Podcasts about Orchestra Hall

Ying Fang Chicago Symphony Orchestra Conductor: Susanna Mälkki Orchestra Hall 21 March 2024 Broadcast

Jason & Alexis interview Grant Meachum, Director for Live at Orchestra Hall at the Minnesota Orchestra for myTalk Loves Local. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jason & Alexis interview Grant Meachum, Director for Live at Orchestra Hall at the Minnesota Orchestra for myTalk Loves Local. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Cecelia Sharpe talks with Edward Quick, Director of the Ferndale Community Concert Band. The band celebrates their 10 year anniversary with a concert on March 30, 2025 at Orchestra Hall in Detroit.

In this special in-person episode, host James Newcomb sits down with Manny Laureano, principal trumpeter with the Minnesota Orchestra. They dive deep into Manny's musical journey - from his early inspirations growing up in East Harlem, early gigs with Earth, Wind and Fire to the Seattle Symphony - to his esteemed career with the Minnesota Orchestra (which is soon coming to a close!) Discussed in-depth is Manny's philosophy on trumpet playing, the importance of musical integrity, and anecdotes from his illustrious career. Alongside valuable insights into the world of orchestral music, listeners can enjoy stories about renowned musicians, teaching moments, and Manny's unwavering passion for music.Episode Highlights:00:57 Early Life and Musical Beginnings01:54 Military Service and Musical Journey05:07 Professional Career and Influences08:06 Teaching and Mentorship10:18 Philosophy and Approach to Music23:45 Memorable Performances and Reflections30:33 Globalization of Orchestras31:43 Changing Traditions in American Orchestras34:40 The Evolution of Audition Standards36:23 The Role of Individuality in Music45:04 The Rise of Internet and Solo Careers47:31 The Impact of Gimmicks in Music53:45 Personal Reflections and Inspirations57:02 Concluding Thoughts and GratitudeConnect With the Guest:Manny's blogYou've been listening to Trumpet Dynamics, telling the story of the trumpet, in the words of those who play it. To learn more about the show, and to join the Trumpet Dynamics tribe, visit us on the web at trumpetdynamics.com.And be sure to tap the subscribe button on your phone so you're always up to date with new episodes as they release.Thank you for listening!

Molly Durand is a classically trained singer and songwriter whose lifelong career in music started in Chicago. At a young age, she had the opportunity to work with some of the greatest classical conductors of the 20th century, Sir Gorge Solti and Christoph Eschenbach, alongside the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus at Orchestra Hall and Medina Temple.   As an adult, Molly Durand was awarded scholarship to study voice at The De Paul Music School. During her tenure, she performed the American premiere of The Marriages Between Zones 3, 4 & 5 by renowned minimalist composer Phillip Glass, who mentored the production and rehearsals.  While at DePaul she was in the Theater School production of the Vagina Monologues and then also played Mrs. Lovett in Steven Sondheim's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, at the Music School there. She furthered her training and study at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in both New York City and Los Angeles and served as a stage manager to further her study of the theater and live performance.

Brittany and Kendall recap their night at Some Like it Hot this past evening. The Victoria Secret Fashion Show is back and Grant Meachum the Director of Live at Orchestra Hall joins the show to talk about some of the amazing shows coming up.Then Mike takes us back 25 years to talk about the top Movie and Music. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Brittany and Kendall recap their night at Some Like it Hot this past evening. The Victoria Secret Fashion Show is back and Grant Meachum the Director of Live at Orchestra Hall joins the show to talk about some of the amazing shows coming up. Then Mike takes us back 25 years to talk about the top Movie and Music. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The musical Kristina is based on a series of four novels by Swedish author Vilhelm Moberg detailing a family's poverty-driven migration from Sweden to America in the mid-19th century.  On October 12, 1996, a concert version with the original cast was presented, in Swedish, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as an opening event of the Plymouth Music Series  (now Vocal Essence) 1996–1997 season in Orchestra Hall, and the next day in Chisago Lakes High School in Lindstrom, Minnesota – the area where much of the events in Moberg's books took place and where the statue of the books' two main characters stands on the main street of the town.  In this episode, Philip discusses this milestone in the history of VocalEssence

This week I'm highlighting an episode from the archive, with the engaging and talented Leslie DeShazor  who is a multi-style violist,  violinist and composer based in Detroit. She teaches students both through the Sphinx Organization and the Detroit Symphony as well as privately. She was named one of thirty Professional Movers and Shakers in the Performing Arts by Musical America in 2019 and in 2022 she released her jazz and R&B album “Journey With Me” which features herself as soloist, bandleader, and composer, and "Simply Complicated" from that album is part of this podcast episode. This conversation was full of stories and insights from Leslie's life. She shared valuable perspectives that educators, parents and anyone who mentors children and young adults will find inspiring and thought-provoking. We talked a lot about why kids quit playing music, why so many young adults today have trouble figuring out the direction of their life, and how the educational system can take away people's innate creativity and confidence. Link to video and transcript on my website: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/leslie-deshazor Link to Leslie DeShazor's website: https://lesliedeshazor.com/ Can you buy this independent podcaster a cup of coffee through Paypal? https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman Thanks! Catalog of Episodes: https://www.leahroseman.com/about Newsletter sign-up: https://mailchi.mp/ebed4a237788/podcast-newsletter Follow me on social media: https://linktr.ee/leahroseman Timestamps: (00:00) Cold open quote plus Intro (02:00) album Journey With Me, accepting help (06:16) differences playing acoustic and electric instruments (07:30) intro to tune “Simply Complicated” (13:25) Leslie's childhood musical pranks, growing up in Inkster and Canton (16:10) the importance of Detroit in many different musical genres (18:36) the influence and importantce of church music (22:47) Interlochen, perspectives on exposing kids to a competitive atmosphere (32:43) Leslie's approach to coaching student ensembles (36:14) Leslie's history going to Orchestra Hall, continuity and history of Detroit (40:52) parenting, guiding children in music (42:37) University of Michigan and Wayne State college experiences, James Dapogny, how to guide students, the importance of helping music students with options (51:00) dealing with injury (53:06) different cultures through dance, learning Spanish, teaching with Sphinx (56:14) Sphinx organization (01:03:10) Musique Noire, Eunoia Society, JoVia Armstrong (01:04:45) problem with labels in music, colonial attitudes (01:10:44) teaching music using different strategies (01:16:35) challenges in guiding students (01:19:53) students who are over-scheduled, the benefits of allowing time for creativity and play (01:25:42) Cole Randolph taking time off and motivation (01:26:42) dealing with stress through exercise, jumping rope, keeping balance (01:30:00) freelance life stress (01:31:18) teaching body percussion, benefits of community music making, learning from other educators (01:35:35) Leslie's advice about bravery --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/leah-roseman/message

This Friday and Saturday, hip-hop and classical music will collide in a beautiful way at Orchestra Hall. Minnesota hip-hop artist Nur-D will join the Minnesota Orchestra April 5 and 6 for a unique collaboration. Joining MPR News Host Cathy Wurzer with a preview of the show is Nur-D and Grant Meachum, Director of Live at Orchestra Hall.

