Linc Smelser, music director, and the Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra receive a standing ovation after the Spring Concert performed April 30.
The Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra has announced its 35th annual concert season for 2011-2012.
All concerts, except the Summer Concert in the Park and the Children’s Concert, are held in the Boutell Memorial Concert Hall of the NIU Music Building.
The community is invited to enjoy the KSO’s Summer Concert in the Park at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 21, in the Hopkins Park Bandshell of DeKalb. The KSO will perform a variety of light classical, Broadway and silver screen selections. Bring the entire family to this fun and exciting free concert of popular music under the stars.
The KSO’s “Fall Concert: Dancing the Night Away” is at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8. The orchestra will play “Danse Bacchanale,” by Camille Saint-Saëns; “Concerto for Trombone,” by Samuel Jones, featuring Kirk Lundbeck on trombone; “Rounds,” by David Diamond; and “Firebird Suite,” by Igor Stravinsky.
Adults and children alike will enjoy the very popular annual Halloween Concerts, which will be at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29. The KSO presents these free concerts of music with a Halloween theme. There will be trick-or-treating for 30 minutes before the 5:30 concert.
The KSO presents its Children’s Concert by invitation only to school children and not to the general public, in mid-November at the Egyptian Theatre. Each year, the KSO invites third-, fourth- and fifth-grade students and their teachers from elementary schools in the region to a special concert just for them. Contact the KSO for more information.
The KSO invites adults and children to celebrate music of the holiday season in a traditional family concert. The “Holiday Pops Concert: Winter Wonderland” is at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10. Many holiday favorites, including Haydn’s “Toy Symphony” and a seasonal sing-a-long are included.
Seventeen-year-old violinist Laura Park, winner of the 2010 Arthur D. Montzka Young Artists Concerto Competition, performed recently with the Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Linc Smelser.
The Arthur D. Monztka Young Artists Concerto Competition Winner Concert is at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25, 2012. This concert features the amazing talent found among Illinois young musicians through the annual ADM Young Artists Concerto Competition. The winner of that competition will perform with the orchestra including a concerto of the winner’s choice (to be announced); “Brandenburg Concerto No. 2,” by Johann Sebastian Bach; and Symphony No. 3, “Rhenish,” by Robert Schumann.
The KSO’s “Spring Concert: Roman Impressions” is 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 28, which will feature “Petite Suite,” by Claude Debussy; “Pavane for a Dead Princess,” by Maurice Ravel; and “Pines of Rome,” by Ottorino Respighi.
The KSO, celebrating its 35th concert season, also will perform a special concert to be announced at a later date.
The Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra is a non-profit community orchestra which provides a place for area musicians to use their talents in an orchestral setting. The orchestra consists of professional, student, and dedicated amateur musicians. It began informally in 1976 and now engages in weekly rehearsals and an annual series of concerts. At times, its programs are enhanced by including guest conductors and soloists from the region and beyond. The orchestra’s plans and policies are established by the Music Director Linc Smelser and the Board of Directors which is composed of citizens from the community.
WNIU and WNIJ are station sponsors of the KSO.
Tickets go on sale 30 minutes prior to each concert. All seats are general admission (no reserved seating). Individual ticket prices are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors 62 and older, $10 for students and $5 for children younger than 12. Tickets can be purchased at the door the night of the concert or ordered online (with a processing fee).
Season tickets may be purchased at special prices for the four regular concerts of the season. Season ticket prices are $50 for adults, $35 for seniors, $35 for students, and $18 for children younger than 12.
For more information about the Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra or season ticket ordering information, call (815) 756-3728 or visit www.kishorchestra.org.
