ESO ensemble showcases harpsichord masterpieces at Feb. 27 concert
Elgin Symphony Orchestra Presents is hosting an intimate Baroque ensemble concert featuring the unique sounds of the harpsichord on Friday, Feb. 27. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. at Journey of Hope Church, 37W040 Highland Ave. in Elgin.
The harpsichord, which was developed around 1400, predates the piano. Its plucking mechanism produces a sharp, bright sound that’s different from the piano.
It is perhaps best known in for its use during the Baroque era when it was used by Georg Friedrich Handel, Johann Sebastian Bach, and other period composers to create the sound we now associate with orchestral music.
The harpsichord featured in the concert was handmade in 1991 by Rod Regier in Freeport, Maine. It is a dual-manual replica of a 16th Century period instrument and a predecessor to the piano.
At the Feb. 27 concert, Maryse Carlin will showcase the harpsichord with members of the Elgin Symphony. They will perform: Handel’s Overture from “Ariadne”; Italian Baroque composer Alessandro Scarlatti’s Concerto Grosso No. 1 in F minor; German Baroque composer Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach’s Concerto for Harpsichord in D minor, Wq. 17; Italian Baroque composer Antonio Vivaldi’s “La Tempesta di Mare” from Concerto in Eb major; and Italian composer Francesco Geminiani’s Concerto Grosso in D minor, “La Follia,” Op. 5 No. 12
Tickets are $25 or $15 for students with a valid student ID. Tickets are available at ElginSymphony.org or through the ESO box office by calling (847) 888-4000. The ESO box office is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
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.