Chicago Symphony Orchestra facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Orchestra

Founded	1891; 134 years ago (1891)
Location	Chicago, Illinois, US
Concert hall	Symphony Center
Music director	Klaus Mäkelä (designate, effective 2027)

The Orchestra performs in Orchestra Hall at the Chicago Symphony Center

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is a famous American orchestra located in Chicago, Illinois. It was started by Theodore Thomas in 1891. The orchestra has played at the Symphony Center since 1904. They also perform during the summer at the Ravinia Festival. Klaus Mäkelä was chosen as the new music director in 2024. He will officially start his role in 2027. Before him, Riccardo Muti was the music director from 2010 to 2023. The CSO is known as one of the "Big Five" top orchestras in America.

History of the Orchestra

Theodore Thomas, who started the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and was its first conductor.

In 1890, a Chicago businessman named Charles Norman Fay asked Theodore Thomas to create an orchestra in Chicago. The orchestra, first called the "Chicago Orchestra," played its very first concert on October 16, 1891. This happened at the Auditorium Theater. The CSO is one of the oldest orchestras in the United States. Other old orchestras include the New York Philharmonic and the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Orchestra Hall and Early Years

Orchestra Hall is the main home of the CSO. It was designed by architect Daniel H. Burnham and finished in 1904. Theodore Thomas was the music director for thirteen years. He passed away shortly after Orchestra Hall opened in December 1904. In 1905, the orchestra was renamed "Theodore Thomas Orchestra" to honor him. Today, you can still see "Theodore Thomas Orchestra Hall" written on the building.

In 1905, Frederick Stock became the music director. He led the orchestra for a very long time, until he passed away in 1942. The orchestra was officially renamed the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1913.

Famous Conductors and Tours

Many great music directors have led the CSO over the years. These include Frederick Stock, Fritz Reiner, Jean Martinon, Georg Solti, and Daniel Barenboim. Fritz Reiner helped the orchestra appear on television for the first time.

Later, Sir Georg Solti wanted the orchestra to be known all over the world. In 1971, he led the Chicago Symphony on its first tour outside North America. They played in ten different countries in Europe. Critics in Europe loved their performances. When the orchestra returned home, they even had a ticker-tape parade to welcome them!

Recent Music Directors

On May 5, 2008, the CSO announced that Riccardo Muti would be their 10th music director. He started in the 2010–2011 season. Muti led the orchestra until the end of the 2022–2023 season.

In 2022, Klaus Mäkelä first conducted the CSO as a guest. He returned again in February 2023. In April 2024, the CSO announced that Mäkelä would be their next music director. He will begin his five-year contract in the 2027–2028 season.

Many other famous guest conductors have also led the CSO. Some of these include Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, Sergei Prokofiev, and John Williams.

Ravinia Festival: Summer Home

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra has a summer home at the Ravinia Festival. This festival is in Ravinia Park, Highland Park, Illinois. The CSO first played there in 1905. They have been the main orchestra at the Ravinia Festival every summer since 1936. The only time they didn't perform was in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many conductors have made their first appearances with the CSO at Ravinia. Some have even become music directors for the festival. These include Seiji Ozawa, James Levine, and Christoph Eschenbach. Marin Alsop became the festival's chief conductor and curator in 2021.

Recordings and Awards

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra has made many recordings. Recordings by the CSO and the Chicago Symphony Chorus have won sixty-five Grammy Awards. These awards are for excellent music recordings. They have won for best classical album, vocal performances, and orchestral performances.

Early Recordings

The CSO made its first recording on May 1, 1916. Frederick Stock and the orchestra recorded music from A Midsummer Night's Dream. They made many recordings for Columbia and RCA Victor. In 1951, Rafael Kubelík made the first modern high fidelity recordings with the orchestra.

In 1954, Fritz Reiner made the first stereo recordings with the CSO. These were for RCA Victor. Sir Georg Solti also made many recordings with the CSO for Decca Records. These included a very popular series of Mahler's music.

CSO Resound and Movie Music

In 2007, the Chicago Symphony started its own recording label called CSO Resound. This allowed them to release new recordings digitally and on CDs. Some famous recordings on CSO Resound include Bernard Haitink's Mahler's Third Symphony and Riccardo Muti's Requiem.

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus have also recorded music for movies. They recorded for Fantasia 2000 and Lincoln. Music from their recording of Johann Sebastian Bach's St Matthew Passion was used in the movie Casino.

Radio and TV Broadcasts

The Chicago Symphony first broadcast on the radio in 1925. Since 1965, Chicago radio station WFMT has regularly broadcast CSO concerts. These broadcasts include live concert recordings and highlights from the CSO's past recordings.

