“Throughout the entire piece the conductor could not be happier. Her obvious passion and sheer happiness with this music was palpable and helped give life to this concert.”
To read more about Sinfonietta’s 2016-17 season finale, check out don411’s review!
“His transformation of the tune — which quoted the first three notes but not much more — was very nearly Brahmsian in its ardors. And in the sprinting coda, Roberts’ trio and the orchestra rode a wave of energy they’d jointly created.”
“Roberts’ version went a long way toward conjuring this element of surprise, although he did so in deeply personal terms.”
Read more about Rightness in the Rhythm, the concluding concert of our 2016-17 season, in Howard Reich’s review for the Chicago Tribune!
“The Chicago Sinfonietta hosted a stellar Martin Luther King Jr. tribute concert at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra On Monday, Jan. 18 Music director Mei-Ann Chen was brilliant as she conducted the Sinfonietta with her signature charismatic style.”
Read more about our 2016 Martin Luther King Tribute Concert in Rollingout’s full review!
“The singular community spirit of Chicago Sinfonietta was on proud display March 23 at Orchestra Hall in a stylish, disciplined and roundly entertaining performance of Orff’s “Carmina Burana” conducted by the organization’s music director, Mei-Ann Chen.
“Featured with Chen’s chamber-size ensemble were two Chicago choruses, both prepared to a fare-thee-well: the choir of Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts and the Anima Young Singers of Greater Chicago.”
Hear more about the Sinfonietta’s performance of Carmina Burana in Chicago on the Aisle’s full review of the concert!
“The Libretto for Carmina Burana in Latin and English was contained in the program and illuminated the music. All of the performances were outstanding and included the Roosevelt University CCPA Conservatory Choir, Anima Young Singer of Greater Chicago, Kimberly Jones, Soprano, Jonathan Weyant, Tenor (expressing the agony of a dying swan) and Joseph Lattanzi, Baritone. The music was so powerful it was hard to sit in one place and as the piece concluded the audience almost flew out of their seats to applaud long and loud. It was a fantastic evening.”
Read more about our concert “Primal Instincts” in Splash Magazines’ review!
“I see Dr. King’s dream personified in the mission and vision of the Chicago Sinfonietta, the country’s most diverse symphonic orchestra, which hosted their annual MLK Concert on yesterday. It was more than serendipity that Maestro Paul Freeman, the Sinfonietta’s founder, met Dr. King in an airport and the idea to form the organization was born. Maestro Freeman’s work has been hailed both nationally and internationally since the organization’s founding in 1987.
“…I wonder if Dr. King could even, in his wildest imaginings, see how his legacy grows and continues to yield amazing fruit.”
Read more about our annual tribute concert to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Chicago Now’s review!
“If this great man would be alive today, he would look at the performances of those young talented people of color with great satisfaction and pride.”
“This triumph of equity and freedom demonstrated by young and talented people of different races and nationalities was presented by one of the most incredible symphony orchestras in the Mid-West.”
Hear more about this year’s Martin Luther King Tribute Concert in the Chicago Tribune’s full review!
“When Chicago Sinfonietta coined it’s new logo – ‘Daring, Defiant, Different’—they mistakenly left out ‘Delightful’. That was abundantly clear by the end of their joint concert with seeming kindred spirit Mucca Pazza, the punk marching band that has bottled joy in its shtick-on-steroids marching band persona.
“…With cheerleaders carrying pom-poms made from crime scene caution tape, band members wearing ill-fitting marching band suits in varied colors, and every gesture shouting “don’t take this seriously please”—Mucca Pazza brought everyone in the audience to ear-to-ear smiles. Just in case you didn’t think that this was possibly the most delightful time you had ever spent in Symphony Center, cannons shot out confetti during the 1812 Overture.”
Hear more about our performance with Mucca Pazza in Splash Magazines’ review!
“This time, as many times before, the Chicago Sinfonietta demonstrated its high professionalism and devotion to the musical art and as always impressed the audience by its excellent performance.”
Read more about our season-ending concert “Identities” in Patch’s review!
“This program is the perfect reflection of the mission of this unique orchestra, which prides itself on being the most diverse in the country and has a mission “to form unique cultural connections through the universal language of symphonic music”. Tying East and West together through the Silk Road, the program began with “Shtetl Scenes” by Ilya Levinson whose early life was spent in the Soviet Union. The work was intended to bring into focus a time that was and is no more. The orchestra was enthusiastic in its performance of these beautiful and poignant melodies, and the energetic, happier rhythms.”
Hear more about the final concert of the Chicago Sinfonietta’s 2013-14 season, featuring the Maxwell Street Klezmer Band and Su Chang, in Splash Magazines’ review!
