Orchestra
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
- From
- Chicago, United States
- Since
- 1891–present
- Releases
- 590
- classical
- orchestral
About
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in the Loop community area of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded by Theodore Thomas in 1891, the ensemble has been based in the Symphony Center since 1904 and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival. It is one of the American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five".
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The orchestra's most recent music director is Riccardo Muti, whose tenure spanned the seasons from 2010 to 2023, and he continues to perform on occasion as director-emeritus. In 2024, Klaus Mäkelä was named music director-designate, with his first contractual season to begin in 2027.
Members
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Richard Graef flute
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Jim Ross percussion
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Gregory Smith clarinet
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Charles Vernon trombone
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Gene Pokorny tuba
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Lawrence Neuman viola
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William Buchman bassoon
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Oto Carrillo horn
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Jennifer Gunn piccolo
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Kenneth Olsen cello
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Cynthia Yeh percussion, principal
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Stephanie Jeong violin
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Alexander Hanna double bass
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Gina Dibello violin
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Emma Gerstein flute
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Esteban Batallán trumpet
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Lawrie Bloom clarinet
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Robert Chen violin
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Rebecca Cole violin
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Donald Moline cello
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Brant Taylor cello
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John Weicher violin
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Yuan-Qing Yu violin
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Karina Canellakis violin
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Charles Clark double bass
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Franklyn D’Antonio violin
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Michael Krasnopolsky double bass
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Philip Smith trumpet
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Hans Letz violin
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Edward Kleinhammer bass trombone
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Arnold Jacobs principal, tuba
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Wilbur Simpson bassoon, contrabassoon
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Adolph Herseth principal, trumpet
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János Starker cello
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Ray Still oboe, principal
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György Bánhalmi piano
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Edward Druzinsky harp, principal
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Donald Peck flute, principal
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Frank Kaderabek additional, principal, trumpet
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Samuel Magad violin
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Philip Farkas French horn
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Richard Kanter oboe
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Joseph Guastafeste double bass
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Richard Oldberg horn
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Leonore Glazer cello
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Willard Somers Elliot bassoon, principal
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Charles Geyer trumpet
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Dale Clevenger horn, principal
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Eric Wicks violin
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Thomas Howell horn
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Norman Schweikert horn
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Louise Dixon flute
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Jennie Wagner violin
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Fox Fehling violin
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Paul Phillips violin
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Rubén González violin
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Bruce Grainger bassoon
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Sarah Bullen harp, principal
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Mathieu Dufour flute, principal
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Matthew Strauss percussion
Discography
Albums
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Schoenberg: 5 Pieces for Orchestra, op. 16 / Bartok: Music for Stringed Instruments, Percussion and Celesta
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Concerto for Orchestra
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Concerto no. 2
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Hovhaness: Mysterious Mountain / Prokofiev: Lieutenant Kije Suite / Stravinsky: The Fairy's Kiss Divertimento
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Violin Concerto
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Pictures at an Exhibition
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New World Symphony
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Debussy: Iberia - Ravel: Alborado Del Gracioso / Valses Nobles Et Sentimentales
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Violin Concerto
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Symphony no. 4, op. 60 / Symphony no. 5, op. 67
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Symphony no. 5 / Coriolan Overture
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Scheherazade
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Piano Concerto no. 2
