CBASymphony&Chorus

The Barristers Big Band Benefit Ball is April 21st

2012-03-10T04:27:00.001-08:00

Dance lessons and dance demonstrations!

Join us for a wonderful party in celebration of the Chicago Bar Association Symphony Orchestra and Chorus!

11th Annual Barristers Big Band Benefit Ball
Friday, April 21, 2012
The Standard Club Main Dining Room, Chicago
Reception - 6 pm; Dance - 7 pm

The 11th Annual Barristers Big Band Benefit Ball on April 21st will Honor James H. Wooten, Jr., retiring Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Illinois Tool Works Inc. and raise funds for the CBA Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. It is sure to be a great time. This year's event will be held at the beautiful Standard Club Main Dining Room.

John Vishneski in full swing.

The evening will be filled with great food, great company, the Barristers Big Band’s swinging sound, a dance lesson, a dance contest, a live and silent auction and lots of just plain dancing. Tickets are only $50. The reception begins at 6:00 pm, and the Barristers Big Band will start swinging at 7:00 pm until … whenever. Food and drink will be available throughout the evening. Dress for dancing!

To purchase ball tickets, follow this link.

To learn about our next concert, read below!

SCHUBERT & MORE, APRIL 29th

2012-03-10T04:27:00.000-08:00

Sun, April 29, 2012—3 pm

CHAMBER CONCERT: Schubert & More

Alexandra Newman

Following the Barristers Big Band Benefit Ball on April 21st, the Chicago Bar Association Symphony Orchestra and Chorus next presents a springtime chamber concert called Schubert & More. Featuring small ensembles of musicians selected from our unique organization, the program includes works by Nielsen, Vieuxtemps, Vaughan Williams, Roussel, and, of course, Schubert. The concert will take place on the last Sunday afternoon in April, at 3 pm, in the magnificent sanctuary of our performance home, Saint James Episcopal Cathedral, Wabash at Huron.

Here is a link where you can purchase tickets.

And here is the full program:

Chamber Concert: SCHUBERT and MORE

Sunday, April 29, 2012 at 3:00 pm
Saint James Episcopal Cathedral—Chicago

I. Little Suite for Strings, Op. 1 Carl Nielsen

The West Oakdale Avenue Chamber Players
Violins—Tod Ballard, Rachel Chapman, Heather Neaveill-Kramer* (and viola),
Emily Chen, Travis Elfers , Gregory Zinkl (and viola)
Viola—Sean Diller*, Dan Makula*
Cello—Scott Beller, Julia Nowicki*

Fair Use Quintet

II. Divertissement for woodwind quintet and piano, Op. 6     Albert Roussel
Fair Use Quintet
Judith Grubner, flute—Beth Lodal, oboe—John Vishneski, clarinet, Katherine Erwin, bassoon—Michael McVickar, horn—Clark Remington, piano

III. Two English Folksongs       Ralph Vaughan Williams & Rebecca Clarke
Searching for Lambs
The Lawyer
Down by the Salley Gardens
Genevieve Essig, soprano
Alexandra Newman, violin

IV. Souvenir D'Amerique                    Henri Vieuxtemps
Alexandra Newman, violin
Neil Posner, piano

IV. Quintet in A major, D. 667 (The Trout)            Franz Schubert
Amicus Curiae Quintet
Patricia Bronte, violin—Alexander Weaver, viola—Natasha White, cello
        Joseph Krzysiak, bass—Neil Posner, piano

All programs and artists subject to change.

Schubert—Trout Quintet
      Amicus Curiae Quintet
Nielsen--Little Suite for Strings
   The West Oakdale Avenue Chamber Players
Vieuxtemps—Souvenir D’Amerique
      Alexandra Newman / Neil Posner duo
Roussel—Divertissement for Winds & Piano
      Fair Use Wind Quintet & Clark Remington

about Brahms Liebeslieder Waltzes

2012-02-25T13:45:00.025-08:00

The Romantic Muse, the CBA Symphony & Chorus's March 7th concert at St James Cathedral, features the orchestra performing music by Schumann (Piano Concerto in a minor, with Neil Posner, soloist) and Schubert (Unfinished Symphony) and the chorus presenting the Brahms Love-Song Waltzes, with duo-pianists Janet Eckhardt and Jennifer Zlotow, Becky Patterson conducting.

Here is some background on the Waltzes, by CBA Chorus member Lucy Kennedy.
And here is a link where you can purchase tickets.

