THE FOLLOWING IS A DANVILLE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA RELEASE
Danville, IL, September 21, 2026 – The Danville Symphony Orchestra (DSO) is celebrating the stage in their opening concert of the 2026-2027 season in the Dick Van Dyke Auditorium at Danville High School.
On Saturday, October 3 at 3:00 pm, Maestro Matthew Sheppard will lead the DSO in All The World’s A Stage, featuring classical works spanning from opera to musical theater to ballet.
“We are so excited to open the season with this concert—a concert that celebrates the incredible and varied artforms and artists that grace our stages! Are you a musical theater junkie? Come for Sweeney Todd! Love the guitar? Don’t miss the Concierto de Aranjuez for guitar and orchestra. Ballet, or opera? We have that, too!” says DSO Music Director Matthew Sheppard.
All the World’s A Stage will feature guest guitarist Guido Sanchez-Portuguez who is the Clinical Assistant Professor of Guitar and Theory at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana and has performed in many prestigious festivals around the world, including the Mid America Guitar Ensemble Festival, Boardwalk International Arts Festival, and Festival Internacional de Guitarra de Costa Rica. He will be performing Joaquín Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez, a gorgeous piece evoking the beautiful palaces, fountains, and gardens of Spain. Other pieces on the program include Giuseppe Verdi’s overture to the opera Nabucco, a concert suite from Stephen Sondheim’s Tony-award winning Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, and Manuel de Falla’s El Sombrero de Tres Picos (The Three-Cornered Hat) ballet suites.
Before the concert on Oct. 3, Matthew Sheppard and Guido Sanchez-Portuguez will lead a Pre-Concert Conversation at 2 pm in the Dick Van Dyke Auditorium. Patrons with a purchased ticket are invited to attend.
Tickets to the Oct. 3 concert are selling fast, as are specially discounted season tickets. Tickets remain on the main floor and balcony for $35 and $45. Students can buy tickets for $10.
Tickets may be purchased online at danvillesymphony.org. or by calling (217) 443-5300. Tickets are also available at the DSO office at 715 West Fairchild Street, Danville. Hours 11am-3pm, Monday through Friday.
The DSO is a 501 c 3 organization with a 60-year tradition of bringing outstanding orchestral performances to the City of Danville, Vermilion County, and the East Central Illinois and Western Indiana regions. Performances are supported in part by the Illinois Arts Council, the DSO Foundation, the John P. Cadle Foundation, and Sybil Mervis and the late Lou Mervis. For more information or for a season subscription, you may contact Maddi Julian at (217) 443-5300 or visit the Danville Symphony Orchestra website at www.danvillesymphony.org.
