Five concert series to take place in Elgin and Aurora; free community concert planned
“New Horizons” is the theme for Chamber Music on the Fox’s 10th season, as the nonprofit chamber music series expands its reach in the Fox Valley to bring a series of five concerts to Elgin and Aurora, hosts a special event concert in St. Charles, and celebrates the 10-year milestone with a free “Concert for Elgin”.
The 10th anniversary season contains a mix of traditional chamber music and new experiences. Performances by internationally acclaimed strings, piano, brass, and a unique instrument ensemble featuring lutes, theorbo, and violas de gamba, as well as a special Celtic Christmas performance, make up the subscription series that will be offered in both Elgin and Aurora this season.
“I’m excited about the opportunities Chamber Music on the Fox has as we enter our 10th year of bringing exceptional chamber music musicians to residents of the Fox Valley,” said Mark Fry, an Elgin professional trombonist who founded Chamber Music on the Fox with fellow Elginite and professional cellist Sara Sitzer in 2014. “The support we’ve seen throughout the Fox Valley over the past 10 years has fueled our commitment to expanding our reach so more people in our area can take part in the intimate music experience that our chamber music concerts provide. I am thrilled that we are going to be able to extend all five of our subscription series concerts to our Aurora audiences this season.”
Chamber Music on the Fox is also hosting its first concert in downtown St. Charles, Illinois. “Moonstruck Pierrot: An evening of drama and mystery at the Moonlight Theatre” will take place on Monday, Nov. 6, at 7:30 p.m., at the newly renovated historic venue. This program will feature two of the 20th century’s most adventurous and dramatic works: Arnold Schoenberg’s haunting “Pierrot Lunaire” and George Crumb’s “Voice of the Whale”.
“A Concert for Elgin” will be offered as a free community concert as a way to “show appreciation to the community that has supported us for the past decade,” Fry said. The concert features virtuoso Pedro Diaz, Solo English Horn of the Metropolitan Opera. He will perform Donizetti’s Concertino in F, along with other works alongside the Chamber Music on the Fox Players. To be held February 25, 2024, at the Blizzard Theater in Elgin, “A Concert for Elgin” is made possible through the generous support of the Seigle Foundation and Elgin Community College.
Subscriptions and single tickets are now on sale online at www.ChamberMusicOnTheFox.org. Subscriptions for the 5-concert series are $100. Adult single-concert tickets are $25 and student tickets are $15.
The complete concert schedule is as follows:
5 Concert Subscription Series
“Borodin and Shostakovich Quartets” featuring the Avalon String Quartet
Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023, 2:30 p.m., at The Packard Room at Ballydoyle, 28 W. New York St., Aurora
Monday, Sept. 25, 2023, 7:30 p.m., at The Ashbury, 1 Douglas Ave. #2, Elgin
“A Celtic Christmas” featuring STEAM Irish Quartet
Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023, 2:30 p.m., at The Packard Room at Ballydoyle, 28 W. New York St., Aurora
Monday, Dec. 4, 2023, 7:30 p.m., at The Ashbury, 1 Douglas Ave. #2, Elgin
“Court, Convent & Stage: Redefining the Early Modern Woman” featuring Black Tulip
Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024, 2:30 p.m., at New England Congregational Church, 406 W Galena Blvd, Aurora
Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, 7:30 p.m., at First Congregational Church of Dundee, 900 S 8th St., West Dundee
“Romantic Piano Quartets” featuring the Chamber Music on the Fox Chamber Players
Sunday, March 24, 2024, 2:30 p.m., at the New England Congregational Church, 406 W Galena Blvd, Aurora
Monday, March 25, 2024, 7:30 p.m., at First Congregational Church of Dundee, 900 S 8th St., West Dundee
“Pictures at an Exhibition” featuring the symphonic brass ensemble 3rd Coast Brass
Sunday, May 19, 2024, 2:30 p.m., at The Venue, 21 S Broadway Ave., Aurora
Monday, May 20, 2024, 7:30 p.m., at First United Methodist Church, 216 E. Highland Ave., Elgin
Special Event Concerts
“Moonstruck Pierrot: An evening of drama and mystery at the Moonlight Theatre”
Monday, Nov. 6, 2023, at 7:30 p.m., Moonlight Theatre, 7 S. Second Ave., St. Charles
“A Concert for Elgin” featuring Pedro Diaz
Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024, 2 p.m., at the Blizzard Theater at Elgin Community College’s Arts Center, 1700 Spartan Dr Building H, Elgin
