In Wednesday’s (12/12) Chicago Tribune (subscription required), John von Rhein writes, “The Chicago Sinfonietta, long a national model for promoting diversity and inclusiveness in orchestral performance, is reaching out to whet the cultural appetite of the city’s Latino community with a promising new series of concerts beginning this week in various venues on the city’s Southwest Side. The series is titled ‘Encuentros’ (Encounters), and it embodies several of the priorities put forth in the Chicago Cultural Plan introduced this year by the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. Its mission is to bring bargain-priced, family-friendly programs of classical music, combined with popular and folk-based fare, to people where they live. Accessibility is key, says Jim Hersch, the orchestra’s executive director. While the Sinfonietta includes a great deal of Latin-American music in its series of subscription concerts at Orchestra Hall, ‘It can be a challenge for many listeners to come downtown to a big concert hall to experience this music. This series is our way to turn that around a little,’ he says. … Wednesday’s inaugural concert, ‘Feliz Navidad,’ will pair the Chicago Sinfonietta Brass Ensemble with the Chicago Children’s Choir’s Pilsen/Little Village Neighborhood Choir in a program of favorite holiday music and Christmas carols from Latin America.”
Posted December 12, 2012
