Welcome to this digital edition of Phillip Huscher's Program Notes for upcoming concerts by the CSO Dec 21-23. Nikolaj Znaider has appeared as a virtuoso soloist of "fine technical control, deep musical understanding and even greater feeling" (Chicago Tribune) and a conductor with "no shortage of fireworks" (Bachtrack). He makes his Orchestra Hall podium debut performing and conducting Beethoven's lyrical Violin Concerto and Shostakovich's landmark Symphony No. 5.