New Philharmonic, the professional orchestra in residence at the McAninch Arts Center (MAC), is pleased to announce the return to in-person performances for their 2021-2022 45th Anniversary Season. The season begins with Halloween Spooktacular (Oct. 2 & 3) and includes “Dvořák's New World” featuring Dvořák's Ninth Symphony (Nov. 13 & 14), three New Year’s Eve Concerts (Dec. 31), “A Night at the Movies” (Jan. 15 & 16) and “West Side Story” in Concert (April 9 & 10). For the holidays, New Philharmonic will once again perform Tchaikovsky’s score live for Salt Creek Ballet’s beloved production of “The Nutcracker” (Dec. 18 & 19). Tickets are available to renewing subscribers now and new subscribers beginning Aug. 16. Single concert tickets go on sale Aug. 24.
“The musicians, staff of New Philharmonic and I are extremely grateful to the MAC and College of DuPage,” says Maestro Muspratt. “With their help and the support of our fans and donors we were able to offer first-class virtual concerts over the past season that gave our musicians and guest artists the chance to perform at a time when many in our industry could not. But nothing can replace the experience of live performance. We are all looking forward with joyous anticipation to once again be performing before an in-theater audience for our 45th season.”
A list of New Philharmonic’s 2021-2022 season concerts with dates, times and single concert ticket prices are listed below. All performances will take place in the McAninch Arts Center’s Belushi Performance Hall, located at 425 Fawell Blvd. on the campus of College of DuPage. Dates, times, artists and prices are subject to change.
Tickets
Past subscribers receive up to 25% off single ticket prices if they renew their subscription by Aug. 10. New subscriptions are available beginning Aug. 16. New subscribers save up to 20% off of single ticket prices. Subscribers also are the first to have the opportunity to secure tickets to Salt Creek Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” in advance of the general public. New Philharmonic single-concert tickets go on sale for Aug. 24. For more information visit www.AtTheMAC.org or call the MAC box office at 630.942.4000.
About New Philharmonic
New Philharmonic, the only professional orchestra based in DuPage County, Ill., has inspired classical music enthusiasts in Chicago and the suburbs for more than four decades. It continues to thrive with the goal to give innovative treatment to both classic compositions and modern works while striving to make the music accessible to new audiences and youth through a variety of educational efforts. Today, under the direction of Kirk Muspratt, named 2018 Conductor of the Year (Professional Orchestra) by Illinois Council of Orchestras, New Philharmonic consists of more than 60 professional musicians and typically performs more than a dozen concerts a year, reaching more than 7,500 from the greater Chicago area annually. New Philharmonic was recently honored with the Illinois Council of Orchestras’ 2020 ICO Award in the category Programming of the Year.
About the MAC
McAninch Arts Center (MAC) at College of DuPage is located 25 miles west of Chicago near I-88 and I-355 at 425 Fawell Blvd. It houses three indoor performance spaces (the 780-seat proscenium Belushi Performance Hall; the 236-seat soft-thrust Playhouse Theatre; and the versatile black box Studio Theatre), an outdoor venue, the Lakeside Pavilion, plus the Cleve Carney Museum of Art and classrooms for the college’s academic programming. The MAC has presented theater, music, dance and visual art to more than 2 million people since its opening in 1986 and typically welcomes more than 100,000 patrons from the greater Chicago area to more than 230 performances each season.
The mission of the MAC is to foster enlightened educational and performance opportunities, which encourage artistic expression, establish a lasting relationship between people and art, and enrich the cultural vitality of the community. For more information about the MAC, visit www.AtTheMAC.org, @AtTheMAC on Facebook and Instagram.
Support for New Philharmonic is provided in part by the JCS Fund of the DuPage Foundation; Sullivan Taylor, Gumina & Palmer, P.C ; Bjarne R. Ullsvik; Brookdale-Glen Ellyn; the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; WFMT 98.7 FM; WDCB 90.9 FM and the College of DuPage Foundation.
Established as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charitable organization in 1967, the College of DuPage Foundation raises monetary and in-kind gifts to increase access to education and to enhance cultural opportunities for the surrounding community. For more information about the College of DuPage Foundation, visit www.foundation.cod.edu or call 630.942.2462.
