Harry Bicket's week just got busier. The British conductor has been in St. Paul to direct the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra in Minnesota Opera's production of "Orpheus and Eurydice," which closed Sunday. He is next slated to lead the SPCO in this weekend's program of Baroque and new works.
Now Bicket, an internationally known interpreter of Baroque and Classical repertoire, will fit in a midweek trip to Chicago. The SPCO sent out the note that the Chicago Symphony Orchestra flew Bicket in Tuesday afternoon to conduct the evening's concert featuring Mozart and Haydn. Then Bicket will fly back to the Twin Cities in time for a 10 a.m. rehearsal Wednesday at the SPCO.
The quick trip was occasioned by the illness of CSO music director Ricardo Muti. The legendary maestro has withdrawn from his fall residency in Chicago because of extreme gastric distress. He's flown back to Milan and hopes to return for the winter series, Feb.3-19.
Bicket's program with the SPCO this weekend will feature associate concertmaster Ruggero Allifranchini and violinist Sunmi Chang on Arvo Pärt's "Tabula Rasa."
