Chicago Symphony Orchestra Chamber Music: The Wabash Avenue Music Collective

The Wabash Avenue Music Collective presents a program characterized by strings but fortified by moments for clarinet and voice. Haydn’s String Quartet in D Minor, famous for its opening fifths, casts a melancholy spell, highlighting the expressive range of the strings. Mozart’s Quintet is a masterfully integrated chamber work in which individual strings occasionally sing out from center stage above the harmonious blend created by the clarinet. Featuring mezzo-soprano Sara Dailey in this performance, Raimi’s Runagate Runagate allows the human voice to do the same.

This event is free. Tickets go on sale May 5.

Program:

Haydn 

String Quartet in D Minor, Op. 76, No. 2 (Quinten)

Raimi

Runagate Runagate for string trio, clarinet, and mezzo soprano

Mozart 

Quintet for Clarinet and Strings in A Major, K. 581

Meet the Musicians:

Rong-Yan Tang, Violin   Rong-Yan Tang was appointed to the first violin section of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra by Daniel Barenboim in 2003. Tang also has extensive experience as a chamber musician. As first violin of the Fry Street Quartet, she has appeared on Carnegie Hall’s Rising Stars series, the New School’s Schneider Concerts series and at New York City’s 92nd Street Y.

Kozue Funakoshi, Violin  Kozue Funakoshi joined the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 2000 after three years with the Cleveland Orchestra and serving as former concertmaster of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. Funakoshi has appeared on the Cleveland Orchestra’s chamber music series, at the Kurashiki Music Festival directed by conductor Takashi Asahina, and as a soloist on the Thüringer Philharmonic Orchestra’s 1993 German concert tour.

Max Raimi, Viola  A native of Detroit, Max Raimi has been a violist in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra since 1984. Raimi is a prolific composer, having received commissions from many ensembles and institutions, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Library of Congress and the American Chamber Players.

Karen Basrak, Cello  Karen Basrak joined the cello section of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 2012. Basrak has performed extensively throughout the United States and Europe, and has appeared with the Los Angeles Philharmonic; the Northwest, Harper, Kishwaukee, Elmhurst, Skokie Valley and Greenville symphony orchestras, Winnetka Chamber Orchestra, Marina del Rey–Westchester Symphony and American Youth Symphony.

John Bruce Yeh, Clarinet  John Bruce Yeh joined the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1977 as bass clarinet by Georg Solti at the age of 19, the first Asian musician ever appointed to the CSO. Two years later, he was named assistant principal and E-flat clarinet. The longest-serving clarinetist in CSO history, he also served as acting principal clarinet from 2008 to 2011.

Sara Dailey, Mezzo-soprano  Sara Dailey is a mezzo-soprano from Chicagoland with a passion for performing new and underperformed works. She has performed Caroline Shaw’s The Listeners and Julia Perry’s Stabat Mater, as well as many new operas and art songs by living composers.