The Wallace Foundation just published a follow up to their a follow-up to their 2020 report about Black American participation in the arts.  We think it’s a must read for anyone working in our industry. Click Read More to get the link!

 

A Place to be Heard; a Space to Feel Held: Black Perspectives on Creativity, Trustworthiness, Welcome and Well-Being–Finding | by the Wallace Foundation

 

#performingarts

Happy holidays from CS! We hope this fun mix of classical and popular tunes makes everything merry!

 

And enjoy our year-end Spotify wrapped! Thanks for all your support!

 

​Sadie Woods, Residents Orchestrate Project Manager

PHILIP GLASS Suite from Dracula: Excellent Mr. Renfield (with the Carducci String Quartet)

JACKIE WILSON Light My Fire

Noah Cline, Executive Assistant to the CEO

BRAHMS Symphony No. 4

TAYLOR SWIFT Holy Ground

Christine Janicki, Orchestra Personnel Manager

DEBUSSY Arabesque No. 1

BRAHMS Intermezzo in A Major, Op. 118, No. 2

MOZART “Der Hölle Rache” from The Magic Flute

Carolina Almeida, Designer

ARNOLD BAX November Woods

SHARON JONES & THE DAP-KINGS How Long Do I Have to Wait for You

Blake-Anthony Johnson, CEO

FRANCIS POULENC Les chemins de l’amour (sung by Jessye Norman)

CHANCE THE RAPPER (featuring Jay Electronica & my cousin Nicole). How great

Danielle Taylor, Project Inclusion Manager

ASTOR PIAZZOLLA Otoño Porteño (from Four Seasons in Buenos Aires)

SARAH VAUGHAN Autumn in New York

Emily Quist, Director of Marketing and Patron Services

STRAUSS Four Last Songs, “September”

BILL EVANS TRIO Autumn Leaves

Laura Grant, Publicist

IMOGEN HOLST The Fall of the Leaf (with cellist Steven Isserlis)

TAYLOR SWIFT All Too Well

Chicago Sinfonietta has a Spotify channel! You can hear past CS recordings, and enjoy our curated playlists from anywhere! Check out our LGBT History Month playlist, on the channel now!

Congratulations to PI Freeman Conducting Fellow and 2021 Chicago Sinfonietta’s Co-Assistant Conductor Kyle Dickson on being a recipient of Grant Park Music Festival’s 2021 Advocate for the Arts Award, presented to leading individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to Chicago’s arts and cultural landscape!

Project Inclusion is Chicago Sinfonietta’s groundbreaking program where talent and mentorship converge to develop diverse and emerging musicians, conductors, and administrators on and off-stage. Here’s our monthly summary of news from current and former fellows:

Antoine Clark (Former Conducting Fellow) was selected for the Assistant Conductor position at the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra.

Allison Lovera (Former Ensemble Fellow) received a new position with the Minnesota Orchestra.

In August, Kalena Bovell (Former Conducting Fellow) made her conducting debut at the BBC Proms with the Chineke! Orchestra.

Caitlin Edwards (Former Orchestral Fellow) was awarded a prestigious 3Arts award for 2021.

Kyle Dickson (Violin and Conducting Fellow) is in the newest class of Salonen Conducting Fellows as a student in the Negaunee Conducting Program at the Colburn School. As part of the fellowship, he also joins the conducting staff of the San Francisco Symphony, where he’ll join the roster as an Assistant Conductor to Esa-Pekka Salonen for this season.

Taichi Fukumura (Conducting Fellow) has been invited to the Karajan Academy’s conducting competition this month (Oct 22). The competition will take place at the Berlin Philharmonic.

Michelle DiRusso (Conducting Fellow) is in her first season as Assistant Conductor of the North Carolina Symphony.

@taichi_fukumara@kjdviolin@michelledirusso@silvursmiles
@allisonklovera@antoinetclarkconductor
Photo credit: Kyle Flubacker

Previous subscribers, we’ve saved your seats! Simply follow the instructions below to renew your subscription online. If you are new to CS or haven’t subscribed in a while, you can purchase a new subscription here!

