American Classical Music Hall of Fame

 The Chicago Symphony Orchestra began in 1891 under Theodore Thomas.  It is one of today's leading orchestras and has performed in many of the music capitals of the world.  The Chicago Symphony Orchestra has earned 62 Grammy Awards.

Georg Solti (1912-1997) was a Hungarian-British orchestral and operatic composer.  He has received 31 Grammy Awards as conductor and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.  He is best known for leading the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from 1969-91.  He is one of the leading conductors in the second half of the 20th century.

John Corigliano (1938-     ) has received the Pulitzer Prize in Music in 2001 for his Symphony No. 2; the Academy Award for his score to the 1999 film The Red Violin, four Grammy awards (including 3 for Best Contemporary Composition) and the Grawemeyer Award for his Symphony No. 1.  Some notable works are seven Concerti, three Symphonies, and his 1991 opera The Ghosts of Versailles (commissioned by The Metropolitan Opera).  He is a member of the American academy of Arts and Letters and serves on the faculty of the Julliard school.

Gregor Piatigorsky (1903-1976) was born on April 17, 1903 in Ekaterinoslav, Ukraine.  He began playing the cello at the age of seven.  By the age of 15, he was principal cellist of the Bolshoi Opera Orchestra and a member of the "Beethoven String Quartet."

After playing in the Warsaw Philharmonic and Berlin Philharmonic, he traveled throughout the world playing solo cello.  He collaborated with Igor Stravinsky, sergei Prokofiev, Paul Hindemith and William Walton.  He was the cellist in the "Million Dollar Trio" which included violinist Jascha Heifetz and pianist Arthur Rubinstein.

Chorus America is the advocacy, research, and leadership development organization that advances the choral field.

Charles Wadsworth performs with his "Charles Wadsworth and Friends" programs.  He founded the chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in 1969 and brought chamber music international popularity.    Mr. Wadsworth instituted the Society's commissioning program which included works from Boulez, Barber, Menotti, Bolcom, Corigliano, Lieberson, berio, Foss, Crumb, Corea, Harbison and Bernstein.

He was the piano collaborator for Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Hermann Prey, Shirley Verrett, Frederica von stade, Kathleen Battle, Jessye Norman and Beverly Sills.