Elmhurst College’s Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band, as well as Elmhurst faculty members and alumni who teach at Leyden High School, are preparing to perform on one of the world’s most acclaimed stages.
On Wednesday, April 17, Elmhurst College and Leyden High School will present An Evening at Orchestra Hall, at Symphony Center in Chicago.
The concert will feature the Elmhurst College Wind Ensemble, conducted by Judith E. Grimes; the Elmhurst College Symphonic Band, conducted by Ross Kellan; and the Leyden High School Symphonic Band, conducted by Bryan Miller and Tara Cappelletti (Class of 2006). Guest conductors will include Peter Griffin, chair of the Elmhurst College Music Department; and Eric Morong (Class of 2010).
The bands will perform a variety of selections, including The Hounds of Spring by Alfred Reed; Symphony No. 3 Slavyanskaya, by Boris Kozhevnikov; The Belle of Chicago, by John Philip Sousa; and Armenian Dances, by Alfred Reed.
Elmhurst College band concerts traditionally have brought packed audiences to their home venue, Hammerschmidt Memorial Chapel, and conductors Grimes and Kellan have led their ensembles to numerous awards and honors. The concert in Chicago’s venerable Orchestra Hall will celebrate the work of the Elmhurst groups and musicians.
“Our talented, hard-working Elmhurst College students who are members of the Wind Ensemble or Symphonic Band, and the community members who join them, will get to perform world-class music on a world-class stage,” Grimes said.
“We appreciate the faculty and parental support that we always have in our home community, but performing in Orchestra Hall, where the world’s most outstanding musicians have performed, will enhance the professional and musical experience of not only the ensembles but also the individual students.”
About the conductors:
Judith E. Grimes is conductor of the Elmhurst College Wind Ensemble and director of concert bands at the College, as well as the founder and executive director of the Western Jamaica International Music Festival.
Ross Kellan is in his eighth year as conductor of the Elmhurst College Symphonic Band and director of music education at Elmhurst College.
Peter Griffin is chair of the music department and associate professor of music at Elmhurst College. Before joining the faculty at Elmhurst College, he was assistant director of bands at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.
Eric Morong ’10 is director of instrumental music at Wood Dale Junior High School and conductor of the Elmhurst College Varsity Band.
Bryan Miller is an adjunct faculty member at Elmhurst College and chair of the music department and director of bands and orchestra for Leyden High School District 212.
Tara Cappelletti ’06 is associate band director for Leyden High School.
An Evening at Orchestra Hall will begin at 7:30 p.m. on April 17 in Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago. Ticket prices range from $10 to $85. Tickets also will be available at the Symphony Center box office on the day of the concert. For more information, call (630) 617-3600.