The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is undeniably on an upswing this year. This year marks the second season of new music director Riccardo Muti’s tenure with the group, and it has been considerably smoother sailing than it was during the first season. Not only is Maestro Muti settling in with the orchestra, the orchestra is settling in with the Maestro, and the blend has been producing raves from musicians and audience members alike. The CSO wrapped up their California tour to the sweet strains of enthusiastic reviews, and, as if a week and change of sunshine and warm weather were not gifts enough to the happy union, Muti and his band are returned to Chicago to find a really fantastic bonus.
Last week the Robert R. McCormick Foundation announced that it was endowing the Chicago Symphony Orchestra with a gift of $1 million. In an economic environment that can be most kindly described as “inhospitable,” it is hardly possible to overstate the importance of a gift of such magnitude for any symphonic organization. The gift was awarded to the CSO for its burgeoning community engagement efforts, many of which are brainchildren of Maestro Muti and new creative director Yo-Yo Ma. The pair have teamed together with the orchestra to create the buzzed-about Citizen Musician initiative, housed under the Chicago Symphony’s Institute for Learning Access and Training and overseen by Ma.
The Citizen Musician initiative is the CSO’s latest addition to its community outreach programs, and it focuses on the role of the musician in the community with special emphasis on how the musician can affect the lives of individuals and communities for the better. This is a mission that the Chicago Symphony is also applying to itself as a corporate entity. Says CSO president Deborah F. Rutter: “The generous support of the Robert R. McCormick Foundation will allow the Chicago Symphony Orchestra to enhance its identity and presence as a responsive and responsible citizen of the Chicago community. We are grateful to the McCormick Foundation for their shared dedication to this mission.”
The Citizen Musician program extends the role of the orchestra and the individuals associated with it by making the role of the musician more than just a purveyor of fine music. In an age in which symphonic organizations the world over–and classical organizations in general–are struggling to reconcile tradition with contemporary social relevance, this program is a great example. The Chicago Symphony has over a hundred years of venerable history on its side; it hardly needs to push itself to retain a top spot on the list of big-name orchestras. It’s an institution and is not hurting for a following. However, it is one of the few symphonies in the United States that is not currently fearing for its livelihood. Programs like the Citizen Musician initiative are most likely to ensure that the CSO will never find themselves in such danger, because they make music–and musicians–matter in ways that go beyond the concert hall.
No comments yet.