ESO Listeners Club begins new season Sept. 14
The Elgin Symphony Orchestra's Listeners Club offers free programs, led by music lecturer, composer and radio personality Jim Kendros, on the Wednesday before ESO's Classical Series concert weekends.
The first program will be Wednesday, Sept. 14.
Kendros will discuss the ESO's opening concerts, which are Shostakovich's Festive Overture, Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto, with guest artist Simone Porter, and Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances.
Participants in the Listeners Club are invited to ESO events, including lunches, potlucks, backstage tours, closed dress rehearsals, and more. You never know who will show up to join Kendros at the Listeners Club - ESO Music Director Andrew Grams, an ESO musician, or a guest conductor!
The lectures take place at Greenfields of Geneva at 10:30 a.m. and the Gail Borden Public Library in Elgin at 1 p.m.
Register for the library lecture at elginsymphony.org/your-concert-experience/listeners-club/sign-up/. There is no need to register for Greenfields programs; just sign in at the door. The schedule is subject to change.
Call the ESO office at (847) 888-0404, ext. 238, to confirm in advance. For information, visit ElginSymphony.org.
Kendros' goal is to make each seminar the most exciting, educational and entertaining presentation available. As a well-known public speaker in the Chicago area, he has lectured for corporations, community centers, libraries, senior facilities, and groups of all kinds.
In addition to leading the ESO Listeners Club, Kendros is the preconcert lecturer for the Lake Forest Symphony and the Northbrook Symphony. He is also a composer and performer on piano and rare period instruments. For information, visit jimkendrosmusic.com.
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.
Local student musicians often perform in the lobby before concerts, and patrons can purchase gifts at the Elgin Symphony League Boutique.
Preconcert chats are given by Andrew Grams, guest artists and others one hour before most performances, and Saturday night patrons are invited after concerts to "Mingle with the Musicians" at the Elgin Public House.
Flex passes are available for purchase so that you can choose your concerts at a later date based on your own schedule. And if a patron can't make a concert, the ESO offers free exchanges to subscribers and to single ticket buyers for a $5 fee. There is accessible, free parking around the Hemmens Cultural Center and valet service available.
Visit ElginSymphony.org.