How to Renew:

1. Log into your CS Account by clicking on the person icon in the top right corner of the CS website.

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2. Click on the Subscriptions tab on your account page.

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3. You will see your subscription seats on hold here. Click Buy Subscription.

(If you do not see a seat hold listed for you, please click here to purchase a new subscription or call the Box Office at 312-284-1554)

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4. Here you can make any changes to the number of subscriptions you wish to purchase.

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5. On the next screen, you can change the venue you wish to attend. (If you wish to change the venue of just one of the performances in your subscription package, please call the Box Office at 312-284-1554)

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6. The next page is a seating map showing you where your held subscription seats are located. Your seats will already be populated in the system, and they will have a green ticket icon over them. If you do not wish to change seats, simply click Next.

(Note: The Upper and Lower Balconies at Symphony Center are now on a single screen labeled Balcony, with the upper and lower portions separated by a line.)

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7. Review your cart, and click the View Details button next to each item to see your specific seat numbers. When you are happy with the contents of your cart, click Checkout to complete the transaction. You are now renewed for the 22-23 Season!

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Have questions? Need help?

Please call the Box Office at 312-284-1554 or email boxoffice@chicagosinfonietta.org, M-F from 10am-4pm. We are happy to assist you!

Chicago Sinfonietta season closing concert celebrates the centenary of Piazzolla’s birth and presents final commission of the season: the world premiere of Victor Wooten’s La Lección Tres

Chicago, IL – Chicago Sinfonietta closes its 33rd season, “Stories of the People,” with “Fusion: Stronger Together” a finale that honors the voice of the people in its many forms, tracing the line of stories told across time and place. A colorful merging of the present with the past, the June 5th concert presents the final commissioned work by an African American composer for the season.

One of the cornerstones on which Chicago Sinfonietta was built, and begun by late founder and Music Director Paul Freeman, commissions are part of the organization’s ongoing mission of inclusion. Chicago Sinfonietta is one of the very few orchestras in the United States during the 2020-21 season to present a commissioned world premiere, all by African American composers, on each concert.

“Music is an integral part of rebuilding our great city as we usher in a new chapter for arts and the community,” stated Chief Executive Officer Blake-Anthony Johnson. “We are thrilled to be able to continue to connect with our audiences virtually. We continue to monitor the ongoing health concerns caused by COVID-19 and are thankful for the opportunity to still make music. We look forward to welcoming our audience back in person this next season and celebrating the joys of life and live music together.”

June 5, 2021 at 7:30 PM
Virtual concert
Chicago Sinfonietta
“Fusion: Stronger Together”
Mei-Ann Chen, conductor
Victor Wooten, bass

PROGRAM
Astor PIAZZOLLA (arr. Steven VERHELST)
Suite from Maria de Buenos Aires for Brass and Percussion
Valerie COLEMAN
Suite: Portraits of Josephine
Victor WOOTEN
La Lección Tres World Premiere, Chicago Sinfonietta Commission

Tickets
Call the Box Office at (312) 284-1554,
email boxoffice@localhost,
or order online at www.chicagosinfonietta.org/membership

The orchestra marks the centenary of Astor Piazzolla’s birth with an arrangement of the well-known Suite from his Tango Opera, Maria de Buenos Aires. Chicago Sinfonietta is proud to work with The Instituto Cervantes of Chicago as part of its Midwest program of The Piazzolla Foundation’s extensive “Piazzolla 100” program to commemorate the centenary of his birth. Organized by two of his grandchildren, Daniel Villaflor Piazzolla, vice president of the Piazzolla Foundation, and drummer Daniel Pipi Piazzolla, leader of the Escalandrum jazz group, the Midwest program is a collaboration of the Piazzolla Foundation, Piazzolla 100, Chicago Sinfonietta, Elgin Symphony Orchestra, and Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, with the support of the General Consulate of Argentina in Chicago and the International Latino Cultural Center of Chicago.

