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Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Canellakis, Tao & Tchaikovsky 5
Apr 30-May 3, 2026
Overview
“With desire and passion,” Tchaikovsky writes on the score of his Fifth Symphony, and he’s as good as his word: It’s a work teeming with brilliant orchestral colors, stormy emotions and a fate motif that haunts each movement. Illinois native Conrad Tao is the soloist in Bartók’s Third Piano Concerto, the composer’s beguiling love letter to his wife and his native Hungary.
Program
Dvořák
Scherzo capriccioso
Bartók
Piano Concerto No. 3
Ravel
Sonatine, M. 40, II. Mouvement de menuet [Apr 30, May 1 & 3 Encore]
Conrad Tao piano
Noble
"Cherokee" as performed by Art Tatum (1954 recording) [May 2 Encore]
Conrad Tao piano
Tchaikovsky
Symphony No. 5
Performers
Extras
Enhance your concert experience.
May 1-3: Haunts & Heroes photography exhibit
Part of the International Jazz Day celebrations in Chicago, the Haunts & Heroes exhibition is a photographic overview of the history of Chicago jazz, harking back to the late Steve Schapiro’s portraits of Lil Hardin Armstrong and Earl “Fatha” Hines to Michael Jackson’s images of contemporary artists Isaiah Collier and Nicole Mitchell. Curated by journalist-photographer Michael Jackson, the mobile exhibit includes pictorial visits to Fred Anderson’s Velvet Lounge, The Green Mill, Joe & Wayne Segal’s Jazz Showcase, Hothouse, Hungry Brain, Elastic, Andy’s, Constellation, the South Side’s legendary New Apartment Lounge and a host of other "haunts."
Open to all ticketholders, the exhibit is in Symphony Center's Forte event space; doors open to the exhibit space 45 minutes before the concert start time.
Available Friday, May 1 through Sunday, May 3 only.
Preconcert Dining
Explore Symphony Center’s on-site dining options for a seamless preconcert experience. Preorder a Sound Bites meal to enjoy in the Rotunda before the concert — or make a reservation to dine at the Thomas Club, offering a prix fixe menu featuring traditional American fare and a spectacular view of Lake Michigan. View menus and learn more »
Preconcert Conversation
Explore the music in a free preconcert conversation featuring Johann Buis in Orchestra Hall 75 minutes before the performance. The talk will last approximately 30 minutes. No additional tickets are needed.
Sponsors & Partners
Media Partner
This performance is sponsored by the Bonnie Ann Barber Endowment Fund, which recognizes the importance of the CSO to Chicago and aims to preserve and support the CSO’s legacy for future generations.
Discover more on Experience CSO
Pianist Conrad Tao believes he owes a debt to Chicago: “Looking back, I’m just so delighted [Chicago] was where I got my musical start, because it has such amazing musicians, but there is also just an intimacy and a calmness to it.”
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“One of the things that resonates with people about Tchaikovsky’s music is that he put so much of himself into everything he wrote,” says conductor Karina Canellakis. “There’s such a core warmth to his music.”
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While the number of piano tuners has certainly declined in recent decades, the ones still at work are as busy as can be, especially the four elite technicians who take care of the pianos at Symphony Center.
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