Neil is a renowned percussionist, accomplished music educator, imaginative product innovator, and successful entrepreneur. He is the founder and president of Grover Pro Percussion Inc., a market leader in the design, manufacture, and distribution of world-class percussion instruments.  At the young age of 23, Neil was appointed Principal Percussionist of the Opera Company of Boston, a position he held for seven seasons.  As his career progressed, he found himself in demand for all musical genres, including symphony, chamber music, ballet, opera, and commercial recordings.  Highlights of his collaborations include the Royal Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Music from Marlboro, Indianapolis Symphony, Boston Musica Viva, and the Empire Brass. He was chosen to record the percussion tracks for Phillip Glass' film soundtrack for Mishima. In addition, Neil appears as a Boston Pops percussionist in the hit movie Blown Away, starring Jeff Bridges and Tommy Lee Jones.  He has toured with Music From Marlboro, Boston Symphony, Henry Mancini, Boston Symphony Chamber Players, and the Broadway production of The Pirates of Penzance.  Since 1977, he has performed, recorded, and toured with the world-famous Boston Pops, where he has made music under the batons of Maestros Arthur Fiedler, John Williams, and Keith Lockhart.  Having performed regularly in the percussion section of the Boston Symphony for over 35 years, he has worked with Maestros Seiji Ozawa, James Levine, Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, Colin Davis, Charles Dutoit, Colin Davis, Neemi Jaarvi, Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos, Mstislav Rostropovich, and Bernard Haitink. It is noteworthy that Neil has performed in over 1,500 concerts as a percussionist with the BSO & Boston Pops. Neil's percussive talents have been heard by thousands at renowned venues, such as Boston's Symphony Hall, Carnegie Hall, Chicago's Orchestra Hall, and festivals at Tanglewood, Hollywood Bowl, Wolf Trap, Blossom, and Ravinia.  In addition, he has performed for millions of listeners through television and radio broadcasts on the NBC, CBS, NHK, PBS, A&E and NPR networks.  At the request of composer John Williams, Neil joined the multi-media musical extravaganza, “Star Wars in Concert”, serving as Principal Percussionist on two legs of their North American Tour.   Neil Grover has written/co-authored five publications: Four Mallet Primer, Four Mallet Fundamentals, Art of Triangle & Tambourine Playing, Percussionist's Cookbook, and The Art of Percussion Playing, all published by Meredith Music.  Neil's innovative designs and cutting edge manufacturing techniques have set a new standard for the ergonometric functionality of modern day percussion instruments. Neil and his company have been featured in many publications, including: Percussive Notes, Modern Drummer, School Band & Orchestra, Musical Merchandise Review and on two episodes of the Discovery Channel's series How It's Made. Formerly the Chair of the Percussion Programs at both The Boston Conservatory and the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, today, Neil's students occupy leading positions in many top performing, educational and music business organizations. Things That Came Up:  -1:45 Owning ALL the percussion instruments -3:50 The magic of Zelda -6:00 Studied with the same teacher as Dom Famularo -7:00 Studying with Vic Firth  -11:10 “Classical musicians play with their eyes and jazz musicians play with their ears” -12:10 “Talent got you this far, perseverance will carry you through.” -12:45 Took AFM pension at age 65  -13:50 Contracting, composing and arranging as a new life chapter -15:10 Bradley Cooper's “Maestro” -16:35 Being a frustrated stand-up -17:40 Fred Buda: “Playing drum set in an orchestra is like swinging an elephant” -19:40 How union pensions work -26:05 At Tanglewood at the same time as Kenny Aronoff, with Leonard Bernstein conducting! -27:40 Playing bongos for Bernstein's “West Side Story” -30:50 Star Wars Tour: Drum Tech, 7 percussionists, 3 conductors and music from all 6 Star Wars films -38:00 Follow your dreams, no matter what!  -40:00 “The Accidental Entrepreneur” -41:00 The FIRST Grover Triangle  -48:20 Allowing Redmond to help develop the “Studio Pro Series” pop tambourines -54:00 Selling Grover Percussion to RBI Music  -60:40 On screen percussionist in the “Blown Away” film, starring Tommy Lee Jones  -61:30 Authoring Books  -63:30 Aerosmith! Glocks!  -69:30 Neil's favorite axe is the piatti (cymbals)  -74:00 “The Fave 5”  Follow:  www.groverpro.com Email: ngrover@groverpro.com The Rich Redmond Show is about all things music, motivation and success. Candid conversations with musicians, actors, comedians, authors and thought leaders about their lives and the stories that shaped them. Rich Redmond is the longtime drummer with Jason Aldean and many other veteran musicians and artists. Rich is also an actor, speaker, author, producer and educator. Rich has been heard on thousands of songs, over 25 of which have been #1 hits.  Rich can also be seen in several films and TV shows and has also written an Amazon Best-Selling book, "CRASH! Course for Success: 5 Ways to Supercharge Your Personal and Professional Life" currently available at:     https://www.amazon.com/CRASH-Course-Success-Supercharge-Professional/dp/B07YTCG5DS/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=crash+redmond&qid=1576602865&sr=8-1   One Book: Three Ways to consume....Physical (delivered to your front door, Digital (download to your kindle, ipad or e-reader), or Audio (read to you by me on your device...on the go)!   Buy Rich's exact gear at www.lessonsquad.com/rich-redmond   Follow Rich: @richredmond www.richredmond.com   Jim McCarthy is the quintessential Blue Collar Voice Guy. Honing his craft since 1996 with radio stations in Illinois, South Carolina, Connecticut, New York, Las Vegas and Nashville, Jim has voiced well over 10,000 pieces since and garnered an ear for audio production which he now uses for various podcasts, commercials and promos. Jim is also an accomplished video producer, content creator, writer and overall entrepreneur.   Follow Jim:   @jimmccarthy www.jimmccarthyvoiceovers.com

The Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra performs for the first time at Orchestra Hall in Detroit on Friday, January 26. It's part of a music-rich weekend in Midtown, which also brings the Sphinx Competition Finals to Orchestra Hall and DPTV. WRCJ's Peter Whorf speaks with A2SO Executive Director Sarah Calderini about this historic happening...

This week, the latest performance from the CYSO Symphony Orchestra in Orchestra Hall in downtown Chicago. Allen Tinkham conducts the Chicago premiere of a new Augusta Read Thomas piece, followed by works of Claude Debussy and Gustav Mahler. The post Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras Fall 2023 concert appeared first on WFMT.

SynopsisOn today's date in 1998, at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis, the Minnesota Orchestra, led by Eiji Oue, premiered a new symphony by American composer Libby Larsen. This was her Symphony No. 4, a work scored for strings alone.Larsen explained her decision to do without winds, brass and percussion as follows: “This symphony is both homage to strings and an essay about them. Strings, the core of the symphony orchestra, are supremely lyrical and supremely emotional. Yet, throughout the 20th century, perhaps marked by the performance of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, orchestral compositions have tended to become more and more rhythmic and percussive and less lyrical.”Larsen goes on to make this interesting observation: “In each century since the 1600s, the orchestra has added a new choir of sound to its ensemble: the Baroque orchestra consisted chiefly of strings; woodwinds were added during the 1700s; brass during the 1800s. The 20th century has added the percussion section.”Larsen said her new symphony was an attempt to capture something of the melody and inflections of 20th-century American English, as it is spoken and sung, through orchestral strings alone.Music Played in Today's ProgramLibby Larsen (b. 1950) Symphony No. 4 (String Symphony); Scottish Chamber Orchestra; Joel Revzen, cond. Koch International 7481

