ESO Listeners Club to explore 'Hungarian Rhapsody' Jan. 3

Elgin Symphony Orchestra Music Director Andrew Grams takes to the podium Jan. 5-7 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. Hristova last appeared with the ESO in 2012, playing the Mendelssohn violin concerto.

Grams will give a preconcert chat starting one hour before each concert. Free ESO Listeners Clubs will be held Wednesday, Jan. 3, that will discuss the upcoming concert program. Led by music lecturer, composer, and radio personality Jim Kendros, the free lectures are offered the Wednesday before ESO Classics Series concert weekends from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Greenfields of Geneva, 0N801 Friendship Way, and 1 to 3 p.m. at the Gail Borden Public Library, 270 N. Grove Ave. in Elgin.

All part of the ESO's goal to enrich, enlighten and entertain. Saturday concertgoers are invited after the performance to "Mingle with the Musicians" at Bennigan's, off Route 31 in Elgin.

Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 5, at the Prairie Center for the Arts, 201 Schaumburg Court, Schaumburg; and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 6, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 7, at the Hemmens, 45 Symphony Way in Elgin. "Hungarian Rhapsody" concert tickets start at $30. Student tickets are $12. For more information, visit ElginSymphony.org or call the box office at (847) 888-4000. There is valet service at Hemmens or free parking.

Acclaimed for her passionate, powerful performances, beautiful sound and compelling command of her instrument, violinist Hristova is a young musician with a growing international career. The Strad has praised, "Every sound she draws is superb," and The Washington Post noted that she is "a player of impressive power and control." Hristova's 2017-2018 season features her characteristically rich and wide ranging musical life. She will perform and record Beethoven's 10 Sonatas for Piano and Violin in a nationwide recital tour presented by Chamber Music New Zealand, with acclaimed pianist Michael Houstoun. Born in Pleven, Bulgaria to Russian and Bulgarian parents, Hristova began violin studies at the age of 6. At age 12, she participated in master classes with Ruggiero Ricci at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. In 2003, she entered the Curtis Institute of Music, where she worked with Ida Kavafian (YCA Alumna) and studied chamber music with Steven Tenenbom. She received her artist diploma with Jaime Laredo at Indiana University in 2010. Hristova plays a 1655 Nicolò Amati violin, once owned by the violinist Louis Krasner. Visit bellahristova.com for more information.

Now in its 67th season, the Elgin Symphony Orchestra offers programming unmatched for an entertaining, informative and relaxing cultural experience. It has won Illinois Professional Orchestra of the Year an unprecedented four times - in 1988, 1999, 2005 and 2016. The ESO strives to create an enjoyable entertainment experience that goes beyond the magnificent music performed by some of the best musicians in the region. Before concerts, area musicians often perform in the lobby, and patrons can buy drinks at the bar and purchase gifts at the Elgin Symphony League Boutique.

Preconcert chats are given by Music Director 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 area restaurants. In addition, free Listeners Club discussions presented by music historian Jim Kendros are offered in Geneva and Elgin on Wednesdays before ESO Classics Series concert weekends. 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 small fee.

The Elgin Symphony Orchestra is a world-class orchestra providing quality musical explorations that are entertaining, hassle-free and conveniently located close to home in the western suburbs.