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Evanston Symphony Orchestra | Evanston Illinois’ Community Orchestra playing classical music concerts at Pick Staiger Hall

  • Our Next Concert
    Imperial London

    Sunday, March 18, 2018, 2:30 p.m.

    Haydn

    Vaughan Williams

    Grainger

    Walton

    Purcell

    Britten

    with Henry Fogel, narrator

    Henry Fogel

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  • ESO is named
    2017 Community Orchestra of the Year

    Illinois Council of Orchestras award announced!

    A panel of judges selected the ESO as best in Illinois

  • ESO’s
    Share The Stage

    Share the Stage lets you sponsor a chair in the Orchestra. It’s our way of recognizing that the ESO Community is made up of Orchestra Members and Supporters.

     

    Donate Now

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2025-2026 SERIES: The POWER of Music

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Musical Insights

Free Pre-Concert Preview Series!

October 17, 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.

Adrian Munive, ESO Principal Clarinet, will be featured at Musical Insights.

Friday, October 17 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.

Music Brings Joy and Learning to Our Youngest Residents

For more than 16 years, the Evanston Symphony Orchestra has provided free music education—Music In Your World (MIYW)—to pre-schoolers aged 3–5 in District 65’s Head Start and Pre-K programs. More recently, we expanded MIYW to our youngest and most vulnerable residents from 6 weeks to 3 years and their families in District 65’s Early Start program. ESO classes use music, movement, and experience with musical instruments. Singing develops important pre-literacy skills for these young students while building teamwork and cooperation, and instilling joy into their lives.

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Evanston Symphony Teachers Go Virtual: James Donahue

The Evanston Symphony’s principal flute, James Donahue, had to navigate through his students’ initial disappointment over canceled concerts, summer camps, and competitions and his own sadness at the missed opportunity to say goodbye to his graduating students, many of whom he had taught since elementary school. However, James quickly adapted to teaching via Zoom and Facetime, and he appreciates that the virtual lessons offer a great way for his students to keep up their skills.

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ESO Teachers Go Virtual: Anne McTighe

Anne McTighe, a member of the second violins, is orchestra director for Highcrest Middle School and assistant director of string ensembles for Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras. Among her innovative adaptations to online teaching, Anne has her students working on virtual concerts to share with family and friends, including a special performance by the sixth graders at Highcrest to help introduce the fourth graders to the sounds and instruments of the orchestra.

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Evanston Symphony Teachers Go Virtual: Paula Fischer

These days, many of us have struggled to adapt to new technology as we work from home and participate in meetings via video conference. The music teachers who contribute their considerable talents to the ESO have faced similar hurdles, and some unique obstacles. Paula Fischer, longtime Evanston Symphony assistant principal second violin, has had to take a novel approach to teaching in an environment where she must communicate the feeling of correct playing through words rather than physical contact.

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