Chicago Symphony Center

Last week I attended the spectacular "Soundpost: Perception, a classical music and fashion experience" at the Chicago Symphony Center!  Daughter received a media invite from the Chicago Fashion Coalition, and I was happy to be her plus one guest.  The event was CFC's collaboration with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's young professionals' network, the Overture Council, and the Chicago Civic Orchestra of Chicago, aiming to "shatter generational stereotypes and celebrate the distinctive fusion of fashion and music in Chicago".
 
I had been to the Chicago Symphony Center many times years ago, and enjoyed every performance of the CSO.  We had also attended special performances such as Yo Yo Ma's "Silk Road" ensemble.  This time was unique and fun.  The vibes were very lively and festive.  Olivia was our host and warmly led us to the media seating in the lower balcony.  I always sat in the orchestra level and did not realize that front row seats in the lower balcony got the best view of the entire stage, and the magnificent hall.  This event had all the audience sitting on the stage and the terrace above(behind) the stage to have an immersive experience.  The models would walk on the walkway with the string quartet musicians on both sides.  The entire "normal" audience seating in the hall was intentionally left empty.  I believed we got the best view of the show!  Interestingly, ABC7Chicago's camera crew was in our section, just more to the side of the balcony.
 
I like many genres of music, and classical music was one of them.  That fascinating night, a unique fashion show featuring six designers and their group of models paired with beautiful classical music by the quartet musicians from the Civic Orchestra was just mesmerizing!  The show ran from 8:00 to 10:00 PM (with a 20-minute intermission) and I enjoyed every minute of it!
 
One fun fact was that the suggested dress code was Perceptual Elegance, and guests were encouraged to "come dressed to impress"!  There was a wide range of fashion in the lounge during reception and in the audience on stage, and that made people watching very fun and enjoyable as well!
 
The "Perception" experience attempted to invoke a renewed perspective on the world itself from the audience was quite an ambitious goal to achieve.  However, I definitely left with a new appreciation for fashion, and an awakening of the love that I had for classical music!

(I also shared this review on Chicago Fashion Coalition as this event was a collaboration)

If you ever have a chance to attend a performance of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra - gooooo!

There is absolutely not one bad seat in Symphony Center, and I can confirm that because I sat in what may be considered some of the worst seats (the highest up). However, the layout of the Orchestra Hall is so well laid out that even in the nosebleed sections, you can see and hear everything perfectly!

We saw John Williams conduct the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and it was a life changing experience.

The orchestra played John's music to a tee (of course!) - it felt like we were watching him record the original scores.

I am not ashamed to say I may have shed a few tears, it was so beautiful and well done.

Watch their schedule and if you ever see that a concert or conductor you love will be there - walk, run, fly, do whatever you have to do and get there. I guarantee you won't regret it!

Located on Michigan Avenue, the conductor and orchestra with a singer gave a merry performance. The songs and sing along put everyone in the holiday mood. The interactions between the singer and conductor were humorous. The singer's costume changes were amazing and flattering. Spoiler alert: Santa may drop by. I am not a fan of no photos at all. I can understand no videos. Everyone wants to keep a memory of a great performance.

Absolutely incredible experience. My husband and I came to see Daniil Trifonov perform with the CSO and even he was left in awe (and has very limited knowledge/experience with classical music). Not a bad seat in the house. We sat on the farthest right side of the upper balcony and the views and sounds were more than what I had hoped for. The ushers were so incredibly kind and helpful. Parking was also super convenient as the Grant Park South garage leads right up to the front doors of the orchestra hall.

While the tickets can be a little more on the expensive side, they are WELL worth the money to see such a world-class group of talented musicians and we left feeling honored to have seen them play. Both the Stravinsky and Rachmaninov sections were mesmerizing and it would be hard to choose which was a favorite. Looking forward to attending more performances in the future!

My husband took me here for my first show last week and we had so much fun. We went for their merry, merry Christmas show - it was super lively and festive and we loved that we recognized a bunch of the songs. The music was captivating and the holiday singalong got everyone in a fun mood. The hall is beautiful and you can get a great view of the stage from anywhere in the room. Can't wait to go back!

I went here a few nights ago for their show that they do with the Joffrey Ballet, this was the second time they collaborated since 2019. It was a 2 hour show, the first half was purely the CSO. The second half was the CSO with the ballet performers. Within the second half there was two different ballet performances, one was very eccentric which I was surprised by. The second dance included 5 dancers showcasing the ordinary struggles of a family, it was cute and heart touching.

The venue is very beautiful and has nice acoustics. I sat in the main section, right side and was happy with my view.

There is no legitimate way to give the CSO less than five stars. Whatever issue you may have, we're talking about a truly world class orchestra. And Ricardo Muti, nearing the end of his time with the CSO, is one of the greatest conductors in your lifetime.

You'd be a fool to miss an opportunity to hear Muti conduct this orchestra.

Is it the best venue for acoustics? Nope. For that, you'd need to make your way to Symphony Hall in Boston. Is it the most comfortable seating? It is definitely not equal in comfort to sitting at home in your recliner and wearing fuzzy slippers.

But the acoustics aren't bad, and the seats aren't bad. I've sat all over, and I can confirm that there's really not a bad seat in the house. If sitting for the length of a concert is somehow painful to you, you should see a good orthothopedist.

It's true, Ricardo Muti doesn't choose the most cutting edge pieces, but his selections are never boring. And many of them are downright enthralling. He makes Brahms come to life like nothing I've ever heard. And his Shostakovich orchestrations are without equal.

Our most recent visit was for the Merry Merry Chicago annual Christmas concert. Not conducted by Muti. In fact, I don't think Ricardo Muti would touch a song like Fiddle Faddle or White Christmas with a ten-foot baton. But it was fun to clap and sing along in a way that would make Muti probably throw a shoe at you.

Everyone should jump at the chance to hear the Chicago Sympony Orchestra with a great conductor.

And then everyone should go back to see the Merry Merry Chicago performance because there is literally nothing more Christmas-y you could do in this city. And besides -- there is no better opportunity to wear your spiffy red velvet trousers or sequined tartan plaid bolero jacket.

Saw an incredible show here in box seats. It's a wonderful experience that I cannot recommend. The acoustics in the space are otherworldly! It reminded me of how much I missed live music, and how talented people are. These people must rehearse and rehearse with so much dedication.

If you have not gone to a concert or event you are missing out. A must see whether a resident or tourist. Lots of great memories I have of attending here thru the years. It does not matter what kind of music you like you have to experience a classical concert here and I assure you that you will be glad and love this place.

The orchestra, conductor and performance was wonderful. We loved hearing Stravinsky's Firebird Suite recently. However, there is more to a concert-going experience than the music.

I was very disappointed in the oblivious ushers who did nothing about people leaning forward on the railings obstructing views of people sitting behind them. One of those people was in front of us, but I noticed others. Unfortunatley, the ushers didn't notice, and in my opinion that should be in their job description, and should not be the onus of one audience member to have to ask another to behave with consideration. Smh.

And twenty mins. into the concert one usher unnecessarily whispered "no photos" to my partner while we enjoyed the music and his phone was put away. Really? Granted, he had snapped ONE pic prior to the concert when only about six musicians were on the stage, before he realized he wasn't supposed to. But he wasn't continuing, and it was so far after the fact, it was ridiculous. Smh.

Beautiful hall with very uncomfortable seats. Time to put some money into improvements.