CSO brings three nights of music to Morton Arboretum

If it works, repeat it.

This could be the guiding principle behind the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's return to the Morton Arboretum for a three-night concert series.

For the third consecutive year, the CSO will entertain audiences under the stars and surrounded by trees in the outdoor Lisle venue with concerts Thursday, Friday and Saturday, June 25 to 27.

"We call it world class music in a world class location," said Jennifer GoodSmith, the arboretum's vice president of marketing and communications. "It's a good partnership for us."

GoodSmith said the past two years' performances brought droves of CSO fans to the arboretum, which can accommodate up to 4,500 concertgoers seated on the lawn on their own blankets and camp chairs.

"We've come pretty close to selling out all three concerts," she said.

This year's Thursday night concert, "Hollywood Heroes and Superheroes," featuring music from Hollywood movies, sold out weeks ago, she said.

Tickets remain for Friday night's concert, titled "Russian Splendor." The concert will be conducted by James Feddeck and will feature Igor Stravinsky's "Circus Polka" and a suite from "The Firebird" and Sergei Rachmaninov's "Symphony No. 2."

Tickets for the Saturday concert are also still available. Feddeck will conduct the orchestra's performance of Mikhail Glinka's overture to "Ruslan and Ludmila," Joseph Haydn's trumpet concerto and Hector Berlioz's "Symphonie Fantastique" in a program of the same name.

GoodSmith said the arboretum concert series supports the CSO's interest in performing in DuPage County. The orchestra is based at Symphony Center in Chicago and performs a summer series of concerts on the North Shore at Ravinia in Highland Park.

"The CSO had done some research because they're interested in engaging the residents of DuPage County," GoodSmith said.

Earlier this spring, the CSO performed concerts at other DuPage County locations, including at Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville and at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn.

"For quite some time, the CSO has been wanting to extend our reach into DuPage County," said Kevin Giglinto, the CSO's vice president for strategy and special initiatives.

Though CSO representatives have discussed the potential of building a CSO concert venue in DuPage County with local and regional leaders over the past two years, Giglinto said there are no plans to move forward.

"We are not going to build our own facility out there. We are exploring other alternatives," he said. "We haven't been able to figure out a long-term plan yet. We continue to work on it."

GoodSmith said the CSO transports its own equipment to the arboretum.

"They bring in a very large stage," she said. "We help them with the space and the setup and all that. We're certainly happy to have them here."

She said audience members may bring their own food but not their own alcohol. Food and alcoholic beverages are for sale at the arboretum. Pets are not allowed.

In case of inclement weather, the shows will be canceled. Clear skies graced the first two seasons of CSO concerts at the arboretum, she said, and organizers are hoping for a third year of good weather.

"We monitor the weather extremely closely," she said.

GoodSmith said the Morton Arboretum hosts several other musical performances, though on a smaller scale, at special arboretum events throughout the year.

For up-to-date ticket information, check mortonarb.org.

If you go

What: Chicago Symphony Orchestra concert series

Where: Morton Arboretum, 4100 Route 53, Lisle

When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, June 25 to 27

Tickets: $40 per concert; discounts available for CSO subscribers and Morton Arboretum members; Thursday sold out

Parking: $10 per vehicle; free for members

Info: (800) 223-7114, (312) 294-3000, cso.org or mortonarb.org