Concerts and Events
The RSO’s mission is to enlighten, educate, and entertain. Our many concerts and events throughout the year support this mission. Scroll through and find the ones that inspire you!
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View recordings of previous RSO performances
SoundBites with Joel Baer & Ben Firer
Join us as Conductor Ben Firer speaks with Guest Artist Joel Baer about his experiences, and what he is most excited about for the concert. RSVP requested. Lunch is available for purchase.
RSO at the Arcade
Contemporary video games are accompanied by the cinematic soundtracks we traditionally associate with movies, adding to the symphonic canon of our time. Joining the RSO with Big Band interpretations of “vintage” video games is Rockfordian Joel Baer’s Blueshift Big Band.
Encore! Radio Broadcast (RSO At The Arcade)
Tune in to this one-hour broadcast featuring excerpts from RSO At The Arcade, recorded live on April 5, 2025, at the Coronado Theatre.
Jazzy Journey
Chamber Concerts offer audiences the opportunity to hear from RSO musicians about the music on the program and how it inspires them.
RSYO Spring Orchestra Concert
Featuring the award-winning Rockford Symphony Youth Orchestra in concert with conductor Linc Smelser.
SoundBites with Marti Bein
Join us as Music Director Yaniv Attar speaks with Conductor of the Nielsen Chorale Marti Bein about her experiences, and what she is most excited about for the concert. RSVP requested. Lunch is available for purchase.
Beethoven’s 9th
The season comes to a triumphant close with Beethoven’s joyous immortal classic, Symphony No. 9, performed by the Nielsen Chorale, world-class soloists, and your Rockford Symphony Orchestra.
Encore! Radio Broadcast (Beethoven’s 9th)
Tune in to this one-hour broadcast featuring excerpts from Beethoven’s 9th, recorded live on May 10, 2025, at the Coronado Theatre.
Star Spangled Spectacular
The annual Star Spangled Spectacular at the beautiful Starlight Theatre will salute America and our great American composers!
Passionate Rhythms
The RSO begins the 2025/26 season with Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio Espagnol, a vibrant celebration of Spanish folk music. Guitar virtuoso Daniel Bolshoy returns for Ponce’s Concierto del Sur, and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 concludes the concert with a triumphant finale.
Best of Broadway
Kevin Stites raises the curtain for his first season as Principal Pops Conductor with an opening night of Broadway!
Hope & Heroism
Jonathan Leshnoff’s Elegy and Sharon Farber’s Concerto for Cello and Narrator pay homage to the victims of the Holocaust and honor its heroic survivors. Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 (“Eroica”), is a masterpiece that celebrates heroism and the triumph of the human spirit.
The Nutcracker
Join us for a holiday classic presented in partnership with the Rockford Dance Company.
The Nutcracker Matinee
Join us for a holiday classic presented in partnership with the Rