Press Releases

MUSIC OF THE BAROQUE ANNOUNCES THE 2024-25 SEASON, “FROM THE BEGINNING”

CHICAGO, March 7 - Music of the Baroque today announced plans for the 2024-25 season, the ensemble’s 54th. The season, titled “From the Beginning,” includes Haydn's The Creation and Bach's Christmas Oratorio, both led by Music Director Dame Jane Glover; a star-studded cast for Handel's Theodora with Principal Guest Conductor Nicholas Kraemer in celebration of his 80th birthday; guest conductors Laurence Cummings and renowned French conductor Marc Minkowski; the return of acclaimed Mozart interpreter and pianist Dame Imogen Cooper; a choral showcase featuring Renaissance and Baroque music in intimate Chicagoland churches; and the ensemble’s annual Holiday Brass & Choral Concerts led by Chorus Director Andrew Megill. Music of the Baroque will also continue its partnership with Chicago Sinfonietta and Grant Park Music Festival’s Project Inclusion.

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MUSIC OF THE BAROQUE ANNOUNCES THE 2023-24 SEASON, “HEAVEN AND EARTH”

CHICAGO, February 26 - Music of the Baroque today announced plans for the 2023-24 season, the ensemble’s 53rd. The season, titled “Heaven and Earth,” includes the Mozart Requiem and the St. John Passion, both led by Music Director Dame Jane Glover; guest conductors Jonathan Cohen (the newly appointed artistic director of Boston’s Handel & Haydn Society) and Patrick Dupre Quigley, founder and artistic director of Miami-based Seraphic Fire; the MOB debut of internationally acclaimed violinist Viktoria Mullova; a celebration of Vivaldi’s music and a Baroque exploration of the animal kingdom with Principal Guest Conductor Nicholas Kraemer; and the ensemble’s annual Holiday Brass & Choral Concerts led by Chorus Director Andrew Megill, recently named Director of Choral Organizations and Professor of Conducting at Northwestern University. Music of the Baroque will also continue its partnership with Chicago Sinfonietta and Grant Park Music Festival’s Project Inclusion, providing opportunities for young professional musicians to perform with the ensemble.

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MUSIC OF THE BAROQUE ANNOUNCES THE APPOINTMENT OF ANDREW MEGILL AS CHORUS DIRECTOR; CO-PRINCIPAL TRUMPET CHARLES GEYER TO RETIRE

CHICAGO, May 5 - Music of the Baroque today announced the selection of Andrew Megill as the organization's new chorus director.

Professor of Conducting and Director of Choral Studies at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign), Megill is one of the most sought-after choral directors in the country today, leading some of North America’s finest professional vocal ensembles, including the Montreal Symphony Orchestra Chorus and the Carmel Bach Festival Chorale. Megill said of his appointment, "I’m thrilled to join the Music of the Baroque family, and to become a part of its long legacy of musical excellence. I am excited to collaborate with the singers in the MOB Chorus, who, like their counterparts in the orchestra, are extraordinary musicians and artists, and be a part of a such a storied organization committed to exploring the dramatic energy and spiritual depths of the greatest masterpieces of the Baroque (and beyond!)."

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MUSIC OF THE BAROQUE TEAMS UP WITH THE CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA ASSOCIATION AND THE NORTH SHORE CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS FOR THE MIDWEST PREMIERE OF CONCERT THEATRE WORKS’ “THE CHEVALIER” FEB. 18 - 20

Dame Jane Glover Conducts Bill Barclay’s Play with Music Illuminating the Life and Work of Black 18th-Century Master Composer Joseph Bologne, Friend of Mozart, Music Teacher to Marie Antoinette and Anti-Slavery Crusader

CHICAGO - In partnership with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association (CSOA), the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts and Concert Theater Works, Music of the Baroque presents the Midwest premiere of “The Chevalier,” a new concert theater work written and directed by Bill Barclay. “The Chevalier” is about the life and music of 18th-century Black composer Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, a master composer, virtuoso violinist, a friend of Mozart’s, music teacher to Marie Antoinette, the finest fencer in Europe, general of Europe’s first Black regiment and a crusader for the abolishment of slavery. Taking a “concert theater” approach, featuring the interplay of four actors with orchestral and chamber music excerpts, Barclay blends Bologne’s remarkable history with his own compositions, ultimately conflating the French Revolution with the social and political unrest in society today.

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MUSIC OF THE BAROQUE LAUNCHES 2021-22 SEASON WITH OPEN-AIR CELEBRATION IN MILLENNIUM PARK, A BAROQUE-INSPIRED COMMISSION, AND MORE

CHICAGO, August 5 - Music of the Baroque kicks off its 51st season in September with Baroque in the Park, an open-air performance on the stage of the Pritzker Pavilion on September 10 in association with the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. Music Director Dame Jane Glover leads the Music of the Baroque Chorus & Orchestra in a festive evening of music from the Baroque era and beyond, including Handel’s majestic Music for the Royal Fireworks, Vivaldi’s uplifting Gloria, and the Baroque-inspired Spectacle of Light by Chicago-based composer Stacy Garrop, specially commissioned for MOB’s 50th anniversary. Rising star Ifetayo Ali-Landing, a Chicago native, makes her Music of the Baroque debut with the final movement of Haydn's Cello Concerto No. 1 in C Major. Joining the Music of the Baroque Chorus & Orchestra is the Strong Voices Chorus, featuring singers from Music of the Baroque's arts education program in Chicago public high schools.

