Elgin Symphony Orchestra showcases principal cellist in Saint-Saëns concerto
The Elgin Symphony Orchestra will showcase the virtuosity of its principal cellist in its Jan. 25-26 concerts.
Matthew Agnew, who has led the ESO’s cello section since 2002, and is known for his passionate performances across the Chicago area, will perform Camille Saint-Saëns’ Cello Concerto No. 1.
“Matthew has such a gift when it comes to not only his music-making skills but the way he thinks and talks about music and getting to collaborate with him for the Saint-Saëns’ cello concerto is going to be special,” said ESO Music Director Chad Goodman, who will lead the ESO in the performances, which also include composer Missy Mazzoli’s “These Worlds in Us” and Tchaikovsky’s final symphony, “Pathétique.”
The concerts will be held on Saturday, Jan. 25, at 7:30 p.m., and on Sunday, Jan. 26, at 2:30 p.m. at the Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way, Elgin.
A pre-concert chat will take place one-hour prior to each performance and is free to ticket holders. Tickets start at $20, with $10 student tickets. Youth, age 17 or younger, are free with an adult ticket purchase. Tickets are available at ElginSymphony.org or by calling the ESO box office at (847) 888-4000. Box office hours are Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Agnew shares his musical talent throughout the area, including performing at hospices and hospitals through the ESO’s Musicians Care Program; sharing his passion for music with local elementary school students through the ESO’s Adopt-A-School program; and in countless solo and community concerts.
In addition to his role with the ESO, Agnew plays with several Chicago area orchestras, including Chicago Opera Theater and Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2005, he was awarded the assistant principal position with the Lancaster Festival Orchestra, a summer festival orchestra in Lancaster, Ohio.
Tchaikovsky premiered his Symphony No. 6 in St. Petersburg in October 1893. He died nine days later, making this symphony his final work.
About the Elgin Symphony Orchestra
The Elgin Symphony Orchestra, one of the preeminent regional orchestras in the United States, is celebrating its 75th anniversary season in 2024-25.
The Elgin Symphony Orchestra is led by Chad Goodman, who was named the ESO’s Music Director — the fifth in the Orchestra’s history — in May 2023.
Since its founding in 1950, the organization has developed a reputation for artistic excellence, and innovative programming as demonstrated through its long history of highlighting the works of world-renowned conductors, composers, and musicians, and of promoting the advancement of women in the arts.
The ESO became a professional ensemble in 1985 in good part due to the leadership of the late Margaret Hillis, who served as the ESO’s music director from 1971 to 1985. Hillis was one of the first females to break through the male-dominated world of conducting and is credited with being the impetus behind the creation of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra Association, the formation of the ESO’s volunteer core — the Elgin Symphony League, and the start of the ESO’s commitment to music education and enrichment for youth.
Today, the ESO continues to draw its creativity and artistry from the Elgin area and gives back to the community through its Adopt-a-School program that provides supplemental music education and in-school performances to local schools; Musicians Care program that brings live music performances to local hospitals, hospices, and retirement homes; informational Listener’s Club events and other free programs at public libraries; In Harmony Program in places of worship; Ainsworth Concerts for Youth; free tickets for youth under 18; open rehearsals; and free community concerts throughout the region.
The Illinois Council of Orchestras has named the ESO Orchestra of the Year four times (1988, 1999, 2005 and 2016).
The ESO is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. To learn more or to support the ESO, visit www.elginsymphony.org.