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Evanston Symphony Orchestra

Lawrence Eckerling, Music Director

A special Holiday Bazaar Exhibitors

This year we add yet another exciting feature — a festive Holiday Bazaar. Local artisans from Evanston’s Homegrown Artists and other local businesses will be selling Christmas gift items before and after the Concert — as well as during the Intermission. The Bazaar is conveniently located in the Michael Cafeteria at ETHS, and admission to the shopping area is free.

HOLIDAY BAZAAR EXHIBITORS

AnoMalY by Amy
Local handmade jewelry in a variety of medias

Art by Katian
Chinese brush paintings and notecards

Spaces Available for Artist Vendors at Holiday Bazaar

This year’s Holiday Bazaar will be held at ETHS in conjuction with the Evanston Symphony Orchestra’s holiday concert on Sun., Dec. 8. The Holiday Bazaar will be open for shopping before, during and after the program. The Symphony projects to sell over 1,000 tickets to their program. Interested artists should contact Myra Gorman at 847-448-8045 or mgorman@cityofevanston.org. The artist vendor fee is $80 (includes one 8- ft. table and 2 chairs). Vendors will be accepted until Dec. 4.

Behind the Scenes at Christmas

by Maestro Lawrence Eckerling

Anyone who has attended An Evanston Symphony Christmas has enjoyed the results of a collaboration between many different performing organizations, and has seen and heard how putting it all together has created an entertaining afternoon of music for all ages.

Raise a Chorus of Hallelujahs

… for the annual ESO Christmas Concert!
Sunday, December 8 at 3 PM
Evanston Township High School Auditorium

Lovers of holiday choral music, rejoice in one of the most beloved local holiday traditions – An Evanston Symphony Christmas! The Evanston Symphony Orchestra will ring in this Yuletide season with help from the North Shore Choral Society and the Evanston Children’s Choir.

Our spectacular season finale, celebrates another anniversary, the 200th birthday of Giuseppe Verdi. We will be joined by the North Shore Choral Society and four superb vocal soloists for what some have called “Verdi’s greatest opera.” This blazing score includes eight trumpets and a powerful part for the bass drum, all of which support some of Verdi’s most unforgettable melodies.

Subscription Series Concerts Venue:

Pick-Staiger Concert Hall

50 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston
See map.

Tickets

All tickets are assigned seating.
Please call 847-864-8804 for wheelchair accessible tickets.

Advance Sales

$42 Adult, $36 Seniors, $5.00 Full-Time Student

Children Free

Children 12 and younger are admitted absolutely FREE, but must have an assigned seat.
Please call 847.864.8804 or email tickets@evanstonsymphony.org for all orders with children’s tickets.

At the Door Sales

$47 Adult, $41 Seniors, $5.00 Full-Time Student

2026–2027 SERIES SUBSCRIPTION

Three-concert Subscription

$111.75 Adults, $99.00 Seniors, $15 Students

Ticket Pricing and Box Office Info

Soloist

Musical Insights

Free Pre-Concert Preview Series!

Musical Insights Icon

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, Tierra Whetstone, Mezzo Soprano, at Musical Insights. She and our Maestro Lawrence Eckerling will explore the May concert program in depth.
May 21, Friday, at 1:30 pm

Merion’s Crystal Ballroom

529 Davis St, Evanston.
FREE and open to the public.

Please RSVP to 847-570-7815.

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

Program Notes

Program

Barber: Overture to The School for Scandal Bruch: Violin Concerto No 1 in G Minor Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 in E Flat “ Eroica”

Beethoven’s “Eroica” was recognized as a masterpiece at its 1804 premiere and retains its status as one of the most revolutionary works in Western music. Barber’s overture is his earliest orchestral piece and demonstrates his gift for melody and orchestration. Evanston-born Sang Mee Lee, chair of the strings department for the Music Institute of Chicago, takes the solo part of Max Bruch’s “greatest hit,” his deeply romantic First Violin Concerto.

Subscription Series Concerts Venue:

Pick-Staiger Concert Hall

50 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston
See map.

Tickets

All tickets are assigned seating.
Please call 847-864-8804 for wheelchair accessible tickets.

