Michele Ottesen to Step Down as QCSYE Concert Orchestra Conductor
After ten years of service, Michele Ottesen will step down as the Quad City Symphony Youth Ensembles (QCSYE ) Concert Orchestra Conductor at the end of April. Michele leads and conducts the Concert Orchestra (formally Youth String Ensemble), introducing young...
QCSO Selected as Lead Orchestra in League of American Orchestra’s Commissioning Consortium
The Quad City Symphony Orchestra (QCSO) is one of three orchestras selected by the League of American Orchestras as a lead orchestra in the League’s third Toulmin orchestra consortium to premiere a new work by Angel Lam during the 2026-27 concert season. The Virginia...
QCSO to Receive $20,000 Award from the National Endowment for the Arts
The Quad City Symphony Orchestra is pleased to announce it has been approved by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for a Grants for Arts Projects award of $20,000. This grant will support its Masterworks IV concert – Omar’s Journey. The NEA will award 1,127...
Quad City Symphony Youth Ensembles Announce Winners of Annual Concerto Competition
The Quad City Symphony Youth Ensembles (QCSYE) is proud to announce the winners of the Concerto Competition held on Sunday, December 8, 2024. The competition consisted of eleven accomplished Youth Symphony Orchestra (YSO) members performing selections of their choice...
Nicolas Propes Wins Inaugural QCSO Music Teacher Award
The Quad City Symphony Orchestra is pleased to announce that Nicolas Propes, North Scott Junior High (NSJH) Band Director, has been named the inaugural Quad City Symphony Orchestra (QCSO) Music Teacher Award winner for the 2024-2025 school year! Nicolas was nominated...
QCSO Concertmaster Featured in QC Cultural Trust Artist Higlight
This month, the Quad City Cultural Trust (QCCT) featured QCSO Concertmaster Naha Greenholtz in the Local ARtist Highlight section of their monthly e-newsletter. Read the full Q&A Below Naha is a virtuoso violinist celebrated for her passionate performances and...
Support Local Public School Music Educators
The Quad City Symphony Orchestra is now accepting nominations for the first annual QCSO Music Teacher Award! Music educators provide an engaging learning environment for students of all ages and contribute to the overall well-being of students by encouraging growth,...
QCSO Staff Present at League of American Orchestras Conference
Earlier this month, seven representatives from the QCSO attended the League of American Orchestra’s 79th Annual Conference held this year in Houston Texas: Brian Baxter, Executive Director Caitlin Lingle Bishop, Director of Marketing Chelsea Sammons, Director of...
QCSYE Awarded Youth Orchestra of the Year by Illinois Council Of Orchestras
The Quad City Symphony Youth Ensembles (QCSYE) has been awarded Youth Orchestra of the Year by the Illinois Council of Orchestras (ICO) in recognition of their 2022-23 season. Presented annually, these awards recognize excellence in the field of music performance and...
QCSO Announces 110th Season, Echoes of Exploration
IA/IL QUAD-CITIES – The Quad City Symphony Orchestra (QCSO) invites you to its 110th Season – Echoes of Exploration – featuring six dynamic Masterworks, four intimate Up Close chamber concerts, Quad City Bank & Trust Riverfront Pops, two QCSO at the Movies...
Hisham Bravo Groover Announced as QCSO Assistant Conductor & QCSYE Music Director
The Quad City Symphony Orchestra Association (QCSO) is pleased to announce the appointment of Hisham Bravo Groover as Assistant Conductor of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra and Music Director of the Quad City Symphony Youth Ensembles. He has also recently been...
QCSO Announces Opera Omar’s Journey as Part of Its 110th Masterworks Season
The Quad City Symphony Orchestra (QCSO) is excited to announce the presentation of Omar’s Journey, a one-hour concert opera based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning opera Omar by Grammy-Award-winning artist Rhiannon Giddens and composer Michael Abels. This extraordinary...
Quad City Symphony Youth Ensembles Announce Winners of Annual Concerto Competition
The Quad City Symphony Youth Ensembles (QCSYE) proudly announce the winners of the Concerto Competition held on December 3, 2023. The competition consisted of thirteen accomplished student musicians performing selections of their choice for the chance to win two...
Pop-Up Performance of QCSO Musicians and Guest Soloist Scheduled for MLK Park
The Quad City Symphony Orchestra (QCSO) in partnership with The Friends of MLK is thrilled to announce a special Pop-Up Performance featuring Tommy Mesa, the QCSO guest artist for the first Masterworks Concert of the season, and two QCSO violinists, Janis Sakai, and...
