By Larry Atseff

Listening and watching a soloist or a small group perform music live in front of you can be enjoyable. It is something else when you listen to, watch, and feel live music from over 80 musicians and nearly the same number of singers, performing in absolute harmony some of the greatest music ever created in the acoustically perfect Wentz Hall in Naperville.

Such stirring, memorable entertainment from the West Suburban Symphony Orchestra and Singers (WSS) leaves you wanting more. As a result, more patrons are showing up. In fact, at the March 10 concert this past spring, the entire group performed before a sold-out audience at Wentz Hall.

Aside from Maestro Peter Lipari, the music director and conductor, the musicians and singers volunteer their time, talent, and efforts for free simply because they love music and truly enjoy performing for Lipari. Maestro Lipari has led music selection and rehearsals for the musicians and singers and has conducted live performances for WSS since 2001, longer than any other conductor for this group.

Amazingly, audiences can enjoy such high-quality performances at quite reasonable prices: Tickets are just $30 for adults, $25 for seniors age 65 and up, and $5 for teenagers. Tickets for children 12 and younger are free. There is also free parking wherever they perform, whether at Wentz Hall or Hinsdale Central High School. When they perform open-air concerts at Cantigny Park in Wheaton, there is no charge for admission, only a nominal charge for parking your vehicle.

The next opportunity to hear the orchestra will be a free concert at Cantigny on Saturday, August 3, at 7:30 pm. Enjoy legendary movie tunes from the mid-20th century onwards, including Erich Korngold’s score from The Sea Hawk and John Williams’ compositions from Harry Potter, The Cowboys, Lincoln, and Robin Hood and his Merry Men, along with selections from King Kong and Mel Brooks’s The Producers. The Symphony’s popular movie concerts at Cantigny typically draw crowds of more than 1,000, with listeners bringing picnics or taking advantage of the food and drink concessions provided by the park.

For 77 years, the West Suburban Symphony Society has continually encouraged interest in concert music and performance careers among young people. Students in grades 9-12 compete as soloists in string, woodwind, brass, and vocals. The winner receives $500 and performs with the Symphony in the spring.

This year’s winner is Neal Eisfeldt, a 14-year-old Merit Scholarship Fellow at the Music Institute of Chicago’s Academy, who impressed the audience at the symphony’s Soaring concert on May 19, 2024, with his performance of the first movement of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto. Eisfeldt is an incredibly talented violinist who made his solo debut at the age of ten at Carnegie Hall. He has won top honors in several competitions all over the world. In the summer of 2022, Eisfeldt composed his first solo piece in collaboration with the Chicago Civic Orchestra and Chicago, From Scratch. The piece “Ukrainian Dream and Cradle” is dedicated to the pain and suffering of the Ukrainian people.

Each Fall, the Symphony presents an educational concert for elementary and middle school students in field-trip groups in grades 3-6. Performances give them the live concert experience and show how players make music together. The 2024 educational concert is on Wednesday, November 6, in Oak Brook. Two 45-minute performances are planned at 9:30 am and 10:45 am. Registration materials will be available soon at westsubsymphony.org, and reservations are required. Some schools have brought students to this annual event for over 15 years.

Combining Maestro Lipari’s leadership with the musicians’ and singers’ talent and dedication is gratifying to see performances selling out.

Visit westsubsymphony.org for more information, to buy tickets for upcoming events, or learn how to support WSS. ■

Neal Eisfeldt, West Suburban Symphony’s Youth Solo Competition winner. Photo courtesy of the Eisfeldt family.

North Central College’s Wentz Hall in Naperville Photos by Heidi Peters Photography, courtesy of West Suburban Symphony Society