Soprano Laura Wilde to be featured in the ESO's season finale concerts April 30-May 1
Soprano Laura Wilde, a member of the Chicago Lyric Opera's Ryan Opera Center, will be featured in the Elgin Symphony Orchestra's season finale concerts April 30 and May 1, performing in Bernstein's Symphony No. 1, "Jeremiah," and Mahler's Symphony No. 4, led by Music Director Andrew Grams.
The ESO was recently named the 2016 Illinois Orchestra of the Year by the Illinois Council of Orchestras.
The concerts will be at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 30, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, May 1, at the Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way in Elgin. For tickets, which start at $30, see ElginSymphony.org or call (847) 888-4000.
Saturday night concertgoers are invited after the performance to attend "Mingle with the Musicians" at the Elgin Public House.
Soprano Laura Wilde is a third-year Ryan Opera Center member from Watertown, South Dakota. She was formerly a Marion Roose Pullin Artist in Residence with Arizona Opera for two seasons, where she appeared in productions of "Le Nozze di Figaro," "Roméo et Juliette," "Lucia di Lammermoor," "Faust," and "Cavalleria Rusticana" (debut). Wilde has also participated in the young-artist programs of The Santa Fe Opera (Deaconess/King Roger) and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis (Omar/John Adams's The Death of Klinghoffer, Mrs. Segstrom/A Little Night Music). A former Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions semi-finalist, in 2015 Wilde received the Jerome and Elaine Nerenberg Award from the Musicians Club of Women and the Eleanor Pearce Sherwin Award from American Opera Society of Chicago. She is an alumna of Indiana University ("Little Women," "L'italiana in Algeri," "Cendrillon") and St. Olaf College. At Lyric Opera of Chicago she has appeared in "Madama Butterfly" (debut), "Parsifal," "The Family Barber," and "The Magic Victrola." During the Lyric 2015-16 season, Wilde performed in "Le Nozze di Figaro," "Nabucco," and "Der Rosenkavalier." She will make her European debut in 2016 as the title role in Janáek's Jenfa at the English National Opera.
Andrew Grams, 2015 Illinois Conductor of the Year, became music director of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra in June 2013 after an international search. A graduate of the Julliard School and Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with Otto-Werner Mueller, Grams holds degrees in violin performance and conducting, and has already appeared with many of the great orchestras of the world. He served as assistant conductor for the Cleveland Orchestra for three years under the guidance of Franz Welser-Möst. Grams' superb musicianship and technique, charismatic conducting and easy accessibility have made him a favorite with Elgin Symphony audiences. He recently extended his contract through the 2020-21 ESO season.
Named the 2016 Illinois Orchestra of the Year, the Elgin Symphony Orchestra offers programming unmatched for an entertaining, informative and relaxing cultural experience. Known for their high-quality performances, ESO musicians represent some of the most talented musical artists in the region. In addition to magnificent music, patrons can also enjoy a drink, spend time with friends and even shop in the lobby of the Hemmens Cultural Center. From start to finish, the ESO brings world class, big city entertainment without the hassles of the big city.