Northshore Concert Band Announces it's 64th Season!
The Northshore Concert Band announces it's 2019-2020 season celebrating Music and Nature.
"This season we will explore the profound ways that nature and human nature have influenced the music we know and love," said artistic director Dr. Mallory Thompson. Thompson is the Northwestern University director of bands, professor of music, coordinator of the conducting program, and holder of the John W. Beattie Chair of Music. 2019-2020 will mark the 64th season for this ensemble and Thompson's 15th year as their full-time artistic director and conductor.
Performances for the 2019-2020 subscription season starts with a November 3, 2019 performance, 'The Planets'. This concert, which will be held at 3 p.m. at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall on the Northwestern University campus in Evanston, Illinois, will feature selections from Gustav Holst's masterwork of the same name celebrating its 100-year anniversary. Also included is the lively and dynamic Symphony No. 2 by Frank Ticheli and Lux Aurumque, the evocative and colorful work by Eric Whitacre.
The winter performance on February 9, 2020, 'West Side Story', examines the dramatic aspects of human nature with the iconic Symphonic Dances from West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein and music from Kurt Weill's Threepenny Opera. This concert celebrates the achievements and potential of 50 talented middle school students who will join the Northshore Concert Band on stage for the 18th annual Lifetime of Music program. This event is an extraordinary opportunity for student musicians to gain the experience of being part of a large symphonic sound and perform on the stage of the Pick-Staiger Concert Hall. It is designed to introduce them to the idea that "music is for a lifetime".
"Our Lifetime of Music initiative supports our mission to assist in the music education of young people-the future generation of adult musicians," said Northshore Concert Band board chair Peter Gotsch. "This program provides a rewarding musical experience to young musicians, granting them access to a unique performance opportunity outside of the classroom."
The spring program, 'From Provence to Paris' takes us on a voyage from the breathtaking French countryside to the picturesque "City of Lights." Evocative and romantic music by Camille Saint-Saens, Darius Milhaud, Norman Dello Joio, and Martin Ellerby promise a delightful springtime adventure.
The season of Music and Nature concludes on June 7, 2020, with an exhilarating celebration of the range of human experience in the Slavic nations during the early twentieth century. 'Slavic Celebration' includes thrilling music by Shostakovich, Kozhevnikov, and Kalinnikov and features special guest artist and Northwestern University faculty member, Christopher Davis in the exciting Hidas Rhapsody for Bass Trombone.
Northshore Concert Band is an internationally-known 100-person wind ensemble that is respected for its musical excellence, leadership in community music, and service to music education. The ensemble's musicians come from throughout the Chicago area and southern Wisconsin and represent many professional backgrounds. Approximately half are professional music educators; the rest have a diverse set of occupations including business executives, attorneys, and physicians. Musicians range in age from 20 to 85. The musicians' average tenure is 15 years, with one-third having tenures of 20 years or more. All of the musicians are selected by audition and are strongly committed to volunteering their time and talents to the group. While these talented musicians have pursued a range of careers, they all share a common love of music and consider themselves "musicians for life".
2019-2020 Subscription Season Programs
The Planets, Sunday, November 3, 2019
West Side Story, Sunday, February 9, 2020
From Provence to Paris, Sunday, April 19, 2020
Slavic Celebration, Sunday, June 7, 2020
Subscriptions are now on sale for the Northshore Concert Band 2019-2020 season, which runs November through June and includes four performances at the Pick-Staiger Concert Hall on the Northwestern University campus in Evanston, IL. All concerts are at 3 p.m.
Season subscriptions include a 4-Concert Adult Series ticket for $55, a 4- Concert Senior Ticket (65+) for $40 and a 4-Concert Student/Child Concert Series for $25. Individual concert tickets are available. For more information or to purchase tickets visit www.northshoreband.org or call 847-432-2263 or email info@northshoreband.org.