Chicago Symphony Orchestra
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is an American orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. It is one of the great orchestras of the world. They play in the Orchestra Hall, part of the Symphony Center, in Chicago. In the summer they play at the Ravinia Festival. From 2010 the conductor will be Riccardo Muti.
History[change | change source]
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra was started in 1891. It was called the "Chicago Orchestra". In 1905 the orchestra was renamed "Theodore Thomas Orchestra" and Frederick Stock became the conductor. He stayed with the orchestra until 1942. The orchestra was renamed "Chicago Symphony Orchestra" in 1913.
Other conductors have included Désiré Defauw, Artur Rodziński, Rafael Kubelík, Fritz Reiner, Jean Martinon, Georg Solti and Daniel Barenboim. When Barenboim left in 2006, the orchestra named Bernard Haitink principal conductor and Pierre Boulez became conductor emeritus. In 2010 Riccardo Muti will become the orchestra’s conductor.
The orchestra has also had many famous guest conductors, including Richard Strauss, John Williams, Arnold Schoenberg, Sergei Prokofiev, Sergei Rachmaninov, Maurice Ravel, Edward Elgar, Aaron Copland, Leonard Slatkin, André Previn, Michael Tilson Thomas, Leonard Bernstein, Leopold Stokowski, Erich Leinsdorf, Eugene Ormandy, George Szell and Charles Münch. Many of these guest conductors have also recorded with the orchestra.
The three principal guest conductors of the orchestra have been Carlo Maria Giulini, Claudio Abbado, and Pierre Boulez.
Every summer the Chicago Symphony Orchestra plays in Ravinia in Highland Park, Illinois The orchestra helped in the first Ravinia Festival in August 1936 and has been to the Festival every summer since.
Mark Anthony Turnage is the composer-in-residence.
During its history the orchestra have made more than 900 recordings. They have received many rewards.
The orchestra was composed by John Williams for Steven Spielberg's 2012 movie Lincoln.
Main conductors[change | change source]
- 1891-1905 Theodore Thomas
- 1905-1942 Frederick Stock
- 1943-1947 Désiré Defauw
- 1947-1948 Artur Rodziński
- 1950-1953 Rafael Kubelík
- 1953-1962 Fritz Reiner
- 1962-1963 Fritz Reiner (musical advisor)
- 1963-1968 Jean Martinon
- 1968-1969 Irwin Hoffman (acting music director)
- 1969-1991 Sir Georg Solti
- 1991-2006 Daniel Barenboim
- 2010- Riccardo Muti (music director designate)
- Titled Conductors
- 1969-1972 Carlo Maria Giulini - Principal Guest Conductor
- 1982-1985 Claudio Abbado - Principal Guest Conductor
- 1995-2006 Pierre Boulez - Principal Guest Conductor
- 2006-present Pierre Boulez - Conductor Emeritus
- 2006-present Bernard Haitink - Principal Conductor