[00:00:00] Tommy Thomas: Our guest today is Philanthropeneur Terry Esau. Terry spent most of his career writing and producing music for TV commercials. Target, McDonald's, Pepsi, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Dairy Queen, Golden Grahams, and everything in between. He worked with celebrities like Amy Grant, Jim Henson, Alice Cooper and Prince. After writing over a thousand commercial scoring films and writing for TV shows, he decided to take a break from the music business. And tried his hand at writing words. He's the author of three books and one novel.  Terry is a certified bike-a-holic. In 2010, he started a nonprofit organization called Free Bicycles for Kidz and has given away over 150,000 bicycles to kids in need. He holds the Guinness World Record for most bikes collected in one day, nearly 10,000, in Minneapolis. Free Bikes for Kidz is now active in 20 cities with a goal of being in a hundred cities and a million bikes given away in the next five years. Recently, Terry cofounded the new nonprofit Free Guitars for Kids.  They partner with music industry giants such as Gibson and Fender and other music leaders to put guitars in the hands of deserving young people. Before we get too deep into your music and professional career, take me back to your childhood or your upbringing. What was that like for you? [00:01:35] Terry Esau:  I grew up in a tiny little town of 2,000 people called Mountain Lake, where there's no mountain and a man-made lake in southern Minnesota. So yeah, small town. I don't know. It was a typical small-town upbringing, just hanging out, riding my bike everywhere after school and I had a paper route because I got paid to ride my bike. My brother and I would build ramps and we'd collect neighborhood kids and have them lie down on the street and we'd see how many kids we could jump over. [00:02:15] Tommy Thomas: Y'all must be pretty good salesmen to get somebody to do that. [00:02:17] Terry Esau:  Yeah we usually made it. So it was that, and then I went to college at a school here in Minneapolis, Christian Liberal Arts School, Northwestern. Got a music education degree, which technically I've never used. But I used the music aspect of it for the rest of my career, so we can talk about that when you're ready. [00:02:45] Tommy Thomas: How did you get into music?  What was your first instrument? [00:02:47] Terry Esau:  I got a guitar when I was, I don't know how old, probably in sixth or seventh grade, through Sears Roebuck. A Silver Tone guitar. It was not a great guitar, but it was all I needed and I played trumpet in in middle school and high school band. And then I just continued on that. When I got to college, I didn't know what I wanted to do. I was interested in music and I played in a few bands and stuff like that. So, I continued in the music degree and then, through a kind of interesting circumstances, I ended up discovering what my career would be in music, but it had nothing to do with music education. [00:03:35] Tommy Thomas: What's something that people might be surprised to know about you? [00:03:41] Terry Esau: Other than riding my bike across the country, I got to mix one of my songs with Prince. I did a Target Christmas campaign with Amy Grant. I did a Sam Goody campaign with Alice Cooper. I got to do some Sesame Street music with Jim Henson.  And then my nonprofits.  I started two nonprofits that have given away 150,000 bicycles and now we're doing the same thing with guitars. So yeah, I've gotten three books published. I have a very strange career trajectory. I'm still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. [00:04:27] Tommy Thomas: How did you get into making music for a living? When did you realize that, wow, I could make a living doing this? [00:04:31] Terry Esau: So here's an interesting story. My first day in college, my first day in music theory class, our professor said here's your assignment. Go home, write a jingle about milk, and come back tomorrow and perform it for the class. So, I did that. Never thought anything of it. Until three years later when I was completely out of money. So, I decided to take a year off of college and work. And I was teaching guitar lessons in a music store. Almost went insane. I had 55 lessons a week and all I did all day long was teach junior high boys how to play Smoke on the Water. Do you remember that song? [00:05:15] Tommy Thomas: That's a limited horizon. [00:05:16] Terry Esau: Yeah, but then I just, I walked in and quit one day, and I just said, I can't do this one more day. And I remembered back to that first assignment in music theory class, and I thought, huh. I wonder if anybody would pay me to do that. It's a long story, but I ended up in the jingle business, working, writing and producing music for TV commercials, mostly.  [00:05:45] Tommy Thomas: Do you remember your first big jingle? [00:05:49] Terry Esau: My first jingle was for a little flower shop called Whiting's Flowers. I wouldn't call that a big jingle by any means. I don't remember what my first big one was. Like I said, I've done jingles for McDonald's and Pepsi and Harley's and Hondas and Target and General Mills cereals and I've probably done over a thousand commercials, wow. It's a strange career. [00:06:19] Tommy Thomas: Have you had any mentors in your life? [00:06:23] Terry Esau: I've had a lot of mentors. One of the guys who really helped get me started, his name was Dick Wilson and he was he was probably in his late forties or fifties when I was in my twenties. I don't know if he saw potential in me or what, but he took me under his wing and he started giving me work and he was like the jingle king of Minneapolis in the 1940s and 50s, and that was when jingles were the deal. He took me under his wing and believed in me and convinced other ad agency people to believe in me. I'm not sure if you can make it in that business without somebody who's there who already believes in you a little bit. Yeah, so he was certainly a mentor. [00:07:21] Tommy Thomas: Anybody at the school, at the college? [00:07:25] Terry Esau: My theory professor, Maxine Woodbridge Postgate, it's funny because we had a love hate relationship. I think she recognized that I had potential, but she was very conservative, and she was a great composer of choral music, but she believed in following the musical rules very strictly. And I seem to have a bent to want to break the rules. I remember she called me in one day after it was a final composition I did for, I don't remember if it was music theory 101, or the second year theory class. And we had to compose something and then bring in musicians and perform it. So we did it. And the next day she called me in front of the music theory class, and she said, I just want you all to know that what Terry did was not music. And I'm giving him an F for that project. It was a little too avant garde for her. It was a little, like some of the more modern classical music, where it's a little atonal and experimental and she just goes, no. She had a very narrow definition of what music was supposed to be. Yet, she would keep trying to help me and give me opportunities because she believed in me. But she really wanted to make me into a composer like she was. And I've done some of that in my later years. I've composed some choral music that's gotten published. But I believe in all kinds of music, and that was the beauty about being in the jingle business. One day I would have to compose something that was operatic, and the next day was country western, and the next was rock and roll. You do all kinds of music. If you listen to enough TV commercials that have music, you're going to hear all kinds of music, right? [00:09:34] Tommy Thomas: What have you done relative to mentoring others? What does that look like in your life? [00:09:38] Terry Esau: I actually do a lot of that. I guess a lot of the mentoring that I do I don't see it as career mentoring. I see it as personal growth and development and spiritual mentoring. Because I feel I have some career paths in the music business, in the nonprofit business, in the book publishing business. So, I have experience there. So, if people want to talk about that, I'm obviously happy to do that. But I think it's more important that if you're mentoring young people, it's like, how do you get them to grow up to be people of integrity and character and generosity and kindness and compassion? And those are characteristics that will serve you through your life and make the world a better place. So, I meet with, especially a lot of young men who are in their twenties, maybe thirties. As I get older, it's like the young men are older too. Yes, they are. And my wife sometimes says to me, she goes, you're mentoring so many of these young guys. And I go, but you don't understand they're mentoring me too. I don't think mentoring is ever, well, mentoring shouldn't be a one-way street. It should be a two-way thing. I feel like I'm learning as much from the people I'm mentoring as the people, as they're getting from me. [00:11:15] Tommy Thomas: It's been said that probably most of us learn most from our failures or mistakes.  If that's the truth, why are most of us so afraid to fail? [00:11:27] Terry Esau: You know what, I've never, I don't think I've ever been too afraid to fail. But I've always believed that you should fail quickly, and you should learn from your failures. I always look at it this way, if you've never failed, you've probably never tried. Or you've never taken on something that was a little bigger than you. If you only attempt things that you know you can accomplish, I don't think that's a high enough degree of risk worthy of living a passionate life. So I've had plenty of failures. I've gotten three books published, but I have about four other books that I've started or even finished and haven't been published. You could look at those as failures or you could look at it as I learned something from them. And sometimes, my writing is part of how I process life and come to understand what I think and believe. So even if a book doesn't get published, it's served in my personal growth, right? [00:12:43] Tommy Thomas: What's the biggest risk you've ever taken? [00:12:53] Terry Esau: I would say when I quit the music business. I didn't really know what I was going to do. I'm actually doing a TED talk this summer and the title is the sharp elbow of restlessness. Some people say when God closes a door, he opens a window.  There's all these cliches. I feel like before doors are even closed for me; I start to feel restless. And restlessness is something I can't ignore, because often it's when I start to feel like I'm lacking in purpose. That's when I start to feel restless and without purpose, I always feel restless. So, in my music career, after 25 years, I could not ignore this feeling that I feel like this chapter of my life is supposed to be over. And I didn't know what I was going to go into. I didn't know what the next chapter was, but I felt very, I don't know. I felt very certain and willing to take a risk that I need to walk away from this and discover what is next. So, I did that and that was a pretty big risk, I think, at that time. Because I'm in my late 40s, probably peak earning career. And I just walked away. I sold my recording studio. And that led to my getting my first book published. Which then turned into a speaking career. So again, all of those things were a risk because I didn't know what I was going into. It was a risk because I've never made the kind of money doing all of these new things that I do that I did in the music career. I was risking some financial opportunity, but sometimes having purpose in your life and meaning pays bigger dividends than finances, right? [00:15:15] Tommy Thomas: Yeah, tell us more about the TED Talk. How does one get invited to give a TED Talk? [00:15:21] Terry Esau: So anybody can apply to be a TED speaker. Okay. But it had never occurred to me to even think about that. But I got an email one day from a guy who's the head of the acquisitions team that searches for speakers. And I got an email and I was scanning it and I was just about to click delete because I thought it was just another one of those scam things, hey, send us 200 and we'll put your name in this book of great entrepreneurs or whatever. I've seen so many of those things that I just delete them. But this guy, he said, hey, could you meet me for coffee? So, I'm going oh, so he's local and he actually wants to get together in person. So, then I read a little more and I go, he's part of the TED organization. I've always respected and enjoyed watching TED talks. So I went and met with him, had coffee and he goes, yeah we like what you've been doing in your career. And we think you might have an inspiring story to tell. So here I am next on August 12th. I'm doing a TED talk at Orchestra Hall here in Minneapolis.  [00:16:42] Tommy Thomas: Wow, congratulations. We'll have to look on that and see when it gets on the schedule. [00:16:47] Terry Esau: Yeah, they upload those things to YouTube and you can search them. And yeah, so I'm basically talking about the thing I've been telling you about is that how restlessness should not necessarily be viewed as a negative thing. I say you might want to look at restlessness as like a light on the dashboard of your life saying, hey, it might be time for you to change, to try something new, take a risk, so it's happened to me multiple times in my careers and so far I believe that restlessness is something I need to pay attention to because it's always led me into something really interesting. [00:17:34] Tommy Thomas: I know you've started two nonprofits, Free Bikes for Kids and Free Guitars for Kids. Take us into the early days of those. I get questions often from people who say, why don't you do a podcast on how to start a nonprofit? Tell us about the early days. [00:17:51] Terry Esau: Once again, I never intended to start a nonprofit. I started a hobby. I actually got a call from a friend and he said, hey there's this kid in our neighborhood who doesn't have a bicycle, his parents can't afford one and it was December, so Christmas is coming and so I just got together with some of my buddies and said, hey, why don't we collect bicycles this December, fix them up and we'll give them to kids who don't have a bicycle and can't afford one. And so that first year we gave away 250 bikes. And we all said, that was fun. Let's do it again next year. And that year we gave away 750 and the next year it was 1500. And that's when I said, okay, this has gone beyond the realm of hobby. This is like a second job for me. How about if we form a nonprofit, put together a board of directors, I'll go find a corporate sponsor. And we did. And that year we gave away 5,000 bikes. Sometimes you just, you follow your nose, and you do something that you think, oh, this, there's a need here. There are millions of kids in the U.S. who don't have a bicycle, can't afford one. Millions of kids who are unhealthy, diabetes, obesity. They're spending all their time in front of a screen. I thought, there are probably millions of bicycles sitting in garages that have been outgrown or aren't being used. What if we collect those, fix 'em up? So now we're in 22 cities. We've given away 150,000 bicycles. We're now partnering with Target. So Target is giving us all of their return bikes, 30 to 40,000 bikes every year. And now we have a goal of being in a hundred cities and giving away a million bikes by the year 2030. I don't know, I think we might be able to do it. Huh? [00:19:47] Tommy Thomas: Yeah. You said you formed a board, so what did that early board look like and how did it view itself? [00:19:56] Terry Esau: They always say there are two kinds of boards, like a working board or a governance board. Usually when you start something from scratch it's generally a working board, right? Yeah. So, most of that early board was made up of people who were my friends, who I would go out and ride my bike with. And they loved bicycles, and they thought every kid should have a bicycle too. So, the board was mainly made up of people who were passionate about it and wanted to actually volunteer and help make it happen. Then, over the course of several years, as the organization started to grow and blossom, now the board must transition from a working board and start becoming more of a governance board, to give direction and oversight to the organization as it gets bigger. But I think, if you're starting a nonprofit from scratch, you gotta have people who believe in the mission and are willing to invest some sweat equity in it, right? It's hard though, I will say that. It's hard to start. It's hard to start a nonprofit from scratch, because you're inventing everything. Yeah, it's just flat out a lot of work. [00:21:22] Tommy Thomas: So when you started Free Guitars for Kids, I guess you had a few learning lessons under your belt.  How has that one gone? [00:21:31] Terry Esau: It's interesting. So yeah, it was like, okay we figured out how to do this with bicycles. So, what if we just translate that to guitars? Because we go, I bet there are millions of guitars sitting in people's homes collecting dust that never come out of their case too. So, we were going, okay we'll start this and we'll get some celebrities to do a pro bono concert and we'll say, you can't buy a ticket to the concert. The only way to get in is you have to bring a guitar to donate. And we thought, oh, that's a great idea. Then you go, okay, now we have to get celebrities to do this. And then where are we going to put the guitars and who's going to help us restring them? And then we ended up going, okay it's not exactly apples to apples comparison with bikes and with guitars. So, we went out and we started talking with Fender and Gibson, guitar manufacturers, and said, would you want to partner with us? Would you want to help us make sure that they're under resourced kids who get a guitar? And they were like yeah, we'd like to be part of that. So now we're finding we're getting people who are donating dollars. And they're helping us fund and Gibson and Fender are either giving us screaming deals on guitars. And sometimes like they just gave us 200 free guitars. Gibson did, which we gave away in Nashville a couple of weeks ago. And last week we gave away 150 some guitars in Alaska. And now we're going to be doing it in Las Vegas. Going to be doing an event with a TV show down in Austin, Texas. In September, November, I can't remember. But yeah, so we learned a few things. So, with Free Bikes for Kids, there's the Mothership nonprofit, and then all the cities are like, they're independent nonprofits. It's like a franchise model. So when we started Free Guitars for Kids, I go, I don't want to do that franchise model. It's just complicated. Yeah. And it doesn't make as much sense with the guitar thing anyhow. So it's just one nonprofit. But we're starting what we're calling our sounding boards in various cities. So we're getting people together. Right now, we're just doing it in music cities. We have a sounding board in Nashville and one here in Minneapolis and Portland and, we'll be doing it in Chicago and LA and Austin and New York and wherever else. And those sounding boards, they're not board members, but they're advocates in the city who are going to help us put on events and give guitars away in those cities. We're continuing to learn and like you said, we've realized with free bikes for kids, we made some mistakes and we're trying to remedy those and then with free guitars, we're trying to not make any of those mistakes and I'm sure we will, but whenever you try something big, you make mistakes, right? It's not mistakes. Those things don't bother me that much. I figured everybody makes mistakes. We just keep trying, keep doing better, and yeah, we're making kids happy and healthy. Good. [00:25:01] Tommy Thomas: If you had deep pockets, and you were on a nonprofit version of Shark Tank, and you had people like yourself presenting their case for nonprofit funding, what questions have you got to have solid answers for before you open your checkbook? [00:25:23] Terry Esau: First of all, whatever you're pitching, it has to solve a problem and there has to be a resource to help solve that problem. Like for us, it was like, here's the problem. Kids in America are unhealthy, they're obese, there's poverty, so they can't afford a bicycle. Can help solve some of their health issues, not just physical health issues, but mental health issues, right? I call my bike my carbon fiber therapist because, you're a cyclist. It's like I get on my bike, and I go for a ride. I could be having a bad day, but by the time I get done with my ride, all that stress has just been washed away. Yeah. So I'm Shark Tank. I think you'd have to go. What's the problem? What's the solution? And then on top of that you have to go what's your strategy to bring the solution to the problem? What are the logistics? What are the resources that you need? People who give money to causes they really have to sell them on the fact that you are going to change the world in some small way, at least that's in the nonprofit world. In the for profit world, then you have to prove to them, hey, you can make your money back on this investment. For us, we say, yeah, you're not making money back on us, but you should feel really good about what you're doing to change the lives of children. [00:27:06] Tommy Thomas: What's the best piece of advice anybody ever gave you? [00:27:11] Terry Esau: One thing I would say is persistence is greater than talent. There are a lot of talented people in the world who don't accomplish anything. And there are a lot of people who are marginally talented who accomplish great things because they just don't give up. Here's something my dad said to me when he was on his deathbed at 92. He pointed to himself, and he goes, Terry, up here, I'm 92. And then he pointed at his head, and he goes, in here, I'm 17. And I think that was true of my dad. Some people get old and they go, I've got nothing to offer. They get grumpy and they get ornery and, get off my lawn. I think what my dad was saying is, if you want to stay young, first of all you can stay young mentally. You can't do that physically, but you can stay young mentally. And I think you do that primarily by staying a curious person. Curious people continue to learn all the way through their life into their old age. So I think in some way, my dad was saying, don't settle, stay curious. Because life is too interesting to just go into autopilot mode, keep seeking for the adventure of life, keep learning, keep growing. My dad never said those words, but I think in some sort of way, I think that's what he was saying. [00:29:02] Tommy Thomas: If you could go back in time and tell a younger version of yourself one thing, what would you tell? [00:29:08] Terry Esau: Oh, what would I tell myself?  I think I would say don't be afraid of failing. Failure is not the worst thing that can happen to you. It's not trying is the worst thing. I don't think I was ever too afraid of failing. But I think I worried a little bit more when I was younger. What do people think of us? Or if I do this, what will people think? That's one of the great beauties of getting older. I don't really care that much anymore. This is who I am, this is what I believe, this is what I think, this is how I'm choosing to live my life. You can disagree with it, and you have every right to, and I won't judge you for it, but I'm not going to let your view of me change what I think or how I choose to live my life and I think our culture has a lot of that going on, with social media and stuff, it's the comparison thing, yeah. I think comparison is not a very useful concept, because everybody compares up, nobody compares down. Like, I've talked to my family about this a few times. Look at so and so, they just went on this vacation, and they just bought this or they bought that and go, yeah, you're comparing up. Now let's compare down. We have so much more than so many other people. So I think in America, maybe it's part of a characteristic of capitalism. You have to have more and you have to have better. And so we always compare up. And I think if we compared down a little bit more often, we would have more gratitude, we would be more grateful for what it is that we do have. We don't have as much as that guy who's the CEO of some Fortune 500 company, but we live better than most of the people in the world, right? [00:31:23] Tommy Thomas: I want to thank Terry for taking time to be with us from what is obviously a very busy schedule. John Somerville, who was our guest for episodes 109 and 110 suggested Terry as a guest. I had no idea of the treat we were in for. Thank you for joining us today. If you are a first-time listener, I hope you will subscribe and become a regular. You can find links to all the episodes at our website: www.jobfitmatters.com/podcast. If there are topics you'd like for me to explore my email address is tthomas@jobfitmatters.com.   Word of mouth has been identified as the most valuable form of marketing. Surveys tell us that consumers believe recommendations from friends and family over all other forms of advertising. If you've heard something today that's worth passing on, please share it with others. You're already helping me make something special for the next generation of nonprofit leaders. I'll be back next week with a new episode. Until then, stay the course on our journey to help make the nonprofit sector more effective and sustainable. Links & Resources JobfitMatters Website Next Gen Nonprofit Leadership with Tommy Thomas The Perfect Search – What every board needs to know about hiring their next CEO Be the Surprise – Spontaneous Elements of Faith Blue Collar God / White Collar God Free Bikes for Kidz  Free Guitars for Kids TEDx Talks - Harnessing the power of restlessness | Terry Esau | TEDxMinneapolis   Connect tthomas@jobfitmatters.com Follow Tommy on LinkedIn  

