Embark on a Hero’s Journey with Your Illinois Symphony Orchestra!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact Beth Wakefield
217-522-2838 x4
[email protected]
Embark on a Hero’s Journey with Your Illinois Symphony Orchestra!
Experience an Evening of Folk, Cinema, and Revolution
From the glittering heights of Hollywood to the groundbreaking genius of Beethoven, the Illinois Symphony Orchestra—under the baton of Music Director Taichi Fukumura—invites you to a night of unforgettable musical brilliance! Experience the fiery charm of Bartók’s Romanian Folk Dances, the cinematic sweep of Miklós Rózsa’s Violin Concerto with the dazzling virtuosity of Canadian violinist Blake Pouliot, and the explosive power of Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony—a revolutionary masterpiece that forever changed the course of music history.
Violinist Blake Pouliot has anchored himself among the ranks of classical phenoms. A tenacious young artist with a passion that enraptures his audience in every performance, Pouliot has established himself as “one of those special talents that comes along once in a lifetime” (Toronto Star).
Taichi Fukumura, Music Director of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra and newly appointed Assistant Conductor of The Cleveland Orchestra, is one of the most electrifying young talents on the podium today. A Second Prize Winner of The Mahler Competition 2023 and a four-time recipient of the prestigious Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award (2021–2024), Fukumura is rapidly emerging as a bold new voice in American orchestral music.
Join us at 7:30 PM on Friday, November 7, 2025, at the First United Methodist Church in Springfield, Illinois and on Saturday, November 8, 2025, at the ISU Center for the Performing Arts, in Normal, Illinois. Please join us one hour prior to the concert for Concert Comments, a special pre-concert discussion that will take you, the listener, inside the music.
Order your tickets today!
Tickets may be purchased in Springfield through the UIS Ticket Office at (217) 206-6160 or in Bloomington-Normal through the ISU Center for the Performing Arts at (309) 438-2535. You can also order tickets online at ilsymphony.org/hero. Single ticket prices range from $10 for students (24 & under) to $65 for premium seating.
Season tickets are still available! We offer a variety of season ticket packages to fit your style, interests, and lifestyle. Go to ilsymphony.org/seasontickets for more information.
Hero’s Journey is sponsored by season sponsors The Landmark Automotive Group and Debra & Daniel Brownstone, M.D. and concert sponsors Alan & Marty Stutz, guest artist sponsors Joyce & Steve Nardulli, Trevor & Liz Orthmann, Jerry & Carole Ringer, and Charles & Joan Vanden Eynden, and music sponsors Gerry & Carol Chrisman.
The Illinois Symphony Orchestra (ISO), under the inspiring leadership of Music Director Taichi Fukumura, is the premier professional orchestra of central Illinois—bringing world-class music to life for more than 35,000 patrons across Bloomington-Normal, Springfield, and surrounding communities. With thrilling symphony, Pops and chamber performances, engaging Concerts for Kids, and intimate and immersive chamber experiences like the Sips & Sounds, Around the Town and Beyond the Stage performances, the ISO is redefining what a regional orchestra can be.
The ISO’s reach goes far beyond the concert hall. Through transformative education programs like Itsy Arts and Music Matters, the orchestra sparks creativity in pre-K and elementary classrooms, while guest artist residencies and ensemble visits connect with middle schools, high schools, universities, and senior centers—building lifelong relationships with music.
In 2020, the ISO expanded its mission by acquiring the Sangamon Valley Youth Symphony, now the Illinois Symphony Youth Orchestras (ISYO), serving over 300 young musicians through five progressive ensembles. With strong partnerships through its’ PEACE (Partnership in Education and Community Engagement) with UIS-Music and Illinois State University, the ISO is cultivating the next generation of artists, educators, and arts advocates. The ISO’s annual operating budget is $1.6 million.
Additional information about the Illinois Symphony Orchestra is available at www.ilsymphony.org.
This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council.
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