Programs at the MAC are partially supported through a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.
New Philharmonic 2021-2022 45th Anniversary Season (as of July 26, 2021)
All performances take place in the Belushi Performance Hall in the McAninch Arts Center, located at 425 Fawell Blvd. on the campus of College of DuPage. Past subscribers receive up to 25% off single ticket prices if they renew their subscription by Aug. 10. New subscriptions are available beginning Aug. 16. New subscribers save up to 20% off of single ticket prices. Subscribers also are the first to have the opportunity to secure tickets to Salt Creek Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” in advance of the general public. New Philharmonic single-concert tickets go on sale for Aug. 24. For more information visit www.AtTheMAC.org or call the MAC box office at 630.942.4000.
New Philharmonic: “Halloween Spooktakular”
- 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 2;
- 3 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 3
- Tickets: $53
Maestro Muspratt conjures up witches, sorcerers and poltergeist with his baton, and the help of the New Philharmonic orchestra in costume. Halloween musical treats include Offenbach’s “Orpheus in the Underworld” and Berlioz’s “Witches Sabbath” from “Symphonie Fantastique” and the Hungarian March from “The Damnation of Faust.” The program also includes music from ghoulish film and TV favorites including Bram Stoker’s “Dracula,” “The Addams Family,” Disney’s “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” “Psycho” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”
New Philharmonic: “Dvorák’s New World”
- 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 13;
- 3 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 14
- Guest Violinist, David Taylor
- Tickets: $53
Antonín Dvorák’s Symphony No. 9, popularly known as the “New World Symphony,” was composed in 1893 by Dvorák while he was the director of the National Conservatory of Music of America. In a New York Daily Herald interview, Dvořák stated he was influenced and inspired by Native American music and Black spirituals evident in the melodies The program also includes Sarasate’s “Fantasy on Bizet’s Carmen” featuring guest violinist David Taylor, Chicago Symphony Orchestra Assistant Concertmaster and The Ling Z. and Michael C. Markovitz Chair.
New Philharmonic: “New Year’s Eve Concert”
- 1:30, 5 and 8:30 p.m., Friday, Dec. 31
- Guest Baritone Ted Allen Pickell
- Tickets: $67; Special Gold Circle Table Seating $77
Guest Baritone Pickell, last seen by MAC audiences in the New Philharmonic’s 2017 sold-out production of “The Mikado,” reteams with New Philharmonic and Maestro Muspratt to ring in the New Year with a celebratory program of waltzes, polkas, arias, light classical and pops. Sponsored by Sullivan Taylor, Gumina & Palmer, P.C .
New Philharmonic: “A Night at the Movies”
- 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 15;
- 3 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 16
- Tickets: $53
New Philharmonic, under the baton of Maestro Muspratt, performs favorites from award-winning films including “Gone with the Wind,” “Spiderman,” “Independence Day,” “Seahawk,” “Jurassic Park” and more.
New Philharmonic: “West Side Story” in Concert
- 7:30 p.m., Saturday, April 9;
- 3 p.m. Sunday, April 10
- Tickets: $59
Leonard Bernstein’s music and Stephen Sondheim’s lyrics capture this contemporary retelling of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” which won two Tony Awards and ten Oscars. New Philharmonic, four soloists and a 90-voice chorus sing all of the favorites: the Jet Song; “Something’s Coming;” “Maria;” “Tonight;” “America;” “Cool;” “One Hand, One Heart;” “I Feel Pretty;” “Somewhere;” “Gee, Officer Krupke” and “A Boy Like That.” Sponsored by Bjarne R. Ullsvik.
Special Holiday Event
Salt Creek Ballet: “The Nutcracker”
- With Tchaikovsky’s score performed live by New Philharmonic
- 2 and 7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 18:
- 1 and 5 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 19
- Tickets: $33
New Philharmonic welcomes back Salt Creek Ballet to present a holiday tradition: Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker.” This magical full-scale production features accompaniment from New Philharmonic – a rare opportunity to see this magnificent ballet set to live music.
Dates/times/artists/prices subject to change.