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Hello!

My name is Connie Chen, and I am currently a violinist for the Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra (EYSO). This is currently my 7th year with this organization, and it’s crazy to think that I’ve been in this organization since elementary school.

EYSO has always been such a significant part of my life ever since I joined back in 4th grade. Not only is it a great place to make amazing music with others who are just as passionate about music as I am, but it is also a place of wonderful community and a place to learn and grow. EYSO has taught me how to grow not only as a musician, but as a person as well.

EYSO is home to many great students, conductors, staff, and friends! The community is wonderful and everybody is all about supporting one another. It gives me an opportunity to play with other high-level musicians from all over Illinois, and I’ve gotten to know so many amazing people and make so many friends. As well, all the staff, whether that be the conductors that work with each orchestra or the people behind the scenes, are all always so helpful and nice.

EYSO also is more than just an orchestra to play music at. Yes, the music and other musicians are absolutely wonderful. But EYSO also takes it a step further. One of our mottos is “expert noticer”, and indeed, we do a lot of deep-diving into the music. Whether that be learning and understanding the background to a piece written during the Soviet Union, or noticing how our season theme (“flipped”) relates to our music.

I love going to EYSO every Sunday, despite the distance and time it takes up every week. It has been such an anchor for me, and something I can always look forward to. Back when the pandemic hit, EYSO resolved to come up with various and different ways to keep rehearsals going in an online format, while still being entertaining and meaningful. When things were able to open back again, EYSO immediately took the first steps to go back to in-person rehearsals, while still staying safe. The love and effort every person puts into this organization are tangible, and playing with other talented musicians always inspires and keeps my love and passion for music strong. I can’t imagine my life without EYSO, and it has truly changed it for the better.

So please, consider donating to keep this organization going strong!

Student tuition costs only cover 1/3 of the money required to pay for one season. Our NOTES campaign helps keeps the tuition reasonable to allow for more musicians to have the opportunity to experience this youth orchestra.

Thank you for supporting EYSO!

Connie Chen

P.S. Watch us perform! Check out our schedule at EYSO.org or view video clips on our YouTube channel.