Illinois Philharmonic to expand American programming, make downtown debut

Sun Mar 31, 2013 at 2:13 pm

By Lawrence A. Johnson

Pianist Terrence Wilson will be the soloist in the Chicago premiere of Michael Daugherty’s “Deus ex Machina” this fall with the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra.

The Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra is clearly intent on making an impact beyond its south suburban base in Frankfort.

In the 2013-14 season, music director David Danzmayr will perform an American work on each IPO subscription program. Further, the orchestra will make its Chicago debut performing at the Harris Theater and is exploring launching a new concert series in Joliet at the Rialto Square Theatre.

“We are excited to bring listeners a diverse array of programming, from the new and extraordinary to the familiar and glorious,” said Danzmayr in a statement released by the IPO. “We are also looking forward to introducing the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra to new audiences as we expand our reach in the Chicago area.”

In a special program to be presented at the Harris Theater, date TBA, Danzmayr and the Illinois Philharmonic will present the American premiere of Alexander von Zemlinsky’s Symphony No. 1. The program will also include Gunther Schuller’s Concerto for String Quartet with the Avalon String Quartet

The IPO’s Frankfort season opens October 19 with the Chicago premiere of Michael Daugherty’s piano concerto Deus ex Machina with Terrence Wilson as soloist on a program that will also include Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade.

William Bolcom’s Commedia for an (almost) 18th Century Orchestra will be the curtain-raiser November 16. The concert will also offer Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 and Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3 with soloist Alexandra Soumm.

Aaron Copland’s Clarinet Concerto will be the centerpiece February 15, 2014 with Trevor O’Riordan as solo protagonist on a program that will include Golijov’s Sidereus and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6. The final concert will take place May 17 with Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, music from Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet and the Glazunov Violin Concerto with soloist Anna Lee.

The Illinois Philharmonic will close the present season 8 p.m. May 11 at Lincoln-Way Performing Arts Center in Frankfort. The program will include Copland’s Lincoln Portrait with narrator Henry Fogel and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the vocal quartet featuring singers from the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Ryan Opera Center. For information go to ipomusic.org.

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