Following the Piazzolla is Valerie Coleman’s musical portrayal of entertainer and activist Josephine Baker’s life. Closing the program, and featuring Grammy award-winning bassist and prized collaborator, composer and bassist Victor Wooten, is the season closing commissioned world premiere of La Lección Tres, a merging of music and philosophy moved forward in exuberant bass lines.

Learn more about Piazzolla 100: Celebrating the transformative spirit of Astor Piazzolla’s music and the artistic cultural heritage of Argentina.

ABOUT VICTOR WOOTEN
Five-time Grammy winner, founding member of the super-group Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Victor Wooten is a composer, published author, magician and acrobat, and has won every major award given to a bass guitarist.

ABOUT CHICAGO SINFONIETTA
Groundbreaking. Dynamic. Innovative. An acclaimed cultural leader and a powerful champion of diversity, equity and inclusion, the award-winning Chicago Sinfonietta was founded in 1987 by the late Maestro Paul Freeman to address diversity in orchestras. Dedicated to changing the face of classical music, and making classical music accessible to everyone, what began as a mission to represent the city of Chicago has evolved into an international position at the forefront of progressive change in the arts. Led by international conductor and Music Director Maestra Mei-Ann Chen since 2011, today Chicago Sinfonietta is a 21st century orchestra renowned for its defiantly different outlook, innovative and collaborative programming, and artistry of the highest caliber. The ensemble’s success has been recognized with numerous industry honors, including a 2020 League of American Orchestras Catalyst Award for Institutional Development and Anti-racism Training, a MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions – the “genius award” for non-profit organizations, an ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming, and a First Place Award for Programming of Contemporary Music.

Celebrated for its daring, cutting-edge programs ranging from its popular subscription concert series with guests of national and local renown to its local engagement, the organization’s commitment to parity and diversity for all is ubiquitous in its myriad education and community programs. Amongst them: Artist in Residence, – which presents a composer of color who works in various community programs and creates for Chicago Sinfonietta a commissioned world premiere; Audience Matters, targeting 4th – 6th grade students in partnership with more than 23 CPS schools and nine Aurora schools; Student Ensembles with Excellence and Diversity (SEED), a mentoring program for talented high school musicians; and Chicago Sinfonietta’s Residents Orchestrate Project, re-imagining the role that an orchestra can play in historically underserved Chicago neighborhoods. Its nationally recognized Project Inclusion Fellowships, with training and mentoring of young musicians in the areas of administration, orchestral and ensemble performance, conducting, and now composition, is the largest and most successful of its kind. Through the above performances and initiatives, as well as various events, Chicago Sinfonietta continues to expand its mission and strengthen its leadership in the world of classical music, redefining the orchestra experience for today’s and future generations.

Press Contact:
Laura Grant, Grant Communications
Laura@grant-communications.com

Chicago, IL – Chicago Sinfonietta (CS) offers a preview of its coming season with a special preview performance at Ravinia this September. The influence of different cultures shines in this fusion of works spanning three centuries in a thrilling choreography of symphonic dance featuring two Chicago Sinfonietta signature works.

“We are thrilled to open our 34th season with a return to Ravinia, one of the country’s revered music festivals,” said Chicago Sinfonietta Chief Executive Officer Blake-Anthony Johnson. “As we re-engage our CS family and invite them back to live performances, we also welcome new audiences to Chicago Sinfonietta, and this program offers the community a taste of our 2021-22 season.”

Ravinia: Sounds of Dance: Season Preview

Chicago Sinfonietta

Mei-Ann Chen, Music Director

September 8, 2021 at 8:00 PM

Samuel COLERIDGE-TAYLOR

Danse Négre from African Suite, Op. 35, No. 4

Johann, STRAUSS II

An der schönen blauen Donau (On the Beautiful Blue Danube)

Frederic CHOPIN (arr. STRAVINSKY)

Grande valse brillante in E-flat major, Op. 18

Florence PRICE (arr. William Grant Still)

Dances in the Canebrakes

Bedrich SMETANA

Ma Vlast, Vitava (The Maldau)

