Hear violin phenom Joshua Brown at two Elmhurst Symphony concerts in January
When he won the Elmhurst Symphony Stanger Audition and performed with the symphony in 2015, it was clear that Joshua Brown was a star in the making. Now you can hear this award-winning violin sensation perform Vivaldi's well-loved "The Four Seasons," along with members of the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra as part of a program of Baroque favorites that will warm a chilly January afternoon.
Music lovers will have that opportunity on two different dates and in two different settings as the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra continues its 57th season of outstanding musical offerings. The first concert, Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons," at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 13, takes place in the intimate space of Mayslake Peabody Estate in Oak Brook.
The second concert, "Vivacious Vivaldi," will be in the ESO's home at Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church in Elmhurst at 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 28. In either venue you will find yourself transported to the concert halls of Europe by music of Vivaldi, Corelli and Handel, when featured ESO principals join Joshua Brown, ESO Music Director and Conductor Stephen Alltop and the ESO Baroque ensemble for an afternoon of unforgettable music. Featured on both programs are Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons," Corelli's Concerto Grosso, Op. 6, No. 7, and Handel's Concerto Grosso in G Major, Op. 6, No. 1.
At age 17, Joshua Brown has already won prizes at numerous competitions, including the 2015 IX International Tchaikovsky Competition, the 2015 Cooper International Violin Competition, and the 2016 Stradivarius International Violin Competition. He has made solo appearances on NPR's "From the Top" and on WFMT's "Introductions," and he has performed with a number of orchestras, including the Cleveland Orchestra and the Ars Viva Symphony Orchestra. A National Young Arts winner in 2016 and 2017, he also won the 2015 Music Institute of Chicago Concerto Competition. Recently named a recipient of a long-term instrument loan from a generous patron through the Stradivarius Society of Chicago, he performs on a 1679 Pietro Guarneri violin made in Cremona.
The Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church concert is made possible in part by generous gifts from Carl Amrhein, sponsor of Joshua Brown's performance, and Jane and Richard Kiep, underwriters of the Corelli work.
To benefit the youth outreach programs of the ESO, a bake sale will be held at the Jan. 28 concert. Proceeds support the ESO's annual visits to area schools, where ESO members perform for elementary students, reaching several thousand young people each year. Bake sale proceeds also help support the annual Stanger Young Artists Audition.
Mayslake Peabody Estate is located at 1717 W. 31st St. in Oak Brook. Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church is located at 149 W. Brush Hill Road in Elmhurst; parking is free at both locations, and the church facilities are fully accessible. The concert experience Jan. 28 is enhanced by the informative and lively discussion, "Behind the Music Stand," led by audience favorite Dr. Ted Hatmaker, which takes place at 1:45 p.m., prior to the concert.
Tickets for both concerts can be purchased at www.elmhurstsymphony.org or by calling the box office at (630) 941-0202. Mayslake tickets are $25, $23 for seniors, and $7 for students. Tickets for the Jan. 28 concert are $35, $32 for seniors, and $12 for students. Group and family rates are also available. Three-concert subscriptions for the remainder of the season at Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church are still available for purchase.
The 57th season of the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra is made possible in part by grants from the City of Elmhurst, the Illinois Arts Council (a state agency), the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, and 90.9FM WDCB, Chicago's Home for Jazz.