ESO invites public for coffee and conversation Sept. 30

(September 18, 2023 – Elgin, Ill.) – The Elgin Symphony Orchestra will host an open house on Saturday, Sept. 30, from 10 a.m. to noon, in its administrative offices at 20 DuPage Court in Elgin. The “Coffee & Conversation” event offers local residents the opportunity to meet the ESO’s new Music Director, Chad Goodman, and learn more about the Orchestra’s 74th season. Refreshments will be served.

The ESO was founded as a community orchestra in 1950 and became a professional ensemble in 1985.

In addition to a season of concerts that begins Oct. 7 with Grammy Award winning, internationally recognized soprano Christine Brewer performing with the Orchestra, the ESO is committed to making live orchestra performances accessible to everyone in the community through:

• Concert ticket prices starting at $20
• $10 student tickets
• Free tickets for children age 17 and under with a paid adult
• Free tickets for first-time guests of the ESO
• Free community concerts
• Performances at hospitals, hospices, and senior residences through the Musicians Care program
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Additionally, the ESO, a nonprofit organization, is dedicated to advancing the appreciation for orchestra music within the community, and particularly with the next generation through:

• Free Listener’s Club events
• Adopt-A-School programs that bring supplemental music education and performances to local elementary schools
• Ainsworth Concerts for Youth

For more information about the ESO, visit www.elginsymphony.org.

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About the Elgin Symphony Orchestra

The Elgin Symphony Orchestra is one of the preeminent regional orchestras in the United States. Since its founding in 1950, the organization has developed a reputation for artistic excellence, and innovative programming as demonstrated through its long history of highlighting the works of world-renowned conductors, composers, and musicians, and of promoting the advancement of women in the arts.

The ESO became a professional ensemble in 1985 in good part due to the leadership of the late Margaret Hillis, who served as the ESO’s music director from 1971 to 1985. Hillis was one of the first females to break through the male-dominated world of conducting and is credited with being the impetus behind the creation of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra Association, the formation of the ESO’s volunteer core – the Elgin Symphony League, and the start of the ESO’s commitment to music education and enrichment for youth.

Today, the ESO continues to draw its creativity and artistry from the Elgin area and gives back to the community through its Adopt-a-School program that provides supplemental music education and in-school performances to local schools; Musicians Care program that brings live music performances to local hospitals, hospices, and retirement homes; informational Listener’s Club events and other free programs at public libraries; In Harmony Program in places of worship; Ainsworth Concerts for Youth; free tickets for youth under 18; open rehearsals; and free community concerts throughout the region.

The Illinois Council of Orchestras has named the ESO Orchestra of the Year four times (1988, 1999, 2005 and 2016).

The ESO is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

To learn more or to support the ESO, visit www.elginsymphony.org.