Elgin Symphony presents Beethoven’s Fifth on April 11-12
The Elgin Symphony Orchestra continues its 76th Season Classics Series with a program of energy, elegance, and symphonic power at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 11, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, April 12, at the Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way, Elgin.
Led by ESO Music Director Chad Goodman, the concert features works by Quinn Mason, Robert Schumann, and Ludwig van Beethoven.
Cellist Oliver Herbert is featured in Schumann’s lyrical and emotionally rich Cello Concerto, a work known for its seamless flow and expressive character.
The concert also includes Quinn Mason’s “A Joyous Trilogy,” a vibrant and rhythmic celebration by one of today’s most exciting young composers.
The program concludes with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, one of the most iconic and dramatic works in the classical repertoire.
A rising star in the world of classical music, Oliver Herbert has appeared as a soloist with the San Francisco Symphony, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and New World Symphony. Praised for his “profound musicality and compelling stage presence,” Herbert brings technical mastery and deep artistry to every performance.
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 or 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 ESO box office is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Listener’s Club
Two Listener’s Clubs will be offered on April 7-8. These are opportunities to delve deep into the concert experience with a personal guided tour. Led by music director Chad Goodman, this is your chance to meet him, ask questions, and gain his personal insights about the upcoming program.
These free events will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday, April 7, at Barrington Area Library, 505 N. Northwest Hwy., Barrington, and noon Wednesday, April 8, in the Meadows Community Rooms at Gail Borden Public Library, 270 N. Grove Ave. in downtown Elgin.
May concert
The next concert will be “Pictures at an Exhibition” on May 2-3. In addition to Mussorgsky's 1874 suite, the program will feature Angelica Negron's “Morivivi” and Richard Strauss' “Death and Transfiguration.” The concerts will be at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the Hemmens in Elgin. For tickets, visit elginsymphony.org/en/concerts-tickets.
Annual gala
The ESO's annual gala, with the theme, “A Serenade to the Fox Valley,” will be held on Saturday, May 16, at The Shed at Otto in Carpentersville.
It will begin at 5 p.m. with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, dinner at 6 p.m., and performance at 7 p.m. It will be cocktail or formal attire with festival flair encouraged.
The choice of entrees will be chicken prosecco with sun-dried tomatoes and basil-prosecco sauce; or stuffed eggplant with tomatoes, parsley, basil, garlic and onion in marinara sauce.
Tickets are $200. A number of sponsorships are available. Visit elginsymphony.org/eso-gala-2026. For details, contact Betty Briceño at b.briceno@elginsymphony.org.
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, ARK Technologies Inc., and Epic Real Estate Group.