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Hear live performances by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra every week
The Chicago Symphony presents a full range of orchestral works under the seasoned baton of music director emeritus for life Riccardo Muti. The top-tier soloists and guest conductors complete the series with artists like Yo-Yo Ma, Hilary Hahn, and Daniil Trifonov; as well as Esa-Pekka Salonen, Mitsuko Uchida, and Bernard Haitink. The two-hour Chicago Symphony Orchestra broadcasts include dynamic and innovative commentary which takes the listener behind the scenes and into the music.
News: Meet the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's New Music Director
CSO Names Klaus Mäkelä as Music Director
Keegan Morris | April 2, 2024
Mäkelä Conducts Symphonie fantastique
September 27, 2026, 6:00 pm
This week, Zell Music Director Designate Klaus Mäkelä returns with Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique and Harold in Italy with viola soloist Antoine Tamestit. The broadcast concludes with a recording of Berlioz’s Les-francs-juges Overture led by eighth music director Sir Georg Solti.
Muti Conducts Cavalleria rusticana
September 20, 2026
This week, Riccardo Muti leads the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in Mascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana, featuring Anita Rachvelishvili, Piero Pretti, Luca Salsi, Ronnita Miller and Sasha Cook. The broadcast closes with choral works by Verdi, including selections from Otello, Nabucco, Macbeth and the Requiem.
Mäkelä Conducts Lemminkainen and Ein Heldenbelen
September 13, 2026
Zell Music Director Designate Klaus Mäkelä leads the CSO in Ein Heldeleben by Richard Strauss and Sibelius’ Lemminkäinen. Opening the broadcast is Wagner’s Prelude to the third act of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, in a vintage RCA recording conducted by sixth music director Fritz Reiner.
Afkam & Gluzman
September 6, 2026
On today’s broadcast, David Afkham leads the CSO in Shostakovich’s First Violin Concerto, featuring Vadim Gluzman. Also included in this program are Debussy’s La mer and two pieces by Ravel: Menuet antique and La valse. Closing out the program, Bernard Haitink conducts Webern’s Im Sommerwind.
Janáček; J. Strauss, Jr. & Mussorgsky
August 30, 2026
This week, Seiji Ozawa opens the program with Janáček’s Sinfonietta. Next on the program, Morton Gould leads Copland’s Dance Symphony, followed by a collection of Johann Strauss Jr.’s best loved waltzes, polkas and overtures under Fritz Reiner’s baton. Closing the broadcast, Carlo Maria Giulini conducts Mussorgsky’s Pictures from an Exhibition.
Benny Goodman in Nielsen and Weber
August 23, 2026
American jazz clarinetist and bandleader Benny Goodman—known as the “King of Swing”—appeared with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on several occasions in the 1960s. He also recorded concertos by Weber and Nielsen with the ensemble under Jean Martinon and Morton Gould for RCA along with a very special Windy City–themed encore.
Composers’ Early Successes
August 16, 2026
Most of the music on this program was written by teenagers: Mendelssohn was seventeen years old when he composed his Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Rachmaninoff completed his First Piano Concerto at the age of eighteen, the same age Strauss was upon completing his first Horn Concerto, and nineteen-year-old Shostakovich submitted his First Symphony as a graduation exercise from ...
Ozawa Conducts Beethoven and Bartók
August 9, 2026
Seiji Ozawa served as the first music director of the Ravinia Festival from 1964 until 1968 and as principal conductor for the 1969 season. During his tenure, he recorded a number of works for RCA and Angel, including works by Beethoven, Borodin, Schoenberg and Bartók.
Mäkelä Conducts Rite of Spring
August 2, 2026
On this week’s broadcast, Zell Music Director Designate Klaus Mäkelä leads the CSO in Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, Gershwin’s An American in Paris, and Milhaud’s Le Boeuf sur le toit. Opening the broadcast is Seventh music director Jean Martinon conducting Roussel’s Bacchus and Ariadne and Ravel’s Pavane for a Dead Princess.
