Chicago Philharmonic 2018-2019

20 FALL 2018 | THE CHICAGO PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY 2018 2019 SEASON: CONCERT FOR PEACE Paderewski Symphony Orchestra and Chorus e Polish-American Symphony Orchestra debuted at the auditorium of the Washington Public Library in October 1995 with a concert featuring Polish and American music (Moniuszko, Copland) and was received with great enthusiasm by a multi-ethnic public. In 1999 the orchestra was named a er one of the greatest artists who served both the Polish and American nations: Ignacy Jan Paderewski – a pianist, composer, diplomat, and the rst Prime Minister of a reborn Poland in 1919. Since then, PaSO has been serving the 1 million strong Polish Community in Chicago for 20 years. During this time, thanks to the support of the Polish-American and American communities, the organization has gone froma small chamber ensemble to a large cultural organization with permanent sta , over 40 volunteers, its own choir and an Academy of Music for children and youth. It organizes events involving over 250 artists, and performances in Chicago's most illustrious concert halls – including the Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center, the Rosemont eater, Harris eater and Millennium Park. e audience it reaches has grown from barely 400 in 1995, to over 16,000 in its record 2009-2010 season. Over the years the orchestra has performed 246 symphony and chamber music concerts for over 250,000 listeners. Its average season consists of 6-9 programs featuring di erent kinds of music: from chamber to big symphony orchestra, from early to contemporary pieces, including Polish, American and World music. e goal of the Paderewski Symphony Orchestra is to enrich the cultural landscape of Chicago and over the years, their e orts and accomplishments have been noticed. Barbara Bilszta, PaSO's Executive Director, has been recognized by the State of Illinois with the Outstanding Public Service Award for “bringing Polish music to Illinois.” e orchestra has received such awards as the Cook County Treasurer Certi cate of Excellence for outstanding dedication and lasting contributions to the Polish Community; State of Illinois Treasurer's Outstanding Public Service Award; Silver Gloria Artis recognition from the Ministry of Cultural A airs of the Republic of Poland; Annual Heritage Award “Charisma” from the CITIBANK; and the Copernican Award. Barbara Bilszta currently serves as the organization's General Director and Wojciech Niewrzol as the Music Director. Jesse Donner, tenor , is rapidly emerging on the operatic and concert stage with a voice that is “vibrant” ( Chicago Classical Review ), and “fresh and juicy” ( Chicago Tribune ). Donner holds a bachelor’s degrees from Iowa State University and a master’s degree from the University of Michigan, where he was seen in Ariadne auf Naxos, Der Kaiser von Atlantis and L’incoronazione di Poppea . e Des Moines, Iowa native received the coveted 2015 Men’s Voice Fellowship from the Luminarts Cultural Foundation and the Bel Canto grand prize, received the 2014 George Shirley Award for Opera Performance, a Special Encouragement Award from the 2014 Metropolitan Opera National Council Regional Auditions, and First Place in the 2012 Michigan Friends of Opera Competition. At Lyric Opera, Jesse Donner has appeared in Capriccio (Diener), Tannhäuser (Walther), Nabucco (Abdallo) and Der Rosenkavalier (Kellner). He also covered the lead tenor roles of General Alfredo in the world premiere of Bel Canto , Ismaele in Nabucco , and the Drum Major in Wozzeck . He was also featured in the Harris eater’s “Beyond the Aria” 2015-2016 series with soprano Christine Brewer and mezzo-soprano Annie Rosen. In the 2016-17 season he was heard in Lyric’s productions of Das Rheingold, Die Zauber öte and Norma . Other performing credits include his debut with Opera in the Ozarks as Pinkerton in Madama Butter y , as a tenor soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with Adrian Symphony, and with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago in both Mozart’s Great Mass in C Minor and Poulenc’s Les mamelles de Tiresias . Other concert appearances include with the Grant Park Orchestra, the Toledo Symphony, and University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra. Kurt Link, bass , is a winner of theMetropolitan Opera, Liederkranz, Opera Index and Sullivan competitions, and has earned a reputation as one of America’s nest basses. He has performed major roles with companies such as the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, La Monnaie, Santa Fe Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Washington Opera, Dublin Grand Opera, Canadian Opera Company, Florida Grand Opera, Atlanta Opera, New Israeli Opera, the opera companies of Portland, Minnesota, Michigan, St. Louis, Utah, Edmonton and the opera festivals of Chautauqua, Wexford (Ireland), Hong Kong, Wolf Trap, Glimmerglass and Spoleto (USA and Italy). Recent seasons include Turandot (Opera Birmingham), Don Giovanni (Arizona Opera), I Capuletti et I Montecchi and Il Barbiere di Siviglia with the Florentine Opera, Lucia di Lammermoor (Utah Symphony Orchestra & Opera), Roméo et Juliette (Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center), La Traviata (El Paso Opera), and with the Metropolitan Opera for War and Peace , e Gambler and Macbeth . In concert, recent engagements include Verdi’s Requiem with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra and at the National Cathedral in Washington, Beethoven’s 9 th Symphony with the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Kansas City Symphony and the Japan Symphony, Mozart’s Requiem in Vienna, Munich, Budapest and Prague with the Dallas Symphony Chorus, and the bass soloist in Dvorak’s Stabat Mater with the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal. Widely acclaimed in symphonic works, Mr. Link o en performs e Creation, St. Matthew Passion (BWV 244), Missa Solemnis , the Requiem Masses of Verdi, Mozart and Fauré, J.S. Bach’s Mass in B minor (BWV 232), Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 and many other works with Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Montreal, Tokyo, Baltimore, Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Florida, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra, Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Charleston, Phoenix, Jacksonville, Aspen, San Antonio, and Milwaukee.