Elgin youth orchestra chosen for honor
The Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra has been honored by the Illinois Council of Orchestras with its prestigious Programming of the Year Award for 2015.
The award, for innovative and creative programming, is in recognition of the EYSO's 2013-14 season, titled "Bardology: Shakespeare, Musically Speaking."
Throughout the 2013-14 season, the five EYSO orchestras, Brass Choir and Percussion Ensemble explored Shakespeare-inspired symphonic music, performing symphonic poems, opera excerpts, and incidental music associated with Hamlet, Macbeth, Henry V, and other plays.
The season finale, "Star-Cross'd," featured repertoire inspired by Romeo and Juliet, including Bernstein's "West Side Story" and Gounod's opera, "Romeo et Juliette."
EYSO students delved into essential questions about Shakespeare's use of language, the relationship between poetic meter and musical phrasing, nationalism in music, and the idea of anachronism.
The advanced Youth Symphony also performed the American premiere by a youth orchestra of the Symphony No. 6 by British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, first performed by a professional orchestra in 1948.
The ICO has previously recognized the EYSO with awards including Youth Orchestra of the Year (2000 and 2007), Outstanding Marketing (2001), Conductor of the Year (Artistic Director Randal Swiggum, 2008), and now Programming of the Year, an award typically reserved for adult or professional orchestras.
Auditions for the 2015-16 40th Anniversary Season will be held May 28-31 at the Elgin Community College Arts Center. Students fourth grade (fall 2015) and up are invited to audition.
For information, visit EYSO.org., call (847) 841-7700 or email office@eyso.org.
Tickets for all EYSO concerts are priced at $24, $19, $13 and can be purchased in advance and at the door at the Elgin Community College Arts Center box office, building H, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin.
Box office hours are noon to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and noon to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. All tickets are for reserved seating. EYSO concerts are held at the ECC Arts Center in the Blizzard Theatre, unless otherwise noted.
Call the box office at (847) 622-0300 or order on line at tickets.elgin.edu.