In Friday’s (11/6) Chicago Maroon, student newspaper of the University of Chicago, Hannah Edgar reviews the Chicago Sinfonietta’s first program of the season, a Día de los Muertos-themed concert. “The buttoned-down, predominantly white mass that so often frequents Symphony Center was diffracted into a rainbow of faces—young, old, black, white, brown, sneakered, bow-tied, and everyone in between. Even Grainger Ballroom itself was splashed with color, strewn with festive decorations and activity stations … All this was centered around an interactive offering table, upon which patrons could pin the names of deceased loved ones during intermission.… The Chicago Sinfonietta [is] vibrant, laid-back, and intrepid all at once … committed to … increase the visibility of nonwhite musicians and composers.” Guest conductor Andrés Franco led works including Barber’s Adagio for Strings, movements from Fauré’s Requiem, José Pablo Moncayo’s Huapango, Ofrendas by Elbio Barilari and Three Latin American Dances for Orchestra by Gabriela Lena Frank. “Commissioned by the Sinfonietta for the concert, Ofrendas is an evocative triptych of motifs associated with Día de los Muertos.… The Chicago Sinfonietta is a resounding voice in the classical music world, insisting that yes, diversity is important. As Monday’s concert affirmed, there is much to celebrate, but also much to be done.”
Posted November 9, 2015
