User:Mmmemon2/sandbox

The Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra (CUSO) is a professional orchestra located in the Champaign-Urbana metropolitan area in central Illinois, United States. The Orchestra is the Professional Orchestra in Residence at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The CUSO is led by Music Director and Conductor Stephen Alltop.

Founding of the Orchestra
In 1959, two school music teachers, Martha Wendt and Gilbert Papp, along with well-known local television weatherman Wyndham Roberts, started the process that eventually led to the formation of (as it was initially called) the Champaign-Urbana Civic Symphony Orchestra. On the academic side of his meteorology career, Roberts was a scientist at the Illinois State Water Survey, and both Wendt, a violinist, and Papp, a clarinetist, were teachers in the Unit 4 (Champaign) school district. These two teachers were American Federation of Musicians members and they, together with Roberts and Dr. Bernard Goodman, on the music faculty at the University of Illinois, were convinced that the orchestra would best succeed if the musicians were paid for both concerts and rehearsals, so fundraising from individuals as well as corporations was made a high priority.

During the spring of 1960, more people were brought into the process, the organization was incorporated with nonprofit status, and it was announced that the board of directors consisted of John Dimond, president; Stanley W. Rahn, secretary; Verrollton C. Shaul, publicity; Donald D. Richmond, attorney; and H. I. Gelvin, Ruth Youngerman, Martha Wendt, Doris Dodds, and Audrey Stewart, members. Also, Wyndham J. Roberts and Gilbert Papp served as vice president and treasurer, respectively. Dates for the first two concerts were announced and the organization applied for membership in the American Symphony Orchestra League.

Meanwhile, Goodman, who joined the faculty at the University of Illinois in 1947 and who was a longtime member of the Walden String Quartet and had conducted the highly respected University of Illinois Symphony Orchestra since 1950, was starting to choose the musicians. By midsummer, Bernard Goodman had accepted the post of conductor; a plan for subscription levels was adopted; a good portion of the first-year $8,500 budget was received or pledged, mostly as relatively large donations; and the beginnings of a Symphony Orchestra Guild had been undertaken, led by Ruth Youngerman. Later in July, a widespread publicity and fundraising effort was launched.

In the early fall, the makeup of the orchestra was settled and the orchestra's first season consisted of two concerts: one on October 20, 1960, with pianist Theodore Lettvin as guest artist, playing Beethoven's "Emperor" Piano Concerto; and an all-Tchaikovsky concert on April 20, 1961, featuring violinist Mischa Mischakoff as soloist in the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto. The nearly sixty-year run (to date) of the orchestra had begun, a success that was enhanced in a May 14, 1969, concert at the end of CUSO's ninth season, when the orchestra moved from Smith Music Hall to the Great Hall of the newly built Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.

Music Directors
Bernard Goodman was music director of the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra for its first fourteen seasons. In November 1973, he announced his retirement from both the CUSO and the University of Illinois, and continued to direct the orchestra through the 1973–1974 season. In May 1974, it was announced that Paul Vermel, music director of the Portland Symphony Orchestra, would succeed Goodman at the CUSO, and Vermel directed the symphony for the next twenty seasons.

In early 1994, Paul Vermel announced his retirement both as music director of the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra and as professor at the University of Illinois. He went on to direct the Northwest Symphony Orchestra in suburban Chicago until 2013. He continues as Director Emeritus there, and the Northwest Symphony Orchestra is continuing both the Paul Vermel Young Artist Award program and the Paul Vermel Conductor Apprenticeship Program.

In June 1994, the CUSO announced that two concerts during the 1994–1995 season would be conducted by Vermel, with the other four concerts conducted by outside guest conductors, each with specific strengths:


 * a September concert conducted by Kenneth Kiesler, director of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra, which performs in Springfield and Bloomington, Illinois
 * an October concert conducted by Catherine Comet, director of the Grand Rapids Symphony
 * a January 1995 pops concert conducted by John Covelli, director of the Binghamton, New York Symphony and the Greater Palm Beach Symphony
 * an April concert conducted by Michael Charry, which included an avant-garde work by Donald Erb.

At the end of that season, the CUSO Board had reached no decision about a new director and only three subscription concerts were scheduled for the 1995–1996 season, conducted by two University of Illinois professors, Ian Hobson and Chester Alwes. Paul Vermel conducted a scheduled benefit concert, and a systematic strategy of cost cutting and fundraising was undertaken. The director search was reopened and in April 1996, Steven Larsen was named as the new director.

