Chamber Music on the Fox announces sixth season lineup

After the success of its first five seasons, Chamber Music on the Fox announced its 2019-20 season lineup this week.

Beginning with a special collaboration with the Elgin Short Film Festival in a performance of live chamber music alongside a screening of a Felix the Cat cartoon, the organization will be presenting world class artists throughout the year in its five-concert series.

"We've come a long way from our first performances six years ago," said Executive Director Sara Sitzer, "and we're thrilled about the incredible diversity and world-class artistry this next season has in store."

After the Elgin Short Film Festival collaboration on Sept, 21, the subscription series begins Oct. 28 with a performance of Mendelssohn's String Octet, featuring Elgin Symphony Orchestra Music Director Andrew Grams on violin alongside ESO colleagues.

On Nov. 18, the organization's fall fundraiser takes a turn for the mysterious and macabre in "The Chamber [Music] of Secrets," an evening of live music by dead composers to support CMOTF's programming.

To get into the holiday spirit, the Callipygian Players will present a holiday concert Dec. 16 featuring Christmas carols and baroque instrumental music.

After the New Year, the series resumes with a unique performance by the Heartland Marimba Quartet, an ensemble made up of four marimbas, on Feb. 24, 2020. On April 27, CMOTF partners with Congregation Kneseth Israel, Elgin's Jewish Synagogue, to present a concert in memory of the artists who perished in the Holocaust, performing music written by and dedicated to musicians of the Terezin Concentration Camp in a program called "Lost Voices: Music of Terezin."

Finally, the 2019-20 season finale will feature the virtuoso blues harmonica player Corky Siegel and the string quartet that makes up his Chamber Blues.

Accessibility is a key tenet of the Chamber Music on the Fox's mission, and all concerts are priced between $20-30, with $10-15 student tickets. The organization continues to uphold what it calls its "Starving Artist" ticket: pay what you can - all artists welcome.

Founded by ESO musicians Mark Fry and Sara Sitzer, Chamber Music on the Fox is a world-class classical chamber music series serving Elgin and the greater Fox Valley region, whose mission is to present engaging, enriching, and immersive performances and cultural experiences that enhance and enrich the cultural offerings of the area.

Their sixth season includes performances by many of the finest artists in the Chicago and Fox Valley regions.

For information, see ChamberMusicOnTheFox.org.