Advance Sales

$42 Adult, $36 Seniors, $5.00 Full-Time Student

Children Free

Children 12 and younger are admitted absolutely FREE, but must have an assigned seat.
Please call 847.864.8804 or email tickets@evanstonsymphony.org for all orders with children’s tickets.

At the Door Sales

$47 Adult, $41 Seniors, $5.00 Full-Time Student

2026–2027 SERIES SUBSCRIPTION

Three-concert Subscription

$111.75 Adults, $99.00 Seniors, $15 Students

Ticket Pricing and Box Office Info

Soloist

Musical Insights

Free Pre-Concert Preview Series!

Musical Insights Icon

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, Adé Williams, violin, at Musical Insights. She and our Maestro Lawrence Eckerling will explore the April concert program in depth.
April 2, Friday, at 1:30 pm

Merion’s Crystal Ballroom

529 Davis St, Evanston.
FREE and open to the public.

Please RSVP to 847-570-7815.

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

Program Notes

Program: Bartok: Dance Suite Liszt: Totentanz Sibelius: Symphony No. 2 in D Major Franz Liszt’s Totentanz (Dance of Death) is unsurpassed for virtuoso excitement, and the young Russian pianist Gleb Ivanov will take on this challenging role. Another Hungarian composer, Bela Bartok, frequently performed the Totentanz, and our concert opens with his exciting Dance Suite. The Hungarian language is unrelated to those surrounding Hungary, but it does share a strong connection with Finnish. Our concert closes with the most popular symphony of Finland’s most important composer — the rousingly patriotic Second Symphony by Jean Sibelius.

Subscription Series Concerts Venue:

Pick-Staiger Concert Hall

50 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston
See map.

Tickets

All tickets are assigned seating.
Please call 847-864-8804 for wheelchair accessible tickets.

Advance Sales

$42 Adult, $36 Seniors, $5.00 Full-Time Student

Children Free

Children 12 and younger are admitted absolutely FREE, but must have an assigned seat.
Please call 847.864.8804 or email tickets@evanstonsymphony.org for all orders with children’s tickets.

At the Door Sales

$47 Adult, $41 Seniors, $5.00 Full-Time Student

2026–2027 SERIES SUBSCRIPTION

Three-concert Subscription

$111.75 Adults, $99.00 Seniors, $15 Students

Ticket Pricing and Box Office Info

Soloist

Musical Insights

Free Pre-Concert Preview Series!

Musical Insights Icon

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, Winston Choi, piano, at Musical Insights. He and our Maestro Lawrence Eckerling will explore the February concert program in depth.
February 12th, Friday, at 1:30 pm

Merion’s Crystal Ballroom

529 Davis St, Evanston.
FREE and open to the public.

Please RSVP to 847-570-7815.

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

Program Notes

Program: Gresham: Evanston Fanfare Offenbach: Overture to Orpheus in the Underworld Saint-Saëns: Carnival of the Animals Ravel: Bolero Mussorgsky (Orch. Ravel): Pictures at an Exhibition
Subscription Series Concerts Venue:

Pick-Staiger Concert Hall

50 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston
See map.

Tickets

All tickets are assigned seating.
Please call 847-864-8804 for wheelchair accessible tickets.

Advance Sales

$42 Adult, $36 Seniors, $5.00 Full-Time Student

Children Free

Children 12 and younger are admitted absolutely FREE, but must have an assigned seat.
Please call 847.864.8804 or email tickets@evanstonsymphony.org for all orders with children’s tickets.

At the Door Sales

$47 Adult, $41 Seniors, $5.00 Full-Time Student

2026–2027 SERIES SUBSCRIPTION

Three-concert Subscription

$111.75 Adults, $99.00 Seniors, $15 Students

Ticket Pricing and Box Office Info

Soloist

Musical Insights

Free Pre-Concert Preview Series!

Musical Insights Icon

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, Irina Muresanu, violin, at Musical Insights. She and our Maestro Lawrence Eckerling will explore the October concert program in depth.
October 16, Friday, at 1:30 pm

Merion’s Crystal Ballroom

529 Davis St, Evanston.
FREE and open to the public.

Please RSVP to 847-570-7815.

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

Program Notes