Illinois Valley Flute Ensemble to perform concerts in Peru, Ottawa

Illinois Valley Flute Ensemble will present its Around the World concert on Sunday, April 16, in Peru, and Sunday, April 30, in Ottawa.

The Illinois Valley Flute Ensemble under the direction of Sue Gillio will present the concert at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Zion United Church of Christ, 1521 Sixth St., Peru, and again at 2 p.m. April 30 at Prairie Fox Books, 719 La Salle St., Ottawa.

Free will offerings accepted with money going to the flute scholarship fund to assist flutists who would like to attend June 18-24 the Summer Flute Retreat in Peru. Music performed will be representative of the countries of England, Wales, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Africa, China, Korea and the United States and will conclude with “For the Beauty of the Earth” by John Rutter.

Performers are Lois Croasdale of Spring Valley; Emily Bonnell and Eileen Hagenbuch of Utica; Paige Evans of Cedar Point; Emily Kmetz and Becky Weiler of La Salle; Kathy Gage of Lake Ozark, Missouri; Brie Clayton of Paw Paw; Maggie Ferguson, Sue Johnson, Gabby Mosley and Maddie Vescogni of Peru; Tony Grunstad, Natalie Lindig and Hallee Loza of Ottawa; Kendra Herman and Kendra Olson of Seneca; Jan Hoge of Wenona; Julie Pleskovitch of Oglesby; Ava Rosengren of Serena; and Jamie Valadez of Dalzell.

The concert is sponsored by Music Suite 408 and the Illinois Valley Flute Ensemble.

Music Suite 408 in Peru is the home base for the Illinois Valley Flute Ensemble, which was established in the summer of 1991. The ensemble is one of the flute ensembles at Music Suite 408 ranging in age from 6 through adult. The Illinois Valley Flute Ensemble has performed annually in April as part of the Music at the Mansion series at the Hegeler Carus Mansion; on television for the Easter Seals Telethon, La Salle Christmas Open House, City of Peru Maud Powell Arts Celebrations, Senica’s Oak Ridge, Deer Park Country Club, Hunter’s Ridge Country Club, Reddick Mansion, St. Margaret’s Auxiliary Dinner, Morton Grove Library, Liberty Village in Streator, Princeton and Peru, Ottawa Community Hospital Cancer Survivor Breakfast, Hornbaker’s Gardens and various private parties and seasonal gatherings. Additionally, the IVFE has performed as one of three ensembles invited to the 37th annual Principals Association three-day conference at the Peoria Civic Center and have performed at the Chicago Flute Festival in 2001 (Wheeling) and 2009 (Evanston). The IVFE has produced three CDs: “In the Mood for Flutes” (2005), “Christmas Tidings” (2009) and “Flute Spangled Spectacular (June 2012).

Sue Gillio, an Oglesby native, is the owner of Music Suite 408 and director of the Illinois Valley Flute Ensemble. She received her BA and MA from Western Illinois University with emphasis in flute performance where she studied with Gerald Carey. She is principal flute of the Illinois Valley Symphony, and has performed in the Quad City Symphony, Heartland Philharmonic, Knox-Galesburg Symphony, DuPage Symphony and the Peoria Symphony. She has been a featured soloist with the Northwest Indiana Youth Symphony, Illinois Valley Youth Symphony, Mendota High School Band, Illinois Valley Community College Wind Ensemble and guest soloist with members of the Chicago Symphony and Northwest Indiana Symphony at St. Xavier College in Chicago performing “Brandenburg Concerto 5″ by J.S. Bach. She has been the featured soloist with the Illinois Valley Symphony Orchestra in 2006, 2014 and will be again in the 2023-2024 season.

Internationally, Gillio has performed in Italy as part of the Rome Festival Orchestra (1998, 2004). She is on faculty at Illinois Valley Community College, executive board of North Central Illinois Artworks and is a member of the Chicago Flute Club and National Flute Association where she has performed at conventions in Columbus, Ohio (2000) and Dallas (2001). She has been published in the Flute Talk periodical, the Pipeline of the Chicago Flute Club and will be the featured educator in the May 2016 Flute Talk. She founded the annual Summer Flute Retreat and is on the faculty of the Summer Flute Camp at Westminster Choir Conservatory in Princeton, New Jersey. She was awarded the 2014 Entrepreneur of the Year by the Illinois Small Business Development Center and OMNI ARTS 2018 Excellence Award for Music.

All Illinois Valley Flute Ensemble performances are on a donation basis, which enables the groups to purchase new music, help with the upkeep of instruments and provides full or partial scholarships to the Summer Flute Retreat and other summer music opportunities for flute students.