Orion Continues In March With Schoenfield, Still, and Tchaikovsky

Music from the late 19th and 20th centuries fills the program for the third concert of The Orion Ensemble's 29th season, featuring works by Schoenfield, Still and Tchaikovsky at three venues: New England Congregational Church in Aurora (March 6), PianoForte Studios in Chicago (March 9) and Nichols Concert Hall in Evanston (March 13). The Chicago and Evanston performances also will be available via livestream.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Trio in A minor is a touching memorial piece for his mentor, Nikolai Rubinstein, founder of the Moscow Conservatory. Rubinstein was Tchaikovsky's employer at the conservatory and the pianist to whom Tchaikovsky originally wanted to dedicate his Piano Concerto in B flat minor. A highly poignant work in two movements completed in 1882, it is the only work Tchaikovsky wrote for violin, cello and piano.

Paul Schoenfield composed the Trio for clarinet, violin and piano, a wonderfully expressive celebration of Hassidic Judaism traditions, in 1990. Entertaining and yet artistically profound, this chamber gem presents a spectrum ranging from folk utterances to subjective modernism.

William Grant Still's haunting and provocative Three Visions for Piano offers a musical journey of the eternal mystery: death and the questions of afterlife. This piano composition, which he composed for his wife in 1935, is provocative and alluring. Still's Folk Suite #2 comprises delightful and colorful movements tastefully presented as chamber miniatures.

Per the state of Illinois's requirements, all audience members will be required to wear masks at all three venues. In addition, Nichols Concert Hall (March 13) requires proof of full COVID-19 vaccination status OR a negative COVID PCR test processed within 48 hours prior to the day of the event; for the venue's full policy, visit musicinst.org/covid-policy-nichols-concert-hall. Audience members may email info@orionensemble.org for any updates to these requirements closer to the performances.

The livestreams from Chicago and Evanston will be available on Orion's YouTube channel, which will also host a recording of the performance for a limited time.

The Orion Ensemble performs its third concert of the 2021-22 season

in person at three locations:

Sunday, March 6 at 7 p.m. at

New England Congregational Church, 406 W. Galena Boulevard, Aurora;

Wednesday, March 9 at 7:30 p.m. at

PianoForte Studios, 1335 S. Michigan Avenue, Chicago;

and Sunday, March 13 at 7:30 p.m. at

Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Avenue, Evanston.

In-person tickets are $30, $25 for seniors (65+) and $15 for students; children 12 and younger are free. Tickets are available for advance purchase at 630-628-9591 or info@orionensemble.org. The livestream will be available on Orion's YouTube channel.

All programming is subject to change; for information visit orionensemble.org.