CHICAGO—The League of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association ( CSOA ) presents its 30th annual Corporate Night benefit concert on Monday, June 3, 2019, at 7:30 p.m., featuring Grammy Award-winning artist, actor and Chicago native Common with members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra ( CSO ) led by conductor Steven Reineke.
This annual fundraising event includes a cocktail hour and dinner preceding the concert. Corporate Night 2019 is chaired by CSOA Trustee Scott C. Swanson, president, PNC Bank Illinois. The event co-chairs for the League of the CSOA are William Ward and Sheila Jones. The program also includes the presentation of the Excellence in Corporate Philanthropy Award, which this year goes to ITW in recognition of their outstanding support for the CSOA and exemplary civic engagement in the arts and in Chicago. In addition to sponsorships and packages, individual tickets for only the concert are on sale now.
In his CSO debut, Common joins members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra led by guest conductor Steven Reineke to perform orchestral arrangements of songs from throughout his career. The program features some of Common's best-known songs including "Love of My Life," "The Corner" and "Glory," as well as a few selections from his latest album, Black America Again.
Since the release of his 1992 debut album, Can I Borrow a Dollar?, Common continues to break down barriers with a multitude of critically acclaimed, diverse roles and continued success. His latest studio album, Black America Again, is a socially conscious account of present-day America and features Stevie Wonder, as well as genre-crossing artists and longtime collaborators Robert Glasper and Karriem Riggins. A frequent contributor of music for television and film, Common won the 2015 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song for "Glory," featured in the 2014 film Selma, and also received the 2017 Emmy for Best Music and Lyrics for "Letter to the Free," which appeared in the 2017 Oscar-nominated documentary 13th.
Steven Reineke is Music Director of the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall, Principal Pops Conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and Principal Pops Conductor of the Houston and Toronto Symphony Orchestras. Reineke is a frequent guest conductor with the Philadelphia Orchestra and has been on the podium with the Boston Pops, Cleveland Orchestra and Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He has created programs and collaborated with a range of leading artists spanning across hip-hop, Broadway, television and rock including Kendrick Lamar, Nas, Sutton Foster, Wayne Brady and Ben Folds, among others.
The League of the CSOA's 30th annual Corporate Night brings together business leaders from across the Chicago area to support the CSO's artistic, educational and community programs. Popular artists joining members of the CSO on stage for previous Corporate Night concerts include George Benson, Dave Brubeck, Kristin Chenoweth, Elvis Costello, Melissa Etheridge, Michael Feinstein, Marvin Hamlisch, Herbie Hancock, Heather Headley, Audra McDonald, Sarah McLachlan, Pink Martini, Gregory Porter, Dianne Reeves, Doc Severinsen, Sting, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, and Nancy Wilson.
This year's program also includes the presentation of the third Excellence in Corporate Philanthropy Award, which recognizes companies for their outstanding support for the CSOA and exemplary civic engagement in the arts and in Chicago. This year's awardee is ITW, which has been a generous corporate partner of the CSOA for more than 40 years. The CSOA is proud to honor ITW for its outstanding support, both past and present, and for its dedicated commitment to advancing the arts in Chicago. Scott Santi, chairman and CEO, will receive the award on behalf of ITW.
Corporations and other organizations can participate as sponsors or purchase tables for the evening, which includes preconcert cocktails and dinner and prime seats for the concert. Sponsorships start at $30,000, and table packages range from $5,000 to $16,000. For more information on the benefits of sponsorship, please call the CSO's corporate development department at 312-294-3120.
The League of the CSOA also offers a special ticket package that includes preconcert cocktails and dinner followed by prime seating for the concert for $350 each. For more information and tickets, please contact Kim Duffy at duffyk@cso.org or 312-294-3162.
Concert-only tickets for Corporate Night 2019 are available to the public for $80-$199 and can be purchased by phone at 800'223'7114 or 312-294'3000, online at cso.org, or at the Symphony Center box office: 220 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60604.
Artists, programs and prices are subject to change.
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Corporate Night
Monday, June 3, 2019, 7:30 p.m.
Common with Members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Steven Reineke, conductor
Concert-only tickets: $80-$199
Dinner and premium concert seat package ( hosted by the League of the CSOA ): $350 per person
Corporate sponsorships start at $30,000; corporate tables from $5,000 to $16,000; corporate tickets from $900 to $2,500 per person
Featured Artists for this Performance:
Common
Steven Reineke, conductor
—From a press release
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra: www.cso.org and www.csosoundsandstories.org .
Founded by Theodore Thomas in 1891, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra is consistently hailed as one of the greatest orchestras in the world. Since 2010, the pre-eminent conductor Riccardo Muti has served as its 10th music director. Yo-Yo Ma is the Judson and Joyce Green Creative Consultant, Missy Mazzoli is Mead Composer-in-Residence and Erina Yashima is the Sir Georg Solti Conducting Apprentice.
From baroque through contemporary music, the CSO commands a vast repertoire. Its renowned musicians annually perform more than 150 concerts, most at Symphony Center in Chicago and, each summer, at the suburban Ravinia Festival. They regularly tour nationally and internationally. Since 1892, the CSO has made 60 international tours, performing in 29 countries on five continents.
People around the globe listen to weekly radio broadcasts of CSO concerts and recordings on the WFMT radio network and online at cso.org/radio. Recordings by the CSO have earned 62 Grammy Awards, including two in 2011 for Muti's recording with the CSO and Chorus of Verdi's Messa da Requiem ( Muti's first of eight releases with the CSO to date ). Find details on these and many other CSO recordings at www.cso.org/resound.
The CSO is part of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association, which also includes the Chicago Symphony Chorus ( Duain Wolfe, Director and Conductor ) and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, a training ensemble for emerging professionals. Through its prestigious Symphony Center Presents series, the CSOA presents guest artists and ensembles from a variety of genres—classical, jazz, world, and contemporary.
The Negaunee Music Institute at the CSO offers community and education programs that annually engage more than 200,000 people of diverse ages and backgrounds. Through the Institute and other activities, including a free annual concert led by Muti, the CSO is committed to using the power of music to create connections and build community.
The CSO is supported by thousands of patrons, volunteers and institutional and individual donors. The CSO's music director position is endowed in perpetuity by a generous gift from the Zell Family Foundation. The Negaunee Foundation provides generous support in perpetuity for the work of the Negaunee Music Institute.
