Orion Ensemble Opens 26th Season With 'Vienna, City Of My Dreams'

The Orion Ensemble, winner of the prestigious Chamber Music America/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming, opens its 26th season with "Vienna, City of My Dreams," welcoming guest violist Stephen Boe. Performances take place September 23 at the Music Institute of Chicago's Nichols Concert Hall in Evanston; September 26 at the PianoForte Studios in downtown Chicago; and September 30 at Chapelstreet Church in Geneva. The program Orion's first concert program of the season features Mozart's Clarinet Quartet in B-flat Major, after KV317d. Mozart's love for the violin and viola was second in his heart only to his beloved fortepiano. The expansion of string techniques and their innovative applications fascinated him. In 1779, Mozart composed the Violin Sonata K. 378 in Salzburg. Arranger Johann Anton Andre (1775-1842) eventually acquired the score and became one of the first true researchers of Mozart's music. Fully understanding the composer's love of the newly developing clarinet, Andre arranged this sonata into a quartet for clarinet, violin, viola and cello in 1799. In addition to the masterworks Mozart composed for clarinet--the Clarinet Quintet and the Clarinet Concerto--this arrangement offers another odyssey into the sonic spectrums of Mozart and the clarinet.

Franz Schubert was not a "concerto" composer. As such, it is rare that his works feature a solo instrument in a concerto setting. Schubert's Adagio and Rondo Concertante for solo piano and strings soars with originality, grace and lyricism in the exchanges between piano and strings. Schubert composed this work for the pianist Heinrich Grob, whose sister was the object of his deep love. Also noteworthy is that this work precedes Schubert's next large venture for piano and strings, the famous "Trout" Quintet, composed only three years later--and an Orion favorite. Arguably the greatest composer of the tone poem, Richard Strauss achieved recognition as a true bard of orchestral music, his detailed scores like vast canvases painted with the tones of life. Strauss' Piano Quartet in C minor is an early gem he composed at 20 years of age. The work delves into the mind and heart of a youthful composer whose later summits of orchestral majesty are echoed in this intimate work. Opening night event: September 23 To open the season, Orion hosts a benefit reception after the September 23 performance from 5 to 7 p.m. at Vinic Wines, 1509 Chicago Avenue in Evanston. Guests enjoy wine, snacks and conversation with Orion artists, board members and concertgoers. Orion's 26th season Orion's 2018-19 season, which includes violist Stephen Boe on all programs, continues with "Russian Passion," featuring guest cellist and composer Ian Maksin performing original compositions inspired by Tango Nuevo, blues and Eastern European folk music on a program with works by Arensky, Frühling and Cassadó in November; "French Musical Treasure," with works by Beethoven, Garrop, Van de Vate and Chaminade in March; and "A Brahms Finale," featuring works by Uhl, Prokofiev and Brahms in May. Orion hosts a fall benefit October 13 at Q Center in St. Charles, Illinois and appears on the broadcast series "Live from WFMT" October 1, 2018 and May 20, 2019.

Founded in 1992, The Orion Ensemble, winner of the prestigious Chamber Music America/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming for its critically acclaimed millennium celebration "An Inside Look at Contemporary Music," features a roster of four superb musicians--Kathryne Pirtle (clarinet), Florentina Ramniceanu (violin), Diana Schmück (piano) and Judy Stone (cello)--who have performed throughout North America, Europe and Asia, as an ensemble and individually in solo, orchestral and other chamber music roles. The Chicago Tribune called Orion "one of Chicago's most vibrant, versatile and distinctive ensembles," and the Chicago Sun-Times said Orion is "what chamber music should be all about: Individual virtuosity melded into a group personality." The Orion Ensemble is supported in part by grants from the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the John R. Halligan Charitable Fund, the Farny R. Wurlitzer Foundation Fund, the Illinois Arts Council and generous donations from its patrons. For a brief history, click here.

Performance and ticket information The Orion Ensemble's concert program "Vienna, City of My Dreams" takes place Sunday, September 23 at a special time of 3 p.m. at Music Institute of Chicago's Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Avenue in Evanston; Wednesday, September 26 at 7:30 p.m. at the PianoForte Studios, 1335 S. Michigan Avenue in Chicago; and Sunday, September 30 at 7 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Geneva-Chapelstreet Church, 2300 South Street in Geneva. Single tickets are $26, $23 for seniors and $10 for students; admission is free for children 12 and younger. A four-ticket flexible subscription provides a 10 percent savings on full-priced tickets. The season opening benefit reception takes place Sunday, September 23 at 5 p.m. at Vinic Wines, 1509 Chicago Avenue in Evanston; requested donation is $50. For tickets or more information, call 630-628-9591 or visit orionensemble.org.

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