October 2024 – Gathering Note

CSO Principal Cello John Sharp. Photo Credit: Todd Rosenberg

Originally published at Seen and Heard International

“It was intimidating and it was thrilling. That’s what I remember about my first audition week,” John Sharp says, reflecting on his first moments with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. “To see Solti conduct and the way the orchestra played—it was really something incredibly exciting.”

Sharp, now the CSO’s principal cellist, began his musical journey far from the concert stage. Growing up in Texas, it was a stroke of luck that led him to the cello. “It was complete chance, really. I raised my hand,” he recalls, thinking back to his early days with the cello. “I was trying all kinds of things and ended up choosing the cello.” That choice propelled him on a professional journey that, starting October 24th, will see him perform Richard Strauss’ Don Quixote with the CSO under the baton of Donald Runnicles.

Originally published at Seen and Heard International

As the overture of Ferdinando Paër’s Leonora filled the historic Studebaker Theater, the audience for Chicago Opera Theater’s opening opera of the season experienced a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness an important – yet sadly overlooked – early 19th century opera. In fact, calling this a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity may understate its rarity. The performances of Leonora that began on October 4th marked the work’s North American premiere. Chicago Opera Theater’s production complements the Lyric Opera’s own run of Beethoven’s Fidelio, not only bringing the story of love and tyranny to life but also showcasing the emotional depth that Paër infused into his music, which stands in contrast to Beethoven’s take on the same story.

Month: October 2024

John Sharp and Don Quixote: Chicago Symphony’s principal cellist returns to a classic role

Chicago Opera Theater’s Leonora shines light on overlooked masterpiece