The Evening Concert on Illinois Classical
ILLINOIS CLASSICAL: The Evening Concert: APRIL 19 – 20 –21 – 22 – 23 – 24, 2026
Sunday, April 19, 6:00 pm: Chamber Mus. Soc. of Lincoln Center (CMS 26-31)
From Rio to Paris
Heitor Villa-Lobos: Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 for Soprano and Eight Cellos. Leah Crocetto, Soprano;
Carter Brey, Timothy Eddy, Kevin Mills, Yi Qun Xu, Sumire Kudo, James Jeonghwan Kim, Richard Aaron, Rafael Figueroa, Cellos
César Franck: Quintet in F minor for Piano, Two Violins, Viola, and Cello
Wu Han, Piano; Danbi Um, Violin I; Chad Hoopes, Violin II; Paul Neubauer, Viola; Sihao He, Cello
Sunday, April 19, 7:00 pm: Fiesta! With Elbio Barilari (FST 26-04)
Aura: A Mexican Opera by Mario Lavista
Based on the controversial novel by Carlos Fuentes, Aura, Mexican composer Mario Lavista sets this dreamlike story to music with a beautiful and surrealistic score. Host, Elbio Barilari will take you through this rarely heard 20th century opera. (contact trauth@illinois.edu for details).
Monday, April 20, 7:00 pm: The New York Philharmonic (NYP 26-31)
MENDELSSOHN: Elijah (looks like it’s from 2011)
Twyla Robinson, soprano; Alice Coote, mezzo-soprano; Allan Clayton, tenor; Gerald Finley, bass-baritone; Jennifer Johnson, mezzo-soprano; Benjamin P. Wenzelberg, boy soprano; New York Choral Artists; Joseph Flummerfelt, chorus director; Alan Gilbert, conductor
Tuesday, April 21, 7:00 pm: Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO 26-17)
Rakitina, Weilerstein, & Tchaikovsky [Anna Rakitina makes her debut with the CSO (March 2022)].
Pyotr Tchaikovsky: Capriccio italien, Op. 45
Pyotr Tchaikovsky: Variations on a Rococo Theme for Cello and Orchestra, Op. 33. Alisa Weilerstein, cello
Pyotr Tchaikovsky: Pezzo capriccioso, Op. 62. Alisa Weilerstein, cello
(Encore) JS Bach: Sarabande from Suite No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1008. Alisa Weilerstein, cello
Pyotr Tchaikovsky: Suite from The Nutcracker, Op. 71a
[CSO fill: Igor Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms. Chicago Symphony Chorus; Duain Wolfe, director;
Glen Ellyn Children's Chorus; Emily Ellsworth director; Sir Georg Solti, conductor; 1997 (London)]
Wednesday, April 22, 7:00 pm: San Francisco Symphony (SFS 26-03) (new season)
Salonen Conducts Beethoven’s Pastoral
ORCHESTRA: San Francisco Symphony; CONDUCTOR: Esa-Pekka Salonen
Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 in F major, Opus 68, Pastoral
Esa-Pekka Salonen: Cello Concerto; SOLOIST: Rainer Eudeikis, cello
Claude Debussy: La Mer
[Thursday, April 23, 7:00 pm: Prairie Performances with Mel Miller (PP 26-17)]
Friday, April 24, 7:00 pm: Heifetz On Air [160] Amadeus
Mozart: Violin Sonata No. 21 in E minor, K. 304: II. Tempo di Menuetto
Mozart, arr. Jerrold Rubinstein: Divertimento No. 15 in B-flat Major, K. 287: IV. Adagio
Mozart: Duo in B-flat for Violin & Viola, K. 424: I. Adagio [excerpt]
Mozart: Divertimento in E-flat Major for String Trio, K. 563: Movements IV, V, and VI
Beethoven: 7 Variations on 'Bei Männern welche Liebe fühlen,' WoO 46 [excerpt]
Pablo de Sarasate: Fantasy on Mozart's Magic Flute, Op. 54