Brahms' Liebeslieder Waltzes, op 52
program note by Lucy Kennedy

First, a little music-technology and anthropological scene setting: In the 19th Century, the pianoforte finally arrived at essentially its modern form with deep lower notes and an array of pedals that enabled even a non-professional to make beautiful sounds. Over this hundred years the middle class finally “arrived” too, with widespread literacy, stable income, free time, and the desire to both partake of the fine arts and “keep up with the Joneses.” An upright or spinet piano became a standard middle-class possession, and family sons and daughters were expected to “improve” themselves with instrumental and vocal lessons and to provide entertainment in the parlor after dinner. A vast market for chamber music that didn’t require professional skill was created, a market that composers like Johannes Brahms (though he is more known now for his big, serious works) strove to capitalize on.

In 1868, Brahms was searching for a new project to equal the popularity of some previous piano-based chamber music. He settled on a romantic song cycle, his sophisticated, delightful Liebeslieder Wälzer. They were written about love, and out of love, for Brahms, as usual, was head-over-heels about a lady, whose attention (and romantic interest) he is reputed to have been trying to entice with this musical bouquet.

For lyrics on which to wrap his musical confections, Brahms chose selections from Polydora: A World-Poetic Songbook, a collection of German translations and imitations of folk poetry from Eastern Europe (Russia, Poland, and Hungary) by his contemporary, Georg Friedrich Daumer (1800-1875). He wrote the piece for piano four hands and an optional vocal quartet, for performance at home, but (fortunately for the CBA Chorus), the work has over the years grown beyond its composer’s original concept to become a standard of the choral concert repertoire.

Though the lyrics did not approach the level of the great German poetry, i.e., Goethe et al (one critic called Brahms’s sources “folksy, doggerel verse”), they do express the gamut of human emotion on the subject of Eros, from flirtation to enticement, to strong passion, to domestic harmony, to endless bliss, to various forms of disappointment/frustration, to sweet directness, to sadness at rejection, with a nod to ebullient young love. And the tunes exhibit Brahms’s usual elegant, classical sophistication—almost all are in binary form while at the same time being in ¾ time—and lush evocativeness: you can hear the raging spring, see the little bird hopping around trying to find a home, view the cocky swain eying the ten iron bars on the pretty maiden’s front door, and etc. One critic called Brahms’s chamber music some of “the most sophisticated and exquisitely crafted of the Romantic era.”

When published in 1870 (by Friedrich August Simrock) they were an instant, tremendous success, popular with both professional musicians and singers and with the family market for which they were intended, perhaps even bringing the composer the fame that more serious works, such as the German Requiem, had failed to do, and going a long way to convince music lovers that Schumann had been right about Brahms being the next great composer. The unbending, moody perfectionist uncharacteristically told Simrock, “I must confess that it was the first time I smiled at the sight of a printed work—of mine! I will risk being called an ass if our Liebeslieder Waltzes don’t give pleasure to a few people.” He even encouraged Simrock to sell the pieces inexpensively so that more non-professional music lovers could afford them, which of course increased his “fan base.”

But alas, when the Waltzes were premiered (played from the manuscript on October 6, 1869, with Clara Schumann and Hermann Levi at the pianofortes), the object of all his stürm und drang did not respond the way the composer had hoped (“Speak, maiden, all too dear/…Don’t you want to soften your heart/…do you want to come to me?”), and subsequently Brahms learned she was engaged to another. Brahms expressed his disappointment some years later by composing a second set of waltzes (the New Liebeslieder Waltzes—if anything, even more successful than the first set) which embody a chastened, more realistic vision of romantic love, and end with lyrics from Goethe.

The two worlds of NEIL POSNER

2012-02-11T08:22:00.000-08:00

Neil Posner, piano soloist in Robert Schumann's glorious Piano Concerto in A minor with the CBASO next month, has had highly successful professional careers in both music and the law. We are delighted to feature him on our March 7th program, called The Romantic Muse.

Here's a quick bio of this very talented individual:

Neil B. Posner is a Partner and Chair of the Policyholder Insurance Coverage Practice Group at Much Shelist PC. Neil received his undergraduate degree from New York University, studied accounting and finance at UCLA, and received his law degree, magna cum laude, from Marquette University. Before law school, Neil was a full-time musician in both the classical and nonclassical arenas. His classical credits include accompanying many soloists, including David Shostac (principal flute with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra) and Jean-Pierre Rampal. His nonclassical credits include playing on numerous film and television sound tracks and in the "pit" for the Los Angeles productions of many Broadway musicals, including A Chorus Line, and touring with Andy Williams and Peggy Lee.

TICKETS online: brownpapertickets.com/profile/80112

INDIVIDUAL TICKETS in advance: $12 online (plus tiny processing fee) or from any ensemble member.

TICKETS: $15 at the door
Although there are no refunds, you may exchange tickets for another performance. Simply bring your unused tickets to the ticket table at St James on the day of the performance you wish to attend.

Scroll down to read more about The Romantic Muse and the rest of our 2012 season.

THE ROMANTIC MUSE: TICKETS on SALE now!