On Friday, October 27, at 7 p.m., the Minnesota Orchestra will perform the originalsoundtrack of the Academy Award-winning film Get Out while the film plays on a screenabove the stage. The concert will take place at Orchestra Hall in downtown Minneapolisand there are a limited number of tickets remaining; American composer Michael Abels created the soundtrack for Get Out, which earned the2018 Black Reel Award for Outstanding Original Score. Abels describes the score as“gospel horror.” Accompanying the Orchestra will be the sibling vocalist group TheSteeles, who will perform the vocal portion of Abels' score, including the main title,Sikiliza Kwa Wahenga (Swahili for “listen to the ancestors”); andThe Steeles have collaborated many times with the Minnesota Orchestra: in 2016, theyperformed a tribute to Prince at the Minnesota Vikings' first-ever game at U.S. BankStadium; they also collaborated with the Orchestra and trumpeter Charles Lazarus for aprogram titled Our Love Is Here to Stay; earlier in 2023, Jevetta Steele performed in theOrchestra's first-ever Juneteenth concert.

For the first time in its history, the Minnesota Orchestra will present a program in honorof Juneteenth, featuring works primarily by African American composers. - The program will be performed at Orchestra Hall in downtownMinneapolis on Friday, June 23, at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $5, and are free for thoseunder the age of 18.- In addition to the main concert on June 23, a Relaxed Family Concert will beperformed on Saturday, June 24, at 2 p.m. Tickets start at $12, and are free forthose under the age of 18.- Our Relaxed Family Concerts are designed for audiences of all ages, and children arefree to be themselves during the concert. (Note: Jevetta Steele and Malcolm-JamalWarner will not perform in the family concert on the 24th .

Jevetta Steele caught up with Sean from the Afternoon Cruise as she was preparing for her appearance with the Minnesota Orchestra for their Juneteenth Celebration on June 23.

Eminent Swedish American conductor Herbert Blomstedt leads two Dvořák landmarks — the restless, bucolic Eighth Symphony and the impassioned Cello Concerto — each imbued with the composer's hallmark warmth and Bohemian charm. Joining the CSO is the young Romanian Andrei Ioniţă, “one of the most exciting cellists to have emerged for a decade” (The Times of London). Explore the music in the free preconcert conversation featuring Carl Grapentine in Orchestra Hall 75 minutes before the performance. The conversation will last approximately 30 minutes. No additional tickets are needed. Learn more: cso.org/performances/22-23/cso-classical/blomstedt-conducts-dvorak-8

