• Our Next Concert

    Carmen & Firebird

    Sun., June 7, 2026, 2:30 p.m.

    Bizet

    Falla

    Glazunov
    with Nathan Amaral, violin

    Stravinsky

    Nathan Amaral, violin

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    Symphony Orchestra

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  • Announcing Our 2026–2027 Season

    The Love of Music

    Subscribe Today*

    Save up to $50 and get the best seats

    Celebrating Beethoven’s Brilliance
    Great Romantics
    Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony
    A Mass for Peace

    Subscription Information

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    Subscribe at Early Bird prices through July 10. No credit card handling fee until August 1.

    *renew or pre-order now; seat self-selection online starts 9/1.

2025-2026 SERIES: The POWER of Music

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Musical Insights

Free Pre-Concert Preview Series!

June 5, Friday, at 1:30 pm

Enhance your concert experience with a sneak preview — Composers come alive and their passions take center stage when ESO Maestro Lawrence Eckerling takes you on an insider’s tour of the history and highlights behind the music.

Meet our soloist, Nathan Amaral, violin, at Musical Insights. He and our Maestro Lawrence Eckerling will explore the June concert program in depth.

Friday, June 5 at 1:30 pm,
Merion’s Crystal Ballroom at
529 Davis St, Evanston.
FREE and open to the public.
Please RSVP to 847-570-7815.

The Merion
Light refreshments will be served and casual tours of apartments will be available after the program.

Give the gift of music

Treat a friend or relative to the ESO

Give the gift of music by ordering directly from our website and purchasing a custom gift certificate in any denomination of your choice! Certificates may be redeemed for single ticket or season subscriptions for any of our concerts.

You will receive an electronic gift certificate or we can mail the certificate to you or directly to the recipient.

One-Hit Wonder

French composer Paul Dukas (1865-1935) is best known for a single orchestral work, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. Based on a 1797 poem by Wolfgang von Goethe, the piece was written in 1897 and premiered later that same year in Paris with Dukas himself conducting the performance. The piece was an instant hit.

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Timeless Beauty and Vibrant Energy

Samuel Barber's (1910-1981) Adagio for Strings is a musical gem that has resonated with audiences for decades. Known for its emotional depth and hauntingly beautiful melody, this piece transports listeners to a realm where every note carries the weight of human experience. Originally part of the second movement of his String Quartet, the Adagio has found its way into the hearts of many through its transcendent orchestral arrangement.

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The Romance of a Bygone Era

John Williams was born in New York City in 1932, the son of a jazz drummer, Johnny Williams. The Williams family moved to Los Angeles in 1948, where John attended North Hollywood High School. He studied composition privately and for a short time at UCLA before being drafted into the U.S. Air Force. During his service, he arranged band music and began conducting.
 

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