Elgin Symphony Orchestra

The Elgin Symphony Orchestra, four-time winner of Orchestra of the Year!

Andrew Grams

Andrew Grams Bids Farewell, Receives Key to the City of Elgin

Elgin City Council Member John Steffen presents Andrew Grams with a proclamation and a key to the City of Elgin.

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.

Andrew Grams shares his gratitude for the ESO Musicians

Elgin City Council presents proclamation to Andrew Grams

Fridays on the Farm: Q&A with Maestro Andrew Grams

Q & A with Maestro Andrew Grams
Friday, February 26th, 7:00 PM

It has been a busy week at the Elgin Symphony Orchestra! We have had virtual interviews with stars in the world of opera and composition, a new program broadcast on WFMT Radio in collaboration with the Ravinia Festival and on Friday evening, February 26th, Maestro Andrew Grams hosts a Question-and-Answer session to discuss our newly announced summer festival “Fridays on the Farm!” Tune in on Zoom or Facebook Live. (Here is the ZOOM url: https://zoom.us/j/93027623184)

Have questions for the Maestro? Be prepared to put them in the chat box or send them in advance to e.malmquist@elginsymphony.org.

ESO Debuts Free Summer Events

ESO Listeners Club and Mingle in Place with Andrew Grams

The Elgin Symphony Orchestra is excited to announce our new Summer lineup of Listeners Club and Mingle in Place with Andrew Grams events. These will hosted LIVE on our Facebook page.

Below is the full listing – feel free to RSVP to the events for any notifications. Don’t forget to invite your friends!

Listeners Club: Beer & Beethoven 9

Monday, May 25th, 2020 7:00 PM
For our first virtual Listeners Club, join ESO pre-concert lecturer Jim Kendros for an exploration of Beethoven’s monumental 9th Symphony, which will open the 20/21 season!

Enhance your experience and support local business: Elgin Public House will supply ESO patrons with a four pack of local beers and some special virtual tasting notes for only $12.00.
Supplies are limited. Sign up by emailing e.malmquist@elginsymphony.org

The Beethoven 9 concert celebrates the ESO’s Opening Weekend for the 2020/2021 Season on September 12th and 13th.

Mingle In Place: Drinks with Andrew / ESO Freshmen

Thursday, May 28th, 2020 7:00 PM

Join Maestro Andrew Grams as he sits down with the three newest members of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, violist Rebecca Swan, bassist Greg Heinz and principal oboe Erik Andrusiak. From auditioning for an orchestra, to maintaining good relationships with your stand partner, to non-musical hobbies, no topic is off limits.

Listeners Club: West Side Story

Monday, June 1st, 2020 7:00 PM

Jim Kendros returns for a discussion of Leonard Bernstein’s timeless musical West Side Story and how the composer adapted the best-loved melodies into a suite that you will hear on our October Classics program, An American in Paris.

Mingle In Place: Drinks with Andrew / Low Brass

Thursday, June 4th, 2020 7:00 PM

“Drinks with Andrew” take two! This time, the maestro is joined by the low brass section of Reed Capshaw, Adam Moen, Mark Fry and Charlie Schuchat.

Listeners Club: Movie Night!

Monday, June 8th, 2020 7:00 PM

The music of John Williams has become synonymous with big budget blockbusters: Harry Potter, Star Wars, Jaws, Indiana Jones and so many more. But how did he find a compositional style that worked so perfectly with the big screen? Jim Kendros explores this question and gives you a great preview of the music to be heard on ESO’s first pops concert of the 20/21 season!

Enhance your experience and support local business: Receive a four pack of popcorn from Mama Lee’s Popcorn in downtown Elgin — the perfect edible companion to a night at the movies! Only $22.00. Supplies are limited. Sign up by emailing e.malmquist@elginsymphony.org

From Hedwig to Han Solo: The Music of John WIlliams debuts the weekend of November 19, 2020.

