Backstage at the CSO
CSO musicians ‘string’ the praises of their luthiers
Centuries-old stringed instruments by masters such as Antonio Stradivari and Giovanni Battista Guadagnini are both beautiful art objects and complex…
Local luthier helps to keep CSO instruments in top condition
John Becker has been a luthier — a craftsman of stringed-instruments — for more than four decades. From his Chicago…
Backstage at the CSO: Director of Operations Heidi Lukas
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association presents about 400 concerts and events in a typical season. In addition, the Chicago Symphony…
Backstage at the CSO: Communications/PR Manager Dana Navarro
A lifelong love of music and a natural talent for writing set Dana Navarro on a career path toward her…
Backstage at the CSO: VIP Services Manager Robert Coad
With approximately 400 concerts and events each season, it’s no easy task to manage ticketing and customer service for the…
Making it all possible: CSO stage manager Kelly Kerins bids farewell
It’s mid-morning, and longtime CSO stage manager Kelly Kerins sits quietly in his backstage office at Symphony Center. In three…
In 1908 World Series, ‘Crowds in Orchestra Hall Shout Madly as Cubs Win’
In 1908, before Chicago had a Wrigley Field, baseball fans watched the Cubs win the World Series — at Orchestra…
Backstage at the CSO: audio engineer Charlie Post
Hidden down a corridor just behind the Orchestra Hall stage is a state-of-the-art recording studio where audio engineer Charlie Post…
This luthier works in homage to a past master of his art
At first following in the footsteps of his father, a member of the Shanghai Philharmonic, Chunyee Lu seemed destined for…
How to get to Orchestra Hall? Press ‘Up’
Symphony Center hosts plenty of piano supporters. Front and center, there’s none stronger and more steady than Orchestra Hall’s piano…
Backstage at the CSO: house manager Charles Braico
Charles Braico thought he wanted to study journalism but he discovered he had a passion for the hospitality industry, so he switched his major. The change paid off. In 2012, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra hired Braico for the crucial post of house manager.