Waukegan Symphony Orchestra presents Young People’s Family Concert: Animals in the Forest

Sep 27
Wednesday, September 27th 2023

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.


About the Waukegan Park District

Established on December 26, 1916, the Waukegan Park District (WPD) has 53 properties and more than 742 acres of land, including the 18-hole Bonnie Brook and 9-hole Greenshire Golf Courses. Properties are managed to the highest environmental and conservation standards. Facilities operated by the WPD include the Field House Sports, Fitness and Aquatics Center, Waukegan’s Greg Petry SportsPark, Waukegan Skate Park, BMX Track, SplashZone, Percussion Playground, recreational centers, disc golf course, dog exercise area and agility course, outdoor sports fields, picnic areas, playgrounds, splash pads, and sports courts including basketball, tennis and pickleball. A full range of programs and services are offered year-round for all ages, from infants to seniors, as well as special need populations. Healthy lifestyles, wellness initiatives, and a connection with the outdoors and nature are integrated throughout programs, services, and special events. Arts and cultural activities are provided by the Jack Benny Center for the Arts, Waukegan Symphony Orchestra and Concert Chorus, and the Waukegan History Museum. We offer something for everyone!

A member of the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), Illinois Association of Park Districts (IAPD), Illinois Park and Recreation Association (IPRA), and the Park District Risk Management Agency (PDRMA), the WPD employs 73 full-time and 219 part-time, seasonal, and temporary employees and is recognized by the IPRA as an Exceptional Workplace.

Nationally accredited by the NRPA Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) and State accredited through the IAPD Distinguished Agency Accreditation, the WPD has received the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Triple Crown Award for receiving the GFOA’s Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting, Popular Annual Financial Reporting Award, and the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award. The WPD was awarded the NRPA National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management in 2013, and was named a Gold Medal Finalist in 2012, 2013, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023.

Media Contact
Josue Pasillas, MPA
Communications Supervisor
Waukegan Park District
(847) 360-4789
jpasillas@waukeganparks.org
waukeganparks.org