2012-02-01T03:52:00.000-08:00

The Romantic Muse
Wed, March 7, 2012 at 7:30 pm
St James Episcopal Cathedral—Chicago

Brahms—Liebeslieder Waltzes, op. 52
CBA Chorus—Rebecca Patterson, conductor
Janet Eckhardt & Jennifer Zlotow duo-pianists

Schumann—Piano Concerto
Neil Posner piano soloist

Schubert—Unfinished Symphony

TICKETS online: brownpapertickets.com/profile/80112

INDIVIDUAL TICKETS in advance: $12 online (plus tiny processing fee) or from any ensemble member.

TICKETS: $15 at the door
Although there are no refunds, you may exchange tickets for another performance. Simply bring your unused tickets to the ticket table at St James on the day of the performance you wish to attend.

Scroll down to read about all the concerts in the rest of our 2012 season.

2011-12-28T03:35:00.000-08:00

CHAMBER CONCERT:
A FLAIR for OPERA
Sara Su Jones, Tatyana Stepanova, Dennis Moore

Sun, January 15, 2012 at 3:00 pm
St James Episcopal Cathedral—Wabash at Huron, Chicago

A companion concert to our all-opera program in May, the CBASO’s concertmaster, Sara Su Jones, with pianist Tatyana Stepanova, presents a wide-ranging program of rarely-heard virtuoso opera fantasies and transcriptions on themes from Der Rosenkavalier, Porgy and Bess, Carmen, La Traviata, Die Meistersinger, and more. 98.7WFMT program host Dennis Moore provides commentary.

Tickets $12 adults via our online portal, CBASO&Chorus tickets, or $15 at the door.

CHAMBER CONCERT: A FLAIR for OPERA January 15th

2011-12-18T04:20:00.000-08:00

Sun, January 15, 2012 at 3:00 pm
St James Episcopal Cathedral—Wabash at Huron, Chicago

CHAMBER CONCERT: A FLAIR for OPERA
Sara Su Jones, Tatyana Stepanova, Dennis Moore

A companion concert to our all-opera program in May, the CBASO’s concertmaster, Sara Su Jones, with pianist Tatyana Stepanova, presents a wide-ranging program of rarely-heard virtuoso opera fantasies and transcriptions of themes from Der Rosenkavalier, Porgy and Bess, Carmen, La Traviata, and Die Meistersinger. 98.7WFMT program host Dennis Moore provides commentary.

Tickets $12 adults via our online portal, CBASO&Chorus tickets, or $15 at the door.

PROGRAM:

Alard—Fantasy on Verdi’s “La Traviata”

Rimsky-Korsakov:—Aria of the Shemakhan Tsaritsa from “The Golden Cockerel”

Prokofiev—March from “Love for Three Oranges”

Rimsky-Korsakov—Song of the Indian Guest from “Sadko”

Paganini—Variations on a Theme from Rossini’s “Moses in Egypt”

Wagner/Wilhelmj—Paraphrase of Walther’s Preislied (Prize Song) from “Die Meistersinger”

Gershwin/Heifetz—Summertime, It Ain’t Necessarily So, Tempo di Blues

Strauss/Prihoda—Sequence of Waltzes from “Der Rosenkavalier”

Bizet/Hubay—Fantasie Brillante on “Carmen”

OPERA SOLOISTS to be chosen through The American Prize national competitions in the performing arts

2011-11-30T07:16:00.000-08:00

Vocal soloists for the CBASO & Chorus's May opera concert will be chosen this year as a part of The American Prize national competitions in the performing arts, which David Katz serves as Chief Judge.

This additional opportunity for professional and college/university vocalists in the opera division of The American Prize competitions in 2012 is examined on the competition blog.

The postmark deadline for applications is Monday, January 23, 2012.

CHEERS for GERSHWIN, THOMPSON and TCHAIKOVSKY

2011-11-21T03:08:00.000-08:00

David Katz, center, founding music director of the Chicago Bar Association Symphony Orchestra, stands with Jennifer Zlotow, right, the stunning piano soloist in Gershwin's Concerto in F, and CBASO concertmaster, Sara Su Jones, following Towers of Light, the opening concert of the CBA Symphony and Chorus's season, last week at St James Episcopal Cathedral in Chicago.

A large audience greeted the program, which also included selections from Randall Thompson's Frostiana (featuring the CBA Chorus), and Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings, with cheers and an instant standing ovation. The program also included the Chicago premiere of Wendel's Towers of Light—Elegy for Orchestra.

Next up at St James Cathedral: A FLAIR for OPERA, a chamber concert featuring violinist Sara Su Jones, pianist Tatyana Stepanova and narrator Dennis Moore, Sunday, January 15, 2012 at 3pm. Click here for tickets online.

SEASON OPENS NOVEMBER 16th!