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MUSIC OF THE BAROQUE ANNOUNCES THE 2021-22 SEASON

Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s Easter Oratorio, clarinetist Anthony McGill, guest conductor John Butt, and the ensemble’s first new commission among highlights

CHICAGO, JUNE 6 - Music of the Baroque today announced plans for the 2021-22 season, the ensemble’s 51st. Several of the featured programs were originally intended to be part of the group’s 50th anniversary celebration, altered as a result of the pandemic. Music Director Dame Jane Glover directs two major choral works: Bach’s Easter Oratorio in April and Haydn’s Creation Mass in May. Principal Guest Conductor Nicholas Kraemer takes the podium in November for Thanksgiving performances of Handel’s Messiah, the first by the group in over a decade and the Music of the Baroque Chorus’s first regular season appearance since December 2019. Andrew Megill, conductor of the Montreal Symphony Chorus and the Carmel Bach Festival Chorale, will lead the annual Holiday Brass & Choral Concerts in December. Orchestral programs include Handel’s Water Music and Music for the Royal Fireworks in September under the direction of Dame Jane Glover. Glover will also lead Chicago native and New York Philharmonic principal clarinet Anthony McGill in February performances of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto.

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ILLINOIS COUNCIL OF ORCHESTRAS AWARDS MUSIC OF THE BAROQUE “PROFESSIONAL ORCHESTRA OF THE YEAR,” “EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR,” AND “VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR”

CHICAGO, APRIL 9 - The Illinois Council of Orchestras has named Music of the Baroque its 2021 “Professional Orchestra of the Year” in its annual awards for excellence in the field of music performance. The ICO also recognized the organization’s executive director, Declan McGovern, as “Executive Director of the Year,” and board director Marjorie M. Stinespring as “Volunteer of the Year.” Due to COVID restrictions, the awards will be presented in virtual ceremonies between April and July 2021.

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MUSIC OF THE BAROQUE ANNOUNCES FURTHER REVISIONS TO 50th ANNIVERSARY SEASON

Highlights include Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and Bach’s Concerto for 2 Violins,
pianist Inon Barnatan, Brandenburg Concertos, and Vivaldi’s Gloria

CHICAGO, November 5 - Music of the Baroque today announced that due to the current pandemic, the difficulty for travel for international conductors and soloists, and the need to maintain safety for musicians and audience, the repertoire for the 2020-21 season—the ensemble’s 50th—will be revised. The planned golden jubilee season, featuring major dramatic works like Bach’s St. Matthew Passion and Handel’s Messiah, will be postponed entirely until 2021-22. Executive Director Declan McGovern commented, “It’s important for us to be on stage now more than ever. Even if we are only able to perform virtually, we will be engaging our musicians and providing live performances at a time when it is desperately needed. Our audience has been incredibly loyal and committed through this entire pandemic, and it is a priority for me to follow through on our commitments to them.”

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MUSIC OF THE BAROQUE ANNOUNCES REVISED 50th ANNIVERSARY SEASON

Highlights include Handel’s Messiah, the complete Brandenburg Concertos, pianist Gabriela Montero, guest conductor John Butt, and the ensemble’s first commission

CHICAGO, August 3 - Music of the Baroque today announced that due to the current pandemic, the start of the 2020-21 season—the ensemble’s 50th—would be postponed to January 2021 and the golden jubilee celebration extended across two seasons. The reconfigured 2020-21 season, which consists of six concerts, retains most of the original programs, including the ensemble debuts of pianist Gabriela Montero and guest conductor John Butt, the world premiere of Stacy Garrop’s Spectacle of Light, and the group’s first performance in over a decade of Handel’s Messiah. Five of the six programs will take place at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie and the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, and all concerts will be streamed live to accommodate audience members who prefer to remain at home. Two large-scale works originally planned for this coming season, Haydn’s Creation and Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, will be moved to the 2021-22 season. The annual Holiday Brass & Choral Concerts will also resume in December 2021.

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MUSIC OF THE BAROQUE ANNOUNCES 50th ANNIVERSARY SEASON

Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, Handel’s Messiah, Haydn’s Creation, the complete Brandenburg Concertos, pianist Gabriela Montero, guest conductor John Butt, and the ensemble’s first new commission among highlights

CHICAGO, February 21 - Music of the Baroque today announced plans for the 2020-21 season, the ensemble’s 50th. Music Director Jane Glover directs two major choral works: Haydn’s Creation in September, and Bach’s epic Passion According to St. Matthew in March. Principal Guest Conductor Nicholas Kraemer takes the podium in November for Thanksgiving performances of Handel’s Messiah, the first by the group in a decade. Andrew Megill, conductor of the Montreal Symphony Chorus and the Carmel Bach Festival Chorale, will lead the Holiday Brass & Choral Concerts in December, the ensemble’s longest-running tradition.

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