Chicago is fortunate to see the birth of a new chamber ensemble, Corde Volanti, which made its debut on June 26, 2022. The concert took place in downtown’s beautiful St. James Cathedral and included Mendelssohn’s B minor Sinfonia, Mozart’s youthful and playful Violin Concerto No. 2 in A major, and Dvorák’s warm, lyrical String Serenade. Guest leader for the concert and soloist in the Mozart was violinist, Nai-Yuan Hu, winner of the prestigious Queen Elizabeth international violin competition.
Jennifer Cappelli
Corde Volanti is the dream of founder, Jennifer Cappelli, a Chicago violinist who is a member of the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra and serves on the faculty of the University of Illinois at Chicago. She has also performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Milwaukee Symphony and the St. Louis Symphony. “Our first concert was an unforgettable experience,” stated Cappelli, “and the realization of a long-term dream. Chicago is a wonderful host city for performing chamber orchestra literature, with a variety of acoustically satisfying and aesthetically pleasing spaces and audiences who appreciate the repertoire. While the historic and architecturally significant St. James Cathedral in Chicago is the host of our 2022 concerts, we are considering a number of other Chicago and further reaching venues for future concerts. There are many neighborhoods and Chicago residents we would like to reach with our unique performances.
Nai-Yuan Hu rehearsing Mozart with Corde Volanti
The Corde Volanti Chamber Ensemble performs with the leadership of a Concertmaster and/or soloist in place of a conductor, allowing for direction at critical junctures and guiding interpretive decisions. It is chamber music and relies on the most sensitive and collaborative music making. It is also one of the most satisfying experiences for dedicated performers.
Corde Volanti utilizes the talents of some of the finest chamber musicians in the country. While based in Chicago, performers in the inaugural season include musicians from the New York Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, the Lyric Opera of Chicago Orchestra, the Oregon Symphony, The Grant Park Symphony, the Bern Switzerland Symphony, the Indianapolis Symphony, the Milwaukee Symphony, the Phoenix Symphony and the Utah Symphony.
Corde Volanti in rehearsal at St. James Cathedral
The ensemble is now looking forward to its second concert, on Sunday, August 14, featuring Seattle Symphony concertmaster (and Cappelli protege) Noah Geller soloing in Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Geller will also serve as the ensemble’s leader in Edvard Grieg’s Holberg Suite.
Noah Geller
The foundation made an operating grant supporting Corde Volanti in its inaugural season. “The generosity of the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation has allowed us to perform as a chamber ensemble with noted artists from around the world,” says Cappelli. “Nai-Yuan Hu and Noah Geller are representative of the highest caliber of artists with whom we hope to continue our collaborative partnerships.”
Cappelli is excited about the future of Corde Volanti and its programming possibilities, stating, “The concerts of our opening season offer traditional small ensemble works with global familiarity, but as we expand and have the opportunity to explore repertoire of varied genres and instrumentation, our presentations will reflect the flexibility and diversity represented by our world class musicians.”
For more information about Corde Volanti, access Cordevolanti.org
Concert two takes place on Sunday, August 14 at 4:00 p.m. at St. James Cathedral, 65 E Huron St. in Chicago
