Andrew Grams will conduct ESO’s Sibelius Violin Concerto

Maestro Andrew Grams will be back in Elgin Saturday, Nov. 9, and Sunday, Nov. 10, to lead the Elgin Symphony Orchestra through Sibelius Violin Concerto, the second concert to be conducted by Grams since his appointment as new music director of the orchestra this past summer.

Grams is one of America’s most promising and talented young conductors and has already appeared with many of the great orchestras of the world. A native of Maryland, Grams received a bachelor of music degree in 1999 in violin performance from the Juilliard School. In 2003, he received a conducting degree from the Curtis Institute of Music, where he worked with Otto-Werner Mueller. He accepted the position of music director of the ESO in June.

Joining Grams onstage will be ESO’s own concertmaster, violinist Isabella Lippi, as she performs Sibelius’ passionate and emotional Violin Concerto in D minor. Lippi, who has been called “A standout, even among virtuosos,” began performing in public at the age of 10 when she made her debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. A Chicago native, Lippi’s teachers have included Robert Lipsett at the University of Southern California, Dorothy Delay at the Juilliard School and Almita and Roland Vamos in Chicago.

Other pieces for the night include John Adams’ “The Chairman Dances,” a seductive and irresistible dance between lovers, and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 2 in C minor “Little Russian,” which will leave you breathless with its infectious rhythms.

ESO patrons can enjoy a drink, time with friends and even shopping in the lobby of the Hemmens Cultural Center. After Saturday night performances, the audience is invited to “Mingle with the Musicians” at a local restaurant, Elgin Public House.

The ESO’s Sibelius Violin Concerto will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 10, at the Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way in Elgin. Tickets, which begin at $25, are still available and can be purchased through the ESO box office at (847) 888-4000 or by visiting www.elginsymphony.org.