Elgin Area Chamber Of Commerce: Elgin Symphony Orchestra: Mozart Requiem

Press release from the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce:

February 15, 2022

Elgin Symphony Orchestra presents Mozart Requiem March 5 and 6
(Feb. 14, 2022 -- Elgin, Ill.) The Elgin Symphony Orchestra (ESO) will perform “Mozart Requiem” at the Hemmens Cultural Center on Saturday, March 5, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, March 6, at 3 p.m., featuring multiple notable artists with Chicago roots.
The concerts begin with four acclaimed vocalists – soprano Amanda Forsythe, mezzo-soprano Amanda Crider, tenor James Reese, and bass-baritone Jonathan Woody – performing Thomas Tallis’ historic hymn “Why fum’th in fight.” Reese is a graduate of Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music. A noted interpreter of baroque music, Reese is also an advocate for new music, and was a founding was a founding member of Philadelphia vocal sextet Variant 6.
A richly scored, double string ESO production of Vaughan Williams’ “Fantasia on Theme by Thomas Tallis,” will follow. Finally, the soloists and the ESO will be joined by The Adrian Dunn Singers for the complex and emotional Mozart’s “Requiem.”
Dunn, an accomplished singer, songwriter and producer holds a Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degree in Voice from The Music Conservatory at Roosevelt University with additional musical studies in opera at The Sibelius Academy of Music in Finland. He has toured throughout the US, South Africa, Italy, Germany, the UK, and Scandinavia. His work as a producer and music director have won him numerous awards, including Album Producer of the Year for AME Live featuring the AME International Mass Choir from the Rhythm of Gospel Awards, and Best Music Director from the Black Theater Alliance Awards for his work Hopera: A Hip Hop Opera. As music director for The Adrian Dunn Singers, he leads 12 professional singers of diverse musical backgrounds based in Chicago. The group has performed across the country, including at the Thomas Dorsey National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses, and recently made their National Cathedral Debut.
Leading the award-winning ESO is guest conductor Matthew Halls, an Oxford University alum, who has been welcomed to orchestras across Europe, and has made several appearances with orchestras across the U.S. Tickets are available at the ESO Box Office, 20 DuPage Ct., Elgin, or by phone at 847-888-4000, Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets may also be purchased online at ElginSymphony.org. Ticket prices are $10 for students and youth under 18 years old. Adult prices range between $35 – 65. Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more.
Masks and proof of complete Covid-19 vaccination are required for all attendees.

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About the Elgin Symphony Orchestra The Elgin Symphony Orchestra has a long history of highlighting the works of world-renowned conductors, composers, and musicians, and of promoting the advancement of women in the arts. Founded in 1950 as a community orchestra, the ESO became a professional ensemble in 1985, in good part due to the leadership of the late Margaret Hillis, who was music director at the ESO from 1971-1985. 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 League, and the start of the ESO’s outreach to youth through concerts for school students.
Today, the ESO continues to draw its creativity and artistry from the Elgin area and gives back to the community through ensemble members’ performances at local hospitals and retirement homes, free Listeners Club experiences, and open rehearsals.
The ESO has been named Orchestra of the Year four times by the Illinois Council of Orchestras (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.
About The Adrian Dunn Singers The Adrian Dunn Singers is a group of 12 professional singers of diverse musical backgrounds based in Chicago. Members of group have trained at some of the top conservatories & Universities in America. They recently performed at the Thomas Dorsey National Convention of Gospel Choirs & Choruses in Dallas and were recently included in the Art Institute of Chicago’s “Prayer ” exhibit. In addition to recording the Revelations Album, they have performed for the Payne Theological Seminary presidential inauguration in 2017 & provided music for the 2018 commencement exercises. The group recently made their National Cathedral Debut and have toured to Orlando, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Indianapolis.

This press release was produced by the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce. The views expressed here are the author’s own.