Classical Symphony Orchestra

Who We Are…We are a serious music education program for serious musicians and have been in existence for 28 years. Joseph Glymph, Music Director, seeking to offer opportunities to young artists interested in pursuing classical music, founded the orchestra in 1979. During this twenty-eight-year period, the organization has grown from one orchestra made up of 17 players to two full symphony orchestras with over 190 musicians. In addition, the organization offers performance opportunities in chamber music, solo competitions, and contemporary music. As we celebrate our 28th Anniversary Season, the organization stands strong with two highly successful independent youth training orchestras: The Classical Symphony Orchestra for college-level and young adult musicians, and The Protege Philharmonic for advanced junior high and high school level musicians. Why We Exist… The mission of the organization is to build the future of classical music through the cultivation of young artists, which includes orchestral training opportunities, chamber music ensembles, soloists and composers. The organization targets young artists from the entire Chicago metropolitan area and northwest Indiana ranging from junior high school through college, graduate students and young adults. The long-term value that our program provides includes: Who is the Conductor… Joseph Glymph, Founder and Music Director, has a Bachelor’s Degree and additional graduate studies in violin performance from Northern Illinois University, has been a member of the Peninsula Music Festival Orchestra in Fish Creek, Wisconsin, Concertmaster of the Rockford Symphony Orchestra, Guest Concertmaster of the Beloit Janesville Symphony Orchestra, Assistant Concertmaster of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, and Concertmaster of the Northwest Symphony Orchestra. With over 40 years of experience as a music educator, Maestro Glymph is nationally renown for his superb orchestra training of music students. For 11 summers, he was a faculty member of the internationally renown Sewanee Summer Music Center in Sewanee, Tennessee. He is currently on the faculty of Northeastern Illinois University, where he is music director and conductor of the String Orchestra and teaches violin, viola, chamber music, string literature and string pedagogy. He is also a prominent private teacher of the violin, viola and cello in Chicago. Joseph Glymph is included in the 2002 Edition of “Who’s Who of America’s Teachers” and was awarded the 2001-02 Teacher Recognition Certificate from the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts in appreciation for encouraging and supporting students who have been recognized for their exceptional artistic achievements. The Classical Symphony Orchestra and The Protege Philharmonic announce with great pride that Joseph Glymph, has been chosen to be Northern Illinois University’s Outstanding Alumnus for 2005-06. Where We Perform Our Concerts… Classical and Protege are very active members in the arts community in Chicago! In addition to performing a free concert series at The Chicago Cultural Center ( 5 annual concerts ) and the Auditorium at Northeastern Illinois University ( 3 annual concerts ), they perform three showcase joint concerts at Navy Pier in the Fall and Spring and Northeastern Illinois University in the Summer ; 3 chamber music concerts with members of Classical ; and outreach concerts that go into the outlying communities. Weekly rehearsals for these concerts are held on Saturdays in Classical Symphony Hall and are open to the public. Where Our Players Come From…The Classical Symphony Orchestra and The Protege Philharmonic serve a vast geographical area of 64 schools and 52 communities our members represent. Formal auditions are held twice a year for each Orchestra for the Fall and Summer Seasons.