Synopsis On today's date in 1994, at Orchestra Hall in Chicago, the Chicago Symphony and conductor Daniel Barenboim gave the world premiere performance of Partita by the American composer Elliott Carter, specially commissioned in honor of the composer's 85th birthday. It was a major work, and a major occasion – but, as the Chicago Tribune's music critic John von Rheim put it, that date “will forever be known as the Night the Lights Went Out on Elliott Carter.” Just as the orchestra was playing the final pages of Carter's complex score, the house lights went out. The audience gasped. The orchestra stopped playing. Not sure what to do, the audience started applauding. Then, after a moment or two the lights came back on. After breathing a sigh of relief, Barenboim and the orchestra prepared to pick up where they had left off – and then the lights went out again! Turning to the audience, Barenboim quipped, "It's a good thing we and Mr. Carter are not superstitious." Well, eventually the lights came back on – and stayed on, enabling the Orchestra to finish the premiere of Carter's Partita. But, perhaps as a kind of insurance policy – later on Barenboim and the Chicago Symphony also made a live recording of the new work. Music Played in Today's Program Elliott Carter (1908 – 2012) Partita Chicago Symphony; Daniel Barenboim, conductor. (live recording) Teldec CD 81792 On This Day Births 1653 - Italian composer Arcangelo Corelli, in Fusignano (near Imola); 1820 - Belgian composer Henri Vieuxtemps, in Verviers; 1862 - English composer Edward German (Jones) in Whitechurch; 1887 - Finnish composer Leevi Madetoja, in Oulu (Uleaborg); 1920 - American composer Paul Fetler, in Philadelphia; 1926 - Austrian composer Friedrich Cerha, in Vienna; 1926 - American composer Lee Hoiby, in Madison, Wis.; Deaths 1732 - French composer and organist Louis Marchand, age 63, in Paris; 1841 - Italian composer and guitarist Ferdinando Carulli, age 70, in Paris; 1924 - Finnish composer Oskar Merikanto, age 55, in Hausjärvi-Oiti; 1970 - American composer and conductor Alfred Newman, age 69, in Los Angeles; 1982 - American Jazz composer and pianist Thelonious Monk, age 64, in Englewood, N.J.; Premieres 1728 - Handel: opera “Siroe, re di Persia” (Cyrus, King of Persia), in London at the King's Theater in the Haymarket (Gregorian date: Feb. 28); This was the first Handel opera with a libretto by Metastasio; 1792 - Haydn: Symphony No. 93, conducted by the composer, at the Hanover-Square Concert Rooms in London; 1855 - Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 1 in Eb, in Weimar, with the composer as soloist and Hector Berlioz conducting; 1859 - Verdi: opera "Un Ballo in Maschera" (A Masked Ball), in Rome at the Teatro Apollo; 1889 - Franck: Symphony in d, in Paris; 1901 - Mahler: oratorio "Das Klagende Lied" (Song of Lamentation), in Vienna, with composer conducting; 1904 - Puccini: opera “Madama Butterfly,”in Milan at the Teatro alla Scala; 1914 - Ernst von Dohnányi: "Variations on a Nursery Song" for piano and orchestra, in Berlin, with the composer as soloist; 1927 - Deems Taylor: opera "The King's Henchmen," at the Metropolitan Opera in New York; 1943 - Copland: "Music for Movies," at a Town Hall Forum concert in New York City; 1947 - Copland: "Danzón Cubano" (orchestral version), by the Baltimore Symphony; 1948 - David Diamond: Violin Sonata No. 1, at Carnegie Hall in New York, by Joseph Szigeti (violin) and Josef Lhevinne (piano); 1952 - Henze: opera "Boulevard Solitude," in Hanover at the Landestheater; 1961 - Elie Siegmeister: Flute Concerto, in Oklahoma City; 1977 - Elliott Carter: "A Symphony of Three Orchestra," by the New York Philharmonic, Pierre Boulez conducting; 1982 - George Perle: "Ballade" for piano, at Alice Tully Hall in New York, by Richard Goode. Links and Resources On Carter

Online retail giant Amazon will hire 1,200 workers for its new fulfillment center at the former State Fairgrounds in Detroit. Plus, philanthropists commit funding Detroit arts scene, Detroit Youth Choir performing at Orchestra Hall, and more. Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

In his Fifth Symphony, Mahler embraces all aspects of life. After a tumultuous funeral march, the work's five movements include folk-inspired dances, a tender love song and a boisterous finale. Noted for his "great affinity with Mahler" (Le Monde), Finnish conductor Klaus Mäkelä pairs the composer's Fifth Symphony with the U.S. premiere of Aino by Peruvian American composer Jimmy López Bellido. Explore the music in the free preconcert conversation featuring Steve Rings in Orchestra Hall 75 minutes before the performance. The conversation will last approximately 30 minutes. No additional tickets are needed. Learn more: cso.org/performances/22-23/cso-classical/makela-conducts-lopez-and-mahler-5

Tchaikovsky's turbulent Manfred Symphony takes its inspiration from Lord Byron's dramatic poem about a world-weary traveler who wanders the Alps and is bewitched by supernatural forces. German violinist Julia Fischer, acclaimed for her “pure and fine-spun tone” (Chicago Tribune), joins Riccardo Muti and the CSO for Schumann's poetic and autumnal Violin Concerto. Explore the music in the free preconcert conversation featuring Daniel Schlosberg in Orchestra Hall 75 minutes before the performance. The conversation will last approximately 30 minutes. No additional tickets are needed. Classic Encounter Thursday, February 23: Preconcert lecture hosted by Chicago's favorite radio DJ, WXRT's Terri Hemmert, with co-host John Yeh, CSO assistant principal clarinet and E-flat clarinet. You will have the opportunity to add Classic Encounter to your order after selecting your seats for the concert. Learn more: cso.org/performances/22-23/cso-classical/muti-fischer-and-tchaikovsky-manfred

In a program celebrating the 150th anniversary of Sergei Rachmaninov's birth, Lahav Shani conducts the composer's Symphonic Dances, which marries diabolical, jazzy melodies with plush, old-world grandeur. Italian pianist Beatrice Rana is soloist in Rachmaninov's Paganini Rhapsody, a set of 24 variations that crackle with wit and furious energy. Prokofiev's delightful Classical Symphony opens the program. Explore the music in the free preconcert conversation featuring Kyle Dzapo in Orchestra Hall 75 minutes before the performance. The conversation will last approximately 30 minutes. No additional tickets are needed. Learn more: cso.org/performances/22-23/cso-classical/shani-conducts-rachmaninov-symphonic-dances

Conductor Marin Alsop leads the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in three pivotal works by 21st-century women composers. This Midnight Hour, a single-movement orchestral composition by former Mead Composer-in-Residence Anna Clyne, evokes a visual journey for the listener. Mead Composer-in-Residence Jessie Montgomery's Rounds, commissioned for and performed by pianist Awadagin Pratt, is inspired by the constancy, rhythms and duality of life that impact all living things. Closing the program is Her Story, a CSO co-commission by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Julia Wolfe that captures the passion and perseverance of women who have led the fight for representation and gender equality. A 40-minute theatrical experience for orchestra and women's vocal ensemble, the piece is the latest in a series of compositions by Wolfe that highlights monumental and turbulent moments in American history. Explore the music in the free preconcert conversation featuring Max Raimi in Orchestra Hall 75 minutes before the performance. The conversation will last approximately 30 minutes. No additional tickets are needed. Learn more: cso.org/performances/22-23/cso-classical/alsop-conducts-wolfe-her-story

Iconoclastic organist Cameron Carpenter, “one of the rare musicians who changes the game of his instrument” (Los Angeles Times), takes on Poulenc's sparkling, Baroque-infused concerto, followed by the elegance and floor-shaking grandeur of Saint-Saëns' Organ Symphony. Ticket holders are invited to a free preconcert conversation featuring Carl Grapentine in Orchestra Hall 75 minutes before the performance. The conversation will last approximately 30 minutes. No additional tickets required. Classic Encounter December 15: Preconcert lecture hosted by Chicago's favorite radio DJ, WXRT's Terri Hemmert, with co-host Miles Maner, CSO bassoon and contrabassoon. You will have the opportunity to add Classic Encounter to your order after selecting your seats for the concert. Learn more: cso.org/performances/22-23/cso-classical/the-sorcerers-apprentice-and-saint-saens-organ-symphony

This week on CenterStage, Jearlyn is joined by Trumpeter Chuck Lazerus from Orchestra Hall, Director of Sing Play Learn with MacPhail Dianna Babcock, Ballet Minnesota Choreographer and Artistic Director Andrew Rist, and Ryan O'Neill from the O'Neill Brothers.

