Chicago Symphony Orchestra

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is consistently hailed as one of today's leading orchestras. In the 2010-2011 season-the orchestra's 120th-Riccardo Muti began his tenure as the CSO's 10th music director.

Throughout its history, the CSO has enjoyed leadership from an illustrious list of music directors, beginning with Theodore Thomas, who founded the orchestra in 1891, followed by Frederick Stock, Désiré Defauw, Artur Rodzinski, Rafael Kubelík, Fritz Reiner, Jean Martinon, Sir Georg Solti, and Daniel Barenboim. From 2006 to 2010, Bernard Haitink led the orchestra as principal conductor, the first in CSO history. Pierre Boulez, who was appointed principal guest conductor in 1995, has served as the Helen Regenstein Conductor Emeritus since 2006.

The CSO performs well over 150 concerts each year at Symphony Center and at the Ravinia Festival, where it is in residence each summer. The ensemble has embarked on 38 overseas tours since Sir Georg Solti led the first European tour in 1971, most recently visiting Italy and Russia in spring 2012, making that trip the 29th tour to Europe and second to Russia. The CSO has traveled to the Far East six times, as well as once each to Australia and South America.

Recording has been a significant part of the CSO's history since 1916, and in 2007 the orchestra launched its own record label, CSO Resound. CSO recordings have earned 62 Grammy Awards from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, most recently in 2011 for Best Classical Album and Best Choral Performance for Verdi's Requiem, conducted by Riccardo Muti.

In 2007, the CSO returned to the national airwaves with its self-produced weekly broadcast series, which is syndicated to more than 300 markets nationwide on the WFMT Radio Network as well as on cso.org. Visit cso.org for more information.

Riccardo Muti

Born in Naples, Italy, Riccardo Muti first came to the attention of critics and the public in 1967, when he won the Guido Cantelli Competition for conductors in Milan. In 1971, Mr. Muti was invited by Herbert von Karajan to conduct at the Salzburg Festival, the first of many occasions which led to the celebration of 40 years of splendid collaboration with this glorious Austrian festival. Mr. Muti has served as music director of international institutions that include the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Philharmonia Orchestra of London, The Philadelphia Orchestra, and Teatro alla Scala. In 2004, Mr. Muti founded the Luigi Cherubini Youth Orchestra, which consists of young musicians selected from throughout Italy.

Over the course of his extraordinary career, Riccardo Muti has conducted the world's most important orchestras, including the Berliner Philharmoniker, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. He made his debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at the Ravinia Festival in July 1973, and began his tenure as the CSO's 10th music director in September 2010. He won his first two Grammy Awards for his recording of Verdi's Messa da Requiem with the CSO and Chorus.

Innumerable honors have been bestowed on Mr. Muti. He received the decoration of Officer of the Legion of Honor from French President Nicolas Sarkozy in a private ceremony held at the Élysée Palace, and was also was made an honorary Knight Commander of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in Britain. In 2011, he was awarded Spain's Prince of Asturias Prize, and was named an honorary member of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and an honorary director for life at the Rome Opera; he is also the recipient of the 2011 Birgit Nilsson Prize. In May 2012, he was awarded the highest papal honor: the Knight of the Grand Cross First Class of the Order of St. Gregory the Great by Pope Benedict XVI, as well as the McKim Medal from the American Academy in Rome.

Rosa Feola

Rosa Feola came to international attention in 2010 when she won Second Prize, the Audience Prize, and the Zarzuela Prize at the Plácido Domingo World Opera Competition. In 2008, she attended master classes at the Opera Studio at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia under the direction of Renata Scotto, Anna Vandi, and Cesare Scarton.

Ms. Feola made her debut as Corinna in Rossini's Il viaggio a Reims under Kent Nagano at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. She then sang Serafina in Donizetti's Il campanello at the 2010 Reate Festival, Adina in L'elisir d'amore at the Teatro dell'Opera in Rome under Bruno Campanella, and Inès in Mercadante's I due Figaro under Riccardo Muti at the Salzburg Festival. Her most recent roles have included Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro at Teatro La Fenice in Venice, Micaëla in Carmen at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, and Zerlina in Don Giovanni in Valencia.

In concert, Ms. Feola recently sang in Rossini's Petite messe solennelle, conducted by Michele Campanella, and Servilia in Mozart's La clemenza di Tito with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen under Louis Langrée. Future engagements include Musetta in La bohème in Naples, I due Figaro conducted by Riccardo Muti at the Teatro Real Madrid and in Buenos Aires, Don Giovanni at Turin's Teatro Regio, Le nozze di Figaro at Teatro La Fenice, Gilda in Rigoletto at the Ravenna Festival, and Gianni Schicchi with the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia.

