Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Background information
Birth name
Chicago Orchestra
Also known as CSO
Origin
Chicago, Illinois, United
States
Genre(s)
Classical
Occupation(s)
Symphony Orchestra
Years active
1891–present
Associated
acts
Civic Orchestra
CSO Chorus
Website
www.cso.org
Members
Music Director Designate
Riccardo Muti
Principal Conductor
Bernard Haitink
Conductor Emeritus
Pierre Boulez
Civic Orchestra Conductor
Cliff Colnot
Chorus Director
Duain Wolfe
Former members
Founder
Theodore Thomas
Notable instrument(s)
Violin
Baron von der Leyen 1715 Stradivari
Viola
Domenico Montagnana 1723
Violoncello
Braga 1731 Stradivari
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO)
is an American orchestra based in Chicago,
Illinois. It is one of the five American orches-
tras commonly referred to as the "Big
Five".[1] Founded in 1891, the Symphony
makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Chicago
and plays a summer season at the Ravinia
Festival. The music director designate is Ric-
cardo Muti, due to begin his tenure in 2010.
History
In 1891 Charles Norman Fay, a Chicago busi-
nessman, invited Theodore Thomas to estab-
lish an orchestra in Chicago. Conducted by
Theodore Thomas under the name "Chicago
Orchestra", the orchestra played its first con-
cert on October 16, 1891 at the Auditorium
Theatre. It is one of the oldest orchestras in
the United States, along with the New York
Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony Orches-
tra and the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra.
Orchestra Hall, now a component of the
Symphony Center complex, was designed by
Chicago architect Daniel H. Burnham and
completed in 1904. Maestro Thomas served
as music director for thirteen years until his
death shortly after the orchestra’s newly
built residence was dedicated on December
14, 1904. The orchestra was renamed
"Theodore Thomas Orchestra" in 1905 and
today, Orchestra Hall still has "Theodore
Thomas Orchestra Hall"
inscribed in its
façade.
In 1905, Frederick Stock became music
director, a post he held until his death in
1942. The orchestra wa