Rush Hour Concerts
Under the helm of the International Music Foundation, Rush Hour Concerts present the 18th season of the beloved summer concert series with free classical music in the serene and historic St. James Cathedral, 65 E. Huron Street, June 6 – August 29, 2017. Launched in 2000 to create free public access to high-quality chamber music, Rush Hour Concerts offers live concerts every Tuesday evening after work.
All concerts begin at 5:45 pm. Doors open at 5:00 pm for an interactive pre-concert reception and curated conversation, followed by the 30-minute concert at 5:45 pm. All performances are free and open to the public; tickets and reservations are not required.
Curated by Rush Hour Concerts’ Artistic Director Anthony Devroye, this year’s series presents chamber music from the Baroque era to the 21st Century featuring masterworks from Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart to Copland, Barber, Shostakovich and more. This year’s highlights also include a first-ever “quartet festival” within the series presenting five of Chicago’s leading ensembles; a unique Audience Choice concert which allows the audience to decide that evening’s repertoire from a menu of options by show of hands; new music and poetry in partnership with the Poetry Foundation featuring award-winning poet Richie Hofmann; the annual Deborah Sobol Memorial Concert honoring Rush Hour Concerts’ late founder; festival debuts by lauded baritone Robert Sims, WFMT FM’s 2017 artist-in-residence Kontras Quartet, Third Coast Baroque and award-winning organist Stephen Buzard plus performances from the 2017 Grammy-nominated Spektral Quartet, Chicago Symphony Orchestra cellist Brant Taylor, Lyric Opera’s Ryan Opera Center, pianist Kuang-Hao Huang and leading Chicago ensembles such as Civitas Ensemble, Euclid Quartet, Ensemble Dal Niente, Axiom Brass and Avalon String Quartet.
“The string quartet anchors our programming this summer: its history, complexity, and centrality to the chamber music repertoire make it an ideal vehicle for new listeners to discover the world of chamber music,” said Devroye. “We’ll also mix in the repertoire for diverse ensembles from six different centuries and ten different countries, showcasing Chicago’s finest performers. Deepen your experience with our pre-concert conversations, or lighten it with refreshing complimentary iced tea!”
Rush Hour Concerts – 2017 Summer Calendar
| JUNE 6
Program: Artist: |
Quartet Festival I: “How Do You Do?”
Haydn: String Quartet Op. 33, No. 5 Dan Visconti: Black Bend Kontras Quartet (Rush Hour Concert Series Debut) |
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| JUNE 13
Program: Artist: |
Audience Choice
The audience will choose the repertoire Brant Taylor (cello) and Kuang-Hao Huang (piano) |
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| JUNE 20
Program: Artist: |
Quartet Festival II
Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 3 Avalon String Quartet |
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| JUNE 27
Program: Artist: |
Baroque with a Beat
Works by Fernández, Monteverdi, Strozzi, Visée, and Ortiz Third Coast Baroque (Rush Hour Concert Series Debut) |
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| JULY 5
Program: Artist: |
American Song
Art songs and spirituals Robert Sims (baritone) (Rush Hour Concert Series Debut), accompanied by Andrew Blendermann This performance will take place on Wednesday in recognition of the July 4holiday |
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| JULY 11
Program: Artist: |
Quartet Festival III
Gerard McBurney: Hildegard Quartet Spektral Quartet |
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| JULY 18
Program: Artist: |
Deborah Sobal Memorial Concert
Mozart: Piano Quartet in G Minor Jasmine Lin (violin); Anthony Devroye (viola) Marina Hoover (cello); Kuang-Hao Huang (piano) |
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| JULY 25
Program: Artist: |
New Music, New Poetry
Works by Messiaen, Murail, and Mochizuki Ensemble Dal Niente, Richie Hofmann (poet) |
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| AUGUST 1
Program: Artist: |
Quartet Festival IV
Grieg: Quartet in G Minor Euclid Quartet |
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| AUGUST 8
Program: Artist: |
Lyric Shorts
Bizet: selections from The Pearl Fishers Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago |
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| AUGUST 15
Program: Artist: |
Quartet Festival V: Quartet PLUS
Brahms: Quintet movements Civitas Ensemble |
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| AUGUST 22
Program: Artist: |
Match Made in Heaven
Music for Organ and Brass Axiom Brass, Stephen Buzzard (organ) (Rush Hour Concert Series Debut) |
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| AUGUST 29
Program: Artist: |
Season Finale
Beethoven (arr. Mahler): String Quartet Op. 95 John MacFarlane (conductor) and the Rush Hour Concerts Chamber Orchestra |
About Rush Hour Concerts:
Since its inception in 2000, Rush Hour Concerts has reinvented the classical music experience through a dedication to artistic quality, a concert format suitable to contemporary lifestyles and a policy of admission-free events. Rush Hour Concerts has created groundbreaking programs and access initiatives that have revolutionized music-making in Chicago and forged trendsetting partnerships with the city’s arts and cultural community.
Rush Hour Concerts is committed to broadening arts access and launched its Community Engagement Residencies to bring expert musical instruction to under-resourced neighborhoods in Chicago through a long-term strategy of artistic and community collaboration. Now in its 18th year, Rush Hour Concerts remains grounded in its mission to reach across all communities with new ways for audiences to experience world-class music in Chicago.
To learn more about Rush Hour Concerts visit www.rushhour.org.
About International Music Foundation:
The International Music Foundation (IMF) is dedicated to presenting free high-quality classical music performances and music education experiences in the Chicago metropolitan area for people of all ages and degrees of musical awareness so they can experience how music enriches life. IMF offers the following programs and educational experiences: Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts, Do-It-Yourself Messiah, Live Music Now!, Make Music Chicago, Rush Hour Concerts Summer Series and professional ensemble educational residencies. For more information, visit www.imfchicago.org.
Press Release provided by Silverman Group Chicago