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Pines of Rome / Fountains of Rome
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Reiner Conducts Wagner
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Symphony no. 4
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Symphonie espagnole
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Symphony no. 8 "Unfinished" / Symphony no. 5
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Prokofieff: Concerto no. 3 / MacDowell: Concerto no. 2
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Paganini: Concerto No.1 In D/Saint-Saëns: Introduction And Rondo Capriccioso
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Overtures
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Varèse: Arcana / Martin: Concerto for Seven Wind Instruments, Timpani, Percussion and String Orchestra
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Bizet: L’Arlésienne Suites 1 and 2 / Lalo: Overture to Le Roy d’Ys / Massenet: Meditation From Thaïs
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Clarinet Concertos Nos. 1 And 2
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Piano Concerto in A minor, op. 54 / Novelettes, op. 21, nos. 1 and 2
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Piano Concerto Op. 42 / Piano Pieces Op. 23 / Fantasy For Violin And Piano Op. 47
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Rimsky-Korsakoff: Symphony no. 2 "Antar" / Miaskovsky: Symphony no. 21
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Martinon: Symphonie No. 4 "Altitudes" / Mennin: Symphonie No. 7 "Variation-Symphony"
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The Rite of Spring / Fireworks
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4. Sinfonie, e-moll, op. 98
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Symphonie Nr. 6 a-Moll
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Symphony no. 6 “Pastoral”
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Symphony no. 5 in C-sharp minor / Songs From "Des Knaben Wunderhorn"
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Symphony no. 6 in A minor / Lieder Eines Fahrenden Gesellen
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Symphony no. 5
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Cello Concerto, Op. 104 / Waldesruhe, Op. 68 No. 5
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Bizet: Symphonie Nr.1 / Mendelssohn: Ein Sommernachtstraum
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Symphony no. 1
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Symphony no. 7
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Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 4
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The Five Piano Concertos
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Klavierkonzert Nr.4 G-Dur / Leonoren-Overtüre Nr. 3
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Symphonie no. 8
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Symphony no. 4 in G major
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Symphonie N° 3 "Avec Orgue"
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Symphony no. 3 in E-flat major "Eroica", op. 55
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Symphony no. 3 in D minor
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Mussorgsky: Bilder einer Ausstellung / Prokofieff: Symphonie Classique
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Requiem
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Symphonie nr. 2 / Konzertstück, op. 86
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Violin Concerto
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Violinkonzert
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Sinfonie Nr. 9
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Symphony no.9 "From the New World"
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Symphonie Nr. 9
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Symphonie nr. 3 / Manfred Ouvertüre
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Le Sacre du printemps
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Symphonie nr. 9
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Lieutenant Kijé / Scythian Suite
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Symphony No. 4
Singles
Live
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Mascagni: Cavalleria rusticana
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Anthology of Fantastic Zoology
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Suite from Romeo and Juliet
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Brahms: Double Concerto / Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto
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Concertos Nos. 2 & 3
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Mahler 2
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Mahler 6
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Symphony No. 4
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Symphony no. 3
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Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
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"Emperor" Concerto / Piano Sonata op. 110
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Symphony no. 5
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Piano Concertos nos. 4 & 5 "Emperor"
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Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique / Liszt: Les Préludes
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La Mer / Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune / Nocturnes
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Mass in B Minor, BWV 232
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Schmidt: Symphony no. 3 / Hindemith: Concerto for Orchestra
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Otello
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Symphony no. 5
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Symphony no. 1
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Symphony no. 2
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Piano Concertos 3 & 4
Compilations
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Michael Tilson Thomas Conducts Ives
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Concerto for Orchestra / Music for Strings Percussion & Celesta
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Dvorak: Cello Concerto / Silent Woods / Elgar: Cello Concerto / Sea Pictures
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Symphonies Nos.2 & 9
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Symphonies / Fidelio & Coriolan Overtures
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8 Legendary Recordings on 4 CDs
