EYSO Alumni NOTES Campaign 2015

The Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra (EYSO), an In-Residence Ensemble of the Arts Center at Elgin Community College, is home to five orchestras and a brass choir with 350 students from over 60 communities.  Founded in 1976, the Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra's mission is to create a community of young musicians, enriching their lives and the lives of their families, schools, communities, and beyond, through the study and performance of excellent music. 

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Randal Swiggum, now in his 17th season with the organization, EYSO attracts a national reputation for providing not only an engaging musical experience for its students, but also a comprehensive learning environment which promotes curiosity, imagination, critical thinking, and collaboration.  EYSO auditions record numbers of students each spring in addition to the many hundreds of musicians who enjoy its rigorous methods of inquiry and "expert noticing."

 EYSO is partially supported by grants from the EFS Foundation, the Elgin Cultural Arts Commission, the Grand Victoria Foundation, the Hoffer Foundation, the Illinois Arts Council (a state agency), and the Palmer Foundation.