2011-10-27T02:33:00.000-07:00

Towers of Light—an (almost) all-American concert
Wed, Nov 16, 2011 at 7:30 pm
St James Episcopal Cathedral—Chicago

Wendel—Towers of Light (Elegy for Orchestra) Chicago Premiere
Thompson—Three Choruses from "Frostiana" with the CBA Chorus
Tchaikovsky—Serenade for Strings, op. 48
Gershwin—Concerto in F with pianist Jennifer Zlotow

TICKETS online: brownpapertickets.com/profile/80112

SEASON PASS online (best savings): 1 concert free plus reserved seating
INDIVIDUAL TICKETS in advance: $12 online (plus tiny processing fee) or from any ensemble member
TICKETS: $15 at the door
Although there are no refunds, you may exchange tickets for another performance. Simply bring your unused tickets to the ticket table at St James on the day of the performance you wish to attend.

Scroll down to read about all the concerts in our 2011-2012 season.

TICKETS to our 2011-2012 SEASON on sale NOW!

2011-09-07T03:55:00.000-07:00

TICKETS online: brownpapertickets.com/profile/80112

SEASON PASS online (best savings): 1 concert free plus reserved seating
INDIVIDUAL TICKETS in advance: $12 online (plus tiny processing fee) or from any ensemble member
TICKETS: $15 at the door
Although there are no refunds, you may exchange tickets for another performance. Simply bring your unused tickets to the ticket table at St James on the day of the performance you wish to attend.

Scroll down to read about all the concerts in our 2011-2012 season.

OUR NEW SEASON!

2011-09-07T03:52:00.000-07:00

Chicago Bar Association Symphony Orchestra and CBA Chorus
2011-2012 SEASON
David Katz, music director
Rebecca Patterson, chorus director

Direct from a triumphant debut this past June at Orchestra Hall/Symphony Center (above), the midwest’s remarkable orchestra and chorus of lawyers and judges returns to St James Episcopal Cathedral (Wabash at Huron) with a season of concerts designed to delight every music lover.

***

Wednesday, November 16, 2011 at 7:30 pm

TOWERS of LIGHT: An (almost) All-American Concert

CBA Symphony and CBA Chorus
David Katz, music director / Rebecca Patterson, chorus director
Jennifer Zlotow, piano soloist

Jennifer Zlotow

David Katz

Wendel—Towers of Light (Chicago premiere)
Thompson—Three Choruses from Frostiana
Tchaikovsky—Serenade for Strings

Gershwin—Concerto in F

Sunday, January 15, 2012 at 3 pm

A FLAIR for OPERA: Chamber Concert

Sara Su Jones, violin
Tatyana Stepanova, piano
Dennis Moore, narrator

Sara Su Jones

A special companion concert to the CBASO & Chorus’s all-opera program coming in May, the orchestra’s concertmaster, violinist Sara Su Jones, with pianist Tatyana Stepanova, presents a wide-ranging program of rarely-heard virtuoso opera fantasies and transcriptions on themes from Carmen, Der Rosenkavalier, Porgy and Bess, La Traviata, and Die Meistersinger, and more. 98.7WFMT program host Dennis Moore will provide commentary on each piece.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012 at 7:30 pm

THE ROMANTIC MUSE

CBA Symphony and CBA Chorus
David Katz and Rebecca Patterson, conductors
Neil Posner, concerto soloist
Janet Eckhardt and Jennifer Zlotow duo-pianists

Neil Posner

Brahms—Liebeslieder Waltzes, op. 52
Schumann—Piano Concerto

Schubert—Unfinished Symphony

Sun, April 29, 2012—3 pm

CHAMBER CONCERT: Schubert & More

Alexandra Newman

Fair Use Quintet

Fair Use Wind Quintet & Clark Remington

Wednesday,, May 16, 2012 at 7:30 pm

A Night of OPERA FAVORITES

CBA Symphony and CBA Chorus
David Katz, conductor, Rebecca Patterson, chorus director
welcoming winners of
The American Prize in Vocal Performance—Chicago Opera Awards

Rebecca Patterson

A fabulous evening for the opera lover, featuring arias, ensembles, choruses and orchestral selections from Madama Butterfly, Carmen, Die Fledermaus, Prince Igor, Cavalleria Rusticana, The Tender Land, and much more.

***

TICKETS online: brownpapertickets.com/profile/80112
SEASON PASS online (best savings): 1 concert free plus reserved seating
INDIVIDUAL TICKETS in advance: $12 online (plus tiny processing fee) or from any ensemble member
TICKETS: $15 at the door
Although there are no refunds, you may exchange tickets for another performance. Simply bring your unused tickets to the ticket table at St James on the day of the performance you wish to attend.

CBS-TV features the Chicago Bar Association Symphony & Chorus

2011-05-28T10:12:00.000-07:00

Click the colorful link below to see a special preview about CARMINA, featured on CBS TV Chicago's "Someone You Should Know" series.

