Chicago Philharmonic Marches Into Spring With An Array Of Guest Soloists In Bows And Beasts

A renowned piano duo, a harpsichord virtuoso and four masters of the violin join the Chicago Philharmonic in its first symphonic concert of 2018, Bows and Beasts. With worldly contrasts from Saint-Saëns' playful parade of animals to an intricate Vivaldi concerto, this concert will delight audiences of all ages.

Led by Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Scott Speck, Bows and Beasts includes a musical discovery of fauna with lions, roosters, kangaroos and more in Camille Saint-Saëns' The Carnival of the Animals. One of Saint-Saëns' most famous works, it is accompanied by poet Ogden Nash's humorous poems written especially for each movement and narrated by Scott Speck. Accompanying the joyful work is Tchaikovsky's energetic Serenade for Strings inspired by Mozart, Vivaldi's wonderfully virtuosic Concerto for Four Violins and English composer Walter Leigh's most successful work for the concert stage - Concertino for Harpsichord and String Orchestra.

Accompanying the orchestra is a plethora of musical talent and brilliance: world-class piano duo (who also happen to be married) Per Tengstrand and Shan-Shan Sun, described as "Two pianos, four hands but one heart" in the New York Times, one of the greatest harpsichordists of this generation, Jory Vinikour, and the Chicago Philharmonic's own outstanding violinists David Perry, Mathias Tacke, Kathleen Brauer and Jennifer Cappelli.

This one-of-a-kind program is a part of the Chicago Philharmonic's engaging 2017-2018 Glorious Earth season of innovative, accessible programming and the highest level of musical artistry.

Approximate running time 2 hours including intermission. Tickets from $10 to $75. For more information, visit chicagophilharmonic.org.
Photos, interviews and review tickets available upon request.

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.