GEMS OF IRELAND

Lincolnwood Chamber Orchestra
Sunday, March 8, 3PM
Lincolnwood Public Library
4000 W. Pratt

A concert inspired by the music and culture of the Emerald Isle

The Irish Washerwoman - Traditional/Charles Grobe/Simmons
Gems of Ireland - Victor Herbert   
The Blue Bird - Charles Villiers Stanford
Morris Dance Tunes - Gustav Holst
Nocturnes No. 1 and 5 - John Field
Molly on the Shore - Percy Grainger
An Irish Melody - Frank Bridge
Irish Tune from County Derry (Danny Boy) - Percy Grainger 

Free admission, reservations required

Music as a Bridge for Healing and Gratitude

American Music Festivals uses music as a force for justice, memory, and renewal. At the heart of our work is cultural exchange through orchestral preservation — ensuring orchestral tradition continues to thrive, inspire, and connect.

Through concerts and collaborations across the U.S. and internationally, we bring diverse voices to the stage, honor cultural traditions, and sustain the orchestral art form as a living bridge between past and future. In doing so, we strengthen community bonds, affirm local voices, and create spaces where music becomes a shared resource for healing and justice.

American Music Festivals January 18 Concert
at the South Shore Cultural Center

The Lincolnwood Chamber Orchestra’s recent concert “A Dream Deferred – Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.” was the culmination of our outreach to the African American community. What made this concert unique was its inclusive nature, bringing together residents from Chicago’s North and South Sides to enjoy a diverse selection of music reflecting our shared history and to experience what we have in common. Participation by a distinguished group of guest performers and speakers—including Van Gilmer, Kim Stratton, Akira Slaughter, David Dixon, Johnny Haskins, and Rabbi Nolan—helped make this event a powerful fulfillment of American Music Festivals’ mission of cultural exchange through orchestral programming.

Most notable was the premiere of “A Dream” by Artistic Director Philip Simmons, which incorporated excerpts from Dr. King’s historic Washington, D.C. speech. The work was narrated and sung by Mr. Gilmer, who was active in the Civil Rights Movement as a participant in the Woolworth lunch counter sit-ins. By combining text with music, the program advanced American Music Festivals’ ongoing commitment to exploring the power of messaging through music. This concert was realized with the support of the Institute for Economics and Educational Research and the King Center for Social Change.

• Healing through music: our audiences experience orchestral performance as a source of renewal and connection.

• Justice and community: By uniting faith leaders and nonprofit advocates with diverse audiences, the orchestra becomes a bridge between grassroots voices and cultural institutions, strengthening community trust and collaboration.

• Cultural memory: Music and messaging carry traditions and stories across generations, serving an educational role and ensuring they remain alive and relevant today.

• Orchestral preservation: Preserving the orchestra — musicians and repertoire — ensures not only their survival and provides the power to strengthen communities.

• Momentum for the future: Through cultural exchange, community engagement and orchestral preservation communities respond — and with your support, this momentum will carry forward into future seasons.

Thanks for your kind support!

American Music Festivals promotES cultural exchange, PRESERVES ORCHeSTRAL HERITAGE, and BRINGS COMMUNITIES TOGETHER

In Chicago, Hawaii, and around the world, AMF partners with diverse communities, bringing people together to enjoy great classical music exploring and sharing cultural traditions through concerts and interdisciplinary programming.

American Music Festivals is committed to preserving and furthering orchestral heritage.  Our music making has attracted an amazing team of musicians, community advocates, and marketing experts to our cause.  It has helped us build partnerships and professional relationships with organizations and individuals around the world. Our concerts tell a story that speaks to the power of music to move people, help change perspectives, and to challenge norms.  American Music Festivals is excited to continue to help create and contribute to orchestral events, products, and messaging, that move communities forward. 

Thanks for being a part of our vision.

American Music Festivals
has been committed to cultural exchange Since 1997.

Please join US AS WE BRING OUR UNIQUE VIEWPOINT TO CLASSICAL MUSIC PROGRAMMING.

CULTURAL EXCHANGE

In the United States and abroad we work with communities to share culture, celebrating our differences.

ORCHESTRAL HERITAGE

American Music Festivals helps preserve orchestral traditions--with a sensitivity to all the humanities.

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Our collaborative events bring people TOGETHER, creating understanding and friendship.

ARTISTIC AND HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Through concerts and related outreach, American Music Festivals articulates cross cultural and intergenerational connections. 

In Chicago, Hawaii, and around the world,
American Music Festivals
helps sustain our orchestral heritage