Meet ESO's Robert Everson at 12th annual Black History Family Fest Saturday
Timpanist Robert Everson will be at the Elgin Symphony Orchestra table to share his love of and life in music at the 12th annual Black History Family Festival from 1:20 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, at Gail Borden Public Library, 270 N. Grove Ave. in Elgin.
In his debut performance as a soloist, Everson was hailed by the Chicago Tribune as "a most outstanding performer," and the Chicago Sun-Times called him a "master timpanist."
Everson is timpanist with many area orchestras, including the ESO, the Chicago Sinfonietta, and the Ravinia Festival Orchestra. He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in percussion performance from DePaul University, and is the percussion instructor at Concordia University Chicago in River Forest, IL as well as at the Birch Creek Music Performance Camp in Door County, Wis. He performs solo in-school percussion demonstrations for the International Music Foundation of Chicago, and participates in the educational outreach SEED Program with the Chicago Sinfonietta. Mr. Everson is a lifelong resident of the Chicago area with his wife, Ellen, and their son, Ian, an aspiring singer and music producer.
The festival is celebrating its 12th year and honoring African Americans in education. The event, featuring keynote speaker Dr. Vincent Gaddis, opens at 1 p.m. in the Meadows Community Room.
Other activities include children's arts and crafts, exhibits, panels, discussions and film screenings. The Chicago West Community Music Center, (cwcmc.org), will perform at 4:15 p.m. in the Meadows Community Room. For more information about the 12th annual Black History Family Festival, visit bhffelgin.org.
In his debut performance as a soloist, Robert Everson was hailed by the Chicago Tribune as "a most outstanding performer," and the Chicago Sun-Times called him a "master timpanist." Although soloing on the timpani is relatively rare, Mr. Everson has done so many times, playing Darius Milhaud's Concerto for Percussion and Orchestra with the Chicago Sinfonietta, the Chicago String Ensemble and the Illinois Philharmonic. With the Sinfonietta, he also has performed Georg Druschetzky's Concerto for Oboe and Eight Timpani, Russell Peck's Harmonic Rhythm, and the world premiere of Jiri Gemrot's Concertino for Flute, Bagpipes and Timpani. More recently, he performed the Phillip Glass Concert "Fantasy for Two Timpanists" with the San Francisco Ballet.
Everson is the timpanist with many orchestras in the Chicago area in addition to the Chicago Sinfonietta, including the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, the Ravinia Festival Orchestra, Ars Viva, the Lake Forest Symphony, the Chicago Philharmonic, the Chicagoland Pops Orchestra, and the Joffrey Ballet Orchestra. He also performs as an extra with the Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Grant Park Symphony. He is a frequent extra player with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and has performed on CSO recordings under Bernard Haitink and Pierre Boulez, the latter having won the Grammy Award for best orchestral performance in 2001. He has played with dozens of pop artists, and for many Broadway shows, commercial jingles and TV broadcasts.
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 - and works to create an enjoyable entertainment experience that goes beyond the magnificent music performed by some of the best musicians in the region. Area student musicians often perform in the lobby before concerts and patrons can purchase gifts at the Elgin Symphony League Boutique. Preconcert 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 Classics Series 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. There is accessible, free parking around the Hemmens Cultural Center and valet service available.
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.