Chicago Symphony Orchestra - 75 years at Ravinia

The Chicago Symphony orchestra celebrates its 75th anniversary at the Ravinia Festival this year from July 7 through August 14.

The program this year fills everyone's taste in music and features such artists as Deborah Voigt, Patricia Racette, Bryn Terfel, Yo-Yo Ma and The 5 Browns.

The orchestra's first concert on July 7 celebrates the 200th anniversary of Franz Liszt with Lang Lang performing his works on piano. On July 8 Andre Watts was also perform on piano. The conductor for both concerts will be Ravinia's past music director Christoph Eschenbach. Both are at 8 p.m.

Deborah Voigt, soprano, will sing arias by Wagner and Richard Strauss, including music from "Tannhouser," "Die Walkure," "Elektra," and "Salome." Music from "Sigfried's Rhine Journey" from "Gotterdammerung" and "Dance of the Seven Veils" from "Salome" will also be performed. This program is July 9 at 7:30 p.m.

If you enjoy listening Rachmaninoff, then come and hear the composer's "Vesna" ("Spring") cantas and Romanovsky playing "Rhapsody on a theme by Paganini on July 21 at 8 p.m.

On July 30 at 7:40 p.m. Maestro Conlon will conduct the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in a concert version of Puccini's "Tosca," sung by Patricia Racette in the title role and Bryn Terfel as the evil Scarpia.

Well-known cellist Yo-Yo Ma will play Tchaikovsky's "Andante Cantabile" and "Variations on a Rococo Theme" with Conlon on August 8 at 8 p.m.

The 5 Browns, siblings and Juilliard graduates will play various keyboard works and will present "The Edge of the World" for five pianos and orchestra by Nico Muhly. This is a world premier and a Ravinia commission.

Finally, on August 18 and 19 at 7:30 p.m., the orchestra, under the conductor Ludwig Wicki, will play Howard Shore's score for "Lord of the Rings - Fellowship of the Ring."

A special display featuring music being performed this season at Ravinia will be in the Audiovisual Room.