Northwest Symphony Concert to Feature CSO’s Michael Henoch

Northwest Symphony Concert to Feature CSO’s Michael Henoch

The Northwest Symphony Orchestra will perform the second concert in its milestone 60th anniversary season on Sunday January 29, 2012, at 3:30 PM in the Theatre for the Performing Arts at Maine West High School, 1755 South Wolf Road in Des Plaines.

This concert, “NSO Revisited,” will feature noted oboe soloist Michael Henoch, assistant principal oboist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, performing Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari’s Idillio Concertino for Oboe and Orchestra.   The orchestra, under the direction of Maestro Paul Vermel, and winner of multiple awards from the Illinois Council of Orchestras, will also play two favorite compositions that were heard at the NSO’s opening concert in May 1953: Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 in F minor (“Pastoral”, and A Night on Bald Mountain by Modeste Mussorgsky.           

Michael Henoch was appointed assistant principal oboe of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra by Sir Georg Solti in 1972 while a student at Northwestern University, making him one of the youngest members in the history of the Orchestra to hold a titled chair. Michael earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music from Northwestern University, both awarded with highest honors.  His teacher was Ray Still, former principal oboe of the CSO. He also studied with Gladys Elliot in Chicago and with Rhadames Angelucci at the National Music Camp in Interlochen, Michigan.  For three years as a college student, Michael was a regular member of the Lyric Opera of Chicago Orchestra.  His 1970 Carnegie Hall debut as a soloist with the New York String Orchestra led to an invitation from Rudolf Serkin to participate in the Marlboro Music Festival in Vermont, where he was the principal oboe in the orchestra under the baton of Pablo Casals.  He has performed at many other prestigious summer festivals, including Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival and the Carmel Bach Festival in California.

Mr. Henoch has performed as the principal oboe on more than fifty of the CSO’s recordings, many of them Grammy Award winners.  He has performed as a soloist with many orchestras, appearing with such noted conductors as Sir Georg Solti, Daniel Barenboim, David Zinman, and Alexander Schneider.  As a soloist, recitalist, and chamber player, he has toured extensively throughout North America and Europe.  In September 1999 he was invited to perform as principal oboe of an international festival orchestra in Tokyo.  This ensemble was composed of leading orchestral players from all over the world.

In 1996 Michael was named the artistic co-director of the Chicago Chamber Musicians

(CCM),  with which he has performed since its inception in 1986.  He is credited with the idea for CCM’s highly successful Music at the Millennium series, which celebrated twentieth century music in concerts at Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art.  In the development of this festival, he worked closely with Pierre Boulez, who served as music advisor.  In 2008, Michael founded Dempster Street Pro Musica, a chamber music ensemble that performs at SPACE in Evanston.  The organization is dedicated to presenting chamber music concerts of the highest quality in a casual atmosphere.

One hour prior to the concert, Carolyn Paulin, producer and program host at radio station WFMT 98.7 Chicago, will present a free pre-concert commentary.

Concert tickets are $20.00 for adults, $15.00 for seniors, and $10.00 for students.  Children under age 14 are admitted free when accompanied by a paying adult.  Tickets will be available at the door on concert days and now may be purchased directly from the orchestra’s website, www.northwestsymphony.org.  PayPal is accepted, and tickets can be held for pickup at the box office.  Ticket requests and payment checks can also be mailed to the Northwest Symphony Orchestra, PO Box 46, Mt. Prospect, IL 60056-0046.