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The Complete Recordings
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Abbado Chicago Symphony Orchestra
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The Complete RCA Recordings
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The Complete Chicago Symphony Orchestra Recordings
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Solti At The Ballet
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Byron Janis: The RCA Recordings 1950-1959
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The Complete Recordings
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Bartók: Concerto pour orchestre / Stravinsky: Le Sacre du Printemps / L'Oiseau de feu
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The Complete RCA Album Collection
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Scenes from Elektra and Salome / Suite from "Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme"
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Symphonies 4, 5 & 6 "Pathétique"
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R. Strauss / Mahler / Schoenberg
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Violin Concertos
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Giulini in America: Chicago Symphony Orchestra
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10 Symphonies
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James Levine conducts Brahms
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Claudio Abbado Conducts Tchaikovsky
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Strauss: Ein Heldenleben / Webern: Im Sommerwind
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Valses Célèbres / Ouvertures / Les Hébrides
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Gershwin: Cuban Overture / Bernstein: Symphonic Dance from West Side Story
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"1812" Overture / Polovtsian Dances / Romeo and Juliet / Russian Eaaster Overture / Night on Bald Mountain
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The Symphonies
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Mussorgsky / Ravel: Pictures at an Exhibition / Igor Stravinsky: Le Sacre du Printemps
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Symphony no. 13 'Babi Yar' / Symphony no. 15 / Mussorgsky: Songs and Dances of Death / 'Khovashchina' Prelude
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Prokofiev: Alexandr Nevski / Suite escita / El teniente Kijé / Shostakovich: Suite de jazz n.º 2 / Concierto n.º 1 para piano
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Concerto for Orchestra / Dance Suite / Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta
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Musorgski: Cuadros de una exposición / Rimski-Korsakov: Scheherazade
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The Piano Concertos
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Claudio Arrau
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Piano Sonatas 1-3 / String Quartets 1-3 / Fantasia Concertante / Double Concerto / Concerto For Orchestra / Triple Concerto / 4 Symphonies / Ritual Dances
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Scheherazade • Russian Easter Overture
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Symphony No.4 / Tragic Overture / Variations on a Theme by Haydn
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The Chicago Years
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The Complete Symphonies
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Symphony no. 9 / Lieder
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Don Quixote / Don Juan
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Rimsky‐Korsakov: Sheherazade / Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition
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Le sacre du printemps / Firebird
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Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto in D major / Sibelius: Violin Concerto in D minor
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The Orchestral Masterpieces
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The Six Symphonies
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Symphonies nos. 7 & 9 “From the New World”
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Rapsodie Espagnole / Mother Goose / Alborada Del Gracioso / Daphnis et Chloe, Suite No. 2
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Prokofiev: Alexander Nevsky / Khachaturian: Violin Concerto
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Mahler: Symphonie no. 9 / Schubert: Symphonie no. 8
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Symphonies no. 5 / Symphony no. 7 / Coriolan Overture, op. 62 / Fidelio Overture, op. 72b
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Ouvertüren & Orchesterszenen
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Beethoven: Symphony no. 6 / Schubert: Symphony no. 4
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Dvořák: Symphony No. 8 / Mussorgksy/Ravel: Pictures at an Exhibition
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Favourite Overtures
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Bartók: The Miraculous Mandarin, Suite / Kodály: Peacock Variations / Hindemith: Symphonic Metamorphosis / Schoenberg: Five Pieces, op. 16
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The Tchaikovsky Album Apple Music
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Mozart: Symphony no. 38 / Dvořák: From the New World
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The Five Piano Concertos
Links
Composer-in-residence
Conductor position
- Theodore Thomas
- Arthur Mees
- Frederick Stock
- Frederick Stock
- Eric DeLamarter
- Jacques Gordon
- Eric DeLamarter
- Hans Lange
- Hans Lange
- Désiré Defauw
- Artur Rodziński
- Tauno Hannikainen
- Tauno Hannikainen
- George Schick
- Rafael Kubelík
- George Schick
- Fritz Reiner
- Walter Hendl
- Fritz Reiner
- Jean Martinon
- Irwin Hoffman
- Irwin Hoffman
- Irwin Hoffman
- Irwin Hoffman
- Carlo Maria Giulini
- Sir Georg Solti
- Henry Mazer
- Claudio Abbado
- Kenneth Jean
- Michael Morgan
- Daniel Barenboim
- William Eddins
- Yaron Traub
- Pierre Boulez
- William Eddins
- Yaron Traub
- William Eddins
- Bernard Haitink
- Pierre Boulez
- Riccardo Muti
- Edward Gardner
Also known as
CSO · Orchestre symphonique de chicago · The Sinfonia Orchestra of Chicago · シカゴ交響楽団
Tags
- orchestra
- suboptimal credits
- symphony orchestra
Identifiers
- MusicBrainz
- 509c772e-1164-4457-8d09-0553cfa77d64
- ISNI
- 0000000121870097
Data from MusicBrainz, saved 8 Nov 2026. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, covers from the Cover Art Archive and Apple Music.