Music of the Baroque today announced plans for the 2023-24 season, the ensemble’s 53rd. The season, titled “Heaven and Earth,” includes the Mozart Requiem and the St. John Passion, both led by Music Director Dame Jane Glover; guest conductors Jonathan Cohen (the newly appointed artistic director of Boston’s Handel & Haydn Society) and Patrick Dupre Quigley, founder and artistic director of Miami-based Seraphic Fire; the MOB debut of internationally acclaimed violinist Viktoria Mullova; a celebration of Vivaldi’s music and a Baroque exploration of the animal kingdom with Principal Guest Conductor Nicholas Kraemer; and the ensemble’s annual Holiday Brass & Choral Concerts led by Chorus Director Andrew Megill, recently named Director of Choral Organizations and Professor of Conducting at Northwestern University. Music of the Baroque will also continue its partnership with Chicago Sinfonietta and Grant Park Music Festival’s Project Inclusion, providing opportunities for young professional musicians to perform with the ensemble.
Dame Jane Glover conducting Music of the Baroque. Photo by Elliot Mandel
Executive Director Declan McGovern said, “The music we perform transcends all boundaries—it touches the human spirit in the most profound ways, it elevates our understanding of the human condition, and it enables all of us to experience unique moments of joy. From the depth of Bach’s St. John Passion to the mystery of Allegri’s Miserere, from the fun of Telemann’s Frogs Concerto to the drama of Purcell’s King Arthur, this season has it all! We are thrilled to open our downtown concert series at Symphony Center (following our triumphant performance of The Chevalier there last year), and to return to the Harris Theater for its 20th anniversary year. We also look forward to our neighborhood performances on Chicago’s West Side and returning to Skokie and Winnetka for our North Shore concerts.”
Music Director Dame Jane Glover directs two major dramatic works including the season opener, The Mozart Requiem, on a program that includes Bach’s Magnificat (Sept. 17-18); and Bach’s Passion According to St. John (March 10-11). In November she will lead Windy City (Nov. 19-20), an instrumental program featuring Hummel’s Bassoon Concerto with principal bassoon William Buchman as soloist and Mozart’s Horn Concerto No. 4 in E-flat Major with principal horn Oto Carrillo.
Says Glover, “Each season brings something special, and our 53rd is no exception! I am thrilled to welcome outstanding international soloists to open our season with a work that means so much to me, the Mozart Requiem, paired with our first performance in ten years of Bach’s Magnificat. We mark the tricentenary of Bach’s St. John Passion in March 2024, continuing our tour of these great choral works. And our season would not be complete without our annual celebration of our principal musicians, this time featuring William Buchman as soloist in a wonderful bassoon concerto by Hummel (who, incidentally, died in the same year that the City of Chicago was incorporated) and principal French horn Oto Carrillo in one of Mozart’s most effervescent concertos. The ‘Windy City’ may be associated with politics or weather, but for Music of the Baroque its significance this season is entirely musical!”
Principal Guest Conductor Nicholas Kraemer conducts Viva Vivaldi! (Oct. 15-16), a celebration of the 345th anniversary of Antonio Vivaldi’s birth featuring instrumental concertos and lesser-known choral works as well as the composer’s great Gloria. Kraemer returns for Birds, Frogs, Crickets, & Dogs (April 14-15), a whimsical program of orchestral works that bring the animal kingdom to life. Concertmaster Gina DiBello will perform “Spring” from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and Telemann’s Violin Concerto in A Major (The Frogs), while Vivaldi’s Flute Concerto in D Major (The Goldfinch) features principal flute Mary Stolper. Kraemer will also lead Telemann’s Cricket Symphony and Haydn’s Symphony No. 83 (The Hen).
Says Kraemer, “What a treat to lead a whole program of Vivaldi! Some of it will be familiar—the famous Gloria—and the delightful Concerto for Lute has been heard on television and in films. But I can’t wait to share some of the lesser-known works, and I’ve chosen them specifically to show them off. The extraordinary opening of the Kyrie in G Minor, for example, perfectly matches the atmosphere of the Sinfonia al Santo Sepolcro. With the menagerie of animal pieces in April’s Birds, Frogs, Crickets, & Dogs, I look forward to the sheer fun in this music. Telemann has the best sense of humor—rivaling Haydn, of course, whose hen clucks its way through his Symphony No. 83. I never tire of 'Spring' from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, in which birdsong is countered with the barking of a faithful dog. Concertmaster Gina DiBello plays it brilliantly.”
After four sold-out holiday concerts last year, Chorus Director Andrew Megill— recently named Director of Choral Organizations and Professor of Conducting at Northwestern University—returns to direct the annual Holiday Brass & Choral Concerts (Dec. 14-17), a musical journey through time from the medieval era to the present featuring works by Gabrieli, Praetorius, and much more. (Program details will be announced in the coming months.) Music of the Baroque’s 2023-24 season opens on September 17, 2023, and runs through May 13, 2024. Seven of the programs will be performed twice. New this season, Music of the Baroque’s opening concerts will take place at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie and Symphony Center, the home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, downtown.
