Joffrey Ballet Announces New Orchestra

May 15, 2012
The Joffrey Ballet

The Joffrey Ballet today announces that the critically-acclaimed Chicago Philharmonic will serve as the orchestra of The Joffrey Ballet for all Chicago performances, effective immediately.  Joffrey Music Director Scott Speck, who recently served as guest conductor with the Philharmonic, will conduct the orchestra's Joffrey engagements, beginning with the launch of the 2012-13 season, October 17, 2012.  The Chicago Sinfonietta served as the Joffrey's orchestra for Chicago performances from 2003 through the past 2011-2012 season. 

"Working with the Chicago Philharmonic will enable the Joffrey to perform to  live music at all four of our Chicago season programs, something that wasn't always feasible in the past due to budgetary restrictions," said Joffrey Ballet Executive Director Christopher Clinton Conway.  "Having live music makes a huge difference both to the dancers and to our audience as it enriches the overall experience for everyone.  We thank the Chicago Sinfonietta for almost a decade of exquisite performances and we look forward to this new chapter in the Joffrey's history." 

The Chicago Philharmonic, led by Music Director and Principle Conductor Larry Rachleff, is composed of top career musicians from the Chicago metropolitan area who have performed with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Ravinia Festival Orchestra, American Ballet Theatre and the Grant Park Orchestra.  The orchestra's cadre of seasoned professionals has performed together over many years developing a special ensemble virtuosity.  The orchestra has featured world-renowned conductors such as Zubin Mehta, Sir Andrew Davis and Jesus Lopez-Cobos, and distinguished guest artists such as John Browning, Jorge Osorio and Sharon Isbin.  The Chicago Philharmonic regularly performs a four-concert season at the Pick-Staiger Hall of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. 

Scott Speck's recent and current seasons as Music Director of the Mobile Symphony (Alabama) have been highlighted by performances with Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Joshua Bell, Evelyn Glennie and Olga Kern.  This season he also collaborated with Carnegie Hall for the seventh time as Music Director of the West Michigan Symphony and he was recently invited to the White House as Music Director of the Washington Ballet.  Previously he held positions as Conductor of the San Francisco Ballet, Music Advisor and Conductor of the Honolulu Symphony, and Associate Conductor of the Los Angeles Opera.  During a recent tour of Asia he was named Principal Guest Conductor of the China Film Philharmonic in Beijing.  Speck was named Music Director of The Joffrey Ballet at the beginning of the 2010-2011 season.    

The Joffrey Ballet's 2012-2013 season launches in the fall with a mixed repertory program featuring James Kudelka's Pretty BALLET and Jirí Kylián's Forgotten Land, along with the return of Kurt Jooss' anti-war masterpiece The Green Table, celebrating its 80th Anniversary.  The fall program runs at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, October 17 - 28.  Season subscriptions tickets are now available online at joffrey.org or by telephone at 312-386-8905.  Single tickets, priced from $31 to $152, will be available for purchase starting August 6 through Ticketmaster at 800-982-2787 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.   

For more information on the Chicago Philharmonic visit www.chicagophilharmonic.org and for more info on The Joffrey Ballet visit joffrey.org.