Two ESO musicians to perform with Midwest Mozart Festival Aug. 6 and 13
Julia Richter, flute and Collin Anderson, bassoon, long-standing ESO musicians, will join the ESO's Carol Dylan, violin and Nazar Dzhuryn, cello, to perform at the Midwest Mozart Festival at 3 p.m. Sundays, Aug. 6 and 13, at the Woodstock Opera House.
Dylan is also a founding board member of the festival, which is comprised of musicians that have been presenting the works of Mozart for many years at the Woodstock Opera House, and the August concerts will mark 31 years of performances of Mozart's magnificent music at the historic venue.
Tickets are $28-$43, $10 for students with an ID. To purchase tickets, visit midwestmozart.org, woodstockoperahouse.com, or call the box office at (815) 338-5300. For more information about the ESO, visit ElginSymphony.org.
On Aug. 6, the ensemble will perform W.A. Mozart works, the Horn Concerto No. 3, K 447, featuring Michael Buckwalter, horn, and Symphony No. 29, K 201.
The program also holds Symphony No. 2, K 17 by L. Mozart, and "Sinfonia" from Artemisia by D. Cimarosa.
The final concert of the series Aug. 13 features Overture to Marriage of Figaro, K 492, Violin Concerto No. 3, K 216, with soloist Kevin Case, violin, and Symphony No. 40, K 550.
Richter is an active flute and piccolo player in the Milwaukee and Chicago areas. She is a member of the Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra and the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, and regularly performs with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. She may also be seen performing with the Midwest Mozart Festival. Richter has previously held the position of 3rd flute/piccolo with the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra and with the (renamed) Hawaii Symphony Orchestra.
Bassoonist Collin Anderson has been a member of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra since 2009. He has been a member of the Lake Forest Symphony since 2000. He has also appeared with the Grant Park Orchestra, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and the Chicago Opera Theater. Mr. Anderson is an adjunct bassoon instructor at Northeastern Illinois University, and North Park University. He attended the Eastman School of Music, earning a bachelor of music degree in bassoon performance and a master's degree in bassoon. Also a composer, Anderson earned a master of music degree in composition from DePaul University and a doctoral degree from Northwestern University. His works have been performed throughout Chicago, at the Aspen Music Festival, and on WFMT Radio.
Violinist Carol Dylan attended North Park University in Chicago and taught there for 20 years. She has a graduate degree from the Eastman School of Music.
Cellist Nazar Dzhuryn graduated with a bachelor of music degree from the Lviv Music School under Evgeny Shpitzer. His master of music degree under Professor Igor Gavrysh is from the Moscow State Conservatory.
This year marks the 31st year the accomplished musicians of the Midwest Mozart Festival orchestra will perform at the Woodstock Opera House and other venues. Midwest Mozart Festival Inc. is a nonprofit organization with world-class musicians who present classical music performances of the highest caliber, with a particular focus on works of the great Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Midwest Mozart Festival is McHenry County's only resident professional orchestra. Its mission is to provide Northern Illinois with classical music performances of the highest caliber, offer the unique cultural experience of fine music to a diverse public audience at an affordable price, and to extend support and assistance to the communities in which we perform through partnerships with local businesses, and active participation in local economic development programs. Another significant goal is to interact with and support music students.
Besides providing concerts and the cultural experience of fine arts, MMF's youth-serving mission strives to promote and encourage music education. All Midwest Mozart Festival concerts offer youth & student tickets available at a significantly reduced price, or for free, based on sponsorship availability. Midwest Mozart Festival musicians deliver support to local school systems by volunteering at summer music camps. Musicians from the orchestra also play alongside music students at sponsored events and hold student/professional musician concerts afterward. Over 70 percent of the musicians are also professional music educators.
Situated on the downtown historic square in the heart of the community, the Woodstock Opera House is one of the oldest continuously operating theaters in the country and one of the most recognized historic theatres in the Midwest. Originally built in 1889 the Opera House also served as city hall, the public library, the fire station, and the police station for the city of Woodstock. The building received significant restoration in the mid-1970s and continues to serve today as an active performing arts/cultural center, meeting place and focal point of the community.
The Woodstock Opera House hosts a spectacular variety of programming and events each year including: concerts, theater, dance, visual art, educational programming, lectures, meetings, receptions and more. It features contemporary sound, lighting, stage rigging, heating and air-conditioning, a state-of-the-art box office, is handicap accessible and provides professional staff to cover most any need. In addition, the Opera House has a beautifully decorated meeting room, art gallery and, of course, the very popular Stage Left Café concessionary and reception area which also features live entertainment by local artists and musicians. For more information, see woodstockoperahouse.com.
The Elgin Symphony Orchestra works to create an enjoyable entertainment experience that goes beyond the spectacular music performed by some of the best musicians in the region. An ESO concert is an affordable entertainment option, with tickets starting at just $30. There is accessible, free parking around the Hemmens Cultural Center and valet service available. Local musicians often perform in the lobby before concerts and patrons can purchase gifts at the Elgin Symphony League Boutique, and enjoy a drink before the show. 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 area restaurants. In addition, free Listeners Club lecture/discussions presented by music historian Jim Kendros are offered before ESO concert weekends on Wednesdays at the Gail Borden Public Library and Greenfields of Geneva. And if a patron can't make a concert, the ESO offers free exchanges to subscribers and to single ticket buyers for a small fee. The ESO is a world-class, professional orchestra providing quality musical explorations that are entertaining, hassle-free and conveniently located close to home in the western suburbs.