The Chicago Philharmonic Society proudly presents its second of four concerts of their 32nd Season with Simply Serenades on November 21, 2021 at North Shore Center for the Performing Arts (9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie). Led by Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Scott Speck, named 2021 Conductor of the Year by Illinois Council of Orchestras, the concert features masterpieces by Johannes Brahms and Antonín Dvořák for winds and strings, plus a world premiere by Jonathan Bingham. Single tickets ranging from $10-$75 are now available at chicagophilharmonic.org.
“We can’t wait to explore these exquisite serenades by Brahms and Dvořák with a live audience,” said Speck. “These pieces offer a different lens to view two beloved composers we thought we knew -- and they put the spotlight on our wonderful wind section. We’re beyond excited to perform Jonathan Bingham’s Tautology. This piece, scored for the same forces as the Brahms, sheds light on the more familiar pieces on the program. Of course, any chance to premiere a new piece is a momentous occasion, but this marks our first actual world premiere by one of our Donna Milanovich Composers in Residence - what an honor!”
Simply Serenades spotlights two serenades from Romantic master composers Brahms and Dvořák: Johannes Brahms’ lighthearted Serenade No. 2 in A Major was written early in the composer’s career for pairs of wind instruments and violas, cellos, and bass. Antonín Dvořák, a mentee of Brahms, wrote his Serenade for Winds with similar instrumentation and his signature witty, Czech-inspired melodies. Concluding the program is a serenade in one movement by Jonathan Bingham, who was recently selected as one of three winners of Chicago Philharmonic’s first-time Donna Milanovich Composer in Residence program.
"It can take months, perhaps years, to write a piece but some may not consider it complete until it’s performed,” said Bingham. “With this collaboration with the Chicago Philharmonic, I get to fulfill my commitment to my work—hearing it on stage with an audience developing an emotional response. I can only hope it sparks conversation."
The Composer in Residence program, named after recently retired Executive Director Donna Milanovich, is a three-year residency that includes live performances of newly composed works for orchestra and chamber ensembles, a $2,500 award per composer, a seat on Chicago Philharmonic’s Artistic Committee, and development opportunities with Maestro Speck.
In partnership with Chicago Park District, Chicago Philharmonic is inviting string players to perform at the holiday concert Side by Side with the Chicago Philharmonic, recording at Lafollette Park on November 20 and conducted by Maestro Speck. The final concert will stream on the Chicago Park District’s “Your Night at Home” series in December. Registration to perform with Chicago Philharmonic for this concert opens November 18. Space is limited. For more information, visit chicagophilharmonic.org/side-by-side-with-the-chicago-philharmonic.
Chicago Philharmonic continues the holiday season with a Holiday Brunch Concert on December 12 at City Winery Chicago - West Loop. The concert features a harp trio by French composers, plus holiday carols and brunch specials. Tickets now available at chicagophilharmonic.org.
For the safety of patrons and musicians, all audience members, musicians, and staff are required to show proof of vaccination or a recent negative Covid test to enter the building. Masks will be worn by all throughout the performance.
ABOUT JONATHAN BINGHAM
Over the last decade, composer Jonathan Bingham has been recognized for his use of electronic and acoustic instrumentation. He’s composed music for film, advertisements, and has received commissions to write for numerous ensembles. Bingham received the Vincent C. LaGuardia Award in composition leading to a residency with the Arapahoe Philharmonic in 2016. Over the following several years he premiered five orchestral works and obtained a subsequent residency with the Boulder Symphony. Through his collaborations with filmmakers, dancers, and painters, he has had work premiered internationally in concert halls, cinemas, galleries, and playhouses. Recent commissions include SOLOS for the Carpe Diem String Quartet, Tautology for the Chicago Philharmonic, and a work for the Emerging Black Composers Project—an initiative by the San Francisco Conservatory and the San Francisco Symphony. In addition, he has created original scores for over a dozen film productions which have premiered in festivals such as the New York Film Festival, Rome International Film Festival, and BFI London Film Festival among others. Recently, he has been invited to lecture on concert and film music at Fayetteville State University, the School of Visual Arts, and the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University.
Holding degrees in composition from Howard University and New York University, Bingham studied with Anthony Randolph, Chinyerem Ohia, and Justin Dello Joio. His most recent project is Cool Story, a platform researching scores and producing recordings of lesser known music.
ABOUT THE CHICAGO PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY
The Chicago Philharmonic Society is a collaboration of nearly 200 of the highest-level classical musicians performing in the Chicago metropolitan area. Governed under a groundbreaking structure of musician leadership, the Society presents concerts at venues throughout the Chicago area that cover the full spectrum of symphonic music. The Society’s orchestra, known simply as the Chicago Philharmonic, has been called one of the country’s finest symphonic orchestras, and its unique chamber music ensembles, which perform as Chicago Phil Chamber, draw from its vast pool of versatile musicians. The Society’s community engagement programs connect Chicago-area youth to classical music by providing access to symphonic concerts, mentorship from Chicago Philharmonic musicians, and performance opportunities. Founded 32 years ago, the Chicago Philharmonic is known for providing symphonic support to international and national touring companies in all music genres and served as the official orchestra of the Joffrey Ballet for eight years. The Chicago Philharmonic also continues its nearly 30-year association with Ravinia Festival, is a resident company of the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, and performs at all the great concert halls of the Chicago and North Shore area, including Auditorium Theatre and Symphony Center. The Illinois Council of Orchestras has awarded the Chicago Philharmonic “Orchestra of the Year'' (2018), “Programming of the Year” (2019), “Community Relations of the Year” (2019), “Executive Director of the Year” (2020), and “Conductor of the Year” (2021). More information can be found at chicagophilharmonic.org.
ABOUT ARTISTIC DIRECTOR AND PRINCIPAL CONDUCTOR SCOTT SPECK
Scott Speck, Illinois Council of Orchestras’ 2021 Conductor of the Year, was named Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of Chicago Philharmonic in June of 2013 and has been Music Director of the Joffrey Ballet since 2010. His concerts with the Moscow RTV Symphony Orchestra in Tchaikovsky Hall garnered unanimous praise. His gala performances with Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Renée Fleming, Joshua Bell, Midori, Evelyn Glennie, and Olga Kern have highlighted his recent and current seasons as Music Director of the Mobile Symphony. This season he also collaborates intensively with Carnegie Hall for the tenth time as Music Director of the West Michigan Symphony. He was invited to the White House as former Music Director of the Washington Ballet.
In past seasons Scott Speck has conducted at New York's Lincoln Center, London’s Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, the Paris Opera, Chicago’s Symphony Center, Washington’s Kennedy Center, San Francisco’s War Memorial Opera House, and the Los Angeles Music Center. He has led numerous performances with the great symphony orchestras around the world. He is also the co-author of three of the world’s bestselling books on classical music for a popular audience, Classical Music for Dummies, Opera for Dummies and Ballet for Dummies, and Ballet for Dummies. These books have been translated into twenty languages and are available around the world. Scott Speck has been a regular commentator on National Public Radio, the BBC, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and Voice of Russia, broadcast throughout the world. He has been featured in TED talks and at the Aspen Ideas Festival. His writing has been featured in numerous magazines and journals. Scott Speck can be reached at scottspeck.org, on Twitter and Instagram @ScottSpeckMusic, and at facebook.com/ScottSpeckMusic.