“If you’re wondering why the New Philharmonic has been silent for most of the year, wonder no more. The orchestra hasn’t disbanded—it has simply been laying low, awaiting the day when its refurbished venue would reopen for business,” writes John von Rhein in Tuesday’s (12/17) Chicago Tribune. “That day arrives on Dec. 31 when music director Kirk Muspratt and his 80-member professional ensemble will christen the new Performance Hall stage of the McAninch Arts Center (MAC, for short) at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, where they will present two performances of their annual holiday program … The 800-seat hall … boasts a new acoustic shell, new seats, new wall treatments and a new stage curtain, along with a custom-designed heating, ventilation and air conditioning system designed to reduce exterior and extraneous interior noise…. When the project … began in fall 2012, Muspratt and his orchestra were forced to assume a nomadic existence … performing in halls and churches in River Forest and Wheaton. Ticket sales sagged, forcing management to cancel the remaining 2012-13 concerts in February and March…. So Muspratt and the staff breathed huge sighs of relief when they learned that major work …would be completed several months ahead of schedule.”
Posted December 18, 2013