The CSO also appeared in television shows. In the early 1960s, there was a TV series called Music from Chicago. It featured Fritz Reiner and other guest conductors. Many of these televised concerts are now available on DVD. Sir Georg Solti also conducted a series of concerts that were broadcast on PBS in the 1970s.

Civic Orchestra of Chicago: Training Future Musicians

Frederick Stock started the Civic Orchestra of Chicago in 1919. This was the first training orchestra in the United States connected to a major symphony orchestra. Its goal is to help young musicians become professional orchestra players. Many musicians who trained here have gone on to play for the CSO or other big orchestras.

The Civic Orchestra performs several concerts each year. They play at Symphony Center and other places around Chicago. These concerts are usually free for the public to enjoy.

Music Directors and Other Leaders

Music Directors

Theodore Thomas (1891–1905)
Frederick Stock (1905–1942)
Désiré Defauw (1943–1947)
Artur Rodziński (1947–1948)
Rafael Kubelík (1950–1953)
Fritz Reiner (1953–1962)
Jean Martinon (1963–1968)
Irwin Hoffman (1968–1969, Acting)
Sir Georg Solti (1969–1991)
Daniel Barenboim (1991–2006)
Riccardo Muti (2010–2023)
Klaus Mäkelä (designate, effective 2027)

Principal Conductor

Bernard Haitink (2006–2010)

Other Important Conductors

Carlo Maria Giulini – Principal Guest Conductor (1969–1972)
Claudio Abbado – Principal Guest Conductor (1982–1985)
Sir Georg Solti – Music Director Laureate (1991–1997)
Pierre Boulez – Principal Guest Conductor (1995–2006)

Composers-in-residence

John Corigliano (1987–1990)
Shulamit Ran (1990–1997)
Augusta Read Thomas (1997–2006)
Osvaldo Golijov (2006–2010)
Mark-Anthony Turnage (2006–2010)
Anna Clyne (2010–2015)
Mason Bates (2010–2015)
Elizabeth Ogonek (2015–2018)
Samuel Adams (2015–2018)
Missy Mazzoli (2018–2021)
Jessie Montgomery (2021–2024)

Assistant / Associate Conductors

Arthur Mees (1896–1898)
Frederick Stock (1899–1905)
Eric DeLamarter (1918–1936)
Hans Lange (1936–1946)
Tauno Hannikainen (1947–1950)
George Schick (1950–1956)
Walter Hendl (1958–1964)
Irwin Hoffman (1964–1970)
Henry Mazer (1970–1986)
Kenneth Jean (1986–1993)
Michael Morgan (1986–1993)
Yaron Traub (1995–1999)
William Eddins (1995–2004)

Ravinia Festival Conductors

Walter Hendl – Artistic Director (1959–1963)
Seiji Ozawa – Music Director (1964–1968)
István Kertész – Principal Conductor (1970–1972)
James Levine – Music Director (1973–1993)
Christoph Eschenbach – Music Director (1995–2003)
James Conlon – Music Director (2005–2015)
Marin Alsop – Chief Conductor and Curator (2020–present)

Honors and Awards

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra has received many honors. In November 2008, a British classical music magazine called Gramophone voted the CSO the best orchestra in the United States. They also said it was the fifth best orchestra in the world. In 2015, another group of critics agreed.

In 2011, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra was added to the American Classical Music Hall of Fame.

Grammy Awards

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus have won sixty-five Grammy Awards. These are very important awards for music recordings.

Riccardo Muti, a former music director, won two Grammy Awards with the CSO. These were for their recording of Verdi's Messa da Requiem.
Duain Wolfe, the chorus director, also won two Grammy Awards for his work with the Chorus on the same recording.
Bernard Haitink, a former principal conductor, won two Grammy Awards. One was with the CSO for their recording of Shostakovich's Fourth Symphony.
Pierre Boulez, a former conductor, won twenty-six Grammy Awards. Eight of these were with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. He also received a special Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015.
Sir Georg Solti, a former music director, won thirty-one Grammy Awards. Twenty-four of these were with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. He also received a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995.
Margaret Hillis, who started the Chicago Symphony Chorus, won nine Grammy Awards for her work with the Orchestra and Chorus.

Volunteer Groups

The CSO has several groups of volunteers who help support the orchestra.

African American Network
Governing Members (started in 1894)
Latino Alliance
League of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association (started in 1934)
Overture Council (started in 2009)
Women's Board

Images for kids

Riccardo Muti, former music director of the CSO.
Sir Georg Solti, who led the CSO on its first European tour.