Music Director Riccardo Muti Returns to Chicago Symphony Orchestra Tonight

The CSO's Music Director Riccardo Muti returns to Chicago for a week of subscription concerts, this weekend, December 3-5, leading a varied program of music by Beethoven, Prokofiev and Scriabin with the Chicago Symphony Chorus and pianist Kirill Gerstein as soloist as the CSO continues its 125th anniversary season.

Opening and closing the program are two contrasting symphonies in the classical form: Prokofiev's Symphony No. 1(Classical) and Beethoven's Symphony No. 8. Pianist Kirill Gerstein is the soloist in Scriabin's Prometheus, The Poem of Fire, which also features the Chicago Symphony Chorus, marking the culmination of Muti's exploration of the Russian composer's symphonic works. The CSO gave the U.S. premiere of Prometheus in 1915, conducted by then-music director Frederick Stock. Beethoven's Coriolan Overture rounds out the program.

Muti will sign copies of his September 2015 recording release with the CSO-Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique and Lélio-immediately following the concert on Friday, December 4.

The Saturday, December 5, performance marks Muti's 250th with the CSO. He made his debut with the Orchestra at Ravinia Festival in 1973 and first conducted the CSO at Orchestra Hall in 1975. Since then, he has led the Orchestra in extraordinary performances here in Chicago, as well as in many of the world's greatest concert halls throughout the U.S., Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Poland, Russia, Spain, Switzerland and the UK.

Bank of America is the global sponsor of the CSO. The CSO gratefully acknowledges and celebrates the following Grand Patrons who have made the CSO's 125th anniversary season possible: Rosemarie and Dean L. Buntrock, Daniel Fischel and Sylvia Neil, Judson and Joyce Green, Kenneth C. Griffin, Verne and Judy Istock, Cathy and Bill Osborn, and Helen and Sam Zell.

The December 3-5 performances are made possible by a generous gift from Margot and Josef Lakonishok.

Tickets for all CSOA-presented concerts can be purchased by phone at 800-223-7114 or 312-294-3000; online at cso.org, or at the Symphony Center box office: 220 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60604.

Discounted student tickets for select concerts can be purchased, subject to availability, online in advance or at the box office on the day of the concert. For group rates, please call 312-294-3040.

Artists, programs, and prices are subject to change.