Illinois Valley Symphony Orchestra to feature visionary compositions in May 4 show

The Illinois Valley Symphony Orchestra will present “Be Inspired ... By VISION,” an evening of visionary compositions by composers John Williams, George Gershwin and Florence Price.

The concert will take place at 7 p.m. Saturday, May 4, at Illinois Valley Community College in the Dr. Mary Margaret Weeg Cultural Centre.

“Composers John Williams, George Gershwin and Florence Price have all been visionaries in their own right,” said conductor Dan Sommerville, citing Williams’ work for the Olympics, Gershwin’s use of jazz idioms in symphonic music and Price, a 20th-century Black composer whose music was infused with inspiration from spirituals and folk songs.

The orchestra will perform “The Olympic Spirit” by Williams, Price’s “Symphony No. 3 in C Minor” and “Piano Concerto in F” by Gershwin, performed by pianist Sun Chang.

Chang returns to the Illinois Valley after a performance of Ravel’s “Piano Concerto in G” five years ago.

The concert is sponsored by the Blouke and Marianne Carus Foundation and the Illinois Cement Co. The 2023-2024 season also is sponsored in part by the Miller Group Charitable Trust, and this program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

IVCC is an accessible venue in alignment with Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. If you have any questions about accessibility, email accessibility@ivso.org.

Tickets are available online at ivso.org or at the door on the evening of the event. Adult general admission is $20, college students are $5 with an ID, and students through 12th grade are free.