New Philharmonic continues 50th Season with “A Tribute To Scotland: Mendelssohn, Bruch & Davies” Oct. 24 & 25

New Philharmonic, the professional orchestra in residence at the McAninch Arts Center (MAC), continues its 2026-27 season with “A Tribute To Scotland: Mendelssohn, Bruch & Davies” Oct. 24 and 25. This orchestral journey brings Scotland to life in three strikingly different pieces. A free MAC Chat begins one hour before each performance.

Symphony No. 3 “Scottish” composed by Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) captures the grandeur of ancient ruins and windswept landscapes. Its tone has been described by MusilLection as “an orchestral meditation filled with melancholy, grandeur and poetic imagination.” It was inspired by Mendelssohn’s 1829 trip to visit the ruins of Holyrood Chapel at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh. Although it was the fifth and final of Mendelssohn's symphonies to be completed, it was the third to be published and has subsequently been known as Symphony No. 3.

David Taylor, Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) assistant concertmaster and The Ling Z. and Michael C. Markovitz chair, is featured in “The Scottish Fantasy” by Max Bruch (1838-1920). “Scottish Fantasy” in E-flat minor, Op. 46 is a four-movement composition for violin and orchestra, built on Scottish folk melodies as follows:

• Introduction; Grave, Adagio Cantabile – “Through the Wood Laddie” based on a poem by Scottish poet Allan Ramsay. It was frequently issued on song sheets and in songsters of the 18th and early 19th centuries
• Scherzo; Allegro – “The Dusty Miller” written by Robert Burns, circa 1788
• Andante sostenuto – “I’m A’ Doun for Lack O’ Johnnie,” first published in 1862, in Graham's “Songs of Scotland” Vol. 2, with words and music arranged by Finlay Dun, who described it as "known and sung in the north of Scotland"
• Finale; Allegro guerriero – “Hey Tuttie Tatie, Scots Wha Hae,” reputed to have been played by the army of Robert the Bruce before the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 and during the Siege of Orléans in 1429.

“I’m thrilled to have David back especially for New Philharmonic’s landmark 50th year,” said Maestro Muspratt. “He is a favorite of MAC audiences who has been involved with New Philharmonic for decades and has been showcased in three programs during my tenure alone.”

Taylor joined the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as assistant concertmaster in 1979. With the Chicago Symphony, he has made numerous solo appearances, including performances with Sir Georg Solti. He also has served as acting concertmaster of the St. Louis Symphony and concertmaster of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. As a lover of chamber music, he often appears in recital and solo performances in the Chicago area, at the Ravinia Festival and on WFMT-FM. He frequently performs with the Pressenda Trio with fellow CSO cellist Gary Stucka and pianist Andrea Swan. Taylor teaches privately at Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts. A coach of orchestral violinists, he has students in orchestras across the United States and Japan and has developed a passion for photography. Taylor plays a J.B. Guadagnini violin, made in 1744.

“An Orkney Wedding, with Sunrise” by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies (1934-2016) rounds out the program. It is notable for being one of the few pieces in classical repertoire to feature a bagpipe solo. Approximately 12 minutes in length, it musically depicts the exuberant celebrations after a wedding in Orkney. The piece traditionally closes with the entry of the bagpipes. “An Orkney Wedding, with Sunrise” was written for a commission by the Boston Pops Orchestra, which premiered it under American film composer and conductor John Williams in 1985. It has since become one of Davies' most enduringly popular pieces.

New Philharmonic presents “A Tribute to Scotland: Mendelssohn, Bruch & Davies” at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25 at the McAninch Arts Center at the College of DuPage, 425 Fawell Blvd. Tickets are $58. Student tickets are $10 (subject to availability).
For tickets or more information, visit AtTheMAC.org or call the MAC Box Office at 630.942.4000.