Leslie DeShazor is a multi-style violist,  violinist and composer based in Detroit. She teaches students both through the Sphinx Organization and the Detroit Symphony as well as privately. She was named one of thirty Professional Movers and Shakers in the Performing Arts by Musical America in 2019 and in 2022 she released her jazz and R&B album “Journey With Me” which features herself as soloist, bandleader, and composer. Towards the beginning of this episode you'll hear her composition “Simply Complicated” from “Journey With Me”. This conversation was full of stories and insights from Leslie's life. She shared valuable perspectives that educators, parents and anyone who mentors children and young adults will find inspiring and thought-provoking. We talked a lot about why kids quit playing music, why so many young adults today have trouble figuring out the direction of their life, and how the educational system can take away people's innate creativity and confidence. Leslie is such an articulate and engaging speaker; I'm sure listeners everywhere will enjoy this episode! The musicians on Simply Complicated are: Nate Winn -  drums, Brendon Davis  - piano Brandon Rose -  bass Photo: Bruce Turner Please support this series! https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman Video and Transcript: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/leslie-deshazor https://lesliedeshazor.com/ Timestamps: (00:00) Cold open quote plus Intro (02:00) album Journey With Me, accepting help (06:16) differences playing acoustic and electric instruments (07:30) intro to tune “Simply Complicated” (13:25) Leslie's childhood musical pranks, growing up in Inkster and Canton (16:10) the importance of Detroit in many different musical genres (18:36) the influence and importantce of church music (22:47) Interlochen, perspectives on exposing kids to a competitive atmosphere (32:43) Leslie's approach to coaching student ensembles (36:14) Leslie's history going to Orchestra Hall, continuity and history of Detroit (40:52) parenting, guiding children in music (42:37) University of Michigan and Wayne State college experiences, James Dapogny, how to guide students, the importance of helping music students with options (51:00) dealing with injury (53:06) different cultures through dance, learning Spanish, teaching with Sphinx (56:14) Sphinx organization (01:03:10) Musique Noire, Eunoia Society, JoVia Armstrong (01:04:45) problem with labels in music, colonial attitudes (01:10:44) teaching music using different strategies (01:16:35) challenges in guiding students (01:19:53) students who are over-scheduled, the benefits of allowing time for creativity and play (01:25:42) Cole Randolph taking time off and motivation (01:26:42) dealing with stress through exercise, jumping rope, keeping balance (01:30:00) freelance life stress (01:31:18) teaching body percussion, benefits of community music making, learning from other educators (01:35:35) Leslie's advice about bravery --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/leah-roseman/message

Sibelius' intense love of nature is mirrored in his Second Symphony, which inhabits a world of rugged, windswept beauty. In his kaleidoscopic choral masterpiece, Stravinsky creates an otherworldly aura. Beethoven's ebullient concerto features pianist Francesco Piemontesi in his CSO debut. “Piemontesi made a wonderful impression… [He] drew out the reflective undercurrents even while playing with grace and élan” (The New York Times). Ticket holders are invited to a free preconcert conversation featuring Max Raimi in Orchestra Hall 75 minutes before the performance. The conversation will last approximately 30 minutes. No additional tickets required. Learn more: cso.org/performances/22-23/cso-classical/stravinsky-beethoven-and-sibelius-2

Dalia Stasevska leads the CSO in Bartók's glittering late masterpiece — which shows off every section of the orchestra — and the scampering, playful sounds of Tarrodi's Birds of Paradise II. CSO Artist-in-Residence Hilary Hahn joins the Orchestra for Tchaikovsky's thrilling and tender Violin Concerto. Ticket holders are invited to a free preconcert conversation featuring Carl Grapentine in Orchestra Hall 75 minutes before the performance. The conversation will last approximately 30 minutes. No additional tickets required. Learn more: cso.org/performances/22-23/cso-classical/hilary-hahn-tchaikovsky-and-bartok

A journey from brooding despair to rousing triumph, Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony rescued him from the grips of official Soviet disfavor. But to many listeners, it's a more subversive critique of life under Stalin. This program, led by Manfred Honeck, also showcases the U.S. premiere of Lera Auerbach's Diary of a Madman, composed for and performed by Gautier Capuçon. Ticket holders are invited to a free preconcert conversation featuring Laura Sauer-Shah in Orchestra Hall 75 minutes before the performance. The conversation will last approximately 30 minutes. No additional tickets required. Learn more: cso.org/performances/22-23/cso-classical/honeck-capucon-and-shostakovich-5

Dancers from Chicago's world-renowned Joffrey Ballet invigorate the Symphony Center stage with two newly commissioned choreographies set to Siegfried Idyll, Wagner's glowing birthday gift to his wife, and Rameau's vivid ballet, composed for a royal wedding at the Palace of Versailles. Ravel evokes Baroque dance in Le tombeau de Couperin, with each movement becoming a touching tribute to friends who died in World War I. The program opens with the beguiling elegance of Mozart's Symphony No. 34. Ticket holders are invited to a free preconcert conversation featuring Stephen Alltop in Orchestra Hall 75 minutes before the performance. The conversation will last approximately 30 minutes. No additional tickets required. Learn more: cso.org/performances/22-23/cso-classical/cso-and-the-joffrey-ballet

Mr Burns buys Springfield's Orchestra Hall and turns it into a prison, where Homer becomes the resident snitch. HALLOWEEN SPECIAL: Support us as a $1 Patron and get access to: - 'Treehouse of Horror VI' (Guy on Springfield) - 'When Aliens Attack' (Tales of Futurama) - 'The Truman Show' (The Movie Guys) - 'The Simpsons Movie' (commentary) Support us today at patreon.com/fourfingerdiscount  

Prokofiev's Sixth Symphony was a risky undertaking in post-World War II Russia: a personal meditation on suffering and loss that he described as agitated, lyrical and austere. Pianist Simon Trpčeski animates the romantic flourishes of Grieg's Piano Concerto while Nokuthula Ngwenyama's Primal Message is a fantasia inspired by the 1974 Aricebo interstellar radio transmission. Ticket holders are invited to a free preconcert conversation Daniel Schlosberg in Orchestra Hall 75 minutes before the performance. The conversation will last approximately 30 minutes. No additional tickets required. Learn more: cso.org/performances/22-23/cso-classical/grieg-piano-concerto-and-prokofiev-6

As Great Britain endured the Blitz in 1943, the 71-year-old Vaughan Williams produced his Fifth Symphony. To celebrate 150 years since the composer's birth, Edward Gardner conducts this work of warmth and gentle contemplation. Christian Tetzlaff, “a meticulous and refined virtuoso” (The New York Times), presents Bartók's rhapsodic Second Violin Concerto. Wagner's serene and somber prelude to Act 3 of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg opens the program. Ticket holders are invited to a free preconcert conversation featuring Steve Rings in Orchestra Hall 75 minutes before the performance. The conversation will last approximately 30 minutes. No additional tickets required. Classic Encounter Thursday, November 3: Preconcert lecture hosted by Chicago's favorite radio DJ, WXRT's Terri Hemmert, with co-host and CSO viola Max Raimi. You will have the opportunity to add Classic Encounter to your order after selecting your seats for the concert. Learn more: cso.org/performances/22-23/cso-classical/wagner-bartok-and-vaughan-williams

Bruckner's last completed symphony is a majestic statement in which every theme feels like a sacred offering. Bruckner signed the score "Hallelujah,” and eagerly declared, “The finale is the most important movement of my life.” Christian Thielemann, “the most admired of today's German conductors” (Los Angeles Times), leads the CSO on this sweeping journey. Classic Encounter October 20: Preconcert lecture hosted by Chicago's favorite radio DJ, WXRT's Terri Hemmert, with co-host John Hagstrom, CSO trumpet (Pritzker Military Museum and Library Chair) You will have the opportunity to add Classic Encounter to your order after selecting your seats for the concert. Ticket holders are invited to a free preconcert conversation featuring Max Raimi in Orchestra Hall 75 minutes before the performance. The conversation will last approximately 30 minutes. No additional tickets required. Learn more: cso.org/performances/22-23/cso-classical/thielemann-conducts-bruckner-8

Mussorgsky, shaken by the passing of his friend, the artist Victor Hartmann, turned his grief into music, composing his lavishly evocative 10-movement suite inspired by Hartmann's sketches. Riccardo Muti leads the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in Ravel's iconic orchestration of Mussorgsky's Pictures from an Exhibition. 2018 Leeds International Piano Competition winner Eric Lu joins the CSO in Mozart's dark-hued final piano concerto. The program opens with Franck's supernatural thriller The Accursed Huntsman. Pianist Maurizio Pollini has withdrawn from this engagement; a statement from his management notes that “Maurizio Pollini is very disappointed to announce that for medical reasons, he is required to cancel his upcoming American tour.” Ticket holders are invited to a free preconcert conversation featuring Carl Grapentine in Orchestra Hall 75 minutes before the performance. The conversation will last approximately 30 minutes. No additional tickets required. Learn more: cso.org/performances/22-23/cso-classical/muti-conducts-pictures-from-an-exhibition

William Eddins, the accomplished pianist, conductor and the proprietor of Metronome Brewery was nice enough to take some time out of his schedule to talk about his gig this weekend. Mr. Eddins will be conducting both the Minnesota Orchestra and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra for their performances at Orchestra Hall. In this conversation you'll learn about how William approaches the preparation for the shows as well as sharing with us the pure majesty of standing in front of two great orchestras.

