A Dazzling Finale: A Music Director's Farewell
The below is a letter sent out to our email list this week. The IVSO is grateful for the five years of dedicated musicianship Dr. Daniel Sommerville shared with the orchestra. His time with the orchestra led us to new depths of musicality, through a pandemic, and into our 75th anniversary season, all with grace and camaraderie.
We are sad to see him go, but excited to cheer for his future endeavors from afar and thankful for the time we had together.
The IVSO will be hosting an after-concert reception in honor of Dan’s departure on May 3rd immediately following the concert at IVCC. We hope you are able to join us in giving him a warm Illinois Valley send-off!
The header image from the Notes from the Podium letter written below
To the Friends of the IVSO:
On May 3rd, I will conduct the orchestra on my last concert as music director. At this time of our lives, my wife and I plan to move to Tennessee to be closer to our grandchildren.
Even as we look forward to the next chapter of our lives, I will be sad to give up my association with such dedicated and talented musicians—people who lovingly make music in a community orchestra as an avocation or as preparation for a career as performers, as is the case for some of our college-age members.
Throughout my conducting career, I have seen the wonderful results that mutual respect, discipline, high expectations and thorough preparation make in raising the performance level of music ensembles.
And my work with the Illinois Valley Symphony Orchestra has been especially rewarding, not only from a musical perspective, but also with regard to the many friendships I have made with its members, and the camaraderie and sense of teamwork they all have with each other.
The Illinois Valley Symphony Orchestra is a cultural treasure of the Illinois Valley that deserves the support of the communities it serves. And it takes resources and effort to sustain and provide for growth, both with regard to financial resources and hands-on involvement by members of the community.
I want to express my appreciation for Barbara Lukancic. Her service to the orchestra and to the community has been nothing short of phenomenal, and she and I have enjoyed a great partnership.
I also am grateful to the orchestra board for the work they do behind the scenes to support and facilitate the orchestra. As we close out the 75th year of the Illinois Valley Symphony Orchestra, my fervent wish is for the continued success of the orchestra as it enriches the lives of Illinois Valley residents.
For the finale of our diamond-studded 75th anniversary season, we feature young virtuoso Anton Carus as our guest soloist.
Mr. Carus recently won the International Louis Spohr Competition for Young Violinists in Weimar, Germany, has performed with the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, and was also in the top three prize winners at international violin competitions in Brussels and in Italy.
He will perform the violin concerto of the Finnish composer, Jean Sibelius. The concerto, a long time staple in the violin concerto repertoire, blends both introspection and blazing virtuosity.
Our concert begins with a very special piece: Johann Strauss’s Voices of Spring waltz. Besides it being a delightful piece of music, one that many are sure to have heard before, the piece was played on the very first concert of the IVSO, seventy-five years ago. We are pleased to come full circle in closing out the first seventy-five years of the orchestra in this way.
Last, but certainly not least, is the monumental Symphony No. 5 by Tchaikovsky. Incredibly beautiful lyrical moments, deep and brooding moments, and climactic, triumphal moments are hallmarks of this great symphony.
The concert takes place Saturday, May 3, 7:00 P.M. at the Dr. Mary Margaret Weeg Cultural Centre auditorium at Illinois Valley Community College.
I hope to see you at this Dazzling Finale—a celebration of 75 years of orchestral music in the Illinois Valley and my own fond farewell to you all.
Best wishes,
~ Dan Sommerville
This letter originally appeared in our pre-concert newsletter, “Notes from the Podium.” To be the first to receive IVSO news and program notes by our team, sign up for our email list below: