To inquire about sponsorships or other ways to support the gala, please contact Director of Development Darrin Burnett by clicking the links below, calling (309) 662-9840 Ext. 3, or email [email protected].
A Night in Monte Carlo
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Step into the Splendor of Monte Carlo! Mark your calendar, gather your friends, and raise a glass—shaken or stirred—as we toast to excellence and community!
Enjoy a Night of Glitz and Glamour.
Join us for a fantastic evening to celebrate the excellence of the ISO. Enjoy fine cuisine, exciting auctions and even a game of chance or two while the LIVE music of the ISO, led by Resident Conductor Jacobsen Woollen, sets a Monte Carlo mood.
We will be honoring longtime supporters Dr. Daniel & Debra Brownstone and Mr. Paul & Dr. Sandra Harmon. Please join us in thanking them for their years of service to the ISO and the entire Bloomington-Normal community.
Step into the Splendor of Monte Carlo!
Gather your friends, and raise a glass - shaken or stirred - as we toast to excellence & community!
Menu:
- Salad: Caesar Salad with dressing and croutons
- Entrée (Choose One):
- Chicken Option: Coq Au Vin (Chicken braised in red wine with bacon and mushrooms and pearl onions). Note: A Bacon-free option is available upon request.
- Seafood Option: Pan-seared Salmon
- Vegetarian Option: Mediterranean Polenta Ragout. Tomato ragout of fresh vegetables and chickpeas served over a creamy coconut polenta
- Dessert: Lemon Mascarpone Cream Layer Cake and Flourless Chocolate Torte
ISO Resident Conductor and ISYO Conductor
Jacobsen Woollen is a conductor, cellist, and tenor residing in Springfield, Illinois, where he serves as Resident Conductor of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra, Conductor of the Illinois Symphony Youth Orchestra, Director of the Springfield Choral Society, and Director of the UIS Orchestra.
An Indiana native, Jacobsen returns to the Midwest after spending six years in Vienna, Austria, where he completed a Post-Graduate Diploma in orchestral conducting under the tutelage of Prof. Mark Stringer at the Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst, conducted professional ensembles including the Polska Filharmonia Baltycka and Ensemble Ultreia, served as assistant conductor of the Vienna Opera Festival, and led the Schlosschor Hadersfeld. During his Vienna years, Jacobsen was frequently called back to the Midwest to work at Opera Theatre of St. Louis, where he served as assistant conductor and led several workshops for new works, including Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up In My Bones.
Jacobsen also maintains an active career as a tenor: he recently produced and performed a musical-theatrical concert evening, Lovelace Weave, which explores the father-daughter pair of Lord Byron and Ada Lovelace. As a member of the Grammy-winning Arnold Schoenberg Chor, Jacobsen has participated in opera productions at Theater an der Wien, as well as concerts in Europe’s most renowned venues, including Vienna’s Musikverein and Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie.
Prior to his European sojourn, Jacobsen completed a Master’s Degree in Orchestral Conducting from the University of Michigan under the guidance of Kenneth Kiesler. During this time, he was active in the Ann Arbor musical community as well, serving as founder and director of Paradigm Shift Chamber Orchestra, music director of the Ann Arbor Camerata, and assistant conductor of the Michigan Life Sciences Orchestra.
As a cellist, Jacobsen was a student of Susan Moses in the Indiana University String Academy and later completed a Bachelor’s Degree with Richard Aaron at the University of Michigan. He has appeared as a soloist with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Bloomington Symphony Orchestra, Musical Arts Youth Orchestra, and Voces Novae Chamber Choir. As a chamber musician, he has had the pleasure of collaborating with Joshua Bell, Jaime Laredo, Soovin Kim, and many others. From 2013-16, Jacobsen was cellist and artistic curator with the new-music sextet Latitude 49, and he continues to serve on their Board of Directors.