Highlights of the 2011 Season included a visit by famed Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki, a rare stateside performance of Franz Schmidt's The Book With Seven Seals, and the return of violinist Jennifer Koh.
Opening Night: Symphonie Fantastique
Featuring
Grant Park Orchestra
Carlos Kalmar, Conductor
Jean-Philippe Collard, Piano
Program
Maurice Ravel: Piano Concerto in G major
Hector Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique
Mendelssohn and Peace on Earth
Featuring
Grant Park Orchestra And Chorus
Carlos Kalmar, Conductor
Christopher Bell, Chorus Director
Tamara Wilson, Soprano
Maire O’Brien, Soprano
Brendan Tuohy, Tenor
Program
Arnold Schoenberg: Friede auf Erden
Felix Mendelssohn: Lobgesang
Regina Carter & the Reverse Thread Project
Featuring
Grant Park Orchestra
Carlos Kalmar, Conductor
Regina Carter, Violin
Yacouba Sissoko, Kora
Will Holshouser, Accordion
Chris Lightcap, Bass
Alvester Garnett, Drums
Program
Billy Childs: Violin Concerto
Duke Ellington: The River
Regina Carter: Reverse Thread (without orchestra)
Latin Works for Orchestra
Featuring
Grant Park Orchestra
Carlos Kalmar, Conductor
Program
Elbio Barilari: Canyengue
Inocente Carreño: Margaritena
Heitor Villa-Lobos: Uirapuru
Carlos Chavez: Suite de Caballos de Vapor (Horse Power Suite)
Alberto Ginastera: Glosses sobre temes de Pau Casals, Op.48
American Choral Works
Featuring
Grant Park Chorus
Christopher Bell, Conductor
Program
Abbie Betinis: Toward Sunshine, Toward Freedom: Songs of Smaller Creatures
Lee Kesselman: Buzzings: Three pieces for Mixed Chorus
Eric Whitacre: When David Heard
Stacey Garrop: Sonnets of Desire, Longing, and Whimsy
Gian Carlo Menotti: Regina Caeli
David Del Tredici: Acrostic Song from Final Alice
Ned Rorem: Seven Motets for the Church Year
Paul Crabtree: Five Romantic Miniatures from The Simpsons: Abe, Lisa, Homer, Marge & Homer
Eric Whitacre: Sleep
Mahler: Song of the Earth
Featuring
Grant Park Orchestra
Carlos Kalmar, Conductor
Alexandra Petersamer, Mezzo-Soprano
Christian Elsner, Tenor
Program
Witold Lutosławski: Musique Funebre
Guestav Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde (Song of the Earth)
Independence Celebration
Featuring
Grant Park Orchestra
Christopher Bell, Conductor
Artists From Remy Bumppo Theatre
Program
Francis Scott Key/John Stafford Smith: Star Spangled Banner
Aaron Copland: Fanfare for the Common Man
E.E. Bagley: National Emblem March
Aaron Copland: Hoe-down from Rodeo
John Philip Sousa: Belle of Chicago
Arr. Bob Lowden: Armed Forces Salute
Jacques Offenbach: Can Can from Orpheus in the Underworld
Robert Wendel: St. Bailey’s Rag
George M. Cohan: Star Spangled Spectacular
Samuel A. Ward/arr. Carmen Dragon: America the Beautiful
Pyotr Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture
John Philip Sousa: The Stars and Stripes Forever
American & Russian Landscapes
Featuring
Grant Park Orchestra
Andrew Grams, Guest Conductor
Program
Alexander Borodin: Prince Igor: Overture
Aaron Copland: The Tender Land: Suite
Pyotr Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 2, Little Russian
Spanish Guitar and Alondra De La Parra
Featuring
Grant Park Orchestra
Alondra De La Parra, Guest Conductor
David Russell, Guitar
Program
Arturo Márquez: Leyenda de Miliano
Joaquín Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez
Antonín Dvořák: Symphony No. 7
Broadway Rocks!
Featuring
Grant Park Orchestra
Randall Craig Fleischer, Guest Conductor
Christianne Noll, Vocalist
Capathia Jenkins, Vocalist
Rob Evan, Vocalist
Doug LaBrecque, Vocalist
Chicago Gay Men's Chorus
Program
Broadway blockbusters from some of the most electrifying shows ever to hit the Great White Way: Hairspray, Rent, Mamma Mia, Tommy, Phantom of the Opera and more!
Penderecki Conducts Penderecki
Featuring
Grant Park Orchestra
Krzysztof Penderecki, Guest Conductor
Julie Albers, Cello
Kira Kraftzoff, Cello
Amit Peled, Cello
Program
Krzysztof Penderecki: Concerto Grosso No. 1 for Three Cellos and Orchestra
Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 3, Eroica
Kwamé Ryan: Furioso & Le Tombeau de Couperin
Featuring
Grant Park Orchestra
Kwamé Ryan, Guest Conductor
Program
Rolf Liebermann: Furioso
Maurice Ravel: Le Tombeau de Couperin
Robert Schumann: Symphony No. 2, Op.61
Choral Masterpieces: Bernstein and Fauré
Featuring
Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus
Christopher Bell, Conductor
Ryan Belongie, Counter Tenor
Lindsay Metzger, Soprano
Keven Keys, Baritone
Program
Leonard Bernstein: Chichester Psalms
J.S. Bach: Cantata No. 170 (Vergnügte Ruh, beliebte Seelenlust)
Gabriel Fauré: Requiem
Prokofiev Symphony No. 7
Featuring
Grant Park Orchestra
Hannu Lintu, Guest Conductor
Program
Sergei Prokofiev: Symphony No. 7
Rodion Shchedrin: Concerto for Orchestra No. 3, Old Russian Circus Music
Sibelius: Epic Finland
Featuring
Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus
Hannu Lintu, Guest Conductor
Christopher Bell, Chorus Director
Johanna Rusanen, Soprano
Ville Rusanen, Baritone
Program
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Vesna (Spring), Op. 20
Jean Sibelius: Kullervo, Op. 7
Jennifer Koh Returns
Featuring
Grant Park Orchestra
Carlos Kalmar, Conductor
Jennifer Koh, Violin
Program
Benjamin Britten: Violin Concerto
Johannes Brahms: Symphony No. 1, Op. 68
Mozart and Strauss
Featuring
Grant Park Orchestra
Carlos Kalmar, Conductor
Program
Marches, Polkas, Waltzes from Austria
The Book with Seven Seals
Featuring
Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus
Carlos Kalmar, Conductor
William Spaulding, Guest Chorus Director
Edith Lienbacher, Soprano
Christa Ratzenböck, Mezzo-Soprano
Robert Künzli, Tenor
Alexander Kaimbacher, Tenor
Albert Pesendorfer, Bass
Program
Franz Schmidt: The Book with Seven Seals
Shostakovich Symphony No. 10
Featuring
Grant Park Orchestra
Carlos Kalmar, Conductor
Program
John Adams: The Chairman Dances (from the opera Nixon in China)
Dimitri Shostakovich: Symphony No. 10, Op.93
Closing Night: Verdi Requiem
Featuring
Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus
Carlos Kalmar, Conductor
William Spaulding, Guest Chorus Director
Amber Wagner, Soprano
Michaela Martens, Mezzo-Soprano
Michael Fabiano, Tenor
Kyle Ketelsen, Bass
Program
Giuseppe Verdi: Requiem