Single tickets for ESO's 2016-17 season now on sale
Single tickets are on sale now for the Elgin Symphony Orchestra's 66th season. Named the 2016 Illinois Professional Orchestra of the Year by the Illinois Council of Orchestras, the ESO will highlight the works of Russian composers, including Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Stravinsky and Shostakovich during the 2016-17 season.
Featured works include Tchaikovsky's "Sleeping Beauty" Suite, "Swan Lake" Suite and Symphony No. 4, Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition," Stravinsky's "Petrushka" (1947) and Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances and Piano Concerto No. 3. The season also holds Beethoven's Symphony No. 3 "Eroica," Dukas' "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" and Aaron Copland's "Billy the Kid Suite" and Clarinet Concerto.
New this season, "Inside the Music with Andrew Grams," which will take an in-depth look at masterworks using musical excerpts and visuals. These informal presentations will explore how the musical notes on a page combine to create a masterpiece of sound. Musically Speaking Pre-Concert Chats take place at the concert venue one hour prior to the concert start time for all performances except Pops, Holiday and Inside the Music with Andrew Grams.
For concertgoers' convenience, valet service is available and there is free parking. After all Saturday night performances, patrons are invited to "Mingle with the Musicians" at the Elgin Public House. Tickets start at just $30 and single ticket exchanges are now allowed for a $5 fee. Flex passes are also available. Buy now, choose your concerts later. For tickets or information, visit ElginSymphony.org or call (847) 888-4000.
Andrew Grams 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.
Now in its 66th season, the ESO 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 works to create an enjoyable entertainment experience that goes beyond the music performed by some of the best musicians in the region. In addition to the magnificent music, patrons can also enjoy a drink, and spend time with friends in the lobby of the Hemmens Cultural Center. Area student musicians often perform in the lobby before concerts and patrons can purchase gifts at the Elgin Symphony League Boutique. In addition, free Listeners Club lecture/discussions presented by music historian Jim Kendros are offered before ESO concert weekends at 1 p.m. Wednesdays at the Gail Borden Public Library, 270 N. Grove Ave. in Elgin.
The ESO is a world-class orchestra providing quality musical explorations that are entertaining, hassle-free and conveniently located close to home in the western suburbs.