The Peoria Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in

Peoria, Illinois Peoria ( ) is the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, United States, and the largest city on the Illinois River. As of the United States Census, 2020, 2020 census, the city had a population of 113,150. It is the principal city of the Peoria ...

conducted by George Stelluto. Founded in 1897 as

Bradley University Bradley University is a private university in Peoria, Illinois. Founded in 1897, Bradley University enrolls 5,400 students who are pursuing degrees in more than 100 undergraduate programs and more than 30 graduate programs in five colleges. The ...

's Bradley Symphony Orchestra (under conductor Harold Plowe), it is the fourteenth oldest orchestra in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. In 1915, the orchestra was incorporated as the Peoria Symphony Orchestra. After Plowe retired in 1927, the next fifty years saw almost a dozen conductors lead the orchestra. In 1978, William Wilsen became Musical Director, and led the group until 1999. Wilsen developed the orchestra's quality and repertoire, took it on tour to its sister city, Friedrichshafen, Germany, and led the PSO's celebration of its 100th year. Conductor David Commanday was named Music Director in Spring of 1999. During his tenure the orchestra was praised for its quality and imaginative programs: "The Peoria Symphony Orchestra’s evolution under the baton of music director David Commanday has been fascinating to watch. Orchestra members aren’t just showing up for another gig. There’s a real joy in their playing, a certain esprit d/corps. And the repertoire is getting more varied and more playful with every season. The concerts – dare I say it? – actually are fun to attend” (Gary Panetta, Peoria Journal Star, 3/31/03). David Commanday's leadership of the orchestra concluded at the end of the 2008–2009 season, marking a decade in which the institution had roughly doubled its endowment. George Stelluto became the music director at the beginning of the 2010–2011 season. The orchestra performs at the

Peoria Civic Center Peoria Civic Center is an entertainment complex located in downtown Peoria, Illinois. Designed by Pritzker Prize winning architect Philip Johnson and John Burgee, it has an arena, theater, exhibit hall and meeting rooms. It opened in 1982 and co ...

, and has featured soloists including

Emanuel Ax Emanuel "Manny" Ax (born 8 June 1949) is a Grammy-winning American classical pianist. He is a teacher in the Juilliard School. Early life Ax was born to a Polish-Jewish family in Lviv, Ukraine, (in what was then the Soviet Union) to Joachim and ...

Joshua Bell Joshua David Bell (born December 9, 1967) is an American violinist and conductor. He plays the Gibson Stradivarius. Early life and education Bell was born in Bloomington, Indiana, to Shirley Bell, a therapist, and Alan P. Bell, a psychologis ...

Evelyn Glennie Dame Evelyn Elizabeth Ann Glennie, (born 19 July 1965) is a Scottish people, Scottish percussionist. She was selected as one of the two laureates for the Polar Music Prize of 2015. Early life Glennie was born in Methlick, Aberdeenshire in Sco ...

Hilary Hahn Hilary Hahn (born November 27, 1979) is an American violinist. She has performed throughout the world as a soloist with leading orchestras and conductors and as a recitalist. She is an avid supporter of contemporary classical music, and several ...

Sharon Isbin Sharon ( he, שָׁרוֹן ''Šārôn'' "plain") is a given name as well as an Israeli surname. In English-speaking areas, Sharon is now predominantly a feminine given name. However, historically it was also used as a masculine given name. In I ...

Yo-Yo Ma Yo-Yo Ma (''Chinese'': 馬友友 ''Ma Yo Yo''; born October 7, 1955) is an American cellist. Born in Paris to Chinese parents and educated in New York City, he was a child prodigy, performing from the age of four and a half. He graduated from ...

, and

Itzhak Perlman Itzhak Perlman ( he, יצחק פרלמן; born August 31, 1945) is an Israeli-American violinist widely considered one of the greatest violinists in the world. Perlman has performed worldwide and throughout the United States, in venues that hav ...

External links

Official website

Historic Peoria article
{{authority control 1898 establishments in Illinois Musical groups established in 1898 Orchestras based in Illinois Culture of Peoria, Illinois Tourist attractions in Peoria, Illinois