The CBASO & Chorus: every musician Someone You Should Know

CARMINA BURANA to sell out?

2011-05-28T04:09:00.000-07:00

CARMINA BURANA at Wentz Hall, North Central College, Naperville, May 7, 2011

An additional block of economy-priced tickets just released.

More than 1600 tickets have already been sold to the Chicago Bar Association Symphony and Chorus (and friends) upcoming performance of Carl Orff's CARMINA BURANA at Orchestra Hall / Symphony Center Sunday, June 5th at 7:30 pm.

An additional block of economy-priced tickets is now available for immediate purchase.
Visit Carmina Tickets Online
or call or visit the CSO box office 312 294-3000.

These are $15 tickets in the upper balcony or the gallery—still great seats to a great event!
(The main floor and first balcony are already sold out!)

Join the CBASO & CBA Chorus, Naperville Chorus, Young Naperville Singers,
soloists Patrice Michaels, Ian McEuen, Jacob Lassetter

—more than 300 musicians in all—

all under the enthusiastic baton of CBASO founding music director David Katz,
in Orff's mesmerizing musical depiction of life, love and the power of fate.

The verdict will be unanimous: SPECTACULAR!

Truly SPECTACULAR! HUGE CROWD in NAPERVILLE CHEERS "CARMINA BURNA"

2011-05-09T16:30:00.000-07:00

A capacity crowd in Wentz Concert Hall on the campus of North Central College in Naperville leapt to its feet Saturday night, May 7th, cheering Carl Orff's CARMINA BURANA, as performed by an ensemble of more than 300 musicians, including the Chicago Bar Association Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, the Naperville Chorus, the Young Naperville Singers, and soloists Patrice Michaels, Ian McEuen and Jacob Lassetter. The performance was under the enthusiastic baton of Maestro David Katz, the CBASO's founding music director.

Saturday's outing was a warm-up to the main event, a repeat performance at Orchestra Hall/Symphony Center on Michigan Avenue in Chicago, Sunday, June 5th at 7:30, celebrating the 25th birthday of Chicagoland's unique orchestral ensemble of attorneys, judges and law students.

Although plenty of tickets still remain, more than 1000 have already been sold—so if you have special desires when it comes to seating, now is the time to purchase your tickets by clicking on this link to Chicago Symphony online ticketing.

For more about the CBASO, please check out some earlier posts, below.

2011-04-21T12:25:00.000-07:00

TICKETS on SALE NOW!

2011-04-21T12:24:00.000-07:00

Join the Chicago Bar Association Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, Chicagoland’s unique all-lawyer ensemble, and founding music director David Katz, for Carl Orff’s scintillating choral masterwork, Carmina Burana. More than 300 musicians, including The Naperville Chorus and Young Naperville Singers, celebrate the CBASO’s 25th anniversary in this mesmerizing musical depiction of life, love and the power of fate. The verdict will be unanimous: spectacular!

Visit the Chicago Symphony website for tickets!

The CBA SYMPHONY remembers EVELYN MEINE

2011-04-15T13:17:00.000-07:00

The Chicago Bar Association Symphony Orchestra and music director David Katz note with smiles through tears the passing of Evelyn Meine (1926—February 24, 2011), long-time Coordinator of Education and Outreach for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Evelyn was key in the creation of the CBASO.

In the spring of 1986 it was Evelyn Meine, at the suggestion of Margaret Hillis, David's boss at the Elgin Symphony, who first got the young conductor together with a handful of Chicago lawyers looking to start an orchestra. On June 5, 2012, the 170-member CBASO & Chorus (and guest choirs—300 musicians in all) will celebrate the orchestra's 25th birthday at Symphony Center with Carl Orff's mesmerizing "scenic cantata," Carmina Burana.

David Katz writes: "Talk about a Citizen Musician Initiative! Evelyn somehow knew that I might have the right combination of personality and musical skill to guide and grow an ensemble of attorneys and judges. I am delighted that our silver anniversary concert will be held in the building where she herself championed music for so many years."

PHOTO CAPTION: Auditioning an Orchestra, March 25, 1987: Evelyn Meine, center, Coordinator of Community Education and Outreach for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, was key in the creation of the Chicago Bar Association Symphony Orchestra. Surrounding her at the orchestra's very first performance, a private preview concert for CBA leadership, is, from left, violist Leonard Foster (with his back to the camera), music director David Katz, Meine, CBA President Jack Jiganti, cellist Liz Cameron (partially obscured), and CBA Executive Director, Terry Murphy.

For information on purchasing tickets to the 25th Anniversary Concert, please see earlier posts.

SOLOISTS for CARMINA BURANA announced!

2011-03-03T10:36:00.000-08:00

The Chicago Bar Association Symphony Orchestra and Chorus is proud to announce the three exceptional vocal soloists for our upcoming performances of Carl Orff's CARMINA BURANA. (Ticket information may be found below this post.)

