The Wallace Foundation today announced the Chicago Sinfonietta as one of only 18
arts organizations founded by, with, and for communities of Color (and the sole
orchestra) to be part of the Foundation’s “first phase of a new five-year arts
initiative… to foster equitable improvements in the arts”.
Said President and Chief Executive Officer Blake-Anthony Johnson, “This
transformative gift is an investment in Chicago Sinfonietta, a national treasure, an
investment in the City of Chicago, and an investment not only in the national
symphonic music landscape but in the future of the field globally. This recognition
and support of our vision allows Chicago Sinfonietta to continue to learn, lead and
continue to expand our commitment to communities as America’s 21st century
orchestra.”
Selected from over 250 applicants, the other grantees of the national initiative are:
1Hood Media (Pittsburgh, Pa.); Arab American National Museum (Dearborn, Mich.);
BlackStar (Philadelphia, Pa.); EastSide Arts Alliance, Black Cultural Zone, and Artist
As First Responder (Oakland, Calif.); Esperanza Peace and Justice Center (San
Antonio, Texas); Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts +
Culture (Charlotte, N.C.); Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico (San Juan,
Puerto Rico); PHILADANCO!The Philadelphia Dance Company (Philadelphia, Pa.);
Pillsbury House + Theatre (Minneapolis, Minn.); Pregones/Puerto Rican Traveling
Theater (Manhattan and Bronx, N.Y.); Queer Women of Color Media Arts
Project (San Francisco, Calif.); Ragamala Dance Company (Minneapolis, Minn.);
Rebuild Foundation (Chicago, Ill.); Self Help Graphics & Art (Los Angeles, Calif.);
Theater Mu (Saint Paul, Minn.) The Laundromat Project (Brooklyn, N.Y.); and The
Union for Contemporary Art (Omaha, Neb.).
It’s finally here! Announcing our 2022-23 Season! This one is real special because it’s also our 35th Anniversary.
That’s right! For 35 years we’ve been trailblazers in classical music, and this upcoming season is our best yet!
Through our annual repertoire, Music Director Mei-Ann Chen carries on the legacy of our Founder, Maestro Paul Freeman, by celebrating the work of composers of color, women artists, new compositions, new music, and underperformed pieces.
Plus, we are offering more than ever outside the concert hall. Sinfonietta in Your Neighborhood gives you double the opportunity to enjoy CS, in unique venues all around Chicagoland. From Ravinia to St. Peter’s Church, and beyond, CS is simply everywhere!
It’s our commitment to you that we will continue to be pioneers in this space, leading by example, and inspiring others to help create a more beautiful world.
Thank you for being part of this journey and here’s to the next 35!
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!
Our first playlist this summer was so popular we’re making this a regular occurrence! Enjoy our team’s suggested music, and enjoy them on our Spotify page as well! Click the song titles to view on Youtube.
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.
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:
Log into your CS Account by clicking on the person icon in the top right corner of the CS website.
2. Click on the Subscriptions tab on your account page.
3. You will see your subscription seats on hold here. Click Buy Subscription.
4. Here you can make any changes to the number of subscriptions you wish to purchase.
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)
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.)
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!
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 closes 2020-21 season with Fusion: Stronger Together
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
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
