The Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) will mark its 40th season with a special Leonard Bernstein series for 2017-18.
Each of the five concerts will celebrate the famed composer as IPO marks the 100th anniversary of his birth.
Concerts are set for Oct. 14, Nov. 18, Feb. 10, March 10 and April 14 with a special holiday concert on Dec. 16. All performances will be at IPO’s new venue, the Ozinga Chapel on the campus of Trinity Christian College, 6601 W. College Dr. in Palos Heights. For an additional charge, subscribers also can travel from Flossmoor by shuttle bus to each concert.
The season’s opening concert features Beethoven’s “Triple Concerto.” Bernstein served as pianist when he conducted the work with the New York Philharmonic. The orchestra will also perform Mendelssohn’s “Symphony No. 5.”
The Nov. 18 concert will have David Schrader as soloist performing on the Ozinga Chapel’s pipe organ for “Symphony for Organ and Orchestra” by Copland. The second half of the performance will be Shostakovich’s “Symphony No. 5,” a signature work for Bernstein.
On Feb. 10 the all-Beethoven program will include “Piano Concerto No. 1” and “Symphony No. 7” which was the last piece Bernstein conducted with the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
“Symphonic Dances” from Bernstein’s “West Side Story” will be featured on March 10. In addition, the orchestra will perform “Symphony No. 2” by Sibelius.
The season finale on April 14 will include selections from Mahler and Tchaikovsky’s “Symphony No. 5.”
The holiday performance on Dec. 16 will include the best holiday movie music, including works such as “White Christmas,” “The Polar Express” “The Grinch” and other favorites.
Subscriptions for the series are on sale now. A concert series brochure is available by calling 708-481-7774 or visiting www.ipomusic.org.
Single ticket sales will begin in late summer.