A Conductor and a Cellist Talk Over Lunch
A midday conversation with Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider and Jian Wang runs as a benefit inside Symphony Center.
🎻 One Morning in the Loop
🎼 Who Takes the Questions
The League organizes this program at Symphony Center as a fundraiser for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Conductor Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider and cellist Jian Wang answer questions from orchestra president Jeff Alexander in an open dialogue. The format puts both artists in conversation rather than performance, which gives a view of their work away from the concert platform. Proceeds go to the orchestra's artistic, educational, and community engagement programs. The orchestra sells the seats through its own box office.
🍽️ How the Room Works
Guests arrive at 220 South Michigan Avenue, check in, and are seated for lunch before the talk begins. The conversation runs from a table rather than a stage, with Alexander steering the questions. Attendees hear how a guest conductor prepares a week with an orchestra, and the room stays small enough for follow-up questions. Staff circulate with the day's program at each place. People linger over coffee once the formal portion closes.
🎫 Timing and Tickets
The program runs Saturday, October 24, starting at 11 in the morning in the Loop. Seating is by advance ticket rather than at the door, sold through the Chicago Symphony Orchestra site. Symphony Center sits at 220 South Michigan Avenue, across from Grant Park and a short walk from the lakefront. Allow extra time for weekend traffic on Michigan Avenue and for the check-in line. Dress as you would for a daytime concert. Anyone hoping to hear Szeps-Znaider conduct should book a subscription concert instead.
