ESO to play score to Charlie Chaplin's film 'City Lights' Oct. 7-9
The Elgin Symphony Orchestra, led by resident conductor Stephen Squires, will present Charlie Chaplin's silent film masterpiece "City Lights," performing the movie score live on Oct. 7-9. Even though silent films were on their way out, Charlie Chaplin's "City Lights" was an instant success when released in January 1931. It has consistently been listed as one of the most influential films of all time and directors like Orson Welles, Stanley Kubrick, George Bernard Shaw, Federico Fellini and Woody Allen rate "City Lights "as one of their favorite movies.
The film runs 90 minutes without an intermission. Popcorn provided by Mama Lee's Gourmet Popcorn, mamaleespopcorn.com. Sponsors are WDCB Radio, The Palmer Foundation and EFS Foundation. For tickets, which start at just $30, call (847) 888-4000 or visit ElginSymphony.Org. The ESO City Lights performance and film screening is part of A Celebration of Music from the Golden Age of Cinema and Radio, a project of the ESO, Chamber Music on the Fox and the Gail Borden Public Library. To learn more about these events, visit gailborden.info/BernardHerrmann.
Stephen Squires is a musician with a career that blends his passions for conducting, teaching, and performing. He has had the honor to conduct for many exceptional artists, including Frederica von Stade, Samuel Ramey, Janos Starker, Pinchas Zuckerman, Shmuel Ashkenasi, John Browning, Leon Bates, Stewart Goodyear, Richard Stoltzman, Ani Kavafian, Wendy Warner, James Tocco, Kevin Cole, Vadim Gluzman and most of the principal players of the Chicago Symphony and Lyric Opera Orchestras. Fully committed to conducting the music of living composers, he has premiered over eighty new works. Squires received his musical training at the Preparatory School of the Eastman School of Music and the Crane School of Music, in his home state of New York. He earned his Master's degree in Instrumental Conducting/Trumpet Performance at California State University, Northridge. Further conducting studies were with Helmuth Rilling, Maurice Abravanel, Daniel Lewis, Tsung Yeh, and at the Aspen Music Festival. He is professor of conducting in the Music Conservatory of the Chicago College of Performing Arts, Roosevelt University. Prior to this appointment he served on the artist faculty of the Northern Illinois School of Music for 19 years, where he received the prestigious "Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award."
Squires' current professional appointments include resident conductor of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, music director of the Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra (Rockford), music director of the Millar Brass (Evanston), and music director of the Illinois Brass Band (Arlington Heights). He is the former music director of the Illinois Chamber Symphony. He has guest conducted the Chicago Symphony, the Syracuse Symphony, the Green Bay Symphony, the Columbus (Ohio) Symphony and the Chicago Composers Orchestra. In addition, he is an accomplished recital accompanist, freelance trumpeter, and frequent guest conductor at educational festivals throughout the country.
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 world-class magnificent music performed by some of the best musicians in the region. There is accessible, free parking around the Hemmens Cultural Center and valet service available. Area student musicians often perform in the lobby before concerts and patrons can purchase gifts at the Elgin Symphony League Boutique. Pre-concert 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 concert weekends at 1 p.m. Wednesdays at the Gail Borden Public Library, 270 N. Grove Ave. in Elgin. 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.
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.