ESO opening concerts Sept. 16-17 to feature Tchaikovsky's Famous Piano Concerto No. 1
The Elgin Symphony Orchestra, awarded Illinois Professional Orchestra of the Year a record-setting four times, opens its 2017-18 season Sept. 16-17 with critically-acclaimed music director Andrew Grams conducting works by the beloved composer Tchaikovsky, known for his lush, romantic melodies.
The concerts feature one of the composer's most famous masterworks, the Piano Concerto No. 1, performed by pianist Dinara Klinton. The piece has been used in numerous movies and shows, including in a Monty Python skit and in the film "Misery."
More recently the work was sampled in the Pink Martini song "Splendor in the Grass," and many will recognize the famous opening chords and melody from the song, "Tonight We Love." The program also includes Tchaikovsky's Suite No. 3, an ESO premiere.
The concerts are sponsored by The Anvil Club and Hydrox Laboratories. For concert tickets, which start at $30, call (847) 888-4000 or visit ElginSymphony.org.
A pre-concert celebration and fundraiser will be held at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16, in a party tent at the Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way in Elgin. Tickets are $100 per person, $150 per couple and include hors d'oeuvres and wine tastings provided by International Vines. Tickets for the pre-concert event also are available online at ElginSymphony.org.
Andrew Grams, called "one of the great talents of the world" by cellist Lynn Harrell, 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/.
Pianist Dinara Klinton is an active concert performer, and prize-winner of over 15 international competitions, including third prize at the Cleveland International Piano Competition in USA, BNDES International Piano Competition in Brazil; second prize at the International Paderewski Competition in Poland; second prize at the Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition in Bolzano, Italy.
In 2015, she was ranked as the top contestant who wasn't selected into the final of the 17th F. Chopin International Piano Competition. Dinara has appeared at many festivals including the "Progetto Martha Argerich" Festival in Lugano, Cheltenham Music Festival, Aldeburgh Proms, "La Roque d'Antheron," etc.
Dinara has performed at the Royal Festival Hall, Wigmore Hall in London, Berlin Philharmonic, Gewandhaus zu Leipzig, Tokyo Sumida Triphony Hall, and worked with such orchestras as The Philharmonia Orchestra, Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, and St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra. Born in Ukraine, Klinton started her piano lessons in the age of five. A year later, she entered Kharkiv Special Secondary Music School. Upon graduating from the Moscow Central Music School, where she studied between 2001-2007 with Valery Pyasetsky, she went on her graduate diploma with honors at the Moscow State Conservatory, where she worked with Eliso Virsaladze. She has been awarded a master of performance degree at the Royal College of Music and has completed the artist diploma in performance course, being under the tutelage of Dina Parakhina. Her website is Dinaraklinton.com.
Now in its 67th season, the Elgin Symphony Orchestra 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 strives to create an enjoyable entertainment experience that goes beyond the 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. Before concerts, area musicians often perform in the lobby, and patrons can buy drinks at the bar and 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 area restaurants. In addition, free Listeners Club discussions presented by music historian Jim Kendros are offered in Geneva and Elgin on Wednesdays before ESO Classics Series concert weekends. 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 small fee.
The Elgin Symphony Orchestra is a world-class orchestra providing quality musical explorations that are entertaining, hassle-free and conveniently located close to home in the western suburbs.