DONATE NOW
Member Login

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Sundays at 8pm
CSO_Muti-Photo-High-Res_credit-Todd-Rosenberg

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Hear live performances by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra alongside selections from the orchestra’s expansive catalog of recordings. Find out the fascinating stories found inside the music; get insights from the CSO musicians, guest artists, and composers themselves; and learn more about the music and programmatic themes highlighted during the CSO’s concert season. Hosted by Lisa Simeone.

Schedule
  • April 12
    Hrůša Conducts Mahler 9

    This week, Jakub Hrůša conducts Mahler’s Ninth Symphony. The broadcast opens with Shaw’s Boris Kerner, performed by Chicago Symphony Orchestra Principal Percussion Cynthia Yeh and Assistant Principal Cello Kenneth Olsen, and Hailstork’s Arabesques, also performed by Yeh with CSO Flute Emma Gerstein.

    Caroline Shaw

    Boris Kerner
    Kenneth Olsen cello
    Cynthia Yeh percussion
    October 2020

    Adolphus Hailstork

    Arabesques
    Emma Gerstein flute
    Cynthia Yeh percussion
    April 2021

    Gustav Mahler

    Symphony No. 9
    Jakub Hrůša conductor
    June 2023

  • April 19
    Rakitina, Weilerstein, & Tchaikovsky

    Anna Rakitina makes her debut with the CSO leading an all-Tchaikovsky program. Bookending the concert are Tchaikovsky’s Capriccio italien and a suite from the Nutcracker ballet, while cellist Alisa Weilerstein is featured in the Rococo Variations and Pezzo capriccioso. Closing the broadcast, Sir Georg Solti conducts Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms showcasing the Chicago Symphony Chorus.

    Pyotr Tchaikovsky

    Capriccio italien, Op. 45


    Pyotr Tchaikovsky

    Variations on a Rococo Theme for Cello and Orchestra, Op. 33


    Pyotr Tchaikovsky

    Pezzo capriccioso, Op. 62

    Johann Sebastian Bach

    Sarabande from Suite No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1008 (Encore)
    Alisa Weilerstein cello

    Pyotr Tchaikovsky

    Suite from The Nutcracker, Op. 71a
    Anna Rakitina conductor
    March 2022

    Igor Stravinsky

    Symphony of Psalms
    Chicago Symphony Chorus
    Duain Wolfe director
    Glen Ellyn Children’s Chorus
    Emily Ellsworth director
    Sir Georg Solti conductor
    1997 (London)

  • April 26
    Blomstedt Conducts Dvořák 8

    This week, Herbert Blomstedt leads Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8 and Cello Concerto, featuring Romanian cellist Andrei Ioniţă. Plus, hear vintage RCA recordings of Respighi’s Fountains of Rome and Johann Strauss, Jr.’s Thunder and Lightning Polka, conducted by Fritz Reiner.

    Antonín Dvořák

    Cello Concerto in B Minor, Op. 104

    Svante Henryson

    Black Run from Colors in D Suite for Solo Cello (Encore)
    Andrei Ioniță cello


    Antonín Dvořák

    Symphony No. 8 in G Major, Op. 88
    Herbert Blomstedt conductor
    March 2023

    
Ottorino Respighi

    Fountains of Rome

    Johann Strauss, Jr.

    Thunder and Lightning Polka, Op. 324
    Fritz Reiner conductor
    1959 and 1960 (RCA)

    Georges Bizet

    Suites Nos. 1 and 2 from L’arlésienne
    Jean Martinon, conductor

    Niccolò
    Paganini/Stock

    Moto perpetuo, Op. 11
    Jean Martinon, conductor

  • May 3
    Mälkki, Liebermann & Mahler 4

    This week, guest conductor Susanna Mälkki leads the world premiere of Lowell Liebermann’s Flute Concerto No. 2, a CSO-commissioned work featuring Principal Flute Stefán Ragnar Höskuldsson. Opening the program is the Prelude to Act I of Wagner’s Lohengrin, and closing it is Mahler’s Symphony No. 4, featuring soprano Ying Fang.

    Wolfgang Mozart

    Overture to The Marriage of Figaro, K. 492
    Daniel Barenboim conductor
    1979 (Deutsche Grammophon)

    Richard Wagner

    Prelude to Act I of Lohengrin

    Lowell Liebermann

    Flute Concerto No. 2, Op. 142

    Claude Debussy

    Syrinx (Encore)
    Stefán Ragnar Höskuldsson flute

    Gustav Mahler

    Symphony No. 4 in G Major
    Susanna Mälkki conductor
    Ying Fang Soprano
    March 2024

  • May 10
    Hrůša Conducts Shostakovich 11

    On this week’s episode, Jakub Hrůša leads the CSO in Shostakovich’s Eleventh Symphony and Rachmaninov’s First Piano Concerto, featuring Simon Trpčeski. To open, Jean Martinon conducts Lalo’s Overture to Le Roi d’Ys.


    Édouard Lalo

    Overture to Le Roi d’Ys
    Jean Martinon conductor
    1967 (RCA)

    Sergei Rachmaninov

    Piano Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp Minor, Op. 1

    Traditional
    (trans. Buzarovski)

    Macedonian Folk Song (Encore)
    Simon Trpčeski piano

    Dmitri Shostakovich

    Symphony No. 11 in G Minor, Op. 103, The Year 1905
    Jakub Hrůša conductor
    March 2025

  • May 17
    Beethoven, Mozart & Tchaikovsky

    This week, Julian Rachlin showcases his singular versatility as a violinist, violist and conductor. He joins Associate Concertmaster Stephanie Jeong in Mozart’s Sinfonia concertante before leading a performance of Tchaikovsky’s Meditation from Souvenir d’un lieu cher. Taking the podium, Rachlin bookends the program by conducting works by Beethoven and Mozart.

