CSO Musicians
In a ‘Melancholy’ mood: John Bruce Yeh lauds works of James Stephenson
A few years ago, John Bruce Yeh discovered the music of James Stephenson and became so enamored with it that…
Rush Hour Concerts offer ‘great music for busy lives’
Rush Hour Concerts, the annual summer series founded by Deborah Sobol in 2000, offers free, half-hour chamber performances that, as…
For Daniel Gingrich, playing in the CSO has been ‘a dream come true’
The inherent danger of wavering intonation and off-color sounds can make the French horn a particularly difficult instrument to play….
A double posting for the CSO’s second violin section
Two young brothers from the Czech Republic, Matous and Simon Michal, have joined the second violin section of the Chicago…
Alison Dalton’s vision: The CSO violinist innovates as her eyesight evolves
For violinist Alison Dalton, notes, staffs and signatures in scores can now twist beyond her acuity. Due to the visual condition known as bull’s-eye maculopathy, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra violinist realizes that her “focal point is gone, and wherever I look, there’s the whiteout.” Dalton has long understood that people with her condition “historically just have had to quit. That’s old school, and I’m from that old school.” But quitting’s not a present option.
Michael Henoch and Dempster ensemble to celebrate Pierre Boulez
Michael Henoch first encountered Pierre Boulez in early 1969, when the maestro and champion of modern music made his conducting…
Principal harp Sarah Bullen serves as ‘an ambassador for the instrument’
When she was about 5 years old, Sarah Bullen attended a harp recital and immediately realized it was the instrument…
‘Messiah’ puts a spotlight on chorus and its associate directors
As just the second director of the world-renowned Chicago Symphony Chorus since its founding by Margaret Hillis in 1957, Duain…
As concertmaster, Robert Chen admits it’s ‘a challenge to take the spotlight’
Looking back, Robert Chen still marvels at being hired as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s concertmaster in 1999. At that point,…
Max Raimi recalls how images from Lisel Mueller’s poetry ‘haunted me’
Max Raimi, a longtime member of the the CSO’s viola section, started composing when he was a little boy. He…
The CSO’s Keith Buncke feels he was born to play the bassoon
At 11, Keith Buncke heard a recording of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 1, with prominent parts for the oboe and…