April 27, 2025
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Illinois Valley Symphony Orchestra to close season honoring retiring director, manager

Concert to feature violinist Anton Carus

By Derek Barichello
The performance marks the final concert for Music Director and Conductor Daniel Sommerville, who will retire after the season concludes.

The performance marks the final concert for Music Director and Conductor Daniel Sommerville, who will retire after the season concludes. (Photo provided by Aelsa Woods)

The Illinois Valley Symphony Orchestra will present its 75th anniversary season finale concert, “A Dazzling Finale,” at 7 p.m. Saturday, May 3, in the Dr. Mary Margaret Weeg Cultural Centre at Illinois Valley Community College.

The performance marks the final concert for Music Director and Conductor Daniel Sommerville, who will retire after the season concludes.

Sommerville, who has led the orchestra with distinction since 2019, is stepping down to relocate to Tennessee. His tenure has been marked by artistic excellence and musical growth within the orchestra.

Also retiring is IVSO Manager Barbara Lukancic, whose service to the orchestra spans more than 60 years. Lukancic’s decades-long dedication has been integral to the orchestra’s continued success and outreach in the Illinois Valley.

A public reception will be held following the concert to honor both Sommerville and Lukancic for their many contributions.

The evening’s program opens with Johann Strauss’s “Voices of Spring” waltz, which was performed on IVSO’s inaugural concert 75 years ago. The concert will also feature rising star violinist Anton Carus, winner of the International Louis Spohr Competition for Young Violinists in Germany. Carus will perform Jean Sibelius’s Violin Concerto.

The program concludes with Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “Symphony No. 5,” celebrated for its sweeping melodies, brooding intensity and triumphant conclusion.

The concert serves as both a capstone to the IVSO’s diamond anniversary season and a farewell to two of its most dedicated leaders. Tickets ($20 general admission, $5 for college students with ID, and free for students kindergarten through 12th grades) and additional information are available at www.ivso.org.

All IVSO venues are accessible and compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Questions about accommodations should be directed to accessibility@ivso.org. This concert is sponsored by Illinois Cement Company and the Blouke and Marianne Carus Foundation. The IVSO thanked its 2024-25 season sponsor, the Miller Charitable Trust. This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

IVSO Manager Barbara Lukancic, whose service to the orchestra spans more than 60 years, is retiring. Lukancic’s decades-long dedication has been integral to the orchestra’s continued success and outreach in the Illinois Valley.

IVSO Manager Barbara Lukancic, whose service to the orchestra spans more than 60 years, is retiring. Lukancic’s decades-long dedication has been integral to the orchestra’s continued success and outreach in the Illinois Valley. (Photo provided by Aelsa Woods)

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Derek Barichello

Derek Barichello

Derek Barichello is the news editor for The Times in Ottawa and NewsTribune in La Salle, part of Shaw Local News Network, covering La Salle, Bureau and Putnam counties. He covers local and breaking news in the areas of government, education, business and crime and courts, among others.