Chicago Symphony Orchestra music director Riccardo Muti may still be convalescing following an accident that has caused him to cancel his February concerts, but that hasn't stopped him from announcing that Czech brothers, Matous and Simon Michal, have been named as the newest members of the second violin section.
Born in Prague, Matous Michal was a top prizewinner at both the Kocian International Violin Competition and the International Radio Competition for Young Musicians Concertino Praga.
Simon Michal was appointed concertmaster of the Verbier Festival Orchestra this past year after holding the same position with The Juilliard Symphony and the Juilliard Opera from 2011 to 2015. Simon was concertmaster of the Music Academy of the West Festival Orchestra for three years, where he was selected to be a Global Academy Fellow of the New York Philharmonic in 2015.
While it might be some time before the Michal brothers get to perform with Riccardo Muti, Matous and Simon won't have to wait for the 74-year-old conductor to fully heal from his recent hip surgery before playing with the CSO.
After reportedly cancelling the concerts scheduled for next week, Chicago Classical Review revealed that Russian conductor Gennady Rozhdestvensky will be stepping in to save the day:
"Gennady Rozhdestvensky, who is conducting [Feb. 6's] Chicago Symphony Orchestra program of Shostakovich (Symphonies Nos. 1 and 15) has agreed to stay in town to lead next week's concerts as well, replacing the ailing Riccardo Muti.
"The February 11-16 program, now to be led by Rozhdestvensky, will remain the same: Ligeti's Ramifications, Arvo Pärt's Orient and Occident, Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings and Mozart's Clarinet Concerto with principal Stephen Williamson as soloist."
To get you tickets to one of the concerts now to be led by Gennady Rozhdestvensky be sure to head on over to the CSO's official website.