Mahler Festival Broadcast: Mahler 7
July 26, 2026
This week on CSO radio, Jaap van Zweden leads the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in Mahler’s Seventh Symphony, recorded live at the 2025 Mahler Festival in Amsterdam. Opening the broadcast, Claudio Abbado conducts Mahler’s Rückert Lieder, featuring Hanna Schwarz. The program concludes with a 1930 RCA recording of Karl Goldmark’s Ballet Music from The Queen of Sheba, under the baton of ...
Kanneh-Mason Plays Elgar
July 19, 2026
On this week’s broadcast, Paavo Järvi leads the CSO in Beethoven’s Leonore Overture no. 3, followed by Elgar’s Cello Concerto in E minor, featuring Sheku Kanneh-Mason. Rounding out the program is Nielsen’s Fifth Symphony.
2024 Ravinia Opening Night: Celebration of Americana
July 12, 2026
Marin Alsop, chief conductor of the Ravinia Festival, leads the CSO in a program celebrating American composers. Opening the program is Copland’s Suite from Appalachian Spring, followed by Johnson’s Charleston. Next, Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha joins in Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915. Rounding out the program is Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, featuring Michelle Cann.
Barenboim Conducts Bruckner 4
July 5, 2026
This week, we hear Daniel Barenboim leading the CSO before his tenure as ninth music director. Opening the broadcast is Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio espagnol, followed by Tchaikovsky’s Francesca da Rimini and Bruckner’s Romantic Symphony.
Guests in the House
June 28, 2026
Opening the broadcast is Khachaturian’s Third Symphony led by Leopold Stokowski, followed by John Williams’ Suite from Memoirs of a Geisha for Cello and Orchestra with Yo-Yo Ma under the baton of Williams himself. Next, Neeme Järvi conducts Kodály’s Dances of Galánta, and closing the broadcast, Pierre Monteux leads Franck’s Symphony in D minor.
Carmina Burana
June 21, 2026
This week, Osmo Vänskä leads the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in Orff’s Carmina Burana, featuring vocal soloists Joélle Harvey, Reginald Mobley and Hugh Russell. Opening the program is Montgomery’s Banner and Rautavaara’s Cantus Arcticus. Before that, Seiji Ozawa conducts Britten’s The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra.
Boulez Conducts Mahler, Bartók & Stravinsky
June 14, 2026
Principal Guest Conductor Pierre Boulez leads the CSO in Stravinsky’s The Firebird. Opening the broadcast is Mahler’s Totenfeier. In between, we hear Bartók’s Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta.
Celebrating Frederick Stock
June 7, 2026
This broadcast celebrates Frederick Stock! The CSO’s second music director opens the program with the ensemble’s first commercial recording —Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March” from A Midsummer Night’s Dream—and closes with his own arrangement of Paganini’s Moto perpetuo. The other works included all received their U.S. premieres under Stock’s baton: Bartók’s Second Piano Concerto, Elgar’s Violin Concerto, and Scriabin’s Prometheus, in recordings ...
Szeps-Znaider & Carpenter
May 31, 2026
Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider leads Poulenc’s Concerto in G Minor for Organ, Strings, and Timpani and SaintSaëns’s Symphony No. 3, featuring organ soloist Cameron Carpenter. The broadcast opens with Dukas’s Sorcerer’s Apprentice and rounds out with Daniel Barenboim leading Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloe and Boléro.
Mäkelä Conducts Mahler 3
May 24, 2026
This week, Zell Music Designate Klaus Mäkelä leads the orchestra in Mahler’s third symphony, featuring vocal soloist Wiebke Lehmkuhl, the Chicago Symphony Chorus, and Uniting Voices Chicago.
Beethoven, Mozart & Tchaikovsky
May 17, 2026
This week, Julian Rachlin showcases his singular versatility as a violinist, violist, and conductor. He joins Associate Concertmaster Stephanie Jeong in Mozart’s Sinfonia concertante before leading a performance of Tchaikovsky’s “Meditation” from Souvenir d’un lieu cher. Taking the podium, Rachlin bookends the program by conducting works by Mozart.
Hrůša Conducts Shostakovich 11
May 10, 2026
On this week’s episode, Jakub Hrůša leads the CSO in Shostakovich’s Eleventh Symphony and Rachmaninoff’s First Piano Concerto, featuring Simon Trpčeski. To open, Jean Martinon conducts Lalo’s Overture to Le Roi d’Ys.
