Article and Photo by Tom Ganser

The concert will be historic. It will be the first time that the Lake Geneva Symphony Orchestra – an orchestra comprised of volunteer musicians from across south central Wisconsin and northern Illinois established in 2001 – will be performing in Whitewater.

The performance will be the culmination of the orchestra’s massive nine-year “Beethoven Project” that began in February, 2011, with a performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2.

Each season since then has featured a different Beethoven symphony, moving one step closer to “Beethoven 9.”

Beethoven’s final symphony – ultimately a celebration of the brotherhood of mankind – includes the “Ode to Joy” theme of the fourth movement, one of the most recognized melodies in history.

Collaborating with the orchestra’s musicians as vocal soloists will be UW-Whitewater faculty members Rachel Wood and Brian Leeper, along with Desirée Hassler and John Concepcion from the Chicago Lyric Opera Choir.

The chorus of more than 160 voices will feature members of the UW-Whitewater Chamber Singers and Concert Choir, the Moody Chorale from Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, and the University of Northern Iowa Concert Chorale.

Tickets may be purchased online or by mail. Visit LakeGenevaOrchestra.org or call 262-359-9072 for details.

Tickets can also be purchased in-person at the Greenhill Center of the Arts Box Office, Monday-Friday, 9:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.