Patrice Michaels, soprano

“Like the Romantic ideal of art, Patrice Michaels’ voice is both natural and passionate” says Classical CD Digest. “A formidable interpretative talent” (The New Yorker), Ms. Michaels receives raves for her “poise, musicianship and impressive fioratura” (Los Angeles Times), “a voice that is light, rich and flexible” (Opera News).

Concert engagements include appearances with the Shanghai, Czech National, St. Louis, Omaha, Atlanta, Phoenix, Milwaukee, and Minnesota Orchestras, the Maryland Handel Festival, Dallas Bach Society and Charlotte, Kansas City and Virginia Symphonies, as well as New York’s Concert Royal and Chicago’s Music of the Baroque. Ms. Michaels has sung the Great Mass in C Minor with Skrowaczewski, Christmas Oratorio with Shaw, Mahler 4 with Zdenek Macal, Mozart Arias with Andrew Parrott and Nicolas McGegan, Carmina Burana with Joanne Falletta and Beethoven 9 with Andreas Delfs and Victor Yampolsky.

Ms. Michaels includes in her operatic credits the Hal Prince production of Candide at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. She made her debut with the Cleveland Opera as Marzelline in Fidelio and has sung with Central City Opera, Tacoma Opera, The Banff Centre, Canada and Chicago Opera Theater. Her recording as Monica in Menotti’s The Medium (Cedille Records) continues to receive international critical acclaim.

Recital appearances for Ms. Michaels include three consecutive seasons at the Festival of Contemporary Music in Havana, Cuba and tours of Mexico, Japan, Venezuela, Barbados and Belize. She performs frequently in the United States and Canada, has sung with pianist John Browning for Music at the Supreme Court, as guest artist with the Chicago Chamber Musicians, for the Schubert Club of St. Paul and for many academic institutions, including her alma mater Pomona College, Northwestern University and Harvard. www.patricemichaels.com

Ian McEuen, tenor

Ian McEuen most recently appeared as the Marquis in Corigliano’s Ghosts of Versailles with the Aspen Opera Theatre Center. Last summer, he graduated with honors from Carnegie Mellon University, where he performed the roles of Nanki-Poo in the Mikado, the Chevalier de la Force in Dialogues of the Carmelites, Sam Kaplan in Street Scene, and Amore in L’incoronazione di Poppea. His previous oratorio experience includes Uriel in Haydn’s Creation and the Tenor Soloist in Handel’s Messiah, both with the Carnegie Mellon choirs. An avid recitalist and proponent of 20th and 21st century music, Ian recently performed Britten’s Seven Sonnets of Michelangelo and the world premiere of Kate Pukinskis’s A Game of Glass. He has also performed multiple times in Pittsburgh Opera’s Brown Bag Concert Series with pianist James Lesniak. Ian is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including most recently the third place and Seagle Colony awards in the Charles A. Lynam Vocal Competition, a Shirley Rabb Winston Scholarship, and Second Place in the Sue Goetz Ross Memorial Competition. He is currently working towards his masters in voice at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music, where he will be performing as Romboïdal in Offenbach's L'ile de Tulipatan.

Jacob Lassetter, baritone

A native of San Antonio, Texas, baritone Jacob Lassetter is achieving triumphant success with his dignified characterizations, unique range of high notes, and richness of tone quality.

In 2010, Jacob Lassetter returned to his signature role Germont in La Traviata at the Music by the Lake summer festival, which he first sang in his Italian debut at the Teatro Accademico in Castelfranco Veneto. This summer also marked Mr. Lassetter’s debut in the title role in Le Nozze di Figaro with the Peninsula Music Festival. Critical acclaim followed his recent performances as a featured soloist with the Lexington Philharmonic in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 and Orff’s Carmina Burana.

Mr. Lassetter’s operatic repertoire includes the tile of role of Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor, Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte, and Griswold in The Voyage of Edgar Allan Poe. He performed the title character of Delling in Eric Chasalow’s new opera The Puzzle Master in the Midwestern Premiere. Jacob Lassetter has participated in the Young Artists Programs of Chautauqua Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, and Utah Festival Opera. Equally adept on the concert stage, Jacob Lassetter has been the featured soloist for numerous symphony organizations, performing Händel’s Messiah, Monteverdi’s Vespro della Beata Vergine and Bach’s St. John Passion, St. Matthew Passion, Christmas and Easter Oratorios, and Missa Brevis in F. In 2008, he made his debut at New York City’s Carnegie Hall performing with his wife, soprano Karen Kanakis.

Mr. Lassetter holds a Bachelor of Music degree, magna cum laude, from Louisiana State University, a Master of Music degree from the University of North Texas, and the Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

about THE CHICAGO BAR ASSOCIATION SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA and CHORUS

2011-02-12T13:53:00.000-08:00

The Chicago Bar Association Symphony Orchestra is Chicagoland’s unique orchestra of attorneys, judges and law students.