Antonio Giovannini

Antonio Giovannini graduated with honors in piano and voice from the Music Conservatory in Florence, his native city, and also holds a degree in foreign languages and literature from the University of Florence. He began singing as a treble voice in the Youth Choir of the Scuola di Musica in Fiesole under Joan Yakkey, performing as soloist at the Teatro Comunale in Florence.

In 1999, Mr. Giovannini made his debut in the title role of the world modern premiere of Cavalli's Eliogabalo at the Teatro San Domenico in Crema. He made his Venice debut in the world modern premiere of Vivaldi's Orlando finto pazzo, and subsequently performed the solo voice in the ballet Io, Giacomo Casanova at the Teatro Regio in Turin.

Mr. Giovannini's concert repertoire includes sacred music as well as lieder, art songs, and the world premieres of several contemporary pieces. After winning the Città Lirica Opera Studio Competition, he was invited to sing Oberon in Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream, conducted by Jonathan Webb, in Pisa, Lucca, and Livorno.

Mr. Giovannini made his debut at Milan's Teatro alla Scala in Azio Corghi's Il dissoluto assolto in 2006. The following year, he was invited to the Monteverdi Festival in Cremona for Monteverdi's Orfeo, and he also sang Miles in Britten's The Turn of the Screw, conducted by Jonathan Webb at the Teatro Ponchielli in Cremona. In 2009, he participated in the modern premiere of Jommelli's Demofoonte under Riccardo Muti at the Salzburg Festival, at the Opéra de Paris, and at the Ravenna Festival.

Future engagements include Scarlatti's Marco Attilio Regolo in Schwetzingen and the title role in Handel's Radamisto at the Kiel Opera House in Germany, both under Rubén Dubrovsky; and Fulvio in Vivaldi's Catone in Utica at the Theater an der Wien and at the Opera Rara project in Krakow. Visit antoniogiovannini.com for more information.

Audun Iversen

Norwegian baritone Audun Iversen holds a bachelor's degree from the Norwegian State Academy of Music in Oslo, where he studied with Håkan Hagegård and Svein Bjørkøy. He also studied at the Danish Opera Academy Copenhagen with Susanna Eken, Martin Isepp, Fiona MacSherry, Mikael Eliassen, and Rachel Andrist, and was an exchange student at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Leipzig.

In 2005, Mr. Iversen sang Eumete in Monteverdi's Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria at the Oslo Chamber Music Festival under Alan Curtis, which led to a return engagement for Galuppi's Confitebor tibi, Domine in 2006 as well as a performance with the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2007-2008, he performed the roles of Schaunard in La bohème and Viscomte Cascada in The Merry Widow at the Royal Danish Opera in Copenhagen.

In 2007, Mr. Iversen won the Queen Sonja International Music Competition in Oslo and the Ingrid Bjoner Scholarship. In 2007, he reached the final of the Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition in Vienna. He received the Danish Reumert Talent Award in 2009 and the 2010 Aalborg Opera Prize.

Mr. Iversen sang the Count in Le nozze diFigaro and the title role in Eugene Onegin with the Royal Danish Opera, where he was principal artist for the 2008-2009 season.

Recent and upcoming engagements include Eugene Onegin for the English National Opera and at the Bolshoi; Sharpless in Madame Butterfly for Opera di Roma; the Count in Le nozze di Figaro at the 2012 Glyndebourne Festival; Carmina Burana in concert with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra; Marcello in La bohème and Lescaut in Manon for the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; Olivier in Capriccio at the Lyric Opera of Chicago; and a new opera by George Benjamin, Written on Skin, in Florence, Vienna, and Paris.

Chicago Symphony Chorus

The Chicago Symphony Chorus, under the current leadership of Duain Wolfe, has earned respect, admiration, and critical acclaim as one of the finest symphonic choruses in the world.

The Chicago Symphony Chorus's history began in September 1957, when the Chicago Symphony Orchestra announced that Margaret Hillis, at music director Fritz Reiner's invitation, would organize and train a symphony chorus. Auditions began two weeks later, and in March 1958, the Chicago Symphony Chorus made its subscription concert debut performing Mozart's Requiem with Bruno Walter conducting. A few weeks later, Reiner himself led the chorus for the first time in Verdi's Requiem.

Since then, the Chicago Symphony Chorus has performed and recorded virtually all the major works in the choral symphonic repertoire, given important world premieres, appeared with visiting orchestras, and been a part of many noteworthy milestones in the CSO's history. In June 1994, Duain Wolfe was appointed the second director of the Chicago Symphony Chorus, succeeding Hillis, who was named director laureate.

Chicago Symphony Orchestra recordings featuring the chorus have won 10 Grammy Awards for Best Choral Performance from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. The chorus's most recent recording with the CSO-Verdi's Requiem, led by Riccardo Muti-was awarded two Grammy Awards in 2011 for Best Classical Album and Best Choral Performance.

