As his extended family watched from the front row, Maestro Andrew Grams gave his last performance as Music Director and Conductor of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra on August 6, 2021. With the musical selection of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 and Robert Schumann’s Symphony No. 2, Andrew poignantly found the perfect ending to his eight-season tenure in “From Darkness to Light.”
In introducing Schumann’s work, Andrew talked about the parallel in this selection to his journey with the ESO.
“All of the musicians, and you, the audience, have given me a feeling of welcoming and growth,” Andrew said. In this piece, “everything comes together in a sense of harmony. I can’t think of a better way to express this grateful joy.”
At the end of the performance, Andrew bumped fists with concert master Isabella Lippi, and was graced with a rousing standing ovation from the audience. Elgin City Council Member John Steffen then surprised Andrew with a proclamation and a key to the City of Elgin.