QCSO Welcomes Benjamin Firer as Interim QCSYE Music Director
The Quad City Symphony Orchestra (QCSO) Associate is pleased to announce the appointment of Benjamin Firer as Interim QCSYE Music Director. An award-winning conductor, Firer is the assistant conductor with the Rockford Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra Director at...
Ernesto Estigarribia to step down as QCSO Associate Conductor & QCSYE Music Director
After four years of service, Ernesto Estigarribia will step down as the Quad City Symphony Orchestra (QCSO) Associate Conductor and Quad City Symphony Youth Ensembles (QCSYE) Music Director at the end of July to serve on faculty at Vanderbilt University in Nashville,...
QCSO Awarded Community Relations of the Year by Illinois Council Of Orchestras
The Quad City Symphony Orchestra (QCSO) has been awarded Community Relations of the Year by the Illinois Council of Orchestras (ICO) in recognition of two programs launched in their 2021-22 season. Presented annually, these awards recognize excellence in the field of...
QCSO Announces 109th Season
IA/IL QUAD-CITIES – The Quad City Symphony Orchestra (QCSO) invites you to its 109th Season – Courage and Beauty – featuring six dynamic Masterworks, four intimate Up Close chamber concerts, Quad City Bank & Trust Riverfront Pops, two QCSO at the Movies...
Volunteers for Symphony Wins Spotlight Award for 2021-22 Car Raffle
The Quad City Symphony Orchestra’s Volunteers for Symphony (VfS) is one of four volunteer organizations chosen by the Volunteer Council of the League of American Orchestras to receive a Spotlight Award for its 2021-22 Car Raffle. While this was VfS’s first Car...
QCSO Group Lesson Program Partners with Second Baptist Church Music & Arts Academy
The Quad City Symphony Orchestra is excited to announce its partnership with Second Baptist Church Music & Arts Academy to provide group violin lessons for elementary students. In 2017, the QCSO and the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Mississippi Valley (BGCMV)...
QCSO Announces Emanuel Ax as Gala Guest Artist in the upcoming 2023-24 Season
The Quad City Symphony Orchestra (QCSO) is pleased to announce that world-renowned pianist Emanuel Ax will be the featured Gala Guest Artist during the upcoming 2023-24 season. The multi-Grammy®-award-winning artist will perform Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Concertos No....
Youth Symphony Orchestra Musicians Compete in Annual Concerto Competition
On Saturday, December 3, 2022, the Quad City Symphony Youth Ensembles (QCSYE) held its annual Concerto Competition. Thirteen confident Youth Symphony Orchestra (YSO) members auditioned to win one of two prizes. The YSO Prize winner is awarded the opportunity to play...
QCSO partners with World Relief Quad Cities to Celebrate Music Across Cultures
World Relief Quad Cities (WRQC) announced today its partnership with Quad City Symphony Orchestra (QCSO) to present the musical programming series Masterworks III: Ode to Guitar on December 3, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. and December 4 at 2:00 p.m. at the Adler Theater. Through...
QCSO One of Thirty Orchestras Selected to Join League of American Orchestras’ New Consortium
Upcoming Concert in the 2023-2024 Season to Present New Work by Angel Lam The Quad City Symphony Orchestra (QCSO) is one of thirty orchestras taking part in the League of American Orchestras’ Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program. The...
Weather Information for QCBT Riverfront Pops
QCBT Riverfront Pops is a rain or shine event. GATES NOW OPEN AT 5:00 PM The QCSO Association is monitoring the weather forecast closely. If severe weather should become a safety concern for our patrons and musicians, the QCSO Association will be in communication with...
Updated Security Screening for QCBT Riverfront Pops
To ensure a safe and enjoyable event evening for all performers, staff, and attendees, the Quad City Symphony Orchestra has implemented a Security Checkpoint Screening for all guests attending QCBT Riverfront Pops. Please be patient and plan ahead. Security...
QCSO Welcomes Kim Busic as Violin/Viola Teaching Artist
The Quad City Symphony Orchestra is pleased to announce the appointment of Kim Busic as Violin/Viola Teaching Artist. Kim will be serving as an instructor for QCSO’s private lesson program, the Suzuki-inspired group lesson program, and as a string specialist for the...