Antonín DVOŘÁK

Slavonic Dances Op. 46, No. 8

Arturo MÁRQUEZ

Conga del Fuego Nuevo

English composer Samuel Coleridge -Taylor’s stirring Danse Négre from African Suite, Op.35 highlights the African influence in Great Britain during the 19^th century, juxtaposed against the German influence heard in Johann Strauss II’s On the Beautiful Blue Danube, one of two Chicago Sinfonietta signature works on this concert. Polish composer Frederic Chopin’s first published waltz, the Grande valse brillante in E-flat major, Op. 18, arranged by Stravinsky for Sergei Diaghilev’s 1909 ballet Les Sylphides, introduces the world of ballet, while another Sinfonietta signature work, Florence Price’s buoyant, lyrical Dances in the Canebrakes from 1953, reintroduces African influences from a 20th century American composer’s point of view. Traditional folk tunes inspire the next two works: Smetana’s tune in Vitava (The Maldau) is derived from an old Czech folk song, Kočka leze dírou (“The Cat Crawls Through the Hole”) while music in the style of a fiery Bohemian dance is spotlighted in Dvorak’s popular, fiery Slavonic Dances Op. 46, No. 8. Closing out the concert is a dance-inspired work accompanied by an audience engagement activity, Arturo Márquez’s Conga del Fuego Nuevo (New Fire).

Additional details and ticket information can be found at ravinia.org.

Details on Chicago Sinfonietta’s 2021-22 season will be announced in the near future.

ABOUT CHICAGO SINFONIETTA

Groundbreaking. Dynamic. Innovative. An acclaimed cultural leader and a powerful champion of diversity, equity and inclusion, the award-winning Chicago Sinfonietta was founded in 1987 by the late Maestro Paul Freeman to address diversity in orchestras. Dedicated to changing the face of classical music, and making classical music accessible to everyone, what began as a mission to represent the city of Chicago has evolved into an international position at the forefront of progressive change in the arts. Led by international conductor and Music Director Maestra Mei-Ann Chen since 2011, today Chicago Sinfonietta is a 21st century orchestra renowned for its defiantly different outlook, innovative and collaborative programming, and artistry of the highest caliber. The ensemble’s success has been recognized with numerous industry honors, including a 2020 League of American Orchestras Catalyst Award for Institutional Development and Anti-racism Training, a MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions – the “genius award” for non-profit organizations, an ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming, and a First Place Award for Programming of Contemporary Music.

Celebrated for its daring, cutting-edge programs ranging from its popular subscription concert series with guests of national and local renown to its local engagement, the organization’s commitment to parity and diversity for all is ubiquitous in its myriad education and community programs. Amongst them: Artist in Residence, – now in its second season, presents a composer of color who works in various community programs and creates for Chicago Sinfonietta a commissioned world premiere; Audience Matters, targeting 4th – 6th grade students in partnership with more than 23 CPS schools and nine Aurora schools; Student Ensembles with Excellence and Diversity (SEED) a mentoring program for talented high school musicians; and Chicago Sinfonietta’s Residents Orchestrate Project, re-imagining the role that an orchestra can play in historically underserved Chicago neighborhoods. Its nationally recognized Project Inclusion Fellowships, with training and mentoring of young musicians in the areas of administration, orchestral and ensemble performance, conducting and now composition, is the largest and most successful of its kind. Through the above performances and initiatives, as well as various events, Chicago Sinfonietta continues to expand its mission and strengthen its leadership in the world of classical music, redefining the orchestra experience for today’s and future generations. www.chicagosinfonietta.org

Press Contact:

Laura Grant, Grant Communications

Laura@grant-communications.com

Three leaders of diversity and inclusion, including son of founder, join Chicago Sinfonietta’s Board of Directors

Chicago, IL – Chicago Sinfonietta is pleased to announce the addition of three leaders specializing in the diversity, inclusion, and support fields to its Board of Directors: Douglas C. Freeman, President of Global Reflections and Inclusive Leadership Practice, UWG; T. Robertson Carter, longtime activist and philanthropist/champion of the arts; and Dr. Ebbie Parsons, III, Managing Partner, Yardstick Management. These new members make a total of five influential leaders this season that have joined one of the nation’s most diverse non-profit boards.

