Honeck named replacement for second week of Muti concerts with CSO

Manfred Honeck, the Austrian conductor whose career has taken him from top positions at the Zurich Opera House, to the Norwegian National Opera, the Oslo Philharmonic, the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra – and who was served as music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra since 2007 – will replace Maestro Riccardo Muti for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra concerts slated for Feb. 18, 19 and 20. Honeck has been a frequent guest conductor with the orchestra.

The program will include Respighi’s “Fountains of Rome” and the “Concerto Gregoriano” featuring CSO concertmaster Robert Chen as soloist, as previously announced. The Symphony No. 3 by Alfredo Casella has been replaced on the program by Tchaikovsky’s “Symphony No. 6.”

Muti is recovering from hip surgery following an accident upon his return to Europe after the CSO’s tour of Asia last month. As previously announced, this week’s concerts (Feb. 11, 12, 13 and 16), will be led by Russian conductor Gennady Rozhdestvensky, with a program on which Sibelius’ “Rakastava” will replace Ligeti’s “Ramifications.”

For tickets to the CSO performances call (312) 294-3000 or visit http://www.cso.org.