Muti cancels rest of CSO fall residency due to illness

October 04, 2010

Citing “extreme gastric distress,” Riccardo Muti has cancelled the rest of his Chicago Symphony Orchestra fall residency in October. This follows his illness Saturday night at the CSO’s gala concert, at which Anne-Sophie Mutter performed double duty as violin soloist and conductor.

“I cannot express the depth of my regret that I am unable to complete this first residency as music director,” said Muti in a statement released by the CSO Sunday evening. “I have had the privilege of making marvelous music together with this great Orchestra, and I am confident that we will continue to do so when I return again.

“While we are all very sorry, the most important thing is that Maestro Muti makes a complete recovery,” commented CSO president Deborah F. Rutter in the same release.

While most of the programs are unchanged, the Bernard Rands premiere has been delayed.

Harry Bicket will lead the final Haydn and Mozart program this Tuesday night.

Asher Fisch will take over the CSO concerts for October 7-9, and the program of Wagner, Chávez and Beethoven will be unchanged.

Conductor emeritus Pierre Boulez will return on October 14-17, substituting Mahler’s Symphony No. 7 for Bernard Rands’ Danza Petrificada, Hindemith’s Symphony in E- flat and Cherubini’s Requiem in C Minor.

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