Many of Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra’s concerts take place in the evening, but the group’s next performance is a matinee program, which offers the opportunity for more kids to attend.
Stravinsky, Ravel & Abels on March 12 at Trinity Christian College’s Ozinga Chapel in Palos Heights features Michael Abels’ “Frederick’s Fables,” the late Maurice Ravel’s “Mother Goose” and the late Igor Stravinsky’s “The Firebird.”
“We feel that classical music is for everyone and you can bring a family to come see something like this concert because the music has some themes that will really appeal to children of all ages,” said Christina Salerno, executive director of Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra since 2017.
“It’s not a program that has a big movie screen and big fluffy characters walking on the stage. It’s not designed for kids in that way but for people who want to give their children and teenagers access to really high-quality music, this is a great opportunity to do so.”
Abels, who composed music for films including Jordan Peele’s Oscar-winning “Get Out” and “Us” and is co-founder of Composers Diversity Collective, provides in-person narration for “Frederick’s Fables.”
“I am so excited about this,” said Salerno of Clarendon Hills.
“Finding a narrator to be able to be onstage is always a little bit challenging because not only do they have to be someone with a great personality and a good speaker but, in our case, they also have to be able to read music and know when to come in and out of musical selections and things.
“The fact that he has been composing music for a number of decades but is still in the thick of his career is exciting. He is someone that I think straddles both classical music and also a much more accessible movie score realm so that’s also really exciting for us because he sits comfortably in both worlds.”
“Frederick’s Fables” is based on children’s stories.
“It’s actually a work that incorporates a lot of different characters from Leo Lionni’s different stories so there’s great narration that goes with it that brings people on a musical journey. You can visualize these characters making their way through the world so that was the start of the program,” Salerno said.
“Then we were looking for some other works that are not necessarily for children but works of an artistic merit that people of all ages can be interested in and enjoy. Of course ‘The Firebird’ is something that comes to mind right away.
“It has themes of redemption and luck and cunning so we thought that that would be a really nice mix for this program.”
Of the three versions of “The Firebird,” the 1919 suite will be featured in Stravinsky, Ravel & Abels, which is conducted by Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra music director Stilian Kirov.
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“Stravinsky was a revolutionary in his compositions for making a much more modern sound at the time. Still, ‘Firebird’ has some beautiful melodies that are really lasting and that stay with people quite well,” Salerno said.
“There were aspects of ‘The Firebird’ that were included in Walt Disney’s ‘Fantasia 2000’ so that’s another thing. It’s a work that I think a lot of people will hear and realize, ‘Oh, I have heard this before.”
Stravinsky, Ravel & Abels is rounded out with a suite based on fairy tales and nursery rhymes.
“The ‘Mother Goose’ suite is quintessential Ravel,” Salerno said.
“Ravel is someone who also was pushing artistic boundaries through his music. For his time, it is very forward-thinking. Also, when you’re hearing the music it gives you an ability to be able to visualize some of the different aspects of the Mother Goose story.”
The orchestra has options for people who cannot afford tickets as well. “We have a very vibrant Check Out IPO program where if people do not feel they have the capacity to purchase a ticket, they can actually go to one of 33 libraries in our community to check out some tickets,” Salerno said.
“There’s a listing on our website (ipomusic.org/check-out-ipo-library-program) of all the different libraries that are included. Those libraries have a certain number of passes for each concert that they are able to give out.”
Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra presents Stravinsky, Ravel & Abels
When: 3 p.m. March 12
Where: Trinity Christian College’s Ozinga Chapel, 6601 W. College Drive, Palos Heights
Tickets: $37-$67 general public; $10 students; $27 We Pick in advance
Information: 708-481-7774; ipomusic.org
Jessi Virtusio is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.