Northwest Symphony season a tribute to departing conductgor Paul Vermel
The award-winning Northwest Symphony Orchestra will present the third concert in its 61st season at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, April 7, in the Theatre for the Performing Arts at Maine West High School, 1755 S. Wolf Road in Des Plaines.
This season is honoring the symphony’s maestro, Paul Vermel. After 19 years of directing and conducting the symphony, he is stepping down at the end of this season, leaving the orchestra with his legacy of programming, outstanding performances and dynamic leadership.
The concert, titled “Midsummer Night’s Dream,” will feature two well-known compositions by Felix Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 5, “Reformation,” celebrating the 300th anniversary of the Lutheran Church, and the Overture and Incidental Music for Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
The latter performance will feature narrator Carolyn Paulin reading dialogue from Shakespeare, soprano Alison Wahl, and mezzo-soprano Amanda Koopman.
David Schwan of classical radio station WFMT will conduct the preconcert commentary in place of Paulin, a producer and program host at WFMT. His commentary will begin one hour prior to the concert.
Members of the Northwest Symphony Orchestra represent a spectrum of interests and backgrounds, including financial analysts, real estate agents, engineers, physicians, music performers and educators, students and retirees.
The orchestra, founded in 1951, now numbers 70 instrumentalists, ranging from talented students to music professionals, who meet weekly to play and enjoy great symphonic orchestral music.
Symphony members, whose ages range from the late teens to the 80s, live in Des Plaines and more than 45 surrounding communities.
Concert ticket prices are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors, $10 for students ad free for children younger than 14 when accompanied by a paying adult.
Tickets will be available at the door on concert days. New is the ability to purchase tickets using a credit card with a Square Card Reader.
Concert goers wishing to purchase tickets in advance can mail requests and payment to the Northwest Symphony Orchestra, P.O. Box 46, Mount Prospect, IL 60056-0046; use an order form online at northwestsymphony.org; or purchase tickets using a credit card and PayPal, also on the website.