A private security guard working at the Jefferson Park CTA Terminal, 4917 N. Milwaukee Ave., reportedly returned fire after a group of three people started harassing him and then fired read story
Orchestra gains honors
by BRIAN NADIG
Chicago City Wide Symphony Orchestra, which has called the Jefferson Park fieldhouse its home since 1953, welcomes former musicians who come across their musical instrument from high school and want to begin playing again.
The volunteer orchestra does not require auditions, and participation in the group’s four annual concerts is not contingent on having a strong attendance record for its weekly rehearsals. "You just have to be able to read music and keep up with us," orchestra president Jeanette Braun said. "We have had people as young as 14, and our oldest member now is 93."
The orchestra operates independently of the Chicago Park District, but it relies on the park district for many of its resources, including the free use of the fieldhouse’s second-floor auditorium for rehearsals and concerts, Braun said. Chung Yoon Park, a park district employee, has been the orchestra’s conductor since 1992.
The orchestra’s repertoire includes Georges Bizet’s "Carmen Suite," Giuseppe Verdi’s "La Florzo del Destino Overture" and Wolfgang Mozart’s "Jupiter Symphony." Alderman John Arena (45th) recently introduced a resolution in the City Council honoring the organization for its achievements.
Teacher Fanny Hassler founded the organization in 1947 and remained its conductor until 1983. Initially called Northside Children’s Orchestra, the group’s first concert was at Field Park, 5100 N. Ridgeway Ave., and in later years it was broken into three groups, reflecting the different age and talent levels of its members, before eventually becoming a single orchestra again in 1996.
Today the orchestra has a roster of 130 members, about a third of whom are very active, Braun said. "People come and go," she said. "They move and eventually they come back."
Braun said that the median age of the orchestra was 70 when she joined in 2002 but that the median age now is 40. She said that younger musicians apparently are learning about the orchestra through the Internet.
Rehearsals are held most Mondays from 7 to 9 p.m., and the orchestra’s next concert will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday, March 8, at the fieldhouse, 4822 N. Long Ave. Admission is free.
The orchestra’s Web site can be reached at www.citywideorchestra.org.
No Pop-Ups
Weekly Digital Edition
Read every story. Skip every pop-up.
Get the full weekly edition delivered to your inbox — no interruptions, no waiting. Just local news the way it was meant to be read.
Only $19.50/year — less than 38¢ a week
Subscribe Now
This is just part of today’s coverage. Get the full story - every article, every ad, every page. Subscribe now.
The Latest From Our Community
A man was stabbed in his hand at about 4:50 a.m. Monday, Aug. 10, on a CTA Blue Line train near the Harlem station, 5550 N. Harlem Ave., after a read story
by BRIAN NADIG 45th Ward Democratic Committeeperson Michael Rabbitt and his Dems 45 organization have endorsed Jefferson Park resident S Gronkiewicz-Doran in the ward’s aldermanic race, which will be held read story
by BRIAN NADIG A new business, possibly a daycare, is in the works for the former CVS Pharmacy at the southeast corner of Milwaukee and Lawrence avenues. The pharmacy closed read story
by BRIAN NADIG A possible suspect is in custody after gunfire was reported at or near the Jefferson Park CTA Terminal, 4917 N. Milwaukee Ave., at about 5:20 a.m. Saturday, read story
by BRIAN NADIG A luxury hotel and spa for cats is planned for a vacant one-story office building at 5510 W. Montrose Ave. in the Jefferson-Portage Park area. Local resident read story
Browse by Category
No Pop-Ups
Weekly Digital Edition
Read every story.
Skip every pop-up.
No pop-up ads — ever. Just stories, the way they were meant to be read
Full weekly edition delivered to your inbox every week — no waiting, no missing issues
Support local journalism and help keep our community connected
Only $19.50/year
That's less than 38¢ a week
Purchase Digital Subscription
Paypal
$19.50
/year
You can submit your payment via Paypal with a Credit Card. You DO NOT NEED TO HAVE A PAYPAL ACCOUNT.. Just click the “Paypal Subscribe” button below to iniate your secure payment! You will be directed to a Secure Paypal page in which you can pay with a Paypal account if you have one, or you can select "Pay with Debit or Credit Cardt" option below and process your payment via credit card.
Venmo
$19.50
/year
You can submit payment of $19.50 for a 1 year subscription to Nadig Newspapers' Venmo account using this link. Please include the email address in the comment/note section that you would like the digital subscription sent to.