Celebrated violinist, conductor to join Elgin Symphony Orchestra

A rising star violinist, Randall Goosby, will be a featured artist with the Elgin Symphony Orchestra on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 5 and 6, under the baton of guest conductor Ankush Kumar Bahl.

Guest artist Goosby will perform Mendelssohn’s Concerto, Violin, op. 64, E minor.

When now 25-year-old Randall Goosby first picked up a violin at the age of 7, the thrill was instantaneous. Within two years, at the age of 9, Goosby debuted as a soloist with the Jacksonsville Symphony. By age 13, he performed in the New York Philharmonic’s Young People’s Concert. He has since been named a “Rising Star” by the Stradivari Society and has gone on to win numerous honors – including being the 2018 first prize winner in the Young Concert Artists International Auditions and the Sphinx’s Isaac Stern Award. He is pursuing an Artist Diploma with Itzhak Perlman and Catherine Cho at The Juilliard School, and recently released his first full-length recording, “Roots.”

An equally impressive Ankush Kumar Bahl, currently music director at the Omaha Symphony, will conduct the concert that also features Montgomery’s “Starburst” and Beethoven’s “Eroica” symphony.

Bahl, American born and of Indian descent, is known for his thoughtful interpretations, inspiring conducting, and his engaging presence on the podium. A protégé of former New York Philharmonic Music Director Kurt Masur, Bahl has conducted in Europe for the Orchestre National France, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and the Leipzip Gewandhaus Orchestra. From 2011-15, he was the assistant conductor at the National Symphony Orchestra, where he conducted more than 100 performances. He has been honored four times with the Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Awards.

The concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 5, and at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 6. Tickets are available at the ESO Box Office, 20 DuPage Court, Elgin, or by phone at 847-888-4000 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Tickets also may be purchased online at ElginSymphony.org. Masks and proof of complete COVID-19 vaccination are required for all attendees. Discounts are available for youth tickets.

Ticket holders can enjoy a pre-concert chat with the guest conductor one hour before each concert.

About the Elgin Symphony Orchestra

Founded in 1950, the ESO has a long history of highlighting the works of world-renowned conductors, composers and musicians, and of promoting the advancement of women in the arts. The ESO has been named Orchestra of the Year four times by the Illinois Council of Orchestras (1988, 1999, 2005 and 2016).

The ESO is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. To learn more or to support the ESO, visit www.elginsymphony.org.