“When then-composer-in-residence Augusta Read Thomas launched the Chicago Symphony’s MusicNOW contemporary music series in 1997, her goal was to expose Chicago audiences to as diverse an array of works by living classical composers as possible,” writes John von Rhein in Tuesday’s (10/4) Chicago Tribune. “It’s a goal every resident composer who preceded and succeeded her has also kept firmly in his or her sights. And the series has successfully evolved because of it … No greater proof of that was the large, enthusiastic crowd that turned out to celebrate the 20th anniversary of MusicNOW Monday night at … a concert curated by the current Mead resident composers, Samuel Adams and Elizabeth Ogonek…. Crucial, too, has been the consistently high level of performances by orchestra members and guest musicians under MusicNOW principal conductor Cliff Colnot and numerous others … Nearly 30 world premieres have come into the world as a result. MusicNOW is here to stay, and bravi to all, especially the musicians and composers, who have brought it to this historic juncture.” The article discusses the October 2 concert, which included “representative works by all seven composers who held CSO residencies … John Corigliano, Shulamit Ran, Thomas, Osvaldo Golijov, Mark-Anthony Turnage, Mason Bates and Anna Clyne.”
Posted October 6, 2017
