Five Concerts To See At The Grant Park Music Festival
By Chuck Sudo in Arts & Entertainment on May 22, 2013 4:30PM
As we head into the Memorial Day holiday, Millennium Park prepares to transform itself into an epicenter of free summer concerts. One of the staples of the summer music season is the Grant Park Music Festival. Now in its 78th year, the free festival brings classical music out of the orchestra halls and to the streets, with a capable and storied orchestra under the direction of Carlos Kalmar.
The 2013 Grant Park Music Festival kicks off June 12 with Kalmar conducting Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony and the festival debut of hot violinist Stefan Jackiw performing Mozart's Turkish Concerto.
But the Grant Park Music Festival is more than just classical music. Under its musical umbrella are programs touching base with jazz, Broadway, international music styles and pop music. Here are five must-see recommendations for the upcoming season. (All shows start at 6:30 p.m.)
Pink Martini June 19
This self-described "little orchestra" founded 19 years ago by Thomas Lauderdale is another reason Portland is weird, in an awesome way. Not content to be confined to a specific genre, Pink Martini's instrumentation allows them to tackle jazz, pop, samba and bossa nova, torch and classical music with equal skill and aplomb. A heavy touring schedule has honed the group to a razor sharpness capable of making club gigs sound enormous and symphony hall shows intimate. Playing with Kalmar and the Grant Park Orchestra, this should shape up to be one of the early gems of the season.
Iris Dévoilée June 21 and 22
Qigang Chen's 2002 composition has become a popular staple of modern symphonies and it will be very interesting to see how Kalmar and the orchestra interpret the suite. Chen masterfully blends Eastern and Western orchestration in his suite, composed for three female voices, traditional Chinese instruments and an orchestra. Featured performers for this reading include sopranos Wu Yanyu and Meng Meng.
Independence Eve Celebration July 3
If you're looking for an evening with the Pops and fireworks, then come out for this program of traditional music to celebrate the holiday, then head over to the lakefront after to enjoy the fireworks from Navy Pier.
Rodgers and Hammerstein Celebration July 17
Kalmar hands over the conductor's baton to Christopher Bell for this program of songs from Carousel, The King & I, Oklahoma, Showboat, The Sound of Music, South Pacific and other classic musicals featuring soprano Rebecca Luker, tenor Doug LaBrecque and baritone William Michals.
James Carter's Concerto for Saxophones Aug. 7
The Detroit-born saxophonist is one of the most respected and critically acclaimed musicians in jazz with a resume that includes membership in the World Saxophone Quartet, the Mingus Big Band, Wynton Marsalis and Cyrus Chestnut. His association with Marsalis means Carter is no stranger to orchestral settings and he should have a lot of musical fodder to feast on with this concerto written by Roberto Sierra exploring a myriad of Latin American musical styles.