Founded in 1986 by two lawyer-cellists who shared a stand at a Do-It-Yourself Messiah performance conducted by Margaret Hillis, it was she (via the Chicago Symphony's Evelyn Meine) who recommended David Katz, her Elgin Symphony associate conductor, to be the group’s music director. Growing from just a handful of musicians at its first rehearsal, many of whom still play with the ensemble, the group now regularly fields an orchestra of 75 musicians or more, virtually all affiliated with Chicago’s legal community.

Among notable performances in the orchestra’s long history are the first performances anywhere of Gilbert & Sullivan’s courthouse operetta, Trial By Jury, in which the entire cast—soloists, chorus and orchestra—was made up entirely of legal professionals, performing in a working courtroom. The CBASO has collaborated with such notable soloists as Grammy Award winners William Warfield (Copland’s Lincoln Portrait) Robert Black (Glazunov’s Saxophone Concerto), Chicago Symphony principal tubist, Gene Pokorny, and former Lyric Opera concertmaster Henry Criz.

The ensemble has performed for many public events of the Chicago Bar Association, its prime sponsor, including annual Law Day observances on Daley Plaza, the culminating event commemorating the 200th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth, and the recent celebration dinner for retiring Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. To mark its 20th anniversary in 2005, the CBASO presented Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 at Navy Pier on the final evening of the convention of World Bar Associations. The choral ensemble formed for that performance became the CBA Chorus, now celebrating its fifth anniversary. Under the direction Rebecca Patterson, the Chorus has performed many times with the CBASO in repertoire ranging from Mendelssohn’s Elijah and Haydn’s Creation to the Faure Requiem and Poulenc Gloria.

The CBASO & Chorus join together next season for an evening of opera choruses. Additional repertoire for the 2011-12 season includes Respighi’s Pines of Rome, Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony, Gershwin’s Concerto in F and the Schumann Piano Concerto, all presented at the CBASO’s performance home, St James Episcopal Cathedral, Wabash at Huron, Chicago.

guest artists: THE NAPERVILLE CHORUS

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The Naperville Chorus is pleased to be joining the Chicago Bar Association Symphony
Orchestra in this presentation of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana. The Naperville Chorus has a long history of collaborative orchestral and choral performances including such classics as Beethoven’s 9th Symphony and Borodin’s Polovetsian Dances. Most recently the Naperville Chorus, along with the Dupage Symphony Orchestra, performed Alexander Nevsky by Sergei Prokofiev.

Since its founding in 1976, the Naperville Chorus has seen growth both musically and in size and now boasts a membership of more than 125. It presents two concerts a year in the wonderful acoustic space of Wentz Concert Hall on the campus of North Central College. In the last 35 years, the chorus has presented major choral works, with orchestral accompaniment, to the Naperville and surrounding community. It has also sung new works by local composers, including Ann McKinley's Psalm 46, which was written to honor Commander Dan Shanower, a former Naperville resident, who was killed in the attack on the Pentagon on September 11, 2001.

Preceding the present chorus, was a choral ensemble created in the 1960s by Dr. Paul Warren Allen of the North Central College Music Department. That original chorus introduced the format we continue to use today, which melds the vocal talents of students, college personnel, and community members into a strong organization. In 1976, a chorus was created to celebrate the bicentennial in Naperville and the present chorus is an outgrowth of that group. The chorus has had two directors in its 35-year history. It was founded and directed by Robert O. Jaynes for its first 15 years until his retirement. Professor Jeordano Martínez of North Central College took over the baton and the role of music director, with Jon Warfel as assistant director. The Naperville Chorus Chamber Singers, directed by Ross Berkley, has presented programs in more intimate settings and for local community organizations. If you would like to know more about the Naperville Chorus and its programs, please visit our website at www.NapervilleChorus.org.

about CBASO music director DAVID KATZ

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David Katz is one of the most versatile performing artists currently working in the Chicago area. Award-winning composer, guest conductor of more than sixty orchestras and opera companies in the United States, Canada and Mexico, David is now celebrating his 25th season as the founding music director of The Chicago Bar Association Symphony Orchestra. During his long tenure, Chicagoland’s unique all-lawyer ensemble has performed more than one hundred times, in repertoire ranging from Gilbert and Sullivan’s Trial By Jury to Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9.

David' guest appearances include concerts with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Mississippi Symphony and Corpus Christi Symphony. Former associate conductor of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra under music director Margaret Hillis, and for twelve years music director of the Adrian Symphony Orchestra and co-founder of Opera!Lenawee in Michigan, Katz is currently artistic director of Hat City Music Theater and the Candlewood Symphony in Connecticut, and serves The American Prize, the national performing arts competitions, as Chief Judge. Also a professional playwright, actor and arts advocate, Katz tours internationally in his acclaimed one-man play, MUSE of FIRE, about the secrets of conducting, which he presented at Theater Building Chicago in 2008.

