An interview with Riccardo Muti, music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, will launch a new season of special CSO-related features for WDCB-FM as part of the station’s “The Arts Section” program on Sunday, Sept. 16. Dennis Polkow, longtime arts critic for New City, conducts the interview.

Muti starts his ninth CSO season with a free Concert for Chicago in Millennium Park at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 20. Because 2018 marks the 150th anniversary of the death of Giaochino Rossini, the CSO’s season opens with music of Rossini, just as last season concluded with it.

The celebrated maestro talks with Polkow about Rossini and the free concert, which also features the Civic Orchestra, the CSO’s training ensemble, which celebrates its centennial in 2018-19. Both orchestras will perform together in the Millennium Park concert, also including works by Verdi and Tchaikovsky. No tickets are required.

To hear the interview, tune in at 8 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 16 on 90.9 FM Glen Ellyn/90.7 FM West Loop or streaming at wdcb.org. This series is produced by Steve Robinson, former WFMT-FM general manager.

Update: The interview has been archived at this link. Also, the interview is available on SoundCloud at the link below.

TOP: Riccardo Muti in the broadcast booth with WDCB-FM broadcaster Dennis Polkow. | Photo: WDCB-FM