The ensemble, which formerly performed exclusively in churches, returns to its roots at the season’s close with concerts led by guest conductor Patrick Dupre Quigley at Saints Faith, Hope, & Charity Catholic Church in Winnetka and Fourth Presbyterian Church downtown. Five performances will also occur at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Chicago’s Millennium Park. The annual Holiday Brass & Choral Concerts will be performed at Grace Lutheran Church in River Forest, St. Michael Church in Old Town, Saints Faith, Hope, & Charity Catholic Church in Winnetka, and Alice Millar Chapel in Evanston.
Subscriptions On Sale March 7, 2023
Subscriptions for the 2023-24 concert season go on sale starting March 7, 2023, and may be purchased at www.baroque.org or by calling (312) 551-1414. Single tickets will go on sale on August 1, 2023. Programs, dates, times, locations, and artists are subject to change. For more information, visit www.baroque.org.
A complete listing of 2023-24 season repertoire in chronological order with performance dates, times, and venues follows.
MUSIC OF THE BAROQUE
2023-24 CONCERT SEASON
COMPLETE PROGRAM LISTING
(Programs, dates, times, locations, and artists subject to change.)
PROGRAM #1 THE MOZART REQUIEM
Sunday, September 17, 7:30 pm
North Shore Center, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie, Ill.
Monday, September 18, 7:30 pm
Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago
- BACH Magnificat, BWV 243
- MOZART Requiem in D Minor, K. 626
Music of the Baroque Chorus & Orchestra
Dame Jane Glover, conductor
Susanna Phillips, soprano
Paula Murrihy, mezzo-soprano
Manase Latu, tenor
Michael Sumuel, bass-baritone
Dame Jane Glover leads the Music of the Baroque Chorus, Orchestra, and a roster of international opera stars in an incredible evening of musical drama. Bach brings to life Mary’s passionate words in his setting of the hymn, “My soul magnifies the Lord.” Standing at the other end is the work Mozart was still writing on his deathbed—the monumental Requiem.
PROGRAM #2 VIVA VIVALDI!
Sunday, October 15, 7:30 pm
North Shore Center, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie, Ill.
Monday, October 16, 7:30 pm
Harris Theater | Millennium Park, 205 E. Randolph St., Chicago
VIVALDI
- Kyrie in G Minor, RV 587
- Concerto for Lute in D Major, RV 93
- Sinfonia in B Minor (al Santo Sepolcro), RV 169
- Credo in E Minor, RV 591
- Concerto for 3 Violins in F Major, RV 551
- Gloria in D Major, RV 589
Music of the Baroque Chorus & Orchestra
Nicholas Kraemer, conductor
Gina DiBello, violin
Kathleen Brauer, violin
Kevin Case, violin
Brandon Acker, lute
Celebrate the 345th anniversary of Antonio Vivaldi’s birth! The chorus brings “intensity and brilliance” (Chicago Classical Review) to the dramatic Kyrie, fiery Credo, and exhilarating Gloria. The orchestra shows off Vivaldi’s thrillingly inventive instrumental music with concertos for violins and lute and the stunningly affecting Sinfonia al Santo Sepolcro.
PROGRAM #3 WINDY CITY
Sunday, November 19, 7:30 pm
North Shore Center, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie, Ill.
Monday, November 20, 7:30 pm
Harris Theater | Millennium Park, 205 E. Randolph St., Chicago
- HANDEL Water Music Suite No. 3 in G Major, HWV 350
- HUMMEL Bassoon Concerto in F Major
- BOLOGNE Symphony No. 2 in D Major
- MOZART Horn Concerto No. 4 in E-flat Major, K. 495
- HAYDN Symphony No. 96 in D Major (Miracle)
Music of the Baroque Orchestra
Dame Jane Glover, conductor
William Buchman, bassoon
Oto Carrillo, horn
Politics may have prompted Chicago’s nickname, but wind and water are at the heart of its identity. Dame Jane Glover leads a program impishly inspired by the great Midwest city, including a suite from Handel’s grand Water Music. Our wind and horn principals move center stage in Hummel’s Bassoon Concerto and Mozart’s fourth Horn Concerto. Symphonies by Joseph Bologne and Joseph Haydn, both members of the mysterious Freemason Society, add to the intrigue.
PROGRAM #4 HOLIDAY BRASS & CHORAL CONCERTS
Thursday, December 14, 7:30 pm
Grace Lutheran Church, 7300 Division St., River Forest, Ill.
Friday, December 15, 7:30 pm
St. Michael Church, 1633 N Cleveland Ave., Chicago
Saturday, December 16, 2:00 pm
Saints Faith, Hope, & Charity Church, 191 Linden St., Winnetka, Ill.