David Katz holds baccalaureate and master’s degrees in composition and conducting from the Hartt School of Music of the University of Hartford. He was a student of the great Lithuanian maestro, Vytautas Marijosius, and was the first in the school’s history to be awarded an Artist’s Diploma in Conducting. Katz also studied for five years under Maestro Charles Bruck at the Pierre Monteux School for Conductors in Maine, and later founded Opera Maine, the Monteux Opera Festival, and the Chamber Orchestra of Maine. He has partnered such artists as Itzhak Perlman and Misha Dichter in concert and has worked with some of the greatest composers of the age, including William Schuman, Hans Werner Henze, Milton Babbitt and Elliott Carter. Katz’s own compositions are published by Carl Fischer and G. Schirmer, among others.

about REBECCA PATTERSON, CBASO chorus director

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Choral director Rebecca Patterson brings thirty years of professional experience to her work with the Chicago Bar Association Chorus. In 2006 she led the Chorus in rehearsals for its performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 at Navy Pier. Since then, she has prepared the chorus for performances of Fauré's Requiem, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Haydn’s Creation and Poulenc’s Gloria. Shortly after the Chorus’s formation, Rebecca led the group in the National Anthem at a Chicago White Sox game. Before conducting at baseball games, Rebecca served as music director for various churches in the Chicago area. As a soprano soloist, she has appeared with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Music of the Baroque, and regional orchestras, and in operatic performances she has portrayed a wide variety of characters. Rebecca is a popular voice teacher and works with classical and musical theatre singers.

guest artists: YOUNG NAPERVILLE SINGERS

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As Young Naperville Singers enters its 27th season of song, the choir celebrates over two decades of excellence in choral music education. Young Naperville Singers was founded in 1984 by the late Helen Grubbs as an activity dedicated to promoting choral artistry among boys and girls. The mission of Young Naperville Singers is to provide a choral experience for every child who demonstrates basic music ability and a strong desire to sing. The pursuit of excellence through singing develops critical thinking skills, self-growth and a heightened level of self-esteem, all essential attributes in today’s world.

Young Naperville Singers consists of five ability based choirs, with members ranging in age from six to seventeen years old. Our satellite choir in Oswego, Young Fox Valley Singers, under the direction of Jennifer Helwig, expanded to two ability based choirs this season.

It is the belief of the staff, parents and Board of Directors of Young Naperville Singers that through singing the heart is touched, the mind is stimulated and the spirit is set free. That vision has enabled the choristers to experience a variety of musical opportunities such as performing with the American Boychoir; participation in the Des Moines International Children’s Choir Festival and other Midwestern festivals; performance collaborations with professional guest artists such as Judy Collins and Natalie MacMaster; being featured singers in corporate presentations; performances with opera companies; tours of the Western United States and Washington, DC; and the premieres of commissioned works by Mary Goetze, Lee R. Kesselman, Malcolm Dalglish, James Mulholland, Betty Bertaux, Rollo Dilworth, David Brunner, Daniel Brubaker and Stephen Paulus, renowned composers of children’s choral literature.

In past seasons, the Young Naperville Singers were invited to sing at the Rotary International Centennial Convention at McCormick Place and also traveled to Niagara Falls, Canada, where they participated in the Niagara International Music Festival. Highlights for past seasons have included performing for the American Choral Director’s Association Convention, singing at Carnegie Hall in New York and participation in the Sing A Mile High Children’s Choral Festival in Denver, CO.

In July 2009, to cap off our 25th anniversary celebration, members of the Concert and Chamber Singers participated, by invitation, in the Pacific Rim Children’s Chorus Festival in Hawaii. Next July 2011, 42 singers will represent the Young Naperville Singers at the Coastal Sound International Choral Festival in Vancouver, BC Canada.

An important priority for Young Naperville Singers is involvement with the Naperville community at large and the Naperville arts community in particular. The choir has sung at various venues ranging from the Martin Avenue Apartments, North Central College, Naper Settlement, to the Rotary Sunrise Mardi Gras Benefit Gala. The choir has performed with the Naperville Chorus, the Naperville Men’s Glee Club, the Naperville Municipal Band, the Women’s Chorale of North Central College and the DuPage Opera. As an out-reach program, Young Naperville Singers hosted its 9th Annual Boys Power Sing for community and local school boys in September with Ryan Rimington and Jay Kellner as guest clinicians. The workshop was developed to motivate and rally young male singers. Membership in Young Naperville Singers and Young Fox Valley Singers is by audition and is open to all children regardless of race, gender or physical ability.