Summary: Welcome to this digital edition of Phillip Huscher's Program Notes for upcoming concerts by the CSO Jun 21-25. "For more than 40 years, Riccardo Muti has been the king of Verdi conductors, the one who most makes you feel you are hearing the composer's operas for the very first time" (The New York Times). Through his tenure as music director, Muti has conducted highly acclaimed CSO performances of Verdi operas, including a landmark presentation of Falstaff in 2016. The maestro now leads a concert performance of Verdi's grandest opera, the triumphant Aida, featuring a spectacular cast of international singers and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus.
