From Renee Fleming to the Spektral Quartet
The most intriguing events in classical music this winter:
Thomas Hampson with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra: Hampson, one of the more regal and charismatic baritones of our time, will dig into Americana with music of Aaron Copland, Walter Damrosch and John Corigliano. Bramwell Tovey will be guest conductor on a program that also will include William Schuman’s orchestration of Charles Ives’ Variations on “America” and Edward Elgar’s “Enigma” Variations. 8 p.m. Jan. 10, 1:30 p.m. Jan. 11 and 8 p.m. Jan. 12; Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave.; ticket prices vary; 312-294-3000 or www.cso.org.
Newberry Consort: “What’s Old is New: The Leuven Chansonnier” will offer a rare reprise of a recently discovered collection of songs written in 15th century France. Produced in tandem with Les Delices, a Cleveland early music group, the program will spotlight soprano Ellen Hargis, tenor Jason McStoots, baritone Daniel Fridley and early-music instrumentalists. 8 p.m. Jan. 11; Newberry Library, 60 W. Walton St.; 8 p.m. Jan. 12 at University of Chicago’s Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th St.; 3 p.m. Jan. 13 at Northwestern University’s Galvin Recital Hall, 70 Arts Circle Dr., Evanston; $30-$60; 773-6697335 or www.newberryconsort.org.
Winter Chamber Music Festival: The Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University unfurls its annual celebration of chamber music, performed in one of the Chicago area’s most embracing listening rooms: PickStaiger Concert Hall. All concerts begin at 7:30 p.m., with Dover Quartet (the quartet in residence), Jan. 11; violinist James Ehnes and pianist Andrew Armstrong, Jan. 13; Gryphon Trio, Jan. 18; Catalyst Quartet, Jan. 20; Jupiter String Quartet, Jan. 25; “An Evening of Beethoven, Zyman and Taneyev,” 7:30 p.m. Jan. 27; Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, 50 Arts Circle Dr.; single tickets are $30 general, $10 students; subscriptions are $81$126 general, $27-$42 students; 847-467-4000 or www.music.northwestern.edu.
Spektral +1, Plus One: The Chicago Center for Contemporary Composition, based at the University of Chicago, goes off campus for this performance featuring the city’s Spektral Quartet in six world premieres. Each composition will feature the Spektrals collaborating with a guest musician, thereby expanding not only the expressive reach of this ensemble but, perhaps, of string-quartet writing itself. 8:30 p.m. Jan. 13; Constellation, 3111 N. Western Ave.; free; www.constellation-chicago.com or cccc.uchicago.edu.
Hewitt Plays Mozart: Angela Hewitt, an extraordinarily sensitive pianist, takes her first bow with Music of the Baroque playing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 27, in B-flat Major, K. 595. The program also will include Mozart’s Serenade No. 10 (“Gran Partita”), in B-flat Major, K. 361, with music director Jane Glover conducting. 8 p.m. Jan. 26 at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph St.; 7:30 p.m. Jan. 27 at North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie; $10-$78; 312-551-1414 or www.baroque.org.
Civic Orchestra: University of Chicago premieres: The university’s Chicago Center for Contemporary Composition collaborates with the Civic Orchestra in an evening of nine world premieres. In effect, young musicians will be interpreting work by a new generation of composers, conducted by Cliff Colnot. 8 p.m. Feb. 5; Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave.; free, with a $5 processing fee; reserve tickets at www.cso.org or 312-294-3000.
Rembrandt Chamber Musicians: The anchor of the program is Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time, a landmark of the chamber literature penned while the composer was imprisoned during World War II. The program also will include Hindemith’s Sonata for Viola and Piano, and SaintSaens’ “Caprice on Danish and Russian Airs”; Stephen Cohen is guest clarinetist. 7:30 p.m. Feb. 15 at Cliff Dwellers, 200 S. Michigan Ave., 22nd floor; 3 p.m. Feb. 17 at the Music Institute of Chicago’s Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Ave., Evanston; $10-$38; 872-395-1754 or www.rembrandtchamberplayers.org.
Riccardo Muti conducts the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus: The maestro returns with a program featuring Mozart’s Requiem and the CSO’s first performance of William Schuman’s Symphony No. 9 (“Le fosse Ardeatine”). 8 p.m. Feb. 21, 1:30 p.m. Feb. 22 and 8 p.m. Feb. 23 in Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave.; ticket prices vary; 312-294-3000 or www.cso.org.
“Ariodante”: Lyric Opera offers its first staging of Handel’s Italian opera “Ariodante,” which premiered at Covent Garden Theatre, London, in 1735. The piece stands as one of Handel’s more accessible operas, but also one the most vocally demanding. This is a new co-production with Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, Dutch National Opera and Canadian Opera Company. Select dates March 2 to 17 at Civic Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Dr.; ticket prices vary; 312-827-5600 or www.lyricopera.org.
Renee Fleming 25th Anniversary Concert and Gala: The eminent soprano celebrates a quarter-century partnership with Lyric Opera (where she also serves as creative consultant), in performance with soprano Sondra Radvanovsky, mezzo-soprano Susan Graham, tenor Lawrence Brownlee, baritone Quinn Kelsey, bass-baritones Eric Owens and Christian Van Horn and others. 7 p.m. March 23; Civic Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Dr.; $79-$339; 312827-5600 or www.lyricopera.org.