Waukegan, Illinois (September 27, 2023) – The Waukegan Symphony Orchestra presents Young People’s Family Concert: Animals in the Forest on Sunday, October 1, 2023 from 4pm to 6pm at the Orlin Trapp Auditorium, located at 2325 Brookside Avenue on Waukegan High School’s Brookside Campus. In celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month, the concert will feature Sergei Prokofiev’s “Peter and the Wolf” narrated in English and Spanish by Diego Vazquez Gomez from the Chicago Children’s Theatre. 

Children will receive themed coloring sheets, crayons, and an animal mask to decorate and wear during the concert. As in the past, the concert will close with the opportunity for children and their families to meet the musicians and learn about the instruments.

The audience will experience Mozart’s Concerto for Flute, Harp, and Orchestra with guest soloists Jordan Thomas of the Lyric Opera of Chicago and Timothy Hagen of the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra. As part of this musical piece, the Waukegan Symphony Orchestra is collaborating with the Lake County Audubon Society and Sharing Our Shore – Waukegan to show Four Small Birds – One Extraordinary Journey, a short movie that follows four piping plovers released at the Illinois Beach State Park. The piping plovers were tracked and observed by volunteer monitors from Sharing Our Shore – Waukegan as they learned the skills they would need to take their first migratory trip to winter grounds. The names of the piping plovers are Blaze, Marram, Sunny, and Pepper.

Established in 1974, the Waukegan Symphony Orchestra is led by Music Director Alexander Platt. The Waukegan Symphony Orchestra provides a unique performance opportunity for more than 50 devoted musicians of varying ages and levels of musical experience. Throughout the season, concerts will feature guest soloists from around the country.

In 2020, the Waukegan Symphony Orchestra’s Young People’s Family Concert: Storytelling & Music was recognized with the Programming of the Year Award by the Illinois Council of Orchestras. The Programming of the Year Award honors programs with innovative musical choices, soloists, and themes.

Tickets are free for children and students under 19 years, $10 for students 19 years and older, $15 for seniors/military personnel, and $20 for adults. More information, including tickets, is available at waukeganparks.org/wsocc.