The Orion Ensemble to Host 25th Anniversary Benefit for Youth Outreach

The Orion Ensemble, winner of the prestigious Chamber Music America/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming, celebrates its 25th anniversary with a benefit performance and party Saturday, October 7 at 12 noon at Dunham Woods Riding Club in Wayne, Illinois. Proceeds will help support Orion's performances and outreach efforts to young musicians.

The event features a special concert by Orion in the intimate setting of the historic Dunham Woods Riding Club, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. After the performance, guests enjoy lunch and mingle and chat with the musicians. This event offers Orion fans an extra chance to enjoy the Ensemble's music while supporting its work. Orion's 25th anniversary season

Orion's 25th anniversary season features four concert programs, all welcoming guest violist Stephen Boe: "A Beautiful Oboe and Friends," also featuring guests Alex Klein, oboe, and Robert Kassinger, bass, on a program of Mozart, Prokofiev and Schubert, in September and October; "Let's Tango," featuring works by Bernstein, von Dohnanyi, Horn and Schumann, in November; "Old Meets New," highlighted by a world premiere in honor of the 25th anniversary by Sebastian Huydts, along with works by Bruch, Klein and Fauré, in March; and "Quintessential Quintets," with additional guest artist violinist Mathias Tacke performing on a program including Weber, Gershwin and Dvo?ák, in May. Each concert program takes place at three locations: Geneva, Evanston and downtown Chicago.

Founded in 1992, The Orion Ensemble, winner of the prestigious Chamber Music America/ ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming for its critically acclaimed millennium celebration "An Inside Look at Contemporary Music," features a roster of four superb musicians--Kathryne Pirtle (clarinet), Florentina Ramniceanu (violin), Diana Schmück (piano) and Judy Stone (cello)--who have performed throughout North America, Europe and Asia, as an ensemble and individually in solo, orchestral and other chamber music roles. The Chicago Tribune called Orion "one of Chicago's most vibrant, versatile and distinctive ensembles," and the Chicago Sun-Times said Orion is "what chamber music should be all about: Individual virtuosity melded into a group personality." The Orion Ensemble is supported in part by grants from the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the John R. Halligan Charitable Fund, the Farny R. Wurlitzer Foundation Fund, the Illinois Arts Council and generous donations from its patrons. For a brief history, click here.

Performance and ticket information The Orion Ensemble's benefit takes place Saturday, October 7 at 12 noon at Dunham Woods Riding Club, 33w333 Army Trail, Wayne, Illinois. The requested donation is $75. For tickets or more information, call 630-628-9591 or visit orionensemble.org.

Pictured: Violinist Florentina Ramniceanu, pianist Diana Schmück, clarinetist Kathryne Pirtle and cellist Judy Stone. Photo by Cornelia Babbitt.

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