Sting, 16-time Grammy Award-winning vocalist, bassist and former lead singer of The Police, joins members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for its annual Corporate Night celebration on Tuesday, May 19, at 7:30 p.m. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the CSO's Corporate Night - a private, corporate event - is one of the largest fundraising events hosted by the CSO. Proceeds from this benefit provide vital support for CSO programs and audience development initiatives. In addition to concert and dinner packages for members of the business community, and in celebration of the 20th anniversary of Corporate Night, the CSO will host a special public auction on eBay, beginning on May 4. The winner of the auction will receive two tickets to the concert, a one-night stay at the Four Seasons Hotel (Chicago), dinner for two at Tru restaurant and an autographed program book.
The CSO is proud to announce that, for the seventh consecutive year, Corporate Night will honor Chicago-area music students and educators. The gallery of Orchestra Hall will be filled with some 200 young musicians and their teachers, who have been invited to attend free of charge thanks to the generosity of Gallery Sponsors Deloitte, Sidley Austin LLP, Winston & Strawn LLP, Bank of America, and BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois.
"Providing an opportunity for Chicago's corporate community to gather in support of one of this city's vital cultural institutions is so very important," said David B. Speer, chairman and chief executive officer of Illinois Tool Works Inc. and chair of the CSO Corporate Committee for Corporate Night. "It is such a privilege to be chairing this landmark event, one that not only highlights members of the remarkable Chicago Symphony Orchestra, but welcomes an incomparable artist such as Sting to Symphony Center."
"We are so thrilled to be presenting such a remarkable event in celebration of the 20th anniversary of Corporate Night," said Annette Dezelan, Corporate Night chair. "To have such a show of support from the corporate community reminds us all that Chicago is a city of immense civic pride and, that as a community, we are coming together to recognize the important impact of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on the cultural life of Chicago."
"I look forward to performing with the world-class musicians from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in celebration and support of such an important cultural icon," remarks Sting. "Collaborating with artists of this caliber and sharing the experience with so many music students is incredibly inspiring."
Sting, born and raised in Newcastle, England, was a teacher, soccer coach and ditchdigger before turning to music. He took up the bass guitar and performed in jazz gigs with local outfits including The Newcastle Big Band, The Phoenix Jazzmen, Earthrise and Last Exit. Inspired equally by jazz and the Beatles, he met Stewart Copeland, an American drummer, and they, along with guitarist Andy Summers, formed The Police in 1977.
The band became globally popular in the early 1980s, playing a style of rock that was influenced by jazz, punk and reggae music. Their 1983 album "Synchronicity," which features the monster single "Every Breath You Take," was number one in the U.K. and the U.S. and has sold over 8 million copies in the United States. The Police disbanded in 1984 but reunited in early 2007 for a one-off world tour, in celebration of the 30th anniversary of their first single, "Fall Out."
Sting's solo career has proven equally successful. With the release of "Dream of the Blue Turtles" in 1985, followed by "Bring On The Night," "Nothing Like The Sun," "The Soul Cages," "Ten Summoner's Tales," "Mercury Falling," "Brand New Day," "All This Time" and "Sacred Love," Sting has evolved into one of the world's most distinctive and highly respected performers, collecting an additional 11 Grammy awards as a solo artist. In October 2006, he turned his attentions to a long-standing interest in the work of acclaimed Elizabethan songwriter John Dowland with the release of "Songs from the Labyrinth," an album featuring virtuoso Bosnian lutenist Edin Karamazov, which debuted at the top of the classical charts in the U.S., U.K., France, Canada and Germany.
For members of the business community who have purchased concert and dining packages, the Corporate Night celebration begins at Symphony Center with cocktails at 5 p.m., followed by dinner at 6 p.m. Prices for event packages start at ,000 and include the opportunity to purchase additional tickets starting at 0; packages can be purchased by calling (312) 294-3175. Corporate Night is chaired this year by Annette Dezelan of The Women's Association of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and David B. Speer, chairman and chief executive officer of Illinois Tool Works Inc. All proceeds from Corporate Night benefit CSO programs and audience development initiatives.
Corporate Night 2009 is a project of The Women's Association of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Sting's performance with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra is made possible through the support of Anne and Ken Griffin. Other sponsors include: National City Bank (CSO Sponsor) PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (Dinner Sponsor); Ernst & Young LLP (Conductor Sponsor); Exelon Corporation (Gift Sponsor); Northern Trust (Innovation Sponsor); Bentley Gold Coast (Automotive Sponsor); Kirkland & Ellis LLP (Program Book Sponsor); BP (Lighting Sponsor); Motorola (Producing Sponsor); United Airlines (Producing Sponsor and Official Airline of the CSO); Performance Trust Companies (Producing Sponsor); and Jackson Wine Estates International (Official Wine of the CSO).
Complete event information follows:
Tuesday, May 19 7.30pm
CORPORATE NIGHT 2009
Members of the CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
STING, Vocals
Dominic Miller, Guitar
David Sancious, Keyboards
Vinnie Colaiuta, Drums
Christian McBride, Bass
Dave Hartley, ConductorProgram to be announced.
Corporate ticket packages include: 5 p.m. cocktails and 6 p.m. dinner.
For more information and to make reservations for concert and dining packages, please call (312) 294-3175 or visit
www.cso.org/corporatenight.
