THE FOLLOWING IS A DANVILLE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA RELEASE
ABOVE: Guest artist at DSO September 21st concert; Trevor O’Riordan, clarinet.
Danville, IL, September 9, 2024 – The Danville Symphony Orchestra (DSO) kicks off its 2024-2025 season with “Earth, Wind, Water, Fire” in the Dick Van Dyke Auditorium at Danville High School.
On Saturday, September 21st at 7:30 pm, newly appointed music director, Maestro Matthew Sheppard, will lead the DSO in its opening concert of the season, featuring classical works that touch on each of the four elements (earth, wind, water, & fire).
“This season, we are headed on a journey through all sorts of different musical worlds,” Sheppard said. “This [September] concert keeps the four classical elements of earth, wind, water, and fire as our waypoints in this journey as we explore these different characters through the music.”
The concert will open with Virgil Thomson’s suite titled The Plow that Broke the Plains (earth) from the 1936 documentary about the history of agriculture in the Midwest that led to the infamous Dust Bowl. Other pieces that will be performed are Ethel Smyth’s The Wreckers Overture (water), Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite (fire), and Mozart’s Concerto for Clarinet (wind), featuring guest artist, Trevor O’Riordan, who currently performs with the South Bend Symphony Orchestra, Illinois Philharmonic, Grant Park Symphony Orchestra, and Elgin Symphony Orchestra.
The DSO will also be partnering with the St. James United Methodist Church Food Pantry on opening night. The DSO asks patrons to bring non-perishable food items to the concert, and for each item, they will receive a coupon for 15% off a single ticket purchase to be used at a future concert during the season. Items most needed are spaghetti, sauce, peanut butter, and tuna, though other canned goods are welcome as well.
Tickets to the Sept 21 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 1-5 pm, Monday through Friday.
The DSO is a 501 c 3 organization with a 57-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, and Sybil Mervis and the late Lou Mervis. For more information or for a season subscription, you may contact Kay Welch or Maddi Julian at (217) 443-5300 or visit the Danville Symphony Orchestra website at www.danvillesymphony.org.