From 1996 to 2012, Steven Larsen was music director of both the Rockford Symphony Orchestra and the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra. In 2011, he indicated that he wanted to reduce his workload, and intended to direct just the Rockford Symphony Orchestra after the 2011–2012 season. Therefore, during 2011, a music director/conductor search committee was formed, comprising both CUSO Board members and CUSO musicians. From 17 applications received, the committee selected four finalists and, in the spring of 2012, the CUSO Board announced that the 2012–2013 season would serve as a search year, with five guest conductors, four of whom would be candidates for the director's post:


 * Farkhad Khudyev of Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, artistic director and conductor of the New Jersey Intergenerational Orchestra (October 13, 2012)
 * David Commanday of Peoria, Illinois, artistic director and conductor of the Heartland Festival Orchestra (January 18, 2013)
 * Alexander Platt of Chicago, Illinois, music director of the Marion Philharmonic Orchestra and the Wisconsin Philharmonic (Waukesha), and principal conductor of the Chicago Opera Theater (February 10, 2013)
 * Stephen Alltop of Evanston, Illinois, music director and conductor of the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra and the Apollo Chorus of Chicago (March 9, 2013).

In late March 2013, the Board announced that Stephen Alltop would become the fourth director of the orchestra.

About the Orchestra
The CUSO is an orchestra that performs five to six subscription concerts and three to four Youth Concerts each season. The CUSO reaches more than 45,000 people each year through live performance and concert broadcasts. Throughout its history, the CUSO has established a number of musical landmarks, including the performances of commissioned works and the showcasing of internationally acclaimed guest artists. The opening concert of the 1991–1992 concert season, "Celebration!" featured only music that was composed and performed by African-Americans. A historic event, this performance was heard nationally over American Public Radio's "Performance Today" and was honored with an American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) Award for Adventurous Programming. The CUSO continues its long-standing tradition of collaboration with the University of Illinois Oratorio Society in the presentation of major choral works.

Community Outreach
One of the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra's main goals is to provide high-quality music education for the youth of the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area. Each year, the CUSO reaches approximately 15,000 youths through its Youth Concerts, In-School Concerts, and events such as the Instrument Petting Zoo. '''The Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra demonstrated a commitment to engaging with younger audiences across the area and neighboring campuses. Around 15,000 youth individuals connect with the CUSO through various events ranging from In-School/Youth Concerts to the interactive Instrument Petting Zoo. The offerings for various educational and mentoring programs range for students of all ages to promote music to the entirety of the community. The programs offered include a youth orchestra, music mentoring programs, and interactive concerts to familiarize younger audiences with the scope of classical music. The “Music Matters” program instituted and managed by the CUSO is one of their most successful community outreach events. The “Music Matters” program consists of live classical music performances as well as providing educational resources to local schools. The outreach amasses over 7,000 students every year and is recognized for the kindling of love between music and young students. The program aims to provide students the opportunity to experience live music while learning the background of the compositions. The CUSO also prioritizes accessibility to the community by offering a discount price to seniors and students as well as providing free admission to events for community organizations that serve lower-income families.'''

Personnel
In addition to the approximately 65 contracted players and the music director, the CUSO employs three administrative staff members: an executive director, operations manager, and music librarian. The orchestra also employs many area musicians as substitute or extra musicians on an as-needed basis.

Symphony Guild
Formed in 1962, the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra Guild serves in a fundraising and support capacity to the CUSO. The guild is the primary source of funding for the CUSO's educational programs.

2022–2023 season
The 2022–2023 season will consist of five concerts:


 * October 1, 2022: The Beauty of Brahms
 * November 5, 2022: Baroque Grandeur
 * December 7, 2022: Songs of the Season
 * March 4, 2023: Mendelssohn's Elijah
 * April 22, 2023: A Festival of Rhythm

Performances
'''The Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra is known for arranging a vast selection of works that range from classical and contemporary. Some of these include symphonies, concertos, operas, ballets, and choral music that is put on display throughout the year for the surrounding community and music enthusiasts around the world. The CUSO will also feature acts of a different foundations like guest soloists and vocalists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Joshua Bell, and Itzhak Perlman. The CUSO also stresses the importance of local talent showcasing their skill and interest in music and performance. The local members of the University of Illinois music, both student and staff, have opportunities and shows to exhibit their talents year-round. The University of Illinois School of Music presents various pieces of interdisciplinary works that foster music, dance, and theater all in one. Collaborations also extend out to local organizations that are not affiliated with the neighboring college town with acts such as the Champaign-Urbana Ballet and the high school group recitals that happen every year. The multimedia production of Leonard Bernstein’s Mass was shown through a collaboration with the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts in 2018, featuring over 250 performers from the surrounding community.'''

