March 5, 2025. Vol. 32. No. 41. RockRiverTimes.com.
Ellis Island: Dream of America features onstage narration provided by actors from Artists’ Ensemble Theater: Rockford Symphony Orchestra will honor our city’s long history of welcoming immigrants and the heritage shared by these newcomers with Ellis Island: Dream of America on Saturday, March 8 at 7:30 p.m. at the Coronado Theatre. Peter Boyer’s Ellis Island combines cinematic music with excerpts from spoken texts, taken from the Ellis Island Oral History Project. Clarinetist Kinan Azmeh, a contemporary immigrant, joins the concert as both composer and soloist of his Suite for Improvisor and Orchestra. The overture Conga del Fuego highlights our region’s Latino population. Ellis Island: Dream of America will be conducted by RSO’s Music Director Yaniv Attar, a first-generation immigrant, who became an American citizen in 2018. The concert features actors from Artists’ Ensemble Theater reading spoken texts, taken from the Ellis Island Oral History Project of seven immigrants who came to America through Ellis Island between 1910 and 1940. Adult tickets range from $33-$77. Tickets for youth 18 and under are $10, while tickets for students 19 and up are $15 with a valid student ID. Tickets may be purchased online at rockfordsymphony.com or by calling the RSO box office at 815.965.0049. The evening includes a prelude talk with local historian and architect Gary Anderson at 6:30 p.m. Anderson will highlight stories of immigration along with the vital contributions and impact immigrants have made on our community’s growth. Attendees can also enjoy an expo in the Coronado Theatre’s new lobby featuring various organizations in Rockford that celebrate our community’s cultural heritage. RSO is also hosting Ellis Island: Dream of America Youth Concert on Friday, March 7 at the Coronado Theatre. Local students will learn about the instruments of the orchestra and hear the music of Ellis Island: Dream of America in this field trip experience. Teachers have access to a bi-lingual preparation curriculum guide.