Guest conductor Stefan Veselka will lead the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) in an all-Beethoven program on Saturday, Feb. 10, at 7:30 p.m. at Ozinga Chapel on the campus of Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights.
Pianist Winston Choi, considered one of today’s most dynamic young concert artists, will join the orchestra. His recent performances have taken him throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe as both a soloist and ensemble member.
The Beethoven performance is IPO’s way of celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of legendary conductor Leonard Bernstein. IPO has included Beethoven’s “First Piano Concerto,” which was a program favorite of Bernstein’s, who would both conduct and perform the solo piano part.
The orchestra also will perform Beethoven’s “The Coriolan Overture” and “Symphony No. 7.”
Beethoven himself directed the symphony’s premiere in 1813 when it was said to surprise listeners with its distinctive use of rhythm and harmony. This visionary masterwork became a favorite of Bernstein’s and was the last work he ever conducted.
Veselka, currently the principal conductor of Germany’s Münster Symphony Orchestra, has collaborated with symphony orchestras and opera companies throughout Europe. He is also a prize-winning pianist and graduate of Hochschule der Künste in Berlin.
He and Choi will be part of a pre-concert question and answer session at the auditorium from 6:25 to 6:50 p.m.
Suburban Youth Symphony Orchestra members perform in the lobby from 6:45 to 7:15 p.m.
Single tickets start at $25 in advance. Student tickets are $10, and group tickets are available with a minimum of seven patrons. Ticketing fees may apply.
Discounted new subscriber rates are still available for a three-concert package of the final three performances including the Beethoven program and concerts March 10 and April 14.
To order tickets, or for more information, visit ipomusic.org or call 708-481-7774.
Ozinga Chapel is located at 6601 W. College Drive on the campus of Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights. The IPO Ozinga Chapel box office opens one hour before the performance on concert night.
This concert is sponsored by Michuda Construction and, in part, by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.