Northbrook Symphony Orchestra

Lawrence Rapchak quotes on music

"Music is our own emotions captured in
sound. If Mozart or Beethoven knew that
their music is regarded as the property of
the elite, they would be very unhappy.
Great music has nothing to do with
cultural elitism and everything to do with
profound thoughts, emotions and soaring
flights of imagination."

"Every time I walk out on stage, I put
myself on the line to deliver the most
compelling performance possible, while
the musicians of the NSO continue to
outdo themselves to communicate the
beauty and drama of the music to every
member of our audience."

Questions about the music …??

What were the composers thinking
when they wrote their great works?

How did their music relate to the
world around them when they wrote
it?

What fascinating emotional secrets
does the music contain?

What can we learn about our own
lives from these voices from the
past?

“The true power of music can only
be fully appreciated when these
questions are presented, examined
and illuminated as part of the
listening experience.”
Lawrence Rapchak


		The Maestro
		. Lawrence Rapchak *Music Director / Conductor*
		Lawrence Rapchak is in his ninth season as music director of the Northbrook Symphony, where he has presented numerous Chicagoland first performances, including Shostakovich's Symphony No. 2 and Suite on Verses of Michelangelo, the Irish Rhapsody No. 4 of Stanford, and, in May of 2009, the Panathenaenzug of Richard Strauss. He served for five seasons as music director of Chicago Opera Theater, conducting the Chicago premieres of Berlioz's Beatrice and Benedict and Ullmann's Der Kaiser von Atlantis as well as the company's acclaimed recording of Menotti's The Medium. Mr. Rapchak has served as Director of Educational Projects for the Chicago Philharmonic, conducting Stravinsky's complete Firebird ballet and Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique as part of Ravinia Festival's Outreach program. He also led Copland's Appalachain Spring for Ravinia's Kraft Saturday Morning Series. Mr Rapchak assisted Maestro Christoph von Dohnanyi in performance of the music of Ives with the Chicago Symphony, and has conducted outreach concerts for the Rochester (NY) Philharmonic, the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, and the Marion (IN) Philharmonic, in addition to leading the Czech Radio Orchestra of Prague and the Louisville Orchestra in concerts and recordings of his own works. In 1996, he composed Saetas on commission from the Chicago Symphony, a work which has also been played by the Helsinki Philharmonic and the Cincinnati Symphony. His music has also been performed by the Detroit Symphony, the Omaha Symphony, the Chicago Pro Musica, and the National Orchestral Association in Carnegie Hall. His opera The Lifework of Juan Diaz, based on a story by Ray Bradbury, was premiered by Chamber Opera Chicago and released commercially on the Albany label. He most recently composed a new work for the Chicago Symphony's Welcome Yule concerts. Mr. Rapchak is listed in the authoritative Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, and is currently in his 16th season as pre-concert speaker for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He lives in Whiting, Indiana with his wife Celeste and their three whippets Elvis, Lucille, and June-Bug. Reviews in the Press	Serious issues at hand More serious issues while huddling under the piano lid with the great virtuoso Alexander Toradze At last, something to smile about (while wearing the barely visible Three Stooges suspenders)
			Lawrence Rapchak quotes on music "Music is our own emotions captured in sound. If Mozart or Beethoven knew that their music is regarded as the property of the elite, they would be very unhappy. Great music has nothing to do with cultural elitism and everything to do with profound thoughts, emotions and soaring flights of imagination." "Every time I walk out on stage, I put myself on the line to deliver the most compelling performance possible, while the musicians of the NSO continue to outdo themselves to communicate the beauty and drama of the music to every member of our audience." Questions about the music …?? What were the composers thinking when they wrote their great works? How did their music relate to the world around them when they wrote it? What fascinating emotional secrets does the music contain? What can we learn about our own lives from these voices from the past? “The true power of music can only be fully appreciated when these questions are presented, examined and illuminated as part of the listening experience.” Lawrence Rapchak