Cellist to serve as guest performer at Illinois Valley Symphony Orchestra concert Nov. 5

The esteemed cellist Leonardo Altino will perform “Concerto No. 1 in A Minor” by Camille Saint-Saëns with the Illinois Valley Symphony Orchestra in its upcoming concert Nov. 5.

The orchestra’s conductor, Daniel Sommerville, is excited for the opportunity to collaborate with the cello soloist, and rightfully so.

Altino, an American-Brazillian cellist, has a reputation that precedes himself. Not only was he a child prodigy of sorts, traveling the world and winning multiple prestigious competitions, but also he has been praised by The Strad magazine for his “exceptional musical intelligence and an exceptionally cultivated sound.”

Altino is no stranger to giving stellar performances, performing with the Boston Symphony, Odense Symphony, Wisconsin Chamber, Filarmônica de Minas Gerais, Carmel Symphony, Memphis Symphony, Montgomery Symphony, Symphony Pro Musica, Sinfônica Brasileira, Sinfônica Nacional do Brasil, Sinfónica Nacional de Chile, Sinfônica de São Paulo, and the Virtuosi Festival orchestras, among others.

Altino is an associate lecturer in music at the Wheaton College Conservatory of Music, where he teaches cello and chamber music. He continues to teach in many festivals around the world including the Brevard Music Center, Masterworks Festival, Academia y Festival Nuevo Mundo in Venezuela, and Festival de Inverno Campos do Jordão and Festival Virtuosi in Brazil.

The concert will be 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5, La Salle-Peru High School Matthiessen Auditorium, 541 Chartres St., La Salle. The program also includes “Symphony No. 31 in D Major” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and “Symphony No. 4 in D Minor” by Robert Schumann. The program is roughly 70 minutes long and showcases the unique musical style of the three composers.

This concert is sponsored by the family of Phyllis Jacobson, a longtime IVSO percussionist and supporter of the symphony who passed away on Oct. 27, 2020. Phyllis was heavily involved in the IVSO over the years and saw two of her sons become members of the symphony as well.

Admission is by season subscription or individual ticket available online at ivso.org or at the door: adults are $20, students kindgarten through 12th grader are free, and college students with an ID are $5. L-P High School is ADA accessible.

The IVSO Season Sponsor is WCMY/WRKX Radio in Ottawa. In addition to the concert sponsorship by the Phyllis H. Jacobson Family, this program is partially supported by a grant from The Illinois Arts Council Agency.