Elgin Symphony Orchestra opens its 77th season with Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto, works by Copland and Stravinsky
(September 8, 2026, Elgin, IL) – The Elgin Symphony Orchestra opens its 77th Season Classics Series with a program of bold energy, rhythmic drive, and sweeping romanticism under Music Director Chad Goodman. Aaron Copland’s Four Dance Episodes from “Rodeo” sets the tone with lively charm and distinctly American spirit, followed by the propulsive intensity and striking contrasts of Igor Stravinsky’s “Symphony in Three Movements”. The program concludes with Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s iconic Piano Concerto No. 1, performed by acclaimed pianist Drew Petersen, who brings both power and lyricism to a beloved masterpiece and is making his second appearance with the ESO and its Music Director, Chad Goodman.
Performances take place Saturday, Oct. 10, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 11, at 2:30 p.m., at the Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way, Elgin.
A Pre-Concert Talk by ESO Music Director Chad Goodman will take place one hour prior to each concert.
Tickets are available at ElginSymphony.org. Tickets start at $20. Continuing its commitment to making performances affordable and accessible to the community, the ESO offers discounts for groups of 10 or more, student tickets for $10 for those with a valid student ID, and a free youth ticket for children age 17 and under with a paid adult ticket. Call the ESO Box Office at 847-888-4000 for more information and to include free youth tickets in your order. The ESO Box Office is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is located at 20 DuPage Court, Elgin, Ill.
The Elgin Symphony Orchestra was named Professional Orchestra of the Year in 2025 by the Illinois Council of Orchestras, which also awarded Goodman the Professional Conductor of the Year award.
The ESO’s 77th Season is made possible through the generous support of donors, including Season Sponsors OTTO® Engineering, Willow Springs Charitable Trust, and an anonymous sponsor; Concert Sponsors the Illinois Arts Council, The Pepper Family Foundation, and John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc.; Contributing Sponsors Elgin Symphony League, Barrington Area Community Foundation, Seigle Foundation, Florence B. & Cornelia A. Palmer Foundation, Richard & Carol Leonard Foundation, and W.R. Meadows; and Community Sponsors Elgin Cultural Arts Commission, Donald & Kathleen Brungard Family Foundation, Epic Real Estate Group, and ARK Technologies.