The 2022/23 season will mark 70 years since Sergei Prokofiev's death. Riccardo Muti conducts Prokofiev's Fifth Symphony, composed in 1944, which ranks among his greatest achievements. Mozart's Symphony No. 39 has grandeur and intensity that foreshadows the mature symphonies of Beethoven. The overture to Rossini's Journey to Reims gathers several of the composer's buoyant and picturesque themes. Ticket holders are invited to a free preconcert conversation featuring Daniel Schlosberg in Orchestra Hall 75 minutes before the performance. The conversation will last approximately 30 minutes. No additional tickets required. Learn more: cso.org/performances/22-23/cso-classical/muti-conducts-mozart-and-prokofiev

A new season begins as dazzling pianist Yefim Bronfman joins Riccardo Muti and the CSO in Brahms' unabashedly vigorous and stirring First Piano Concerto. Tchaikovsky's joyful Second Symphony quotes folk melodies from Ukraine. The program opens with the U.S. premiere of a long-lost and recently discovered score by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, a British composer of African descent. Ticket holders are invited to a free preconcert conversation featuring Johann Buis in Orchestra Hall 75 minutes before the performance. The conversation will last approximately 30 minutes. No additional tickets required. Learn more: cso.org/performances/22-23/cso-classical/muti-and-bronfman

This week on Introductions, the flagship group of Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras performs Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 1, the Titan. This was recorded on May 22, 2022 in Orchestra Hall in downtown Chicago. The post Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras performs Mahler 1 appeared first on WFMT.

History supplied Verdi with the subject matter for this gripping drama. It is based on the true story of King Gustav III of Sweden, who was assassinated during a masked ball in 1792. Combining political intrigue, a love triangle and a fortune teller's mysterious prophecy, the opera also contains radiant choral writing and richly scored dance music. Riccardo Muti leads a concert performance featuring a spectacular cast of international singers and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. Ticket holders are invited to a free preconcert conversation featuring Derek Matson in Orchestra Hall 75 minutes before the performance. The conversation will last approximately 30 minutes. No additional tickets required. Cast Francesco Meli tenor (Riccardo) Joyce El-Khoury soprano (Amelia) Luca Salsi baritone (Renato) Yulia Matochkina mezzo-soprano (Ulrica) Damiana Mizzi soprano (Oscar) Alfred Walker bass-baritone (Samuel) Kevin Short bass-baritone (Tom) Ricardo José Rivera baritone (Silvano) Lunga Eric Hallam tenor (A Judge) Martin Luther Clark tenor (A Servant to Amelia) Learn more: cso.org/performances/21-22/cso-classical/muti-conducts-verdi-un-ballo-in-maschera

By turns majestic, lyrical and iconoclastic, Beethoven's Violin Concerto has been a signature work for Anne-Sophie Mutter ever since it propelled her to fame as a teenager. Riccardo Muti presents it alongside Brahms' First Symphony, another 19th century landmark whose moods come in vast waves, from brooding, restless melancholy to ecstatic joy. Ticket holders are invited to a free preconcert conversation featuring Carl Grapentine in Orchestra Hall 75 minutes before the performance. The conversation will last approximately 30 minutes. No additional tickets required. Learn more: cso.org/performances/21-22/cso-classical/muti-mutter-beethoven-violin-concerto

James Gaffigan leads a program etched in vivid colors, including Tchaikovsky's seductive portrait of Shakespeare's immortal lovers, Mussorgsky's windswept Night on Bald Mountain and Saint-Saëns' riotous Bacchanale from Samson and Delilah. Ticket holders are invited to a free preconcert conversation featuring Stephen Yaness in Orchestra Hall 75 minutes before the performance. The conversation will last approximately 30 minutes. No additional tickets required. Learn about Soundpost, a preconcert discussion about how technology is being used as a tool to push sound by producing not only novel sounds but also innovative works of music. Learn more: cso.org/performances/21-22/cso-classical/tchaikovsky-romeo-juliet

Hear how Greek and Roman mythology have captivated composers with tales of betrayal, love and heroism. In Daphnis and Chloe, Ravel uses ravishing orchestral colors and a wordless chorus to depict this pastoral romance. Salonen finds inspiration in the epic struggles of the twin half-brothers Castor and Pollux, depicted in his two-piece orchestral composition, Gemini. Opening the program is Caroline Shaw's Entr'acte, a refreshing blend of traditional harmony and contrasting dissonance inspired by Haydn's String Quartet Op. 77, No. 2. Ticket holders are invited to a free preconcert conversation featuring Derek Matson in Orchestra Hall 75 minutes before the performance. The conversation will last approximately 30 minutes. No additional tickets required. Learn more: cso.org/performances/21-22/cso-classical/salonen-conducts-daphnis-chloe

Esa-Pekka Salonen takes listeners on a voyage through astonishing terrains, from Ravel's exquisite setting of Perrault's fairy tales to Stravinsky's 1940s “war symphony,” with its allusions to marching soldiers and tanks. Completing the program, Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto introduces a 2021 concerto by Bryce Dessner partly inspired by Anne Carson's essay The Anthropology of Water. It is a re-imagining of the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, “an endeavor as old as civilization to set out on a road that is supposed to take you to the very end of things.” (Carson, The Anthropology of Water) Ticket holders are invited to a free preconcert conversation featuring Stephen Alltop in Orchestra Hall 75 minutes before the performance. The conversation will last approximately 30 minutes. No additional tickets required. Learn more: cso.org/performances/21-22/cso-classical/salonen-conducts-ravel-stravinsky

Hear the sounds of bravery, battle and romance in Strauss' exuberant Ein Heldenleben (A Hero's Life), led by Karina Canellakis. Kirill Gerstein performs Schumann's only piano concerto, a work that brims with joy and melody. Augusta Read Thomas' Brio is a study in agility and motion, building to a full-throttle, sparkling intensity. Ticket holders are invited to a free preconcert conversation featuring Carl Grapentine in Orchestra Hall 75 minutes before the performance. The conversation will last approximately 30 minutes. No additional tickets required. Learn more: cso.org/performances/21-22/cso-classical/ein-heldenleben

Today's Song of the Day is "One Way Out of a Hole" from Cloud Cult's album, Metamorphosis, out now.Cloud Cult will be performing with the Minnesota Orchestra at Orchestra Hall on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday - March 31st, April 1st and 2nd .

Jeff Montgomery was a born activist who played an important role in saving Orchestra Hall. When a hate crime brought tragedy to his personal life, he channeled his talent and drive to working on behalf of the LBGTQ+ community. His stellar career and sad decline are documented in America You Kill Me, which lost its major debut to COVID, but is set to premiere next spring. We tell Montgomery's story through the words of the film's director, Daniel Land; musical artist Audra Kubat, who is supplying the film's soundtrack; Stirling, a longtime friend of Montgomery; and historian Michael Hodges.