The LFCO celebrates the contributions that immigrants have made to the American musical scene. Antonín Dvořák composed his pastoral Sixth Symphony in 1880, 12 years before he would immigrate to New York to lead the newly founded National Conservatory of Music. The opera Andina was written by Columbian composer Eustasio Rosales after he immigrated to Oak Park at the turn of the century. This opera was left un-played for decades before being premiered in a concert version in Chicago in 2015. The LFCO will perform an orchestral suite of music from the opera, arranged by Music Director Christopher Ramaekers.

This concert will feature Eva Sharman, a Lake Forest High School senior, who will perform the first movement of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2. Written from 1900 to 1901, this piece established Rachmaninoff as a legitimate concerto composer, and was a piece that he himself played as soloist. Rachmaninoff emigrated from Russia to the United States in 1917, where he worked primarily as a concert pianist.

Join Maestro Ramaekers and Arlen Parsa for a 3pm pre-concert discussion on this concert.  Arlen is the great-grandson of Eustacio Rosales and offers a rare personal glimpse into a composer’s life.  The discussion will include all the works being performed at the concert.