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Evanston Symphony Orchestra

Lawrence Eckerling, Music Director

Announcing Our 2026–2027 Season

For The Love of Music

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Save up to $50 and get the best seats

Celebrating Beethoven’s Brilliance
Great Romantics
Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony
A Mass for Peace

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.

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.

Latest News

Evanston Symphony Orchestra offering special holiday show for people with special needs, by Chris Gillock

Dec. 14 performance will welcome those who vocalize, move and have different ways of experiencing music

So Long, John Russell—and Thanks!

Retired ESO timpanist John F. Russell was born in ­Gloucester, England. His parents worked in a nursing home there ­until an American relative in Cicero offered his father work and housing.

June 2025 concert videos

Please enjoy these wonderful videos from our June concert

Ko-Eun Yi playing Ravel's Piano Concerto in G Major.

Music Fit for a King

As the monarchy is central to the history and government of England, so it is part of its musical heritage. Crown Imperial, also known as Coronation March, came to life during a turbulent time for the British crown.

Fanciful Folk Songs

Ralph Vaughan Williams was among the wave of European composers of the time who were interested in utilizing and recording folk music. Vaughan Williams found inspiration in English literature and traditional song, often quoting or imitating British folk tunes in his compositions.

Theme and Variations

If you think the main themes from Benjamin Britten’s The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra and Henry Purcell’s Rondeau from Abdelazer Suite are similar, you’re right.