Chamber Music on the Fox season opens with Oct. 18 concert with a 'Water & Earth' theme
First Congregational Church of Dundee welcomes Chamber Music on the Fox as they kick off their 2021-22 season on Monday, Oct. 18, with the nature-inspired "Water & Earth."
The community is invited to this concert that pays homage to Mother Earth at 7:30 p.m. at the church, 900 S. Eighth St. in West Dundee.
Throughout the ages, composers have taken their inspiration from Mother Earth, emulating nature with their music. The chamber music will delve into works that honor nature, whether a bee, a trout or an entire island. It will feature Franz Schubert's masterful "Trout Quintet," as well as works by American composer Shawn Jaeger, who combines Appalachian folk song, field recording, and sonic ephemera, and Indian American composer Kamala Sankaram, who has an eclectic body of work, combining theatrical music and emerging technologies.
Tickets are $20 or $10 for students. Tickets are available by contacting the chamber's office at (224) 276-8881 or info@ChamberMusicOnTheFox.org, or visiting www.chambermusiconthefox.org.
The Chamber Music on the Fox season will feature concerts at Discovery Church, 200 Prairie St. in downtown Elgin; The Highland Loft, 168 E. Highland Ave. in downtown Elgin; and First Congregational Church in West Dundee.
This season, Chamber Music on the Fox is presenting some of the most sought-after ensembles in the country, including Grammy Award-winning Third Coast Percussion, Axiom Brass, and Quintet Attacca. There will be programs honoring the legacy of Chicago's Black history, paying homage to Mother Earth, and showcasing the music of Latin America. Also returning this year will be the holiday concert this December. You can purchase a season subscription and enjoy all five concerts for $90 (a $20 savings).
The holiday concert, "Winter Winds: Holiday Classics with a Twist!," will feature Quintet Attacca, will be at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 6, at Discovery Church in Elgin. From "The Nutcracker" and classic Christmas melodies to the lesser known works of American composer Bill Holcombe, Mexican composer Arturo Marquez, and Hungarian composer Endre Szervansky, Quintet Attacca is sure to delight in this festive program celebrating the holidays, family, reflection, and, most of all, fun! Tickets for the holiday concert are $20 or $10 for students.
In the new year, the first concert will be "First Blacks Chicago," featuring Crossing Borders Music Collective, at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 7, at First Congregational Church of Dundee. Using music as a lens to celebrate Black History, Crossing Borders Music Collective presents works honoring the legacies of four black Chicago trailblazers: Chicago's Haitian founder, Jean Baptiste Pointe du Sable; Chicago's first black mayor, Harold Washington; the first black president of the United States, Barack Obama; and Chicago's first black female mayor, Lori Lightfoot. Performing music that was commissioned especially for this program, the musicians will use both live music and visual art to tell the stories of these important figures. Tickets are $20 or $10 for students.
This spring, the Chamber Music on the Fox will explore "Lust, Mystery and Despair" with Axiom Brass at 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 21, at Discovery Church in Elgin. Highlighting Astor Piazzolla's mastery of tangos, Villa Lobos' luscious harmonies, and Paquito D'Rivera's seductive dances for brass quintet, the Chicago-based brass quintet will explore the vast wealth of musical idioms surrounding the Americas. Tickets are $20 or $10 for students.
The final concert of the season will be "Perspectives," featuring Third Coast Percussion, at 7:30 p.m. Monday, May 16, at The Highland Loft, 168 E. Highland Ave. in Elgin. "Perspectives" invites listeners to embark on a 70-minute musical adventure, featuring virtuosic percussion repertoire written for the ensemble by some of today's leading composers and music creators. Founded in 2005, Third Coast Percussion has performed hundreds of concerts across the country, presents an annual concert season at home in Chicago, teaches musicians of all ages and experience levels, and has commissioned dozens of new works by composers including Glenn Kotche, Chris Cerrone, Donnacha Dennehy, Timo Andres, David T. Little, Ted Hearne, and Augusta Read Thomas. Tickets for the season finale concert will be $30 or $15 for students.
Founded by Elgin Symphony Orchestra 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.
Learn more at www.chambermusiconthefox.org/upcoming-concerts/.