7/8 – Concert Recap

This Tuesday, Rush Hour was delighted to welcome distinguished performers Sandra Morgan, flute, Robert Morgan, oboe, and David Schrader, harpsichord, in their striking renderings of the works of J.S. and C.P.E. Bach. Beginning with the elegantly tempered Sonata in G Minor by Johann Sebastian and ending with the lively Sonata in G Major by Carl Philipp Emmanuel, the Rush Hour audience observed the similarities and differences of the works of father and son.

The Rush Hour audience was able to take these observations home with them today In-A-Flash. In only a few moments following the performance, dozens of concertgoers held the Rush Hour experience in the palms of their hands in a flash drive loaded with the concert and an exclusive pre-concert interview with the performers and Artistic Director Deborah Sobol.

Oboist Robert Morgan and flutist Sandra Morgan greet audience members at the pre-concert reception

Oboist Robert Morgan and harpsichordist David Schrader rehearse before their performance

Artistic Director Deborah Sobol smiles with Rush Hour supporters Janet and Emory Williams before Tuesday’s performance

Nearly 450 music lovers filled the Cathedral to hear Tuesday’s performance

Audience members gather around the In-A-Flash table for a flash drive loaded with the concert and an interview with the performers

7/1 – Concert Recap

This week, Rush Hour audiences joined acclaimed clarinetist Larry Combs and the finalists of the Chicago Poetry Out Loud National Recitation Competition in an exercise on interpretation in Impromptu Interplay: Improvisations on Poetry. The reciters read the works of a variety of noted poets including Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes, W.H. Auden, and Pablo Neruda while Combs improvised a spontaneous musical accompaniment to the readings.

We would like to express our appreciation to the Poetry Foundation for making this unique collaboration possible and inviting Rush Hour audiences to experience an innovative approach to hearing classic poetry.

The performers sit with Stephen Young of the Poetry Foundation and Artistic Director Deborah Sobol in the recording of Rush Hour Conversations.

Tasty refreshments and Poetry Out Loud magnets await the audience members’ arrival

Artistic Director Deborah Sobol and reciter Ariela Rotenberg smile after the performance

Performers Ariela Rotenberg, Heidy Alvarado, Larry Combs, Iyeokan Ativie, Kimmy Steele, and Mark Schmidt gather after the performance

6/24 – Concert Recap

This week, the Rush Hour audience accompanied violinist Bernard Zinck and guitarist Rene Izquierdo on a musical exploration of the tango, starting with the sultry Bordel 1900 of Astor Piazzolla’s History of Tango and ending with the lively Polo of Manuel de Falla’s Canciónes Populaires Españolas.

Audience members began their journey through Argentine culture in the pre-concert reception, which featured delicious empanadas and cookies. We extend a sincere thank you to El Mercado restaurant for helping to provide the food in our pre-concert reception, making the concert event an authentic and complete Argentine experience!

Play the video below for comments from audience members about Rush Hour and Tuesday’s concert:

Artistic Director Deborah Sobol interviews violinist Bernard Zinck and guitarist Rene Izquierdo for the “Rush Hour Conversations” podcast

Executive Director Megan Balderston smiles with friend Aja Gohram at the pre-concert reception

Volunteers Peggy and Max help prepare the empanadas and cookies before the doors open

Audience members begin to fill the cathedral before the performance

6/17 – Concert Recap

Rush Hour was delighted to welcome members of Fifth House Ensemble on Tuesday for A Composer’s Fire Rekindled: Johannes Brahms Clarinet Trio, Op. 114. Clarinetist Jennifer Woodrum prefaced the ensemble’s performance with a heartfelt talk on her appreciation of Brahms’ trio and her approach to the complexities and subtleties of chamber music. She was joined by cellist Herine Coetzee and pianist Adam Marks for an exquisite rendering of Brahms’ classic work.

Audience members, the artists, and members of the Fanfare Committee enjoyed hot dog flights, refreshing drinks, and stimulating conversation at the post-concert happy hour at nearby Jake Melnick’s Corner Tap.

Play the video below for comments from audience members about Tuesday’s concert:

Members of Fifth House Ensemble in rehearsal

Intern Ian Ford awaits the audience members’ arrival

Clarinetist Jennifer Woodrum speaks to an audience member at the pre-concert reception

Artistic Director Deborah Sobol interviews the performers for the “Rush Hour Conversations” podcast series

Fanfare Committee members and friends gather at Jake Melnick’s Corner Tap after the concert

6/10 – Concert Recap

We were pleased to welcome the Chamber Singers of the Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum on Tuesday. The Chamber Singers specialize in performances of Renaissance music, and the Rush Hour audience reveled in a stunning program of a cappella works by Renaissance masters Guillaume Du Fay and Josquin Desprez, among others.

We wish to extend special thanks to the Consulate General of France in Chicago for their support of Tuesday’s concert event.

Play the video below for comments from audience members about Tuesday’s concert:

Click here to listen to our latest installment of Rush Hour Conversations with conductor Matthew Hall and four members of the Chamber Singers.

The Chamber Singers in rehearsal

Student conductor Matthew Hall warms up the group before the performance

Members of the Chamber Singers enjoy tasty refreshments provided by the Consulate General of France at the pre-concert reception

Fanfare Committee member Travis Stalcup and friends enjoy the pre-concert reception

Fanfare Committee members Ashley Lapin and Charles Cooney sell Rush Hour umbrellas, t-shirts, and Chamber Singers CDs after the concert

6/3 – Concert Recap

Rush Hour’s June 3 season opener saw many brave concertgoers whose passion for music triumphed over the torrential Chicago weather. Our theme this season focuses on the role of the listener, and our intrepid attendees asserted their essential role in the concert experience despite the difficult circumstances. These music lovers were rewarded with an array of snacks, wine, Argo tea, stimulating conversation, and a Rush Hour premiere of Clancy Newman’s String Quartet (2002) by the Chicago String Quartet.

String Quartet’s dynamic performance by the Chicago String Quartet was met with an enthusiastic response from audience members, with many raves that the piece was “exciting,” “interesting,” and “really really great!”

Many thanks to the staff of St. James Cathedral, the volunteers, and the Chicago String Quartet for helping to make our first concert a success! See you next week…

The Chicago String Quartet warms up before the performance.

Students from the Kaplan Aspect English school at IIT help assemble the program booklets.

Two young concertgoers at the pre-concert reception.

Composer and cellist Clancy Newman speaks to a concert attendee after the concert.

Artistic Director Deborah Sobol smiles with RH supporter Martha Anne Yandle at the pre-concert reception.

For more pictures, please visit our Flickr photo album of Tuesday’s concert. Also, Rush Hour is pleased to present the second installment of Rush Hour Conversations with an interview of Clancy Newman. Click here to listen.