Chicago Philharmonic Goes on a Musical Journey from Berlin to Buenos Aires

The Chi Phil Chamber Players invite audiences to ring in the new year in a rich celebration of classical music with Berlin to Buenos Aires. On Sunday, January 21, audiences at City Winery Chicago will stay warm with delicious brunch, coffee, and drinks while the virtuosic Chamber Players present an international program featuring pieces by Mendelssohn, Piazzolla, and Kreisler.

Join the charismatic Chamber Players as they journey from Germany, with Mendelssohn's grandiose Trio in D Minor, to Brazil and Argentina via Piazzolla's ingenious fusion of jazz, tango, and classical music in Histoire du Tango (Café 1930 and Nightclub 1960). Finally, they'll take a brief side-trip to Vienna with Fritz Kreisler's charming Miniature Viennese March.

Doors open at 10:30am and food and drink will be available for purchase before and during the performance.

Berlin to Buenos Aires

Tradition, Tango and Toast

Mendelssohn and Piazzolla

Sunday, January 21 2018, 12pm

City Winery Chicago

Felix Mendelssohn Trio in D Minor for violin, cello and piano Op. 49

Astor Piazzolla Histoire du Tango - Café 1930 and Nightclub 1960

Fritz Kreisler Miniature Viennese March

Alan Snow, violin

Andrew Snow, cello

Beatriz Helguera-Snow, piano

Approximate performance time 1 hour.

Tickets $25 | Students $10 *

Berlin to Buenos Aires is the first of three concerts of the Chi Phil Chamber Players Spring 2018 Series at City Winery Chicago. Mix-Tape Romance - Vino and a Valentines Tale (Sunday, February 11) tells the story of a relationship through a variety of pop hits and traditional classics. Kings, Queens and Rebels - Cabernet and Classical Covers (Sunday, March 18) presents a collection of covers with a classical twist. See chicagophilharmonic.org/chamber-players-at-city-winery for more details.

About The Chicago Philharmonic Society

The Chicago Philharmonic Society is a collaboration of over 200 of the highest-level classical musicians performing in the Chicago metropolitan area. Governed under a groundbreaking structure of musician leadership, the Society presents concerts at venues throughout the Chicago area that cover the full spectrum of classical music, from Bach to Britten and beyond. The Society's orchestra, known simply as the Chicago Philharmonic, has been called "one of the country's finest symphonic orchestras" (Chicago Tribune), and its unique chamber music ensembles, which perform as the Chicago Philharmonic Chamber Players, draw from its vast pool of versatile musicians. The Society's outreach programs connect Chicago-area youth to classical music and provide performance opportunities for members of the community. Founded 26 years ago by principal musicians from the Lyric Opera Orchestra, the Chicago Philharmonic currently serves as the official orchestra of the Joffrey Ballet, continues its decades-long association with the Ravinia Festival, and presents symphonic concerts in Chicago's North Shore region and, since May 2016, at the Harris Theater.

About The Performers

Beatriz Helguera-Snow, piano

A native of Mexico City, she holds a Master Degree in Piano Performance from Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University and a Concert Pianist diploma from the National Conservatory of Music of Mexico where she graduated with highest honors. In Mexico, Ms. Helguera has played as a soloist with the Orquesta Sinfónica des Estado de México, the Orquesta de Cámara de Bellas Artes, and others, and participated in master classes with pianists Jorg Demus, Paul Badura-Skoda, Jorge Bolet, Angélica Morales, and more. She has played in all major recital halls of Mexico City, including live broadcasts for radio and TV. Beatriz was awarded a grant by National Foundation for the Arts and Culture in Mexico to record a CD "Voices of Mexico Past and Present", Chamber Music of Mexico in the XX and XXI Centuries, released in 2015. The CD was presented in a concert tour in several cities in Mexico, and also presented in Chicago for the Latin Music Festival and in New York City for the Pan American Musical Art Research. She has taught as part of the faculty of Betty Haag Suzuki Academy, DePaul University Music Community Division, and her private piano studio, and has coached chamber music for Midwest Young Artists and other music organizations.

Andrew Snow, cello

Born in Chicago, Andrew Snow is a Co-founder of Chicago Panamerican Ensemble, member of Chicago Philharmonic, Chicago Sinfonietta, Lake Forest Symphony, and the chamber group Chicago Ensemble. He was the cellist of the Lyra Quartet for 10 years and also principal cello of Chicago Symphonic Pops, with whom he toured the Far East. Mr. Snow has performed throughout Europe including at the Gewandhaus, Frankfurt Opera House, and Zürich Tonhalle. He has played with the Milwaukee Symphony, Ravinia Festival, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Dallas Lyric Opera, Kenosha Symphony (principal cellist), Chicago String Ensemble, Fulcrum Point, American Ballet Theatre, and many more. He is a graduate (BM) of Northern Illinois University and Southern Methodist University, where he earned his Masters in Cello Performance. With his wife, Beatriz Helguera, Andrew has performed extensively in Mexico. He recorded the cello works by Mexican composers for the Chicago Panamerican Ensemble CD "Voices of Mexico Past and Present". He is a prestigious cello instructor and judge for young cellist competitions and coach for chamber music festivals and youth orchestras.

Alan Snow, violin

Since his performance as a soloist with the Oistrakh Symphony Orchestra at age 13, Alan has performed throughout the USA and Mexico. As a member of the Chicago Panamerican Ensemble, Alan recorded an album and toured with a program of Mexican chamber music. Alan and pianist Joanne Chang won the 2016 Latin American Music Center Recording Competition and are releasing an album of Mexican music titled, "Dialogos". Alan has won several competitions as a soloist and with his quartet Contrapunctus (2011-2013), including grand prize at the Walgreens National Concerto Competition, the DePaul Festival for Young Performers, the Saint Paul String Quartet Competition, and the Discover Chamber Music Competition. The current concertmaster of the Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra and Columbus Indiana Philharmonic, Alan has also served as concertmaster at the Music Academy of the West, the Festival Napa Valley Orchestra, and the conductorless Indiana University Sinfonietta. Alan has also served on faculty at the Anchorage Chamber Music Festival.