St. Olaf Orchestra brings fall tour to Elgin Community College Oct. 10

Posted October 07, 2026 12:48 pm

By Karen Mari, St. Olaf

The St. Olaf Orchestra, conducted by Chung Park, will present a concert at Elgin Community College on Saturday, Oct. 10.

Named “one of the best college orchestras in the nation” by Time magazine’s Richard Ostling, the St. Olaf Orchestra is known for its passionate music-making. Under the direction of Chung Park, the ensemble will blend the precision and passion of its members into seven performances in four states during its 2026 fall tour.

“Audiences will hear an orchestra that plays as a team and works towards a unified goal, made possible by the special culture we exemplify in the phrase ‘Orchie Love,’” Park said. “We’re excited to showcase the St. Olaf Orchestra’s virtuosity, its ear for color, and (its) ability to bring music off of the page and tell a story.”

The orchestra has prepared an ambitious program including Richard Strauss’s “Death and Transfiguration,” Arturo Márquez’s “Danzón No. 2,” and Brahms’s Hungarian Dance No. 2. Performances will also feature one of three student soloists: Amalia Ranstrom, Class of 2027 (harp), Icarus Bulander, Class of 2027 (bassoon), or Elizabeth Chen, Class of 2027 (piano).

The concert will be at 3 p.m. in ECC’s Blizzard Theater, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin.

The St. Olaf Orchestra is a two-time winner of the American Prize for Orchestra Performance and made its Carnegie Hall debut in 2019, performing with world-renowned violinist Sarah Chang. In addition to performing throughout the United States, the orchestra has been broadcast on PBS and public radio stations nationwide as part of the acclaimed St. Olaf Christmas Festival.

Concert tickets are free for students and educators and $10 for adults. Tickets may be reserved online at stolaf.edu/tickets or eccartscenter.org. Audience members are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance to guarantee their seats.

Stay up-to-date by following the St. Olaf Orchestra on Facebook (@StOlafOrchestra) and Instagram (@stolafmusic). Visit the St. Olaf Orchestra website at stolaf.edu/stolaf-orch/ for more information on the orchestra.