57th Season of Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra Begins Oct. 5

By Benjamin Cox on October 2, 2019 at 1:41pm

The Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra will be kicking off its 57th season on Saturday. Jeremy Hommowun, executive director of the orchestra, says this year’s theme is a celebration of music of the nation’s music from coast to coast. He said the theme was borne out of thoughts from last March’s show about a national journey of music. The theme he and music director Dr. Garrett Allman came up with in final was “A Musical Journey.”

The season will also begin a two-season long celebration of one of the world’s most notable names in music – Beethoven. The celebration of Beethoven’s 250th birthday will be captured in the opening of the concert on Saturday with Overture to Egmont, Opus 84, written in 1810.

The featured soloist on Saturday was the grand prize winner of the 2019 Talent Among Us competition, Claire Ryterski – a senior soprano at Western Illinois University in musical therapy. Dr. Garrett Allman, symphony music director and conductor, describes the piece as very descriptive and expressive. He said that Ryterski has a way of bringing all of the drama out of the piece entitled “Steal me, sweet thief,” an aria from the Gian-Carlo Menotti 20th century American opera entitled The Old Man and the Thief. You can read more about Ryterski’s life in music at this link.

“From Rising Talent” begins Saturday, October 5th at 7:30PM at Rammelkamp Chapel on the campus of Illinois College. Season ticket prices for the year remain at $70. Individual tickets are $18. Children and student admission is free. An encore reception will be held directly after the show to recognize Roll of Honor contributors to the symphony as well as a recognition of concert sponsors. All concert goers are welcome to the reception after.