approach the anniversary of another tragedy, we will set aside time to reflect but still plan to get on with our weekend....

Back in third grade, Chicagoist constructed a moving, baseball-themed diorama with a ball that actually sailed over a distant (all the way on the other side of the shoe box) outfield fence and an accompanying audio track. Mean Mrs. Morris gave it a "B," and Chicagoist cried in front of the whole class.

We the people have been invited to a Chicago Symphony Orchestra town meeting Tuesday night to offer our input on the replacement for long-time music director Daniel Barenboim. You can join the official search committee at 5:30 in Buntrock Hall at Symphony Center for an update on their progress (Barenboim announced his departure a year ago, so we’ll assume it’s going, you know, s…l…o…w…l…y) and then share your personal likes/dislikes in an open-mic jam session. Afterwards, you’ll get the chance to chat up committee members and find out what they really think about that whole Paris Hilton Sidekick thing.

Through Dec. 26