Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Hong Kong Arts Festival 2013

Riccardo Muti will lead the Chicago Symphony Orchestra to play in the 2013 Hong Kong Arts Festival on 28 and 29 January, with the same 2 sets of programme he used for his 2013 tour to the Far East. Although no Bruckner was programmed for this 2013 tour, not too long ago Muti has expressed his wish to do a Bruckner cycle with the CSO. He has done the Second in 2009 and also the Sixth at the end of the 2011-2012 season on 22 June. He is scheduled to perform the First to conclude the 2012-2013 season.

A review of his concert on 22 June appeared in the Chicago Tribune and can be read here. This concert can be heard from this streaming link till 23 October.

What is worrying for the Orchestra is that the opening concert of the new season on 22 September was cancelled due to the musicians' strike. Here is an extract from the CSO's press release:

"The Chicago Symphony Orchestra performance this evening, September 22 at 8 p.m. at Symphony Center, has been canceled. The musicians of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra chose to strike rather than continue their negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement. The previous collective bargaining agreement expired at midnight on Sunday, September 16, 2012. Musicians and management had previously agreed to begin the 2012/13 season this week, as they continued the contract negotiations that began this summer. Rehearsals and concerts took place as scheduled earlier this week. However, during today’s meeting, the musicians left the negotiating table and proceeded to strike."

I hope that agreement can be reached in the near future.