The chorus first toured with the orchestra to London and Salzburg in 1989 for Berlioz's The Damnation of Faust with Sir Georg Solti conducting. The ensemble won critical acclaim for its performances of Schoenberg's Moses und Aron and Brahms's A German Requiem with the orchestra at the Berlin Festtage in 1999. The chorus performed two concerts with Riccardo Muti and the CSO in April 2011 at Carnegie Hall.

                                                                    
Duain Wolfe

Duain Wolfe was appointed director of the Chicago Symphony Chorus by Daniel Barenboim in the spring of 1994, succeeding founding director Margaret Hillis. He has prepared the Chicago Symphony Chorus for nearly 100 programs in Orchestra Hall and at the Ravinia Festival, as well as in a dozen works for commercial recordings. In 2011, he received two Grammy Awards-for Best Classical Album and Best Choral Performance-for the CSO and Chorus's recording of Verdi's Requiem. Mr. Wolfe also directs choral works at the Aspen Music Festival and the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, and is founder-director of the Colorado Symphony Chorus-a position that he maintains along with his Chicago Symphony Chorus post.

In 1999, Mr. Wolfe retired from the Colorado Children's Chorale, an organization that he founded and conducted for 25 years. Also active as an opera conductor, he served as conductor of the Central City Opera Festival for 20 years. Mr. Wolfe's activities have earned him an honorary doctorate and numerous awards, including the Bonfils Stanton Award in the Arts and Humanities, the Colorado Governor's Award for Excellence, and the Denver Mayor's Award for Excellence in an Artistic Discipline. He is a past chairman of the board of Chorus America, the national service organization for choruses. In 2012, he was awarded that organization's Michael Korn Founders Award in recognition of his contributions to professional choral arts.

Chicago Children's Choir

Founded in 1956 during the Civil Rights Movement, the Chicago Children's Choir is a multiracial, multicultural choral music education organization, shaping the future by making a difference in the lives of children and youth through musical excellence. Today, the choir serves 3,000 children ages eight to 18 through choirs in 60 schools, after-school programs in eight Chicago neighborhoods, and the internationally acclaimed Concert Choir. As a nonprofit organization, the Chicago Children's Choir raises close to $2 million each year to keep programs affordable to all Chicago families regardless of their financial situation. Under President and Artistic Director Josephine Lee, the choir has received a Chicago/Midwest Emmy Award for the documentary Songs on the Road to Freedom, and has been featured in performance on nationally broadcast television and radio programs that include The Oprah Winfrey Show, NBC's Today Show, and PBS's From the Top: Live from Carnegie Hall. Chicago Children's Choir regularly collaborates with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Joffrey Ballet, River North Dance Chicago, Millennium Park, and Ravinia Festival.

As a national and international touring ensemble-now known as the Voices of Chicago-the choir has performed throughout the US, Canada, South Africa, Argentina, Uruguay, Korea, Japan, and Europe, and for such dignitaries as Bill and Hillary Clinton, the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela, Chinese president Hu Jintao, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the US and International Olympic committees, and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. The choir also has performed with or for such celebrities as Luciano Pavarotti, Quincy Jones, Beyoncé Knowles, Yo-Yo Ma, Enrique Iglesias, Celine Dion, Denyce Graves, Samuel Ramey, Kathleen Battle, Bobby McFerrin, and Ladysmith Black Mambazo. The choir has four studio recordings-Open Up Your Heart (2004), SitaRam (2006), Songs on the Road to Freedom (2008), and Holiday Harmony (2010)-available from Amazon.com, iTunes, and ccchoir.org.

Josephine Lee

Josephine Lee has served as artistic director of the Chicago Children's Choir since 1999, and was appointed president in 2010. Through her vision and leadership, the choir has become a civic treasure and cultural icon. Ms. Lee has solidified longstanding partnerships with Chicago's renowned arts institutions, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Opera, and Ravinia Festival, and has expanded the choir's artistic breadth through celebrated collaborations with the finest theater and dance organizations. In 2002, Chorus America named Ms. Lee the first Robert Shaw Conducting Fellow. In 2006, the Chicago Tribune named her a "Chicagoan of the Year in the Arts"; in 2007, she was honored as a Distinguished Musician by the Union League Club of Chicago; and in 2011, she was invited to serve on Mayor Rahm Emanuel's Arts & Culture Transition Committee.

In 2004, she participated in the recording of Bobby McFerrin's Grammy-nominated album VOCAbuLarieS, and recently conducted the premiere of VOCAbuLarieS with the Chicago Children's Choir at the Ravinia Festival and in Finland and Latvia. She recently composed a new work for River North Dance Chicago, which premiered on national television on February 2, 2012. Ms. Lee received a bachelor's degree in piano performance from DePaul University and a master's degree in conducting from Northwestern University. This summer, she received a fellowship to attend the Harvard Business School's Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management, a program that provides opportunities for senior executives to examine their missions and develop strategies for the new global economy.