Note: As of Aug. 20, 2019, the work in question here has been retitled Philharmonia Fantastique: The Making of the Orchestra.

Next season will bring the world premiere of World’s Greatest Synth: The Making of the Orchestra, written by acclaimed composer Mason Bates and co-created with writer-director Gary Rydstrom and story artist-animator Jim Capobianco to celebrate the centennial of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s concerts for children. A multimedia work integrating film, animation and pre-recorded sound with live performance, World’s Greatest Synth examines the inner workings of an orchestra. Described as “a concerto for orchestra and animation,” it presents the modern orchestra as the perfect synthesis of art and science.