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MLK Tribute Concert
January 14th, 15th & 16th, 2017Dr. King was a true visionary. He understood that his work would be arduous, sometimes dangerous, and take generations to effect real change. He envisioned us walking forward, hand in hand, side by side. We pay homage to his vision with this concert by performing the works of Williams, Vivaldi, and Beethoven in true “side by side” fashion featuring young musicians from every part of our city.
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More Than a Letter
March 25th & 27th, 2017How do you define yourself? How do others define you? Self-identity is deeply personal and ever-evolving. We learn more about who we are every day and showing our truest self to the world can be all at once frightening, empowering and liberating. In More than a Letter we will reflect on self-identity and self-expression through the artistry of LGBTQ composers and musicians, celebrating difference, finding common ground and embracing the beauty of authenticity.
2016 winner MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions (MACEI)
2016 Spirit of Innovation Award WinnersChicago Innovation Awards
Chicago Sinfonietta
Through high artistic standards and a cutting-edge mix of guest artists, we've been carving our own path for over 28 years. Our artist chief, music director Mei-Ann Chen, leads us to gather diverse talent and sounds from all over the world to redefine what you expect from an orchestra. We're pushing the envelope even further now, creating completely innovative experiences that you can hear, feel and see....More Info
Buzz on the Street...
“…. Chen took the lid off the talented ensemble she’s inherited and helped the players to deliver performances on a higher level than they’ve been able to show in recent years. The Beethoven sounded as if this were an almost entirely new orchestra.”
Andrew Patner, Chicago Sun-Times
"Will Mei-Ann Chen, conductor of the Chicago Sinfonietta, be my new best friend? She is KILLING it!"
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“Chen, 38, is a musician for whom ‘dynamic’ and ‘electric’ seem altogether too limiting. Her entire body is a bundle of podium energy; her keen ear and sharp eyes miss nothing. Thanks to her clear beat and articulate gestures, orchestral musicians pick up at once on her interpretive ideas, sending them out to the listener with much the same immediacy of effect.”
John Von Rhein, Chicago Tribune
"More fun than humans are usually allowed to have on a Monday night."
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“Not a single bar sounded routine, with this crackling performance rising in intensity from the famous opening motif through the blazing final bars. “She’s a little bundle of fire,” said one elderly lady in attendance, and indeed Chen’s hyperkinetic direction is a wonder to behold.”
Lawrence Johnson, Chicagoclassicalreview
"What an epic evening! The best, most meaningful concert I have been to in my life."
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“Despite the ravages of the world outside, the hall became a place of real fellowship. ‘Surely Dr. King is smiling down on this,’ a beaming Chen said toward the concert’s end. I’d say not just King, but the people’s music champion Kodaly, the American excavator Ives and the great musical humanist Beethoven himself. Glory be.”
Andrew Patner, Chicago Sun-Times
