DuPage Symphony to open new season
Music lovers of every taste - and age - will find something to enjoy during the DuPage Symphony Orchestra's 2009-2010 season.
A world premiere symphony. A holiday concert in collaboration with a popular men's glee club. An interactive children's concert featuring acclaimed author/musician Jim Gill. And a chance to go behind the scenes during a rehearsal and chat with Music Director Barbara Schubert over brownies.
Opening night for the 56th season is at 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, in Wentz Concert Hall at North Central College in Naperville.
"In Nature's Realm" sets the tone for the five-concert orchestral series, a musical exploration of man's relationship with the natural world. Pianist Andreas Klein joins the DSO for Beethoven's powerful Piano Concerto No. 3.
An opening night gala reception to benefit the DSO begins at 6:30 p.m. in a classic Victorian home three blocks from Wentz Hall. The minimum donation is $35, and wine and hors d'ouevres will be served. For information, call the DuPage Symphony office at (630) 778-1003.
The other programs in the series are:
• "Winter Dreams." The Naperville Men's Glee club joins the DSO for the family-friendly 2009 holiday concert at 8 p.m. Dec. 12 and 3 p.m. Dec. 13.
• "Our Home, Our Earth." The North Central College Women's Chorale joins the DSO to present the world premiere of James Falzone's "who, if not I" at 8 p.m. Feb. 13. The piece was commissioned by the DSO and NCC's Office of International Programs as part of its 2009 focus study, "Global Environmental Change: North America."
• "At the Foothills of Spring." The program at 8 p.m. March 20 includes Hovhaness's "Mysterious Mountain" and Schumann's "Spring Symphony." The winner or winners of the DuPage Symphony's 2010 Young Artist Auditions for high school musicians also will perform.
• "Alpine Heights." The final concert of the season features Richard Strauss's complexly scored "Alpine Symphony" at 8 p.m. May 15 and 3 p.m. May 16.
"It is not performed terribly often because it is such an undertaking," said Kathy Kane, a DSO board member and violinist in the orchestra. "All the musicians are very excited about performing it.
Single tickets for concerts in the series are available from the North Central College box office. Call (630) 637-SHOW/7469 or visit tickets.noctrl.edu.
Family concerts: Children's author and musician Jim Gill joins the DSO for "Symphony in Sneeze," two hour-long interactive presentations for young children and their families at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Nov. 15. The concert features Gill's music, games and rhymes including "A Soup Opera," the playful singalong opera that inspires his latest picture book and CD. Tickets are $10 from the NCC box office.
"Tiny Great Performances at the DuPage Children's Museum" is a series of short recitals and instrument demonstrations by DSO soloists and chamber groups, at 10:30 and 11:15 a.m. Nov. 14, Feb. 6 and May 1. Free with museum admission.
Chamber series: The two-concert chamber music series is performed in the intimate setting of Koten Chapel on the North Central campus. "Double Fives" showcases the DSO's woodwind and brass quintets at 4 p.m. Feb. 28. "Baroque Special" features DSO violinists performing Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" at 4 p.m. April 18. Single tickets are available from the DuPage Symphony office, (630) 778-1003.
Free community events: "Chamber Music at the Naperville 95th Street Library" will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 19 and April 23.
"Brownies with Barbara" is a chance for music lovers to attend the first half of DSO's dress rehearsals for "Our Home, Our Earth," at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 12, and "At the Foothills of Spring," at 7:30 p.m. March 19, at Wentz Concert Hall. During the break, chat with Music Director Barbara Schubert and DSO musicians over brownies. RSVP to the DSO office at (630) 778-1003 or dupagesymphony.org.
<p class="factboxheadblack">If you go</p> <p class="News"><b>What:</b> DuPage Symphony Orchestra's 2009-10 season</p> <p class="News"><b>When:</b> Opening night at 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17</p> <p class="News"><b>Where:</b> Wentz Concert Hall at North Central College in Naperville; Chamber concerts in Koten Chapel on the North Central campus </p> <p class="News"><b>Tickets:</b> Single tickets for orchestral series concerts are $28, $25 for seniors and $11 for students, from the North Central College box office, (630) 637-SHOW or at tickets.noctrl.edu; tickets for Jim Gill's "Symphony in Sneeze" are $10 from the NCC box office; chamber concert series single tickets are $18, $14 for seniors and $8 for students, from the DuPage Symphony office, (630) 778-1003. </p> <p class="News"><b>Info:</b> <a href="http://dupagesymphony.org" target="new">dupagesymphony.org</a></p>