Solzhenitsyn conducts and plays piano at ESO finale

This weekend, Elgin Symphony Orchestra audiences will be treated to a unique experience as guest artist Ignat Solzhenitsyn simultaneously conducts the orchestra and plays piano.

Solzhenitsyn joins the ESO for its 64th season finale, "Solzhenitsyn Plays Mozart and Bruckner," with performances set for 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 3, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, May 4, at Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way, Elgin. Tickets are $25 to $60.

Solzhenitsyn studied piano and conducting at the Curtis Institute and is the Conductor Laureate of the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia and the Principal Guest Conductor of the Moscow Symphony Orchestra. Solzhenitsyn is no stranger to the Elgin Symphony - last year he conducted the ESO at the January 2013 concert, "The Four Seasons."

The concert will begin with a performance of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 12, and the orchestra will end the season with Bruckner's Symphony No. 4, "Romantic."

If you have never attended an Elgin Symphony Orchestra concert, the season finale will be the perfect opportunity to experience everything the ESO has to offer. 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 the local restaurant, Elgin Public House.

Preconcert discussions will begin one hour before the concert start times. Tickets are still available and can be purchased through the ESO box office, (847) 888-4000, or by visiting www.elginsymphony.org.