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Region boasts several outstanding orchestras for our listening pleasure

It is rare for a community the size of Peoria to have even one symphony orchestra that can attract nationally known conductors and produce such professional excellence as the Peoria Symphony has for some many years.

Peoria has two such orchestras and it also has several other concert bands that local musicians can audition for in order to display their talents.

Several times a year one can listen to music that ranges from classical to modern, as long as you know where to find it.

Here is a look at some of the biggest bands in the region.

PEORIA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

For 115 years this group has been making music in Peoria.

It started as the Bradley Symphony Orchestra for the study of compositions by the masters but was always open to talented members of the public. It incorporated as a business and took the name Peoria Symphony Orchestra in 1916 and it has never wavered in its mission to present the area with the best music.

From its first conductor Harold Plowe to Dr. William Wilsen to David Commanday to current conductor George Stelluto, the orchestra has been able to attract nationally known and accomplished conductors to further its growth.

It was Wilsen, who was at the podium for 21 years, who is credited for bringing the symphony to its highest levels, musically and professionally. He took the orchestra to the International Bodensee Festival in Germany in 1989, earning national and international acclaim.

After Wilsen retired in 1999, Commanday was hired from Boston and he continued the tradition of presenting concerts from the Peoria Civic Center Theatre that often sold out.
An example of the appeal and renown of the Peoria Symphony Orchestra was witnessed in 2009 when the organization searched for a new conductor. More than 250 people from around the world applied for the position and seven were auditioned during the symphony's 2009-2010 season.

Stelluto was chosen and he is preparing for his third season at the podium.

That season begins Sept. 22 at the Civic Center. There will be eight concerts during the season (six at the Civic Center and two at Grace Presbyterian Church) and in several of them the symphony will welcome guest artists. They include world-renowned artists Anna Lee at the violin on Oct. 13 and pianist Andre Watts on April 13, 2013.

Season tickets are on sale. Call the symphony at 671-1096 or visit www.peoriasymphony.org.

HEARTLAND FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA

When he left the Peoria Symphony Orchestra under less-than-ideal conditions in 2008, Commanday wasn't ready to leave Peoria. Instead he formed the Heartland Festival Orchestra and set about recruiting some of the region's finest musicians.

Right away the Heartland Festival Orchestra received praise. The Peoria Journal Star review of its first concert said the orchestra "has a big-city feel, but a small-town heart."
In 2011 Commanday was named Professional Conductor of the Year by the Illinois Council of Orchestras.

It was Commanday who set the tone for the group and set its mission, which reads:
"The Mission of the Heartland Festival Orchestra is to serve Peoria and the extended community of Central Illinois with a level of musical excellence, innovation, imagination, and outreach new to the region. Recruiting the finest among the region's professional musicians, our performances will vary in musical styles and periods, ensemble type and size, and venue. Our concerts will challenge the stereotypes of classical music performance, inviting audiences to participate in an informal, spontaneous, and interactive experience."

"The HFO is fundamentally committed to balancing artistic, educational, and financial goals in a way which respects the differing expertise, roles, and responsibilities of its partners: Directors, Musicians, Staff, Trustees, Sponsors, and Concertgoers. We are committed to seeking out partners among local and regional charitable organizations in order that they may share in outreach and financial benefit from our concerts."

A departure from the normal symphony concerts is that Heartland Festival Orchestra members don't wear tuxedos and formals as Commanday said he wanted to "remove the stuffy stereotype of classical music." He encourages the audiences to dress in "classy casual" when they attend a concert.

The Heartland Orchestra plays its concerts at Five Points in Washington. Its season runs along a similar time frame as the Peoria Symphony, from September into June. The five-concert 2012-2013 season will open Sept. 8 and tickets and subscriptions are on sale through the Five Points website, www.digitalcavewest.com., or at Kidder Music, 7728 N. Crestline Drive in Peoria.

For more information about the orchestra visit
www.heartlandfestivalorchestra.org.

PEORIA POPS ORCHESTRA

This group, which is under the guidance of the Peoria Park District and conductor Harold Greene, has a rather simple motto: "We Make Music Fun."

The Pops Orchestra stands to enhance the music abilities of its members, starting with junior high-age students to adults, by allowing them to play with a full orchestra. The goal is that the experience will help them improve.

"The Orchestra specializes in giving those who have not played for awhile a place to perform and bring back those wonderful music skills of their past. Pops also has a Swing Band and a Dixieland Band in which members can participate. Pops provides its members with the opportunity of performing in public at retirement and extended care facilities as well as town festivals, the Illinois State Fair and our ever popular holiday program which is performed annually in December," the park district website said.

Membership in the orchestra is $30 a year. The Peoria Pops Orchestra consists of three ensembles: the Orchestra, Swing Band, and also a Dixieland Band.

The orchestra includes a full string section, brass, woodwinds, and percussion. They play anything from musicals to classic band music to jazz classics and modern movie scores.

The Swing Band plays in the big band style and includes trumpets, saxes, trombones and standard rhythm section.

The Dixieland Band is a smaller group that plays Dixieland jazz with varying instrumentation, but usually including trumpet, clarinet, trombone, saxes and piano bass and drums. They play on the Spirit of Peoria river boat and other local functions.

For more information visit
www.peoriaparks.org.

PEORIA MUNICIPAL BAND

Each summer, twice a week, the Peoria Municipal Band gives free concerts; on the riverfront on Wednesday nights and at the Fred Huber Memorial Band Shell at Glen Oak Park on Sundays.

It is common on Sunday evenings in the summer to see people of all ages lying on blankets in front of the band shell, enjoying the music.

Under the direction of Dr. David Vroman, the municipal band selects its members through auditions and many are local music teachers. The band will play more than 500 pieces, including marches, show tunes, waltzes and other styles. Each concert features a vocal soloist.

The band was formed in 1937 and has entertained audiences for free ever since.

Its current season, which began in May, goes until Sunday, Aug. 12.

For more information visit
www.peoriamunicipalband.com.

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