    Ludwig van Beethoven

    Overture to The Creatures of Prometheus, Op. 43

    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Sinfonia concertante in E-flat Major for Violin, Viola, and Orchestra, K. 364
    Stephanie Jeong violin
    Julien Rachlin viola

    Pytor Tchaikovsky
    (arr. Glazunov)

    Meditation from Souvenir d’un lieu cher, Op. 42
    Julien Rachlin violin

    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Symphony No. 36 in C Major, K. 425 (Linz)
    Julien Rachlin conductor
    May 2022

    Paul Hindemith

    Nobilissima visione
    Jean Martinon conductor
    1967 (RCA)

  • May 24
    Mäkelä Conducts Mahler 3

    This week, Zell Music Designate Klaus Mäkelä leads Mahler’s Symphony No. 3, featuring vocal soloist Wiebke Lehmkuhl, the Chicago Symphony Chorus, and Uniting Voices Chicago.

    Gustav Mahler

    Symphony No. 3 in D Minor
    Wiebke Lehmkuhl contralto
    Chicago Symphony Chorus
    James Bass director
    Uniting Voices Chicago
    Josephine Lee director
    Klaus Mäkelä conductor
    April 2025

  • May 31
    Szeps-Znaider & Carpenter

    Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider leads Poulenc’s Concerto in G Minor for Organ, Strings, and Timpani and Saint-Saëns’s Symphony No. 3, featuring organ soloist Cameron Carpenter. The broadcast opens with Dukas’s Sorcerer’s Apprentice and rounds out with Daniel Barenboim leading Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloe and Boléro.

    Paul Dukas

    The Sorcerer’s Apprentice

    Francis Poulenc

    Concerto in G Minor for Organ, Strings, and Timpani

    Johann Sebastian Bach

    Variation No. 20 from Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 Encore

    Camille Saint-Saëns

    Symphony No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 78, Organ
    Cameron Carpenter organ
    Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider conductor
    December 2022


    Maurice Ravel

    Suite No. 2 from Daphnis and Chloe

    Maurice Ravel

    Boléro
    Daniel Barenboim conductor
    1991 (Erato)

  • June 7
    Celebrating Frederick Stock

    This broadcast celebrates Frederick Stock! The CSO’s second music director opens the program with the ensemble’s first commercial recording —Mendelssohn’s Wedding March from A Midsummer Night’s Dream—and closes with his own arrangement of Paganini’s Moto perpetuo. The other works included all received their U.S. premieres under Stock’s baton: Bartók’s Second Piano Concerto, Elgar’s Violin Concerto, and Scriabin’s Prometheus, in recordings featuring Maurizio Pollini, Itzhak Perlman, Claudio Abbado, Daniel Barenboim, and Pierre Boulez.

    
Felix Mendelssohn

    Wedding March from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Op. 61
    Frederick Stock conductor
    1916 (Columbia) 


    Béla Bartók

    Piano Concerto No. 2
    Maurizio Pollini piano
    Claudio Abbado conductor
    1977 (Deutsche Grammophone)


    Edward Elgar

    Violin Concerto in B Minor, Op. 61
    Itzhak Perlman violin
    Daniel Barenboim conductor


    Alexander Scriabin

    Prometheus, Op. 60
    Anatol Ugorski piano
    Chicago Symphony Chorus
    Duain Wolfe director
    Pierre Boulez conductor
    1996 (Deutsche Grammophon) 


    Niccolò Paganini
    (arr. Stock)

    Moto perpetuo, Op. 11
    Frederick Stock conductor
    1941 (Columbia)

  • June 14
    Boulez Conducts Mahler, Bartók & Stravinsky

    Principal Guest Conductor Pierre Boulez leads the CSO in Stravinsky’s The Firebird. Opening the broadcast is Mahler’s Totenfeier. In between, we hear Bartók’s Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta.

    Gustav Mahler

    Totenfeier
    1996 (Deutsche Grammophon)

    Béla Bartók

    Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta
    1994 (Deutsche Grammophon)

    Igor Stravinsky

    The Firebird
    Pierre Boulez conductor
    1992 (Deutsche Grammophon)

  • June 21
    Carmina burana

    This week, Osmo Vänskä leads the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in Orff’s Carmina burana, featuring vocal soloists Joélle Harvey, Reginald Mobley and Hugh Russell. Opening the program is Montgomery’s Banner and Rautavaara’s Cantus Arcticus. Before that, Seiji Ozawa conducts Britten’s The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra.

    Benjamin Britten

    The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, Op. 34
    Seiji Ozawa conductor
    1976 (RCA)

    Jessie Montgomery

    Banner

    Einojuhani Rautavaara

    Cantus Arcticus

    Carl Orff

    Carmina burana
    Joélle Harvey soprano
    Reginald Mobley countertenor
    Hugh Russell baritone
    Chicago Symphony Chorus
    Jenny Wong guest director
    Uniting Voices Chicago
    Josephine Lee director
    Osmo Vänskä conductor
    March 2023