Chicago Symphony Orchestra to play A2

In 1892, the University Musical Society welcomed the year-old Chicago Orchestra to Ann Arbor. One-hundred ninety-eight appearances later, the Chicago Symphony returns to Ann Arbor for a weekend residency.

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Weekend features celebrated pianist and conductor Christoph Eschenbach on piano, opening the 119th Annual Choral Union series Thursday evening. A panel discussion on the orchestral audition process in the '90s with members of the orchestra takes place Friday afternoon from 4:30-6 p.m. in the Recital Hall at the School of Music. Friday evening's concert features acclaimed violinist Nadja Solerno-Sonnenberg in celebration of the Symphony's 200th performance in Ann Arbor.

The gala celebration continues Saturday with a day of master classes, all free and open to the public at the School of Music. And in culmination, Eschenbach and members of the Symphony present an evening of chamber music in Rackham Auditorium Saturday night.

Overwhelming? Perhaps. But for the Symphony and soloists, it's all in a day's work.

In a recent telephone interview, violinist Nadja Solerno-Sonnenberg talked about her excitement for the residency.

"It's fantastic to be playing with the Symphony. I've worked with them a lot in the past," said Solerno-Sonnenberg. "It's easy to feel comfortable when you are working with the best."

And rightly so. The Chicago Symphony boasts a discography of more than 900, while Orchestra recordings have earned 53 Grammy Awards.

This weekend's concerts feature works by Berlioz, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Schumann and Beethoven among others.

Conductor and pianist Christoph Eschenbach, music director for the Houston Symphony, continues the tradition of pianist-conductors that reaches back to Beethoven, Schumann and Liszt.

"Eschenbach is a friend of mine, and I'm looking forward to playing with him Friday," Solerno-Sonnenberg said.

"The master class should be really interesting and enjoyable," Solerno-Sonnenberg said. "I'm excited about coming to Michigan - it's my favorite college and football team. Plus I'm going to the game on Saturday!"

Solerno-Sonnenberg is known for her unconventional playing style and stage presence. Talking to her reaffirms that image as her street-smart accent doesn't give the impression of renowned classical violinist.

"My family is very musical, and we used to have these family dinners which ended with music," she said. "I was the youngest in my family, and they were afraid I'd develop a complex if I didn't have an instrument to play. So when I was five, I was given a cheap violin and took some lessons from my mother's best friend who was teaching little kids to play the violin. And we knew the violin was where I was going to excel."

Solerno-Sonnenberg, whose living room features a mounted 275-pound blue shark that she caught off the coast of Long Island, was faced with a career-threatening accident in 1994. The violinist, chatting with friends while slicing an onion, accidentally slipped and chopped off the pinky finger of her left hand.

"The left hand is the hand which goes up and down the fingerboard. For the first time in my life, I was faced with the reality that I might never play again and that I'd have to think about what to do with my life. I've always had the fiddle," she said.

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