Oct. 5 Chamber Music Recital to Celebrate Start of DePaul Career

Sam Magad, veteran violinist and longtime concertmaster of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO), has joined the faculty of DePaul University’s School of Music.

To mark the beginning of Magad’s DePaul faculty tenure, the School of Music will offer a free chamber music concert to the public at 8 p.m. on Oct. 5. Magad will be joined by his DePaul colleague cellist Stephen Balderston and pianist Timothy Mah for an program of chamber music featuring selections from Rachmaninov, Mendelssohn and Brahms. The concert will be performed in the DePaul Concert Hall on the Lincoln Park Campus, 800 W. Belden Ave.

A DePaul School of Music alumnus, Magad will assist with instructing repertory and master classes and will perform chamber music concerts at DePaul in the coming year.

An internationally recognized figure in the classical music world, Magad first began his association with the CSO in 1958. In 1966, conductor Fritz Reiner appointed him assistant concertmaster. He was elevated to concertmaster by Sir Georg Solti in 1972 and remained in that position until early 2007. During his 35-year tenure in that key role, Magad played a major part in the orchestra’s ascent from a reputable ensemble to global musical powerhouse.

In addition to his work with the Chicago Symphony and countless appearances as orchestra soloist and chamber musician, Magad created the Northbrook Symphony Orchestra and served as its music director for two decades. He also held the post of concertmaster with both the Grant Park Orchestra and Aspen Festival Orchestra. He has received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to the musical arts, including a Distinguished Alumnus Award from DePaul.

A lifelong Chicagoan, Magad said he has long had “special feelings” about DePaul and is excited about returning to his alma mater.

“Our family ties to the university run very deep—my wife and daughter are DePaul graduates,” Magad said. “And now my grandson is a student in the music school.”

The DePaul School of Music’s 120-member faculty currently boasts many musicians from the CSO, Lyric Opera of Chicago and other prominent classical and jazz ensembles.

“DePaul’s School of Music continues to gain national prominence as a top-flight school, and this momentum is driven by the outstanding faculty that the school has attracted in recent years,” said Dean Donald E. Casey. “Distinguished musicians attract the most talented students, and they in turn make extraordinary things possible.”