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Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Ravinia Announce Performance of “Great Lake Concerto” by Tim Corpus

Today Ravinia and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra announced their 2025 summer season at the Ravinia Festival. I’m honored to be part of the festival with the performance of the third movement of my “Great Lake Concerto”. This performance will be led by legendary conductor Marin Alsop with soloists Ed Harrison and Vadim Karpinos, along with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Chief Conductor Marin Alsop and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra invite audiences to embark on an exhilarating sonic journey across the globe in Breaking Barriers 2025. This captivating concert will explore the intersection of global adventure, music, and culture, transporting listeners from the mystic shores of the Arabian Sea to the vibrant rhythms of Cuba.

The evening opens with Rimsky-Korsakov’s Sheherazade, a spellbinding symphonic suite that draws inspiration from the fantastical tales of One Thousand and One Nights. As the CSO’s bard weaves these ancient stories into musical form, the orchestra brings to life exotic adventures that unfold through rich textures and evocative melodies.

The journey takes a reflective turn with Reena Esmail’s RE|member, a poignant work that blends Western and Indian traditions. Through its intricate rhythms and lush harmonies, RE|member speaks to the profound ways our experiences shape us, celebrating the beauty of returning home and the new connections we forge along the way.

A propulsive excerpt of Chicago-based composer Tim Corpus’s Great Lake Concerto follows, offering a fresh and dynamic tribute to the region. Featuring soloists Vadim Karpinos (CSO assistant principal timpani and percussion) and Ed Harrison (principal timpanist of Lyric Opera of Chicago), the work offers vibrant melodies that evoke the spirit and beauty of this iconic landscape. 

The evening culminates with the infectious rhythms of Gershwin’s Cuban Overture, a symphonic overture inspired by the composer’s two-week trip to Havana, where he fell in love with the vibrant sounds of Afro-Cuban music.

I’m so excited to share this music with the Ravinia Festival audiences this summer. See you there!

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Tim Corpus is a composer with a genuine lyric impulse. He writes music that is at the same time challenging and appealing - which should be the ideal of any composer. He has a wonderful ear for sound and for shape. This is a composer with a real and important voice.

Henry Fogel Retired Dean of the Chicago College of Performing Arts and CEO/President of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra

...`{`Three Pieces for Five Timpani`}` is an outstanding addition to the literature for timpani and great for advanced recital programs.

George Frock Professor Emeritus, The University of Texas

Tim Corpus is a wonderfully skilled composer who has important things to say with his music. His debut album, Breath, is extremely impressive. Beautiful and exciting music to be sure!

Larry Alan Smith Composer

Tim Corpus' music is complex, original and steeped in tradition. His Three Pieces for Five Timpani is clearly an extension of the composers, such as Elliott Carter, that came before him. The pieces are challenging but fulfilling to learn and perform. Possibly the most important thing about Tim's timpani writing is that audiences will enjoy listening to his compositions. He is taking solo timpani writing to the next level.

Ed Harrison Timpanist of the Lyric Opera of Chicago

The melodic gestures in Tim Corpus' masterful piece for strings, ``Breath``, are paced so that a listener’s respiration pattern aligns itself instinctively with the slow and even pulse of the piece. Breath creates a powerful performer/listener symbiosis, a remarkable accomplishment on the part of the composer.

Steven Gryc Composer

Tim Corpus’s music is beautifully lyrical, nicely voiced and technically well-realized. In person, he is a pleasure to work with. We very much enjoyed recording his first two string quartets and hope to see more from him in the future.

Jen Leckie Violinist, Grant Street String Quartet

I recently had the pleasure of conducting the premiere of First Flight. It is artfully written, fresh, unique, and best of all – a beautiful piece of music! Tim is a major talent with big things in store for his future. It clearly deserves a permanent place in the repertoire of any serious wind ensemble. I can't wait to program it again!

Stephen Squires Conductor, Chicago College of Performing Arts Wind Ensemble

I have worked with Tim Corpus as a performer, composer and teacher. He brings passion and energy to his craft. He is a young lion who is making his mark on the Chicago music scene.

Kevin Miller Retired Band Director, Schaumburg High School

I've had the pleasure of knowing Tim for years now, and I learned very quickly that his passion and talent as a performer and composer are unquestioned. Everything he does is handled with a rare combination of intensity and care, and his works display such attributes. His lyricism in particular, along with his rich, beautiful harmonies and intricate polyphony set him apart from many of his colleagues. In a world littered with simple, non-intellectual music, Tim is breaking through and creating a new, exciting, accessible, and, most importantly, intelligent style of music that is imperative to the future of our art form.

Matt Bronstein Axiom Brass Quintet

Breath is very professionally produced, and the overall impression is of a lyrical and rhapsodic voice. I think Breath is a great starter, very ample and serene, even ecstatic. The second quartet is lively and engaging throughout.

Dr. Robert Carl Composer
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