Chicago Symphony Orchestra Tickets

The listeners of classical music are indeed blessed that they live in the United States, the home of the “Big Five”! A classical music enthusiast knows what the term means! Referring to five of the biggest and the oldest American orchestras, “Big Five” are indeed the “Ivy League” of American orchestras! The five distinguished members are: Cleveland Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, and Chicago Symphony Orchestra. And while all of them are equal, it is the Chicago Symphony Orchestra which stands first amongst the equals! Playing classical music under the guidance of Riccardo Muti, its music director, it is simply a delight to sit through one of the events produced by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra!

The Orchestra was formed in 1891 by a Chicago Businessman, Charles Norman Fay. He was a philanthropist and a visionary who wanted his city to become the hub of all American classical music activities. To make this happen, he invited one of the best music directors of his time, Theodore Thomas, to establish a classical music company in Chicago. Thus the Orchestra was formed under the name “Chicago Orchestra”, which had its debut performance in the same year, before a packed audience at the Auditorium Theatre. Due to his outstanding services to the development of classical music in the windy city, the Orchestra’s name was changed to “Theodore Thomas Orchestra” in 1905. The Orchestra was yet renamed again in 1913 as the “Chicago Symphony Orchestra”. By buying the Chicago Symphony Orchestra tickets today, you do not just enjoy a fine ensemble of classical music but also own a part of history!

However, it would be wrong to suggest that the Chicago Symphony Orchestra is great simply because it is one of the oldest in the United States. In addition to unending support of its patrons, the Orchestra owes it greatness to a long line of great music conductors, which through their recordings have helped turn this Orchestra into a world renowned classical music orchestra. Some of the Orchestra’s legendary music directors were Daniel Barenboim, Sir George Solti, Jean Martinon, Fritz Reiner, Rafael Kubelik, Artur Rodzinski, and Desire Defauw. But perhaps it was Frederick Stock who served the Orchestra the longest.

In addition to the abovementioned names, the Orchestra has also had the good fortune of recording under guest conductors like Richard Strauss, Leopold Stokowski, Arnold Schoenberg, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Eugene Ormandy, Morton Gould, Aaron Copland, and the mighty Leonard Bernstein. No wonder then that the Orchestra’s music has been used in various Hollywood movies like Fantasia 2000, Casino, and many others!

Throughout the year, with the exception of the summer season, the Orchestra plays its magical music at the Orchestra Hall, its home. During the summer season, however, the Orchestra moves its activities to the Ravinia Festival. Since summer season is fast approaching let us remind ourselves of what the Festival stands for! The name “Ravinia” derives from those ravines that are founded nearby, on the shoreline of Lake Michigan. The Festival, however, is the oldest outdoor music festival in the whole of the US. Starting in the month of June, it lasts till September, giving Chicagoans a unique opportunity to enjoy first-class classical music under awesome weather. For those who have already started to make their summer plans, Ravinia Festival is located in the Highland Park.

As mentioned earlier, the principle seat of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra is the Orchestra Hall, situated inside the famous Symphony Center, on South Michigan Avenue. The Hall, which could seat as many as 2,522 people, was built a few years after the Orchestra was formed. The grandeur of the Hall could be ascertained from two facts; it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and second, it has been marked as a National Historic Landmark.

You must sit through one of the events produced by this one of a kind Orchestra not simply because of the fact that its recordings have received sixty-two Grammy Awards, but also because that the music this Orchestra produces is simply the best classical music on this planet. So for the greatest night out in Chicago buy your Chicago Symphony Orchestra tickets today!

Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Chicago Symphony Orchestra is Chicago"s biggest orchestra and is one of the five Orchestra musical groups of the US which are included in Big Five.

Like the very few Orchestra of the US, including the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra is one of these very old musical groups who play on the classical genre.

The Chicago Symphony orchestra was founded in 1891 by Theodore Thomas and was initially called the "Chicago Orchestra." Chicago Orchestra and Chicago Symphony Orchestra Chorus are the two acts which are associated to it.

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra mostly gives its performances at the Orchestra Hall in Chicago Illinois where their each concert gathers much crowd and classical music lovers.

Chicago Symphony Orchestra - Where it All Started
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra came into being when Charles Norman Fay proposed to Theodore Thomas to establish an orchestra for Chicago. Thus the orchestra was launched in 1891 under the name of "Chicago Orchestra" who performed their first concert in October 1891.

Orchestra Hall - The Home of CSO
The Orchestra Hall is the performance-home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. It is a magnificent building representing the grandeur of the great Orchestra that it holds within its walls. The Orchestra Hall was built in 1904 and was designed by a famous architect of Chicago, Daniel H Burnham.

When the new orchestra was built, it was named "Theodore Thomas Orchestra Hall" in the memorial of its founder. It was later replaced with Orchestra Hall. Today the Orchestra Hall is a part of the Symphony Complex of Chicago.

Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Ravinia
Ravinia has been a very important place for Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The Orchestra holds summer lodging at Rivinia in Highland Park where they first performed in 1905.

They continued playing at Rivinia till 1931. In 1931 they ceased playing there due to the Great Depression. As the first season of the Rivinia Festival was inaugurated by Chicago Symphony Orchestra, that"s why they perform there in every festival since then. Ravinia summer-home has given birth to the debut album of many brilliant artists, including James Levine, Seiji Ozawa, James Conlon and Christopher Eschenbach.

Awards and Recognitions for Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Chicago Symphony Orchestra has the prestige of winning many local and international awards for their music and recordings. Most prominent of there awards are fifty-eight Grammy Awards from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Science.

Also notable awards are the Classical Album of the year Award and also the Best Classical performance Award in Choral, Vocal Soloist, Instrumental Engineering and for the different categories of Orchestra.

Chicago Symphony Orchestra"s founder and longtime director, Margaret Hillis, won nine Grammy Awards for her association with the Orchestra. Their most crucial recognition is that Chicago Symphony Orchestra has gathered together a discography of more than 900.

Chicago Symphony Orchestra on Television
Beginning from 1953, WGN TV telecasted many appearances of Chicago Symphony Orchestra. "Music from Chicago" was the first videotaped series of CSO which came on TV in 1960"s.

Theses golden appearances of Chicago Symphony Orchestra concerts from 1953 to 1963 have been saved on DVD and are released by VIA Distributions.