Messiah with the Springfield Choral Society
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Join the Springfield Choral Society and musicians of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra for this beloved annual tradition! Ring in the holiday season with the resplendent sounds of Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus," the bombastic brass of John Rutter's Te Deum, and the spectacular surroundings of our two venues. This year, for the first time, you can experience this acclaimed presentation in both Springfield and Bloomington-Normal. Get your ticket now, because they won't last long!
Springfield Choral Society & Musicians of Your Illinois Symphony Orchestra
Jacobsen Woollen, ISO Resident Conductor & Springfield Choral Society Music Director
Program: J. Haydn Te Deum - J. RutterMyn Lyking - J. RutterNativity Carol - J. RutterTe Deum - G.F. Handel Selections from Messiah
SPRINGFIELD
Saturday December 5, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Blessed Sacrament Church
Tickets for Springfield:
$25 for General Admission, either online or at the door. Advance booking highly recommended.
$40 Premium Organ Loft seats available online, as well as $10 Restricted View seats at the door.
Click here to learn more.
BLOOMINGTON
Sunday, December 6th, 2026 @ 3:00 PM
Second Presbyterian Church
General Admission: $30 | Students $10
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, Music Director of the Springfield Choral Society, and Conductor of the UIS Orchestra.
Jacobsen is also active in the opera world, having served as Assistant Conductor at Atlanta Opera, Detroit Opera, and Opera Theatre of St. Louis, where he led several workshops for new works, including Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up In My Bones.
An Indiana native, Jacobsen returned 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.
Jacobsen also maintains an active career as a tenor: as a member of the Grammy-winning Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Jacobsen 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.