Violinist Simone Porter to perform Tchaikovsky violin concerto with ESO Sept. 17-18
Young, up-and-coming violinist Simone Porter will perform Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto with the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, led by music director Andrew Grams, on Sept. 17-18 at the Hemmens Cultural Center.
The concerto has been called by many as the most difficult in the violin repertoire. Porter has been recognized as an emerging artist of impassioned energy, musical integrity, and vibrant sound. The Los Angeles Times, after referring to her as a "future star," wrote, "Let's strike the word 'future.' She sounds ready. Now." Her performances have been described as "bold" (The Seattle Times), and "virtuosic" (The Times, London).
At 19 years of age, she has already appeared with the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Porter made her professional solo debut at age 10 with the Seattle Symphony and her international debut with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at age 13. In March 2015, Simone Porter was named a recipient of an Avery Fisher Career Grant. Raised in Seattle, Washington, Porter studied with Margaret Pressley as a recipient of the Dorothy Richard Starling Scholarship. She currently studies with Jascha Heifetz Distinguished Chair Robert Lipsett at the Colburn Conservatory of Music in Los Angeles. Additional studies have included the Aspen Music Festival, the International Holland Music Sessions Summer Academy, International Musicians Seminar Prussia Cove, Indiana University's Summer String Academy, and the Schlern International Music Festival in Italy. Simone Porter plays on a 1745 J.B. Guadagnini violin on generous loan from The Mandell Collection of Southern California. Visit simoneporterviolin.com.
The ESO program also holds Shostakovich's Festive Overture and Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances. For tickets, which start at just $30, call (847) 888-4000 or visit ElginSymphony.org.
Andrew Grams became music director of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra in June 2013 after an international search. A graduate of the Juilliard School and the Curtis Institute of Music, he holds degrees in violin performance and conducting and has appeared with many of the great orchestras of the world. Grams was a protégé of Franz Welser-Möst and served as assistant conductor for the Cleveland Orchestra for three years. Named 2015 Conductor of the Year by the Illinois Council of Orchestras, his charismatic conducting and easy accessibility have made him a favorite of Elgin Symphony audiences. He has extended his contract with the ESO through 2021. To learn more about Andrew Grams, visit andrewgrams.com and www.instagram.com/andrewhgrams/.
Now in its 66th season, the ESO offers programming unmatched for an entertaining, informative and relaxing cultural experience. The ESO has won Illinois Professional Orchestra of the Year an unprecedented four times - in 1988, 1999, 2005 and 2016. The ESO works to create an enjoyable entertainment experience that goes beyond the world-class magnificent music performed by some of the best musicians in the region. There is accessible, free parking around the Hemmens Cultural Center and valet service available. Area student musicians often perform in the lobby before concerts and patrons can purchase gifts at the Elgin Symphony League Boutique. Pre-concert chats are given by Andrew Grams, guest artists and others one hour before most performances and Saturday night patrons are invited after concerts to Mingle with the Musicians at the Elgin Public House.
In addition, free Listeners Club lecture/discussions presented by music historian Jim Kendros are offered before ESO concert weekends at 1 p.m. Wednesdays at the Gail Borden Public Library. Flex passes are available for purchase so that you can choose your concerts at a later date based on your own schedule. And if a patron can't make a concert, the ESO offers free exchanges to subscribers and to single ticket buyers for a $5 fee. The ESO is a world-class orchestra providing quality musical explorations that are entertaining, hassle-free and conveniently located close to home in the western suburbs. For more information, see ElginSymphony.org.