A NIGHT of OPERA FAVORITES, May 16!

Our season finale, a concert of favorite music from opera and operetta, featuring chorus, orchestra and winners of The American Prize—Chicago Opera Award, is Wednesday, May 16th:

 Tickets online: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/e/197828

Chamber Concert: April 29 at 3 pm

Tickets for both online: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/profile/80112

CHICAGO OPERA AWARD winners announced

The American Prize is pleased to announce the winners of the CHICAGO OPERA AWARD for 2012.

From a field of very strong contenders, Maestro David Katz has selected three vocalists to solo with the Chicago Bar Association Symphony Orchestra and Chorus at their spring opera/operetta favorites concert on Wednesday, May 16, 2012, at 7:30 pm at St James Epsicopal Cathedral, north of the Loop. For tickets, follow this link.

The winners are:
CHRISTINE STEYER, soprano, who will sing arias by Puccini and Lehar.
WILLIAM BENNETT, tenor, who will sing solos by Donizetti and Romberg.
ANDREW BAWDEN, bartione, who will perform arias from Don Giovanni and Le nozze di Figaro.

All three soloists will join chorus and orchestra in selections from Copland's opera, The Tender Land.

Winners of the CHICAGO OPERA AWARD were chosen separately from all other judging for The American Prize in Voice—Friedrich and Virginia Schorr Memorial Awards. The selection of Chicago Opera Award winners has no bearing on final results in the other competitions. Finalists in the opera and art song divisions of The American Prize contests will be announced later. Please "friend" the competition's Facebook page to learn exactly when those announcements will be made.

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CHRISTINE STEYER

Steyer was the 2011 winner of The American Prize in Art Song, the Mercer Award and was a Bronze Medal winner at American Traditions Competition.  She has performed with opera houses including Lyric Opera of Chicago and has received critical acclaim for Violetta, Butterfly and the Marschallin.  Recently, Christine gave recitals with Philip Morehead.  She can be heard on Caroline Myss' Voices of the Sacred.  Ms. Steyer has performed for 15,000 schoolchildren with Bellissima Opera Outreach, an organization she founded. Christinesteyer.com

WILLIAM BENNETT
For his 2011 debut with Light Opera Works in the demanding title role of the Student Prince, the Chicago Tribune’s Chris Jones praised “the gorgeously voiced young tenor William Bennett.” William Bennett has also performed solo operatic roles with Chicago Symphony Kraft Series, Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Opera in the Neighborhoods program, Chicago Opera Theater Young Artist Program, Ash Lawn Opera, Sugar Creek Symphony & Song, Cedar Rapids Opera, Elgin Opera and DuPage Opera Theater.

ANDREW BAWDEN

Originally from Springfield, Illinois, and now living in Virginia, Andrew Bawden, a doctoral student studying with Professor Kevin McMillan, is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the Urbana Center for Alexander Technique, and the Eastman School of Music. In 2007, he was the first place winner and audience favorite winner of the Rochester Classical Idol Competition. Recent credits include roles with Opera Vivente, Ash Lawn Opera Festival, Hubbard Hall Opera Theater and Tri-Cities Opera.
 

Celebrate our BBBBB Sponsors

The Chicago Bar Association Symphony Orchestra and Chorus proudly celebrate the wonderful sponsors who make this year's Barrister's Big Band Benefit Ball possible. Thousands of thanks to:

ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS, Inc.
REED SMITH LLP
LISA SNOW and FRANCO TURRINELLI 
     and DAVIS & HOSFIELD CONSULTING LLC
TODD WEINER
BAKER & MCKENZIE LLP

Join us at the Standard Club on Saturday, April 21, 2012 starting at 6 pm for an evening of swinging sound, dancing, delicious food, dance lessons and silent and live auctions, all in support of the musical activities of the Chicago Bar Association!

CLICK FOR TICKETS!

More about the Ball and upcoming concerts below!

SCHUBERT & more adds vocal chamber music

Sun, April 29, 2012—3 pm 

CHAMBER CONCERT: Schubert & More & 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 organizations, the program includes works by Nielsen, Vieuxtemps, Vaughan Williams, Roussel, and, of course, Schubert. Just added to the concert is vocal chamber music by Rimski-Korsakov, Donizetti, Simon, Morley and di Lasso. (The additions are listed first, below.) 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 as of March 24, 2012:  

Chamber Concert: SCHUBERT and MORE

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


Angel and Demon    Rimsky-Korsakov   
    Kathleen Loos & Frank Cargle, vocalists
        Janet Eckhardt, accompanist

Deep River    arr. Hogan   
   Frank Cargle, baritone
        Janet Eckhardt, accompanist

Una Furtiva Lagrima    Donizetti   
    Mike Sitrick, tenor
        Janet Eckhardt, accompanist

Lily’s Eyes    Simon   
    Mike Sitrick & Frank Cargle, vocalists
        Janet Eckhardt, accompanist

Sing We and Chant It    Morley   
Good Day Dear Heart    di Lasso
     Acapella Madrigals: Paula Jacobi, Andrea Wood, Dorothy Voight, 
     Skip Harsh, Tom Hazinski
  

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

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

Souvenir d'Amerique                    Henri Vieuxtemps 
Alexandra Newman, violin
Neil Posner, piano
 

Amicus Curiae Quintet

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. The listing above is not in program order.

The Barristers Big Band Benefit Ball is Sat, April 21st

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
Saturday, 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 Saturday, 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

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.