Mingle In Place: Drinks with Andrew / String Principals

Thursday, June 11th, 2020 7:00 PM

The five string principals, Isabella Lippi, Daniella Folker, Amanda Grimm, Matt Agnew and Tim Schaffer collectively shape the string sound of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra. Hear what these key musicians have to say when the stage lights off and with a drink in their hand, as they share a fun evening with their conductor!

Listeners Club: White Russians & Tchaikovsky 6

Monday, June 15th, 2020 7:00 PM

So much mystery surrounds Tchaikovsky’s final symphony. He died just days after it’s premier and the cause of his death remains hotly debated. What is without question is this great symphony’s place in the repertoire. Hear Jim Kendros delve into these mysteries and share the beauty of Tchaikovsky’s final work.

Enhance your experience and support local business: Elgin Public House will supply cocktail kits to make a White Russian! Only $9.00 per cocktail mix. Supplies are limited. Sign up by emailing e.malmquist@elginsymphony.org

All Tchaikovsky debuts the weekend of November 7, 2020.

Mingle In Place: Drinks with Andrew & Flutes!

Thursday, June 18th, 2020 7:00 PM

They are the kings and queens of the woodwind section; their sound sits atop the orchestral texture, their solos are legendary. Maestro Andrew Grams takes the pressure off of the demanding job of “ESO Flute Player,” pours a drink and has a wide-ranging conversation with three of his four favorite flutists.

Andrew Grams to Leave Elgin Symphony Orchestra Conductor Post at End of 2020/21 Season

ESO Conductor Andrew Grams

Following seven years with the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Grams will leave his post as Music Director and Conductor at the end of the 2020/21 season.

“After enjoying the privilege of being the Elgin Symphony Orchestra’s Music Director for seven extraordinary seasons of music-making, I make this decision proud of the work we’ve done to raise the level of the orchestra and all we have achieved in making the connection to the community it serves even stronger. Thanks to these accomplishments, I have discovered in myself a passion for teaching and sharing music in different ways and I now seek to open time in my diary to allow me to pursue more of this kind of work.”

Grams joined the Elgin Symphony in 2014 after an extensive international search. His charismatic conducting and easy accessibility have made him a favorite of Elgin Symphony audiences.  A frequent traveler, Mr. Grams has worked extensively with orchestras abroad, including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre National de France, Orchester der Beethovenhalle Bonn, BBC Symphony Orchestra London, Sydney Symphony, Melbourne and Adelaide Symphony Orchestras, and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.

Throughout his seven season tenure, audiences have seen Grams lead everything from traditional masterworks to holiday concert sing-alongs and the best of John Williams. He will truly be missed by ESO staff, musicians, and patrons. Grams has a love for the city of Elgin as well as the orchestra. “Please know that I am extremely grateful for having had the opportunity to helm this fine orchestra. I sincerely hope to be able to assist in attracting music director candidates to continue the work I have begun. Of course I intend to maintain a close relationship with the ESO and to continue to serve this great community well into the future.”

“We are deeply grateful for the considerable time, artistry and enthusiasm that Maestro Grams has devoted to the ESO and to our community of supporters. His vibrant energy and positive spirit will be missed by musicians and audiences alike. The process to identify a worthy successor to this legacy, no easy task, is already underway in the hands of a committee comprised of musicians, board members, ESO staff and members of the greater Elgin community,” Erik Malmquist, Director of Artistic Planning & Operations. Grams will conduct the opening and closing concerts for the 2020/21 seasons and the Music Director search will begin.

In their 70th Anniversary Season, the Elgin Symphony Orchestra is unmatched for programming an entertaining, informative and relaxing cultural experience. The ESO has won Illinois Professional Orchestra of the Year an unprecedented four times – in 1988, 1999, 2005 and 2016 – and works to create an enjoyable entertainment experience that goes beyond the magnificent music performed by some of the best musicians in the region. The ESO is a world-class orchestra providing quality musical explorations that are entertaining, hassle-free and conveniently located close to home in the western suburbs. Visit ElginSymphony.Org to learn more about the ESO’s many activities in the community, read program notes, see the full season line up, make a donation and find out how to sponsor a program or series. “Like” the ESO on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.