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Congratulations to George Shirley!
September 11, 2015 in Uncategorized | Tags: Barack Obama, Birgit Nilsson, Carnegie Hall, Charles Ives, Chicago Symphony Chorus, Cory Winter, Curtis Dickson, Eugene Johnson, Franz Mazura, George Shirley, Gershon Silins, Helen Donath, Henry David Thoreau, Huguette Tourangeau, Jerry Jennings, John Adams, John Lanigan, Julia Hamari, Justino Díaz, Margaret Hillis, Martti Talvela, Mignon Dunn, National Medal of Arts, Norman Bailey, Philip Creech, Ragnar Ulfung, Ravinia Festival, Ruth Hesse, Sandra Walker, Sarah Beatty, Seiji Ozawa, Sir Georg Solti, Theo Adam, Thomas Paul, Wendy Fine, William Wahman | Leave a comment
Congratulations to tenor George Shirley upon receiving a National Medal of Arts yesterday from President Barack Obama!

Shirley receiving the medal from President Obama at the White House on September 9, 2015 (image retrieved from this site)
The medal is the highest award given to artists by the United States government and is awarded by the president to individuals or organizations who “are deserving of special recognition by reason of their outstanding contributions to the excellence, growth, support, and availability of the arts in the United States.”
George Shirley has appeared with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on multiple occasions—as tenor soloist and narrator—and a complete list of his performances is below (subscription concerts at Orchestra Hall, unless otherwise noted):
December 16, 18, and 19, 1970
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125
Georg Solti, conductor
Helen Donath, soprano
Huguette Tourangeau, mezzo-soprano
George Shirley, tenor
Martti Talvela, bass
Chicago Symphony Chorus
Margaret Hillis, director
July 22, 1972 (Ravinia Festival)
BERLIOZ Romeo and Juliet, Op. 17
Seiji Ozawa, conductor
Mignon Dunn, mezzo-soprano
George Shirley, tenor
Justino Díaz, bass-baritone
Chicago Symphony Chorus
Margaret Hillis, director
November 1, 2, and 3, 1973
BEETHOVEN Missa solemnis in D Major, Op. 123
Sir Georg Solti, conductor
Wendy Fine, soprano (November 1)
Sarah Beatty, soprano (November 2 and 3)
Julia Hamari, mezzo-soprano
George Shirley, tenor
Theo Adam, bass-baritone (November 1 and 2)
Thomas Paul, bass (November 3)
Chicago Symphony Chorus
Margaret Hillis, director
December 18, 1974 (Carnegie Hall)
STRAUSS Salome
Salome Birgit Nilsson, soprano
Herodias Ruth Hesse, mezzo-soprano
Herod Antipas Ragnar Ulfung, tenor
Jokanaan Norman Bailey, baritone
Slave Sarah Beatty, soprano
The Page of Herodias Sandra Walker, mezzo-soprano
Narraboth George Shirley, tenor
Cappadocian Gershon Silins, bass
Two Nazarenes Cory Winter, tenor; Franz Mazura, bass-baritone
Four Jews Philip Creech, Jerry Jennings, John Lanigan, and William Wahman, tenors; Eugene Johnson, bass
Two Soldiers Curtis Dickson and Thomas Paul, basses
May 6, 7, 8, and 11, 1999
IVES Three Places in New England
John Adams, conductor
George Shirley, reader
(To set the stage for each section, Shirley read texts by Charles Ives and Henry David Thoreau.)
Congratulations!
