Shostakovich’s Eleventh Symphony unfolds with the immediacy of a newsreel as it depicts the harrowing events of the 1905 Russian Revolution. Brimming with rebellious anthems and prisoners’ songs, the Cold War-era score is widely heard as a veiled critique of the Soviet regime. Rachmaninov’s First Piano Concerto, a farewell to Russia, features the captivating Simon Trpčeski.

Learn more: cso.org/performances/24-25/cso-classical/hrusa-trpceski-and-rachmaninov

Composed as Napoleon’s forces were threatening Austria, Haydn’s Mass in Time of War features an extraordinarily ominous use of timpani and ends with a plea for peace. Beethoven’s spirited First Symphony bears the influence of Haydn but also foreshadows the development of his own compositional style. MacMillan’s eloquent Larghetto is based on his choral setting of Psalm 51.

Learn more: cso.org/performances/24-25/cso-classical/haydn-mass-in-time-of-war

Celebrating Womens History Month - Broadcast by CSO Association

Hear why Ravel is a classical music master, whether capturing the sensuous allure of Spain in Rapsodie espagnole or summoning “the Greece of [his] dreams” in his ravishing suite from Daphnis and Chloe. Barber’s Second Essay reflects the turbulent emotions of wartime. CSO Principal Clarinet Stephen Williamson solos in the world premiere of Indigo Heaven, a work written for him by American composer Christopher Theofanidis.

Learn more: cso.org/performances/24-25/cso-classical/ravel-daphnis-and-chloe

The cool of the Arctic meets the warmth of Italy. The brooding, majestic themes of Sibelius’ Fifth Symphony evoke the remote landscapes of conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali’s native Finland. Tchaikovsky transports listeners to a Roman carnival in his Capriccio Italien. Seong-Jin Cho, lauded for his “expert music-making … miraculous in its execution” (The New York Times), takes on Prokofiev’s incendiary Second Piano Concerto.

This program will also be performed at Wheaton College on Friday, February 28.

Learn more: cso.org/performances/24-25/cso-classical/seong-jin-cho-plays-prokofiev/

Glover & Jacobs - Broadcast by CSO Association

Mixing ceremonial pomp with pastoral splendor, this survey of British classics features Haydn’s last and grandest symphonic statement, the London Symphony; exquisite gems by Elgar and Britten, and the soaring beauty of Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending with violinist Stella Chen, winner of the prestigious Queen Elisabeth Competition and Gramophone’s 2023 Young Artist of the Year. Marking the 150th anniversary of Ravel’s birth, the program crosses the English Channel for the composer’s beguiling Tzigane.

CSO Concertmaster Robert Chen has withdrawn from his planned solo appearances in these performances due to rotator cuff tendinitis symptoms.

Learn more: cso.org/performances/24-25/cso-classical/glover-and-english-classics

The rugged, windswept beauty of Sibelius’ Violin Concerto is a perfect showcase for Christian Tetzlaff, whose “fiery and compelling” 2022 CSO performance was named one of the year’s 10 best by Chicago Classical Review. Schoenberg’s Pelleas and Melisande is a lush, quintessentially romantic orchestral portrait of Maeterlinck’s mysterious, symbolist play, while Wagner’s prelude delivers a thrilling opener.

Learn more: cso.org/performances/24-25/cso-classical/tetzlaff-plays-sibelius

A taut and gripping thriller, Bartók’s one-act opera follows Duke Bluebeard and his newest wife Judith as she opens the seven doors of his castle and discovers increasingly disturbing sights. Opera stars Christian Van Horn and Ekaterina Gubanova bring to life these ill-fated characters. Juxtaposed with this macabre folktale is Beethoven’s joyful Second Symphony.

Sung in Hungarian with English supertitles.

Bluebeard’s Castle by arrangement with Boosey & Hawkes, publisher and copyright owner.

Learn more: cso.org/performances/24-25/cso-classical/salonen-and-bluebeards-castle

Kanneh-Mason Plays Elgar - Broadcast by CSO Association