QCSO Welcomes Kevin Sells as QCSYE Coordinator
The Quad City Symphony Orchestra is pleased to welcome Kevin Sells as Quad City Symphony Youth Ensemble Coordinator! Kevin is also a trumpet instructor in the QCSO Private Lesson Program. He is currently working to obtain his Doctorate in Trumpet Performance and...
Chelsea Sammons named QCSO Director of Education and Community Engagement
The Quad City Symphony Orchestra is pleased to announce Chelsea Sammons as the new Director of Education and Community Engagement. Chelsea has served as the Quad City Symphony Youth Ensembles (QCSYE) General Manger since 2018 and is an oboe teacher in the QCSO Private...
QCSYE Welcomes Anthony Hernandez as Wind Specialist
We are pleased to welcome Anthony Hernandez to the QCSYE artistic team! As Wind Specialist, Tony will work with Concert Orchestra and Youth Philharmonic Orchestra wind and percussion students each week at rehearsal, which will give more specialized instruction to both...
QCSYE Announces New Concert Orchestra
We are pleased to announce that the Youth String Ensemble will be transformed into the Concert Orchestra in the 2022-2023 season! We are excited to offer more opportunities for woodwind, brass, and percussion players as well as enhance the experience of string players...
QCSO Announces 108th Season
The Quad City Symphony Orchestra (QCSO) invites you to its 108th Season – The Triumphant Spirit – featuring six dynamic Masterworks, the 40th Anniversary of Quad City Bank & Trust Riverfront Pops, two QCSO at the Movies presentations, five intimate Up Close...
QCSO Named Professional Orchestra of the Year By Illinois Council Of Orchestras
The Quad City Symphony Orchestra (QCSO) has been awarded Professional Orchestra of the Year by the Illinois Council of Orchestras (ICO) in recognition of their 2020-21 season. Presented annually, these awards recognize excellence in the field of music performance and...
Carol Pedigo Phoenix’s Distinguished Service Honored at Masterworks V
On Saturday, March 5, 2022, the Quad City Symphony Orchestra will honor Carol Pedigo Phoenix with the Distinguished Service Award in recognition of her 52 years of service as a violinist and associate concertmaster of the QCSO. “We are thrilled to honor Carol...
Our Commitment to Safe, Live Music Experiences
Updated March 2, 2022 The Quad City Symphony Orchestra (QCSO) is committed to providing an amazing live music experience in an enjoyable and safe environment for our musicians, patrons, and staff. We look forward to welcoming you back into the concert hall and have...
QCSO Expands Virtual Offerings for 2021-22 Season
The Quad City Symphony Orchestra (QCSO) is pleased to announce that it will offer a virtual ticket option for all three remaining Masterworks concerts in the 2021-22 Season. Live Stream + Digital Access will also be available for the World Premiere of the Living Proof...
Volunteers for Symphony Wins Spotlight Award for its Sippin’ with the Symphony
The Quad City Symphony Orchestra (QCSO)’s Volunteers for Symphony (VfS) is one of eight volunteer organizations chosen by the Volunteer Council of the League of American Orchestras to receive a Spotlight Award for its Sippin’ with the Symphony. VfS launched Sippin’...
Youth Symphony Orchestra Musicians Compete in Annual Concerto Competition
On Saturday, December 4, 2021, the Quad City Symphony Youth Ensembles (QCSYE) held its annual Concerto Competition. Fourteen confident Youth Symphony Orchestra (YSO) members auditioned to win one of two prizes. The YSO Prize winner is awarded the opportunity to play...
QCSO Introduces Concert Access Pass
The Quad City Symphony Orchestra held a special event at the Adler Theatre on Friday, November 5, 2021, to officially launch the Concert Access Pass (CAP) Program. The QCSO believes that access to music performance is essential for our entire community, and CAP...QCSYE Chamber Music Institute
What is chamber music?Instrumental music played by a small ensemble, with one player to a part. Examples include trios, quartets, quintets, etc. Why is chamber music important? Develops leadership skills and teamwork Deepens technique and musicianship Builds strong...
QCSYE Senior Highlight: Jonathon Hughes
Each season the QCSYE says “farewell” to seniors graduating from across the Quad Cities region. Many of these seniors choose to study music as performers and educators. Over the next few weeks, we are highlighting several seniors from the class of 2021 who are...
QCSYE Senior Highlight: Sierra Craig
Each season the QCSYE says “farewell” to seniors graduating from across the Quad Cities region. Many of these seniors choose to study music as performers and educators. Over the next few weeks, we are highlighting several seniors from the class of 2021 who are...