EYSO's Sterling Brass Quintet to perform Jan. 6 before ESO concert

The Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra's Sterling Brass Quintet will perform in the Hemmens lobby before the Elgin Symphony Orchestra's concert begins at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 6.

Members of the ensemble are Bailey Cates, trumpet, Elburn, 15; Jackson Teetor, trumpet, Elgin, 16; Stefani Schroeder, horn, Aurora, 16; Jacob Truckenbrod, trombone, Aurora, 17; and Mike Anderson, tuba, South Elgin, 17.

Created in 2007, the Sterling Brass Quintet is named after Sterling (Stu) Ainsworth, longtime Fox Valley arts supporter, ESO board member and chair of the ESO Education Committee. EYSO honors ensembles, comprised of advanced musicians, maintain an active performance schedule, playing masterworks of the classical repertoire.

ESO Music Director Andrew Grams takes to the podium this weekend to conduct the first ESO program of the new year, which has a distinct Slavic flair. Liszt's famous Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 opens the concert, which also features Dvorák's Sixth Symphony and Mozart's Fifth Violin Concerto, also called "The Turkish," performed by Bulgarian-born violinist Bella Hristova.

Grams will offer a preconcert chat starting one hour before each concert. Saturday concertgoers are invited after the performance to "Mingle with the Musicians" at Bennigan's-Elgin. "Hungarian Rhapsody" concert tickets for the Jan. 5-7 shows start at $30. Student tickets are $12. There is valet or free parking. For information, visit ElginSymphony.org or call (847) 888-4000.

The Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra attracts a national reputation for providing not only an engaging musical experience for its students, but also a comprehensive learning environment which promotes curiosity, imagination, critical thinking, and collaboration.

With eight large ensembles and a thriving Chamber Music Institute, it auditions record numbers of students each year in addition to the hundreds of musicians who already enjoy its rigorous methods of inquiry and "expert noticing."

Under the leadership of artistic director Randal Swiggum, the nearly 400 students of EYSO explore a comprehensive curriculum each season - one which aims not only to help these students develop artistically and technically, but also to prepare them for a future of complex ideas, creative risk-taking, and leadership as global citizens.

Rehearsals focus, not only on growing as players and collaborators, but also as thoughtful communicators and leaders in their sections, ensembles, schools, and communities. Visit EYSO.org to learn more.

Since 2007, the Sterling Brass Quintet has been wowing audiences with its signature sound. Coached by Matthew and Kari Lee of the acclaimed Millar Brass Ensemble, the quintet focuses on performance techniques unique to brass playing, and an eclectic mix of repertoire from the Renaissance to the 21st century.

The quintet includes horn, trombone, tuba, and two trumpets. Guest coaches are among the finest brass players in the nation and have included former Chicago Symphony Orchestra trumpeter Will Scarlett, Stephen Burns of Fulcrum Point, tuba virtuosi Rex Martin, Floyd Cooley, Gail Williams, Barbara Butler, and members of the Wisconsin Brass Quintet.