Solti 69: Bach’s Saint Matthew Passion
April 6, 2012 in Uncategorized | Tags: Alexis Darden, Alfred Reichel, Anne Sofie von Otter, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Barbara Born, Brigitte Fassbaender, Bruce Cain, Catharina Meints, Chicago Symphony Chorus, Curtis Dickson, David Schrader, Debra Austin, DeVere Moore, Donald Gramm, Donald Peck, Donna Gullstrand, Doreen Rao, Doris Kirschner, Ellen Rico, Eloise Niwa, Eugene Johnson, Eva Heinitz, Frank Miller, Frederic Chrislip, Gershon Silins, Glen Ellyn Children's Chorus, Grover Schiltz, Gwynne Howell, Hans Peter Blochwitz, Heather Harper, Helen Watts, Isola Jones, Jack Abraham, Jane Green, Jerry Jennings, Joan Welles, John Hsu, John Sharp, Joseph Guastafeste, Judith Kulb, Karen Zajac, Kiri Te Kanawa, Leonard Chausow, Linda Mabbs, Louise Dixon, Lucy Ding, Mallory Walker, Margaret Hillis, Mary Sauer, Michael Henoch, Nancy Clevenger, Olaf Bär, Pamela Coburn, Patrice Michaels, Philip Booth, Philip Creech, Ray Still, recording, Richard Cohn, Richard Graef, Richard Kanter, Richard Lewis, Richard Livingston, Richard Webster, Rubén González, Samuel Magad, Sarah Beatty, Sidney Weiss, Siegmund Nimsgern, Sir Georg Solti, Solti 100, Stephen Swanson, Thomas Moser, Tim O’Connor, Tom Krause, Victor Aitay, Walfrid Kujala, William Watson, Wolfgang Schoene | 7 comments
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With the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Sir Georg Solti conducted Bach’s monumental Saint Matthew Passion on four different occasions at Orchestra Hall:
April 9 and 10, 1971
Jesus: Tom Krause
Evangelist: Richard Lewis
Aria soloists: Heather Harper, Helen Watts, Richard Lewis, Donald Gramm
Other vocal soloists: Alfred Reichel, Stephen Swanson, Nancy Clevenger, Ellen Rico, Linda Mabbs, Jack Abraham, Eugene Johnson, Frederic Chrislip, Karen Zajac
Obbligati: Donald Peck, Richard Graef, Ray Still, Richard Kanter, Grover Schiltz, DeVere Moore, Victor Aitay, Sidney Weiss, Eva Heinitz
Continuo: Eloise Niwa, Frank Miller, Joseph Guastafeste
Chicago Symphony Chorus; Margaret Hillis, director
Glen Ellyn Children’s Theatre Chorus; Barbara Born, director
These performances were dedicated to the memory of Igor Stravinsky, who had died on April 6, 1971.
April 12 and 13, 1974
Jesus: Gwynne Howell
Evangelist: Mallory Walker
Aria soloists: Heather Harper, Helen Watts, Jerry Jennings, Philip Booth
Other vocal soloists: Alfred Reichel, Curtis Dickson, Gershon Silins, Stephen Swanson, Donna Gullstrand, Alexis Darden, Sarah Beatty, Richard Livingston, Philip Creech, Isola Jones
Obbligati: Donald Peck, Richard Graef, Louise Dixon, Walfrid Kujala, Ray Still, Richard Kanter, Grover Schiltz, Michael Henoch, Victor Aitay, Samuel Magad, John Hsu
Continuo: Eloise Niwa, Mary Sauer, Frank Miller, Joseph Guastafeste
Chicago Symphony Chorus; Margaret Hillis, director
Glen Ellyn Children’s Chorus; Doreen Rao, director
April 4 and 6, 1985
Jesus: Wolfgang Schoene
Evangelist: Anthony Rolfe Johnson
Aria soloists: Pamela Coburn, Brigitte Fassbaender, Thomas Moser, Siegmund Nimsgern
Other vocal soloists: Bruce Cain, Richard Cohn, Jane Green, Joan Welles, Doris Kirschner, Karen Zajac, Tim O’Connor
Obbligati: Donald Peck, Richard Graef, Louise Dixon, Walfrid Kujala, Ray Still, Richard Kanter, Grover Schiltz, Michael Henoch, Victor Aitay, Samuel Magad, Catharina Meints
Continuo: Mary Sauer, David Schrader, Richard Webster, Leonard Chausow, Joseph Guastafeste
Chicago Symphony Chorus; Margaret Hillis, director
Glen Ellyn Children’s Chorus; Doreen Rao, director
March 19 and 21, 1987
Jesus: Olaf Bär
Evangelist: Hans Peter Blochwitz
Aria soloists: Kiri Te Kanawa, Anne Sofie von Otter, Thomas Moser, Tom Krause
Other vocal soloists: Richard Cohn, Patrice Michaels, Debra Austin, William Watson
Obbligati: Donald Peck, Richard Graef, Louise Dixon, Walfrid Kujala, Ray Still, Judith Kulb, Grover Schiltz, Michael Henoch, Samuel Magad, Rubén González, Catharina Meints, Mary Sauer
Continuo: David Schrader, John Sharp, Joseph Guastafeste
Chicago Symphony Chorus; Margaret Hillis, director
Glen Ellyn Children’s Chorus; Lucy Ding, acting director
Following the performances in March 1987, the work was recorded for London Records. Andrew Cornall was the producer, and Simon Eadon and John Pellowe were the engineers.
I inadvertently neglected to include the 1971 performances in the first version of this post. —FV