Orchestra Profiles
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Elgin Symphony Orchestra and Elgin Youth Symphonies
ORP: October 2008
Founded in 1950, the Elgin Symphony Orchestra is one of the nation's fastest growing orchestras. Under the leadership of Music Director Robert Hanson, the ESO performs over 50 concerts each season, garnering audiences of over 40,000 from over 100 area communities. Over 10,000 students participate in ESO music education programs annually.
Conductor/composer Robert Hanson was appointed the ESO' s Associate Conductor in 1974 and became Music Director in 1985, from which point the Orchestra entered a period of impressive artistic and service growth. In 1997, the Elgin Symphony Orchestra began broadcasting its Classic Series concerts on WFMT 98.7-FM, Chicago' s Fine Arts Station; performances are heard by audiences in 38 states on WFMT' s cable network and are globally available on the Internet.
Founded in 1976, the mission of the Elgin Symphony Youth Orchestra is to create a community of young musicians, enriching their lives and the lives of their families, schools, communities and beyond, through the study and performance of excellent music. An In-Residence Ensemble in the Arts Center at Elgin Community College, the EYSO is home to four orchestral ensembles and a brass choir with nearly 300 students from over 60 communities. Randal Swiggum was hired as Music Director of the EYSO in 1998, and took on the role of Education Conductor at the ESO in 2005. Although the two organizations are not formally affiliated, the Elgin Symphony Orchestra and Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra have a decades-long history of collaboration.