Repertoire

The Chicago City Wide Symphony Orchestra repertoire maintains a studied selection of serious and challenging classical works, accessible classic and light classic genre, uniquely American pieces, and less well known orchestral music deserving a hearing by modern artists and audiences.

Below is a sampling from past concerts.

Anthony Arnone, Cellist

Professor Anthony Arnone joins the orchestra in a performance of Joseph Haydn's "Cello Concerto No.1 in C Major". The concerto was presumed lost until a score was discovered by musicologist Oldrich Pulkert at the Prague National Museum in 1961.

Called "A cellist with rich tonal resources, fine subtlety and a keen sense of phrasing" (Gramophone magazine), cellist Anthony Arnone is an active soloist, chamber musician, conductor and teacher throughout the country and around the world. Mr. Arnone is currently associate professor of cello at The University of Iowa School of Music. He is on the faculty of the Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, North Carolina, where he teaches, conducts, and performs chamber and orchestral music during the summers. He is also on the faculty of the Preucil School of Music in Iowa City, where he conducts the Preucil School String Orchestra. An active clinician as well, Mr. Arnone has given master classes throughout the country. Recent master classes include Cleveland Institute of Music, Oberlin Conservatory of Music, University of New Mexico, Oklahoma State University, Texas Christian University, and the University of Missouri, St. Louis.

As a cello soloist and chamber musician, Mr. Arnone was a founding member of the Meridien Trio and the Sedgewick String Quartet, which performed regularly at the Spoleto Festival in Charleston. More recently, he has been part of the Matisse Trio, faculty trio at the University of Iowa. The Matisse Trio has played throughout the United States and at international conferences. Mr. Arnone also has performed as soloist with orchestras including the Madison Symphony, Muscatine Symphony, Clinton Symphony, Newton/Mid-Kansas Symphony, and the Wichita State University Orchestra, and regularly performs solo and chamber music recitals around the country.

A native of Honolulu, Mr. Arnone received his bachelor of music degree from the New England Conservatory of Music where he studied with Colin Carr. He left graduate studies with Bonnie Hampton at the San Francisco Conservatory to accept a position with the Orchestré Philharmonique de Nice, France, where he remained for 2 years, continuing his studies with Paul and Maude Tortelier. He later returned to the United States to complete his master’s degree in conducting at Wichita State University.

In addition to the Orchestré Philharmonique de Nice, Mr. Arnone was the principal cellist of the Madison Symphony in Wisconsin. He was also a member of the New World Symphony and the Wichita Symphony, as well as principal cello in the Spoleto Festival Orchestra in Charleston, South Carolina and the Festival dei due Mondi in Italy.

Before coming to The University of Iowa, Mr. Arnone was professor of cello and conducting at Ripon College in Ripon, WI, in addition to being principal cellist of the Madison Symphony. Mr. Arnone started the Iowa Cello Society in 2002, and has had yearly "Cello Daze" weekends with such prominent guests as Colin Carr, Bonnie Hampton, Richard Aaron, Hans Jensen, and Tanya Carey.

Lindsay Mecher, Soprano

Guest soloist Lindsay Mecher returns to perform "Als die alte Mutter" from the Gyspy Songs cycle by Antonín Dvorák, and the aria "O mio babbino caro" from the opera Gianni Schicchi by Giacomo Puccini with the orchestra.

Lindsay Mecher is a recent graduate of Loyola Academy and winner of the Bel Canto Foundation’s Opera competition in the junior division, singing Mozart’s "Deh, vieni non tardar," and Puccini’s "Sole e Amore". Also capturing the Bravo award for outstanding performance, she is a two time winner of the Norwood Park Idol, and winner of the Des Plaines Idol. This fall Ms. Mecher will be a vocal performance major at the University of Iowa.