Sunday, December 17, 2:00 pm
Alice Millar Chapel | Northwestern University, 1870 Sheridan Rd., Evanston, Ill.
Music of the Baroque Chorus & Brass Ensemble
Andrew Megill, conductor
Inspiring music in some of Chicago’s most beautiful spaces. The Music of the Baroque Chorus and Brass Ensemble traverse through time from the medieval age to the present with ethereal chant, majestic works for brass, and some of the best choral music ever written.
PROGRAM #5 MULLOVA PLAYS BACH
Sunday, January 28, 3:00 pm
North Shore Center, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie, Ill.
Monday, January 29, 7:30 pm
Harris Theater | Millennium Park, 205 E. Randolph St., Chicago
- LULLY Suite from Le Bourgeois gentilhomme
- BACH Excerpts from Art of the Fugue, BWV 1080
- BACH Violin Concerto No. 1 in A Minor, BWV 1041
- BACH Violin Concerto No. 2 in E Major, BWV 1042
- RAMEAU Selections from Les Indes galantes, Naïs, Hippolyte et Aricie, and Dardanus
Music of the Baroque Orchestra
Jonathan Cohen, conductor
Viktoria Mullova, violin
Baroque riches abound as internationally acclaimed violinist Viktoria Mullova joins forces with guest conductor Jonathan Cohen, the newly appointed music director of Boston’s Handel & Haydn Society. Mullova’s unparalleled affinity for Bach shines in his Violin Concertos in A Minor and E Major. Wildly colorful suites by French Baroque composers Jean-Baptiste Lully and Jean-Philippe Rameau add a dash of French flair.
PROGRAM #6 THE ST. JOHN PASSION
Sunday, March 10, 3:00 pm
North Shore Center, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie, Ill.
Monday, March 11, 7:30 pm
Harris Theater | Millennium Park, 205 E. Randolph St., Chicago
- BACH The Passion According to St. John, BWV 245
Music of the Baroque Chorus & Orchestra
Dame Jane Glover, conductor
Miah Persson, soprano
Clara Osowski, mezzo-soprano
Thomas Cooley, tenor
Neal Davies, baritone
An intimate and deeply human account of Christ’s betrayal, suffering, and death, Bach’s Passion According to St. John sets scripture and poetry in emotionally moving, expressively beautiful music. Dame Jane Glover leads the chorus, orchestra, and internationally renowned soloists in a tricentennial celebration of one of the greatest sacred works of all time.
PROGRAM #7 BIRDS, FROGS, CRICKETS, & DOGS
Sunday, April 14, 3:00 pm
North Shore Center, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie, Ill.
Monday, April 15, 7:30 pm
Harris Theater | Millennium Park, 205 E. Randolph St., Chicago
- VIVALDI Concerto in E Major, op. 8, no. 1, RV 269 (Spring)
- TELEMANN Grillen-Symphonie, TWV 50:1 (Cricket Symphony)
- VIVALDI Flute Concerto No. 3 in D Major, RV 428 (The Goldfinch)
- TELEMANN Violin Concerto in A Major, TWV 51:A4 (The Frogs)
- HAYDN Symphony No. 83 in G Minor (The Hen)
Music of the Baroque Orchestra
Nicholas Kraemer, conductor
Mary Stolper, flute
Gina DiBello, violin
The animal kingdom comes to life through joyful, charming, and colorful works for orchestra under the direction of Principal Guest Conductor Nicholas Kraemer. Dogs bark in Vivaldi’s “Spring” Concerto from his famous Four Seasons. Crickets chirp in Telemann’s unusually scored Cricket Symphony, while frogs ribbit in his virtuosic concerto for violin. Delight in the“clucking” and “scratching” in Haydn’s Hen Symphony, which closes the program on a
wonderfully humorous note.
PROGRAM #8 HEAVEN AND EARTH
Sunday, May 12, 7:30 pm
Saints Faith, Hope, & Charity Church, 191 Linden St., Winnetka, Ill.
Monday, May 13, 7:30 pm
Fourth Presbyterian Church, 126 E. Chestnut St., Chicago
- BACH Orchestral Suite No. 1 in C Major, BWV 1066
- PURCELL King Arthur – Act 3, “The Frost Scene”
- ALLEGRI Miserere mei, Deus
- HANDEL Dixit Dominus, HWV 232
Music of the Baroque Chorus & Orchestra
Patrick Dupre Quigley, conductor
Patrick Dupre Quigley, director of the Miami-based ensemble Seraphic Fire, returns to lead the Music of the Baroque Chorus and Orchestra in a musical marriage of the earthly and the sublime. Dance in your seat to the visceral rhythms of Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 1 and lose yourself in the palpable chill of “The Frost Scene” from Purcell’s King Arthur. Allegri’s ethereal Miserere mei, Deus and Handel’s thrilling Dixit Dominus propel the program to the heavens.