ESO Concertmaster Isabella Lippi to perform free concert March 19

Elgin Symphony Orchestra Concertmaster Isabella Lippi will perform a free concert at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 19, at the Gail Borden Public Library, 270 N. Grove Ave. in Elgin.

Lippi will play works by Brahms and Mozart with pianist Bill Koehler, as well as Bach's Chaconne and Paganini's 24th Caprice.

Lippi, who has been called, "a standout, even among virtuosos," began performing at the age of 10 with her debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. She has appeared as a guest soloist with orchestras in the U.S., Mexico, Europe, and the Far East. She has also performed recitals at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., Chicago's Ravinia Festival, and the famous Suntory Hall in Tokyo. Meet the artists and enjoy refreshments after the concert. Free tickets are available at the Main Library, Rakow Branch and South Elgin Branch. For more information, call the library at (847) 429-4597.

Violinist Isabella Lippi, who was born in Chicago, has performed in numerous recitals and has appeared as guest soloist with orchestras in the United States, Mexico, Europe and the Far East. Lippi's teachers have included Robert Lipsett at the University of Southern California, Dorothy Delay at the Juilliard School and Almita and Roland Vamos in Chicago. In 1989, Lippi won the St. Louis Symphony Young Artist Competition, so impressing Maestro Leonard Slatkin that for the first time in the 55-year history of the competition, she was invited to perform with the symphony in subscription concerts under Maestro Slatkin. Of this program, the St. Louis Post Dispatch declared, "Lippi introduced rhythmic subtleties into the music of the like that haven't been heard since the heyday of Heifetz."

In addition to her work as a soloist, Lippi has participated in numerous chamber music festivals including those of Santa Fe, La Jolla, Mainly Mozart and the Aspen Music Festival. She was Concertmaster of the Charleston Symphony from 1999-2002 and is currently Concertmaster of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra. Lippi has been a featured artist on a number of radio stations throughout the United States including WQXR in New York, WNIB in Chicago and KFAC in Los Angeles; and in a nationally distributed educational program entitled Encounters. She is featured on a CD on the Koch International label which contains complete works for violin and piano and the solo works by the late composer, Miklos Rozsa.

The Gail Borden Public Library has received 20 awards, including Recipient of the 2009 National Medal for Museum and Library Services and recipient of the 2010 Elgin Hispanic Network Organization of the Year. The main library opened in October 2003 and is the third largest public library building in Illinois, after Chicago and Schaumburg. The library serves 144,597 residents in Elgin, South Elgin and portions of Hoffman Estates, Streamwood and Bartlett, has over 1 million visitors, and is the largest library district in the state of Illinois for population served. For more information, visit www.gailborden.info.

Now in its 66th season, the ESO offers programming unmatched for an entertaining, informative and relaxing cultural experience. The ESO has won Illinois Professional Orchestra of the Year an unprecedented four times - in 1988, 1999, 2005 and 2016. The ESO works to create an enjoyable entertainment experience that goes beyond the magnificent music performed by some of the best musicians in the region. Area student musicians often perform in the lobby before concerts and patrons can purchase gifts at the Elgin Symphony League Boutique. Preconcert chats are given by Andrew Grams, guest artists and others one hour before most performances and Saturday night patrons are invited after concerts to Mingle with the Musicians at the Elgin Public House. In addition, free Listeners Club lecture/discussions presented by music historian Jim Kendros are offered before ESO Classics Series concert weekends at 1 p.m. Wednesdays at the Gail Borden Public Library. Flex passes are available for purchase so that you can choose your concerts at a later date based on your own schedule. And if a patron can't make a concert, the ESO offers free exchanges to subscribers and to single ticket buyers for a $5 fee. There is accessible, free parking around the Hemmens Cultural Center and valet service available.

The ESO is a world-class orchestra providing quality musical explorations that are entertaining, hassle-free and conveniently located close to home in the western suburbs. For more information, see ElginSymphony.org.