On April 1, the Chicago Philharmonic spotlights Artist in Residence Njioma Chinyere Grevious, one of classical music’s most electrifying young stars. Celebrated for her passionate artistry and virtuosic command, Grevious has already earned the Robert F. Smith First Prize at the Sphinx Competition, a 2024 Avery Fisher Career Grant, and recognition as one of Classic FM’s 2024 Rising Stars.

For her second annual Artist in Residence showcase, Grevious joins the Chicago Philharmonic under Artistic Director Scott Speck to perform Saint-Saëns’ Violin Concerto No. 3, a jewel of the repertoire that will shine with her dazzling talent.

The program also highlights the voices of women in classical music today. Audiences will experience the Chicago Premiere of Liquid Air by Elżbieta Sikora, a distinguished living composer whose pioneering work bridges tradition and bold innovation. Together with Grevious’ radiant artistry, the evening celebrates the creativity and talent of women shaping the future of music.

Program:

Camille Saint-Saëns Violin Concerto No. 3

I. Allegro non troppo
II. Andantino quasi allegretto
III. Molto moderato e maestoso – Allegro non troppo

Elżbieta Sikora Liquid Air (U.S. Premiere)

Learn More About the Artist in Residence Program:

Notes on the Program: Elżbieta Sikora’s Liquid Air

Uncertainty, passing away, interpenetration…The air transforms from liquid to gaseous state. Captured in this form, it assumes a new one. Mystery…

A low sound, to begin with. A dense sound texture accumulates around it, penetrated, as by a gust of air, by brief woodwind interventions in a high register. This interplay of opposites takes up the first section of the piece, slow and pensive.

Section two, different in character, starts with a fast passage in the strings, which functions as a form building element, undergoing various transformations, and is contrasted to the sharp accents in the brass. Then a delicate and quiet sequence emerges drawing on sounds that already appeared in the first section until fast rhythmic passages return, and the section ends with an ascending progression flowing through the various orchestral groups.

Sections three opens with a quiet third motifs which constitutes its leitmotif. Then transformed elements from the previous sections recur as a kind of recollection of what happened; these are not fully stated and take on ever new form.

The work was commissioned by the Warsaw Autumn Festival for its 2021 edition.

Njioma Chinyere Grevious with the Chicago Philharmonic | Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's Concerto for Violin in G Minor:

This program is supported by:

Chicago Philharmonic presents Artist in Residence Njioma Grevious

Team Members