LETTER: A message from IVSO Conductor Dan Sommerville

To the Editor:

The players of the Illinois Valley Symphony Orchestra and I are very sad and disappointed not to be playing together and performing for you the beautiful, rich and wonderful music composed for the symphony orchestra. Composer and author Samuel Adler said of the symphony orchestra, "The orchestra is certainly one of the noblest creations of Western Civilization," and composers from every corner of the world have further enriched that repertoire. 
 
We've had to make the difficult decision to cancel our first three concerts, which were to feature pianist Michael Messer, horn virtuosos Tod Bowermaster and Audra Loveland, and the incomparable Rachel Barton Pine. Even now we are making arrangements for those performers to appear with the IVSO next season, with Rachel Barton Pine possibly appearing on our final May concert of 2022. 
 
But for now, we are dormant, as are most performing arts organizations. Our players are keeping their skills up and looking forward to the time when we can be back together. We are hoping that time will come early in 2021 for our March and May concerts, but we will continue to monitor the situation and adhere to state and local guidelines. In the meantime, we plan to put performances of smaller ensembles of orchestra members streaming online for your enjoyment. 
 
Until we meet again to enjoy the excitement of orchestral music in live performance, stay safe and keep enjoying music, if only through electronic means.

Daniel Sommerville
Music Director, Illinois Valley Symphony Orchestra