Scott Hoesman, Chair of the Board of Directors and CEO and Founder of inQUEST Consulting in Chicago made the announcement, welcoming the new members from his home.

Douglas C. Freeman is the President of the Global Reflections and Inclusive Leadership inclusion practice at UniWorld Group, Inc. a global, multicultural, communication and advertising firm which provides a deep portfolio of holistic diversity and inclusion best practices. UWG at 51 years old is the oldest Multicultural/DEI firm in the United States. Mr. Freeman and UWG have completed diversity and inclusion projects for some of the world’s leading organizations, from Disney and Major League Baseball to Morgan Stanley and the European Union Commission in Brussels.

Mr. Freeman has served as Vice Chairman of the United Nations Gender Equality Experts Panel, was named a 40Under40 business leader by the NYC Network Journal and is a former board trustee of Georgetown College (US educational partner of Regents Park College, Oxford University). He recently served on the Dean’s Alumni Leadership Council at the JFK School of Government, Harvard University.

The son of Chicago Sinfonietta’s founder, Emmy Award-winning conductor Maestro Paul Freeman, Mr. Freeman holds a Master in Public Policy degree from the John F. Kennedy School at Harvard University, an MBA Essentials credential from the London School of Economics, along with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California at Berkeley. He attended Harvard University on a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship and completed his graduate degree focused on International Trade and Finance.

An active member of the arts community, T. Robertson Carter was founding director of the Leadership Circle at the Museum of Contemporary Art and has been supportive of art and social justice programs at Nova Southeastern University, Perez Art Museum Miami and Institution for Contemporary Art. Prior to her work in Miami, Ms. Robertson Carter worked in Brand Management for Levi Strauss & Co., and launched the clothing line OSO (sold at Barney’s New York, which was featured in Elle and Cosmopolitan magazines).

She is the Founding Board Chair of South Florida CARES, a group-mentoring initiative focused on the social and emotional wellness of challenged youth. As the local chapter of National CARES, its mission is to secure and transform the lives of Black children by inspiring, recruiting, training, and mobilizing masses of caring adults to mentor and nourish them. South Florida CARES has broken new ground by allying the program with Starbucks CARES, an initiative that establishes Starbucks stores in under-served neighborhoods and supports revitalization efforts through job training and engagement with students.

Dr. Ebbie Parsons, III, a seasoned business executive with a passion for intentional impact, has been applauded for his strategic thinking, engaging leadership, and results orientation throughout his successful career. After working at Fortune 500 companies including Intel, Medtronic and American Express, in 2007 Dr. Parsons, III transitioned from a promising business career to join the prestigious Broad Residency Program in Educational Leadership, where he served as the Chief Operating Officer of Hartford Public Schools. Additional posts include founding team member of the groundbreaking Relay Graduate School of Education, and Chief Operating Officer of the third-largest Charter Management Organization in the U.S., Mosaica Education, Inc. where he managed over 80 schools across eight states, Washington, D.C., the Middle East, and Asia.

Dr. Parsons, III, launched Yardstick Management in 2012. Less than a decade later, Yardstick is a world thought leader and powerhouse providing specialized Management, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Talent consulting services to renowned mission-driven brands and organizations across the globe.

Dr. Parsons, III holds a BS in Industrial Engineering from Florida A&M University, an MBA from the University of Minnesota, and a Doctorate in Educational and Organizational Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania. He has also served as a Faculty member at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School and at the University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education. Amongst the boards on which he has served are the boards of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Metropolitan Opera Guild, Lighthouse Academies, and the Atlanta Music Project (an El Sistema Program). Dr. Parsons, III, is a Fellow with the Pahara Institute, the Aspen Institute, and the Aspen Institute’s Aspen Global Leadership Network.

Chicago Sinfonietta’s progressive board is 54% female, 46% Black, 7% Latino, and 11% Asian and has a 15-member Associate Board that is equally diverse.

Press Contact:
Laura Grant, Grant Communications
917.359.7319
Laura@grant-communications.com