Inclusion Efforts
'''The Champaign-Urbana Symphony of Orchestra made efforts to increase the representation of BIPOC communities and women in its membership heavily in 2016. During that year, they created a Diversity and Inclusion committee to develop strategies for increasing diversity and representation within the organization. The plan involved recruiting and retaining members from diverse backgrounds and has taken action in representing a space for cultural creativity. In 2019, a performance of “The Black Mozart: Forgotten Genius”, signified the commitment to diverse media representation. The program featured works by Joseph Bologne, a talented composer and violinist of African descent who was active in the 18th century and expressed styles inspired by his culture. The performance helped create a vision for active support and opportunity for workings that were important to the BIPOC communities. The CUSO also worked to promote diversity and representation through the educational programs offered by providing workshops and seminars within diverse communities to ensure the outreach of education materials and resources. The goal for CUSO was mentioned to be making classical music accessible to all students from diverse backgrounds to break down barriers to participation in the arts.'''

Collaborations
'''Collaborations are an integral part of the operations at CUSO operations and its history. The orchestra works with various organizations that have performed over the years. These collaborations worked to mark the prominence of CUSO as well as allow events to be held for the communities attending. The CUSO has a long-standing relationship with the Krannert Center for Performing Arts which is on the neighboring campus of the University of Illinois. With the blend of educational programs as well as numerous performances over the years, the Krannert Center remains one of the leading collaborators with CUSO. While also working with the University, CUSO works closely with the Baroque Artists of Champaign-Urbana. In 2015 the two organizations collaborated to present Baroque music featuring the works of Bach and Handel which were well-received by audiences and assisted local talents to showcase their work. The CUSO also works with numerous dance companies to set shows that intertwine music and dance for audiences of all kinds. In 2014, the orchestra worked with the Champaign-Urbana Ballet to present a work featuring music by Tchaikovsky and choreography by the company’s artistic director. The showcase showed the interception of music and dance in a setting that allowed for the recognition of talent as well as the introduction of the mesh to audiences. The CUSO also hosts guest performers from around the world to broaden the horizon of works available through their works. In 2017, the orchestra worked with pianist Awadagin Pratt to showcase featured works by Brahms and Dvořák. The showcase helped establish an international presence with the works of CUSO. The CUSO has also collaborated with the Urbana Pops Orchestra on several occasions, including a joint concert in 2016 featuring music from Star Wars and other popular films.The CUSO remains to have a close relationship with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where many of its musicians and conductors have studied or taught. The orchestra has collaborated with several university departments and programs over the years, including the College of Education, the College of Fine and Applied Arts, and the School of Music. The CUSO has also worked with several community organizations to bring music to underserved populations. In 2019, the orchestra collaborated with the Champaign-Urbana Schools Foundation to provide free tickets to local students, and it has also worked with organizations such as the Urbana Free Library and the Champaign County Mental Health Board. Several guest conductors have teamed with CUSO over the years, including Ronald Feldman, who served as the orchestra's music director from 1985 to 1995. Feldman helped to raise the orchestra's profile and expand its repertoire, and his tenure is considered by many to be a high point in the orchestra's history.'''

Evolution of the Orchestra
'''Over the years, the CUSO has evolved in several ways. In the early years, the orchestra was composed mostly of community members and University of Illinois faculty and students. However, as the orchestra grew in size and stature, it began to attract more professional musicians from around the region. The orchestra's repertoire has also expanded over time, with a greater emphasis on contemporary and American music in recent years.'''

Milestones and Achievements
'''The CUSO has achieved several notable milestones and achievements throughout its history. In 1980, the orchestra performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., as part of the American Symphony Orchestra League's National Conference. In 2010, the orchestra celebrated its 50th anniversary with a special concert featuring works by Brahms and Beethoven. More recently, the orchestra has received acclaim for its performances of contemporary works, including John Adams' "Short Ride in a Fast Machine" and Jennifer Higdon's "Blue Cathedral."'''