After 18 months in the making, on October 11 and 12, patrons took their seats inside the Harris Theater in Chicago, IL, eagerly anticipating what would turn out to be a magical evening and truly profound musical experience: The Chicago Philharmonic presents an Evening with Sleeping At Last. Members of the orchestra warmed up while patrons exchanged stories of how they first discovered the music of singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/composer Ryan O’Neal, known as Sleeping At Last, and how his lyrics have touched their lives. Because O’Neal rarely performs live, many have waited over a decade to experience the unparalleled beauty of his music in person, making this performance a once-in-a-lifetime event that drew attendees from all over the world. The evening would prove to be special, not only because of the rarity of his performance, but also because he performed alongside the Chicago Philharmonic, elevating the already profound music to new heights and adding an extra layer of emotional depth. 

After attending a Kishi Bashi x Chicago Philharmonic performance in April of 2023, O’Neal met with the Executive Director of the Chicago Philharmonic, Terell Johnson, and the two collaborated to create this special evening of music. Since becoming executive director of the Chicago Philharmonic, the Crain’s 40 under 40 recipient has worked to create more “inclusive symphony concerts with genre bending programming featuring a range of diverse artists.” Johnson recently brought the Chicago Philharmonic to a Lollapalooza stage alongside jazz-pop artist Laufey, marking the first ever performance by an orchestra at the iconic festival and bringing the symphony to an audience of over 100,000 people. Given Johnson’s passion for creating genre-bending programming, a collaboration with Sleeping At Last is fitting, as he is known for his own genre bending style, incorporating elements of indie and alt-rock while incorporating classical instrumentation within his soundscape. To bring the idea to life, O’Neal worked hand in hand with Lead Orchestrator, Michael Moricz, to reimagine his songs with full orchestral arrangements. After 18 months of work, O’Neal and the Chicago Philharmonic were ready to present their program to a sold out audience at the Harris Theater. 

Executive Director Terell Johnson took the stage to introduce the evening, which would begin with three pieces performed by 60 members of the Chicago Philharmonic: Chicago Fanfare, Etymology, and the Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture. Scott Speck, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor for the Chicago Philharmonic, took the stage and introduced the first piece, Chicago Fanfare (2019), composed by Nicholas Hubbell.

On this piece, Hubbell explains that he “tried to give each instrument section a representation, however brief. But the real focus is the whole ensemble as an instrument.” Following Chicago Fanfare, Maestro Speck introduced the world premiere of Etymology (2024), a piece by Donna Milanovich Composer in Residence, Jonathan Bingham. Bingham notes, “Etymology is the study of the origin of words and how their definitions have changed over time. The work is structured with minimal material that continuously repeats- so little material that the majority of the work can be heard within the first 20 seconds. It’s then repurposed in new ways, similar to words throughout time.” While Bingham describes the piece has being about structure and language, maestro Scott Speck noted that he sees the piece as an anthem or cry for freedom, something which is resolute, strong, and full of conviction. After a compelling performance from the orchestra, Jonathan Bingham briefly appeared on stage, receiving praise from the audience for the beauty of his work, performed flawlessly by the Chicago Philharmonic.

Composer Jonathan Bingham

Maestro Speck then introduced the Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture (1869) from Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, a piece familiar to many that takes the listener on a journey through Romeo and Juliet’s tragic love story. After allowing time for celebration of the orchestra for their compelling performance, Maestro Speck announced that it was time for the moment the audience had been waiting for: Ryan O’Neal, Sleeping At Last. 

O’Neal emerged, notably shoeless, wearing custom colorful Sleeping At Last space themed socks (which were also available for sale at the merch stand and were sold out by the end of night 2). He began his set with “Sun,” a track from his Atlas: I project. The audience was treated to reimagined songs from both Atlas: I and Atlas: II, including music from his Space and Enneagram categories, as well as from his Atlas: III project which is currently in development. Because he rarely performs live, many of these songs were performed for the first time ever over the weekend. 

On performing, O’Neal explained, “The story I told myself about why I don’t play concerts was, at its core, one of insecurity and fear. The more time that went on, the more I avoided live performances.” After the loss of his mother in 2022, O’Neal has been working to push himself outside of his comfort zones. He stated, “Fear is a very sad reason to deny myself and listeners the wholly real and imperfect magic of live music.” Fans were grateful for O’Neal confronting his fear and insecurity head on so that they could finally experience the music they have loved for so long in a live setting. O’Neal took the time to explain the meaning behind many of the songs performed, and given the themes of many of his songs, this made for many vulnerable moments on stage for the artist. This vulnerability is rarely seen during live performances and it created a deeply intimate atmosphere, allowing the audience to connect with him on a more personal level (especially since it was the first time many had seen him perform live), deepening their emotional investment in the music, and fostering a profound sense of shared experience. During moments of vulnerability, when he found it hard to speak at times, cheers of encouragement rang out from the crowd, helping him through. A particularly vulnerable moment came when O’Neal told the story of his mother (who he credits as his reason for creating music), her passing, and the song he wrote in celebration of her life. His performance of “Mother” moved the audience to tears and garnered a standing ovation, just one of many he would receive through the night. O’Neal joked that the audience cheering for him while he cried was a special kind of therapy. 

O’Neal is a gifted songwriter and his hauntingly beautiful lyricism perfectly captures the human condition, conveying a range of feelings from hope and comfort to tragedy and sorrow. These songs are beautifully and (at times) painfully relatable, and they resonate deeply as they capture the various seasons of life, reflecting the joys and struggles we all experience along our journeys. Experiencing these songs performed live alongside the Chicago Philharmonic significantly heightened the emotional impact of the music, with audience members moved to tears frequently throughout the evening. O’Neal ended the evening with a solo performance of “Nine” from his Enneagram project. Nine is O’Neal’s enneagram type, and he explained that it was chosen to close the set due to its final lyric: “We were born to try to see each other through, to know and love ourselves and others well is the most difficult and meaningful work we’ll ever do.” This exceptional performance by the Chicago Philharmonic and Sleeping At Last was unlike anything many will ever experience and was hailed by many as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity you won’t want to miss. On October 24, the Chicago Philharmonic and Sleeping At Last will take the stage at Carnegie Hall in New York City for one final performance of the program. Tickets are available here. 

SLEEPING AT LAST | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | X | TIKTOK | YOUTUBE | SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC

Get early access to new songs from Sleeping At Last! Subscribe here.

The Chicago Philharmonic was founded by the musicians of the Lyric Opera Orchestra in 1989 and just kicked off its 35th season. Made of up nearly 200 talented musicians, the Chicago Philharmonic is described as “one of the most versatile, innovative, and ambitious orchestras in the country.” Over the years, the Chicago Philharmonic has collaborated with a number of artists in ever genre, including The Joffrey Ballet, Kishi Bashi, Joshua Bell, Tony Bennet, Lady Gaga, English National Ballet, William Basinski, and more. With the addition of Terell Johnson as Executive Director in 2021, the orchestra has been included in a series of high-profile events, including their 2024 Lollapalooza Chicago performance with Laufey, which brought the orchestra to over 100,000 viewers. The Chicago Philharmonic has partnered with Chicago Public Schools and organizations such as Ravinia Festival’s Reach Teach Play, Boys and Girls Club Chicago, and Polished Pebbles Girls Mentoring Program in an effort to develop the next generation of musicians. The work of the Chicago Philharmonic is made possible by generous donors from the community. You can support the work of the Chicago Philharmonic by making a donation here.

Chicago Philharmonic 2024-2025 Upcoming Concerts

October 24, 2024: Chicago Philharmonic presents An Evening with Sleeping At Last, Carnegie Hall, NYC

November 9, 2024: Bram Stoker’s Dracula in Concert (U.S. Premiere), Auditorium Theatre, Chicago

November 17-18, 2024: Bobby Weir and the Wolf Bros featuring the Chicago Philharmonic, Auditorium Theatre, Chicago

November 20, 2024: Amos Lee with the Chicago Philharmonic, Auditorium Theatre, Chicago

December 7, 2024: Love Actually in Concert, Auditorium Theatre, Chicago

December 18, 2024: Joss Stone with the Chicago Philharmonic: Merry Christmas, Love, Auditorium Theatre, Chicago

December 29, 2024: Salute to Vienna, Symphony Center, Chicago

January 18, 2025: Marvel Studios’ Black Panther in Concert, Auditorium Theater, Chicago

March 13, 2025: Njioma Grevious and the Chicago Philharmonic

CHICAGO PHILHARMONIC | WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | X | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE