Rush Hour Concerts to continue after death of founder

Wed Mar 26, 2014 at 2:06 pm

By Lawrence A. Johnson

CSO cellist Brant Taylor is the interim artistic director of the Rush Hour Concerts.
CSO cellist Brant Taylor is the interim artistic director of the Rush Hour Concerts.

Deborah Sobol, founder of Rush Hour Concerts, died suddenly in January, yet the summer concert series she created will continue, marking its 15th anniversary season.

Chicago Symphony Orchestra cellist Brant Taylor, a Rush Hour regular, will take over as interim artistic director, while pianist Kuang-Hao Huang continues as associate artistic director.

“While I miss my dear friend and colleague, Deborah Sobol, I am pleased to help bring her vision into reality in Rush Hour’s 15th anniversary season,” said Taylor, in a statement released by the concert series.

“Debbie believed strongly in the power of great music to transform people, and that access to this music should be free. Everyone at Rush Hour Concerts looks forward to sharing with Chicago a wonderful lineup of artists for our Summer Series, as well as Make Music Chicago, the annual day-long celebration of music on June 21.”

The free Tuesday evening concerts at St. James Cathedra will open June 3 when Fulcrum Point New Music Project will present Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du soldat.

Other highlights this summer include Copland’s Appalachian Spring performed by members of the Chicago Symphony and Lyric Opera orchestras (June 24), a concert of arias by Lyric Opera Ryan Center members (July 29) and Steve Reich’s Sextet (August 26) with Third Coast Percussion and pianists Daniel Schlosberg and Amy Briggs.

For a full list of the summer Rush Hour schedule, go to rushhour.org.

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