Please join us for our annual Halloween celebration — featuring a world premier performance of a piece commissioned by the RCO. As always, our Halloween concert is immersive – everyone will be in costume and we encourage you to join in the fun! Or, bring a treat to share during the post-concert trick-or-treat reception.
Date: Sunday October 25, 2026
Time: 4 p.m.
NEW LOCATION: St. Mathias Church, 2310 W. Ainslie, Chicago, IL 60625
Program Notes:
Malcolm Arnold: Tam O’Shanter, Op. 51
Tam O’Shanter is based on the famous narrative poem by Scotland’s Robbie Burns. While the hero, a hard-drinking farmer from Shanter is in town one market-day, wags clip the tail of his horse. To explain the missing tail to his superstitious wife he concocts a wild story about escaping a band of witches on his horse, Maggie.
Jean Sibelius: Swan of Tuonela from the Lemminkainen Suite No. 3, Op 22
Jean Sibelius composed The Swan of Tuonela in 1895 as part of the Lemminkäinen Suite. The suite is based on the Finnish mythological epic, Kalevala. The suite itself is based around the figure of Lemminkäinen, a youthful and reckless hero that is tasked with shooting a sacred, singing swan that glides across the dark river of Tuonela (the underworld). Instead of killing the bird, Lemminkäinen is ambushed, slain, and cast into the river
Gillian Rae Perry: A Ghost Story, A Love Story
World Premiere, Commissioned by the Ravenswood Community Orchestra
A Ghost Story, A Love Story is comprised of seven miniatures from the opera Desert Bloom, a love story about a young woman named Mia and the ghost of a young soldadera named Leo. In the heat of West Texas, these two young women confront the ramifications of grief, war, and loneliness as they share newfound love.
Selim Palmgren: Aus Finnland, Op. 24
Finnish composer Selim Palmgren wore many hats during his lifetime: composer, conductor, teacher, husband, and performer. Each of the roles he held outside of composition fed his compositional output. As a conductor and teacher, partsongs and piano pieces make up most of the composer’s oeuvre. However, Palmgren’s large-scale orchestral and operatic works, including Aus Finnland, Op. 24, play an important role not only in the composer’s oeuvre but in the compositional style occurring in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and in Finland’s musical heritage.
Edvard Grieg: Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46 | Movement 4: Tanz in der Halle des Bergkonig
Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite tells the story of a young boy – Peer Gynt, who falls in love with a girl but is not allowed to marry her. He runs away into the mountains but is captured by trolls who take him to their King. Peer Gynt tries to escape but is chased by the trolls and runs into the troll King but eventually gets away.
General Info:
— Concerts are free to attend, but consider a cash donation at the door
— Please stay for a post-concert reception with the musicians and RCO fans
A note for all concertgoers: We are thrilled to have you—and music lovers of all ages—with us in the hall. To help us create the best possible environment for our musicians and your fellow audience members, please take a moment to review a few guidelines before the music begins:
Silence all electronics: Please completely turn off or silence your cell phones, watches, and other devices.
Remain seated during the music: To minimize visual distractions, please stay in your seat while the orchestra is performing. If you must leave, please wait until intermission or a designated pause between pieces.
A note for families: We love welcoming children to our concerts! We kindly ask parents and guardians to ensure that little ones remain safely in their seats during the music. Even small movements near the stage or aisles can catch the eye of our performers and disrupt their concentration.
Thank you for your cooperation and for supporting live orchestral music. Enjoy the show!
