Forum members who have actually met face-to-face

[Catison]

Yeah, me! Please get in touch. Why are you moving here, just when the bad weather is about to start?

My job is moving me for an assignment.  My family will be coming later, hence why I am looking for some fun things to do on the weekends.

I love the Art Institute.  I used to go there sometimes while I was a grad student in Madison.  It should be fun!

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

My job is moving me for an assignment.  My family will be coming later, hence why I am looking for some fun things to do on the weekends.

Sounds good, please let me know when you hit town. There's lots of fun stuff to do here on the weekends!

Sadly this year's CSO schedule is boringly conservative (I blame Muti), but there are plenty of more innovative concerts if you know where to look.

I love the Art Institute.  I used to go there sometimes while I was a grad student in Madison.  It should be fun!

I was just in Madison a couple of weeks ago and loved it. We were doing a tour of the "Driftless Area" for a few days.

[Karl Henning]

Cheers, Brett!

[Mirror Image]

Sadly this year's CSO schedule is boringly conservative (I blame Muti), but there are plenty of more innovative concerts if you know where to look.

Not to go off on a tangent, but I never understood the appointment of Muti to begin with. The CSO are a world-renowned orchestra and demand a conductor who has interesting ideas about programs and who has more versatility.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Not to go off on a tangent, but I never understood the appointment of Muti to begin with. The CSO are a world-renowned orchestra and demand a conductor who has interesting ideas about programs and who has more versatility.

He's a big name, and the players like him; those were two points in his favor.

I have nothing against his conducting skills, but programming was a lot more interesting during the Barenboim-Boulez regime. That said, they do get guest conductors who do interesting things from time to time.

If you want "a conductor who has interesting ideas about programs and who has more versatility" in Chicago, Carlos Kalmar at the Grant Park Festival fits the bill nicely.

[Mirror Image]

He's a big name, and the players like him; those were two points in his favor.

I have nothing against his conducting skills, but programming was a lot more interesting during the Barenboim-Boulez regime. That said, they do get guest conductors who do interesting things from time to time.

If you want "a conductor who has interesting ideas about programs and who has more versatility" in Chicago, Carlos Kalmar at the Grant Park Festival fits the bill nicely.

Yes, those Barenboim-Boulez years were some of the more creative in the orchestra's history I would imagine. Another thing about the CSO is I hear less and less about them and this mainly due to the lack of recordings and not their own stature as a world-renown orchestra. Since the launch of their own label, I haven't seen a whole lot of recordings. As someone who can't go on a whim and fly up to Chicago and who doesn't live nearby, this is really my only source of information as to what they've been up to. I've heard good things about Kalmar. I'd love to be able to see one of his concerts.

[TheGSMoeller]

Carlos Kalmar at the Grant Park Festival fits the bill nicely.

Absolutely, and the GPO cram a bunch of great programs into a barely 2 month schedule.

[Senta]

Brett - you will be missed here!! Had wondered if you would be going to any of the Adams birthday HSO stuff or HGO Nixon in China (particularly looking forward to). Was great fun attending concerts with you guys!

We've been considering a getaway to Chicago..looking at CSO schedule may think harder about it in March now:
http://cso.org/ticketsandevents/production-details-2016-17/chicago-symphony-orchestra/salonen-and-yo-yo-ma/

Would be cool to meet up with anyone if we do go...we'll see!

[Karl Henning]

Yoo-hoo, Senta!

[jochanaan]

So there are forum members who have met face-to-face in a brothel?

Karl, I'd swear (if I did swear) that your wit qualifies as BDSM!

[Senta]

Okay well, just took the plunge - we will be seeing CSO March 7th and 9th.

Last time I was in Chicago was 15 years ago and it was only for a weekend so will be wonderful to go back...I can already taste the pizza..

Not sure of exact fly-in and out dates etc yet - look forward to perhaps seeing others and fitting in museum visits and such while there!

[Catison]

Brett - you will be missed here!! Had wondered if you would be going to any of the Adams birthday HSO stuff or HGO Nixon in China (particularly looking forward to). Was great fun attending concerts with you guys!

We've been considering a getaway to Chicago..looking at CSO schedule may think harder about it in March now:
http://cso.org/ticketsandevents/production-details-2016-17/chicago-symphony-orchestra/salonen-and-yo-yo-ma/

Would be cool to meet up with anyone if we do go...we'll see!

Heather is staying behind with the girls for a little while, and my company is paying for trips back twice a month.  So I may try to get some days home so that we can go to the Adams concerts.

Are you going to the St. Lawrence String Quartet concert on Friday?  I would love to go but I am not sure if I can get the time.

[MishaK]

For those that might be interested, I am moving to Chicago next month.  Anyone in the area that would like to give me a tour of the museums and/or a concert?

Welcome to Chicago. I'd likewise be interested in meeting up.

[MishaK]

Yes, those Barenboim-Boulez years were some of the more creative in the orchestra's history I would imagine. Another thing about the CSO is I hear less and less about them and this mainly due to the lack of recordings and not their own stature as a world-renown orchestra. Since the launch of their own label, I haven't seen a whole lot of recordings. As someone who can't go on a whim and fly up to Chicago and who doesn't live nearby, this is really my only source of information as to what they've been up to. I've heard good things about Kalmar. I'd love to be able to see one of his concerts.

The dearth of recordings notwithstanding, you can catch the weekly broadcasts of subscription concerts every Sunday at 1pm on wfmt.com and for a few weeks thereafter on demand at http://csosoundsandstories.org/category/cso-radio/

The Grant Park concerts with Kalmar are also broadcast on WFMT so you can catch them on wfmt.com as well.

[Senta]

Heather is staying behind with the girls for a little while, and my company is paying for trips back twice a month.  So I may try to get some days home so that we can go to the Adams concerts.

Are you going to the St. Lawrence String Quartet concert on Friday?  I would love to go but I am not sure if I can get the time.

Really wish I could go Friday but my parents are coming into town so we have some things planned.

But between Houston and Chicago, all five of our first 2017 concerts will all include Adams

Do let me know if you end up coming in any of those weekends, would love to meetup!

[Karl Henning]

Really wish I could go Friday but my parents are coming into town so we have some things planned.

But between Houston and Chicago, all five of our first 2017 concerts will all include Adams

Thanks for taking one five for the team!  0:)

[Ken B]

Thanks for taking one five for the team!  0:)

*chortle*

Or at least I think it's "chortle". I might be paraphrasing.

[vandermolen]

It was with the greatest pleasure that I had a visit from Johan ('Christo') yesterday who made a four hour round trip to my house in Sussex - he is over in the UK with his family. Unfortunately the weather was appalling so we couldn't go for my planned 'Winnie-the-Pooh' themed walk on Ashdown Forest, where the book was set (A.A.Milne lived nearby) but we had a nice lunch in a remote Sussex pub called 'The Hatch' and then we came back to the house for tea, biscuits and an extended discussion on CDs (my collection of Dutch composers including the CPO Andriessen cycle has grown enormously thanks to Johan's generosity). We had met before in Leiden when my daughter was 'studying' there for a year, together with the other great Dutch Havergal Brian fanatic Johan H - a wonderful memory in c.2010 I guess. Fortunately my wife was not in the house to witness all the CDs coming in but she got home in time to see Johan which was nice as she was also the recipient of his generosity in Leiden. We did get members of the public to take some commemorative photos but I suspect that Johan is likely to be more successful in posting them than I am as I'm computer illiterate and am often instructed that my photos are too large format to post. It was a great day and Johan seemed in very good form. 

[Karl Henning]

Splendid!

[vandermolen]

Splendid!

Thank you Karl
It was a very nice day despite the appalling English weather.