Elgin Symphony Orchestra performs Brahms, Barber, and Dvorak with violinist Geneva Lewis Feb. 7-8

The Elgin Symphony Orchestra continues its 76th Season Classics Series with a program of rich emotion and sweeping orchestral color on Feb. 7-8, at the Hemmens Cultural Center in downtown Elgin.

Led by music director Chad Goodman, the concert features works by 19th-century Czech composer Antonín Dvořák, 20th-century American composer Samuel Barber, and 19th-century German composer Johannes Brahms.

Violinist Geneva Lewis is featured in Barber’s expressive Violin Concerto, a work renowned for its lyrical warmth and fiery finale.

The program also includes Dvořák’s powerful “Othello” Overture, inspired by Shakespeare’s tragic character, and Brahms’ deeply introspective and noble Symphony No. 3.

Geneva Lewis, recipient of a 2021 Avery Fisher Career Grant, is quickly establishing herself as one of the most compelling young violinists of her generation.

Her performances have been praised for their “remarkable mastery” by Boston Musical Intelligencer and “deep musical maturity” by The Strad. She has appeared with major orchestras across the U.S. and Europe and continues to captivate audiences with her musical depth and stage presence.

The concert will be at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 8, at the Hemmens, 45 Symphony Way. A pre-concert talk by ESO Music Director Chad Goodman will take place one hour prior to each concert.

Tickets are available at ElginSymphony.org. Tickets start at $20.

Continuing its commitment to making performances affordable and accessible to the community, the ESO offers discounted student tickets for $10 for those with a valid student ID, and free youth tickets for children age 17 and under with a paid adult ticket. Call the ESO box office at (847) 888-4000 for more information and to include free youth tickets in your order. The box office is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Elgin Symphony Orchestra was named Professional Orchestra of the Year in 2025 by the Illinois Council of Orchestras, which also awarded Goodman the Professional Conductor of the Year award.

The ESO’s 76th Season is made possible through the generous support of donors, including Season Sponsors Otto and Willow Springs Charitable Trust; Concert Sponsors Illinois Arts Council Agency, The Pepper Family Foundation, John B. Sanfilippo & Son Inc., and the S.E. (Stu) Ainsworth Family; Contributing Sponsors: Elgin Symphony League, The Driskill Foundation, Barrington Area Community Foundation, Florence B. and Cornelia A. Palmer Foundation, Seigle Foundation, and the Francis J. and Patricia A. Houlihan Foundation; and Community Sponsors the City of Elgin, W.R. Meadows, ARK Technologies Inc., and Epic Real Estate Group.

About the Elgin Symphony Orchestra

The Elgin Symphony Orchestra is one of the preeminent regional orchestras in the United States, and 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 “Professional Orchestra of the Year” five times (1988, 1999, 2005, 2016, and 2025), and named Goodman “Professional Conductor of the Year” in 2025.

The ESO is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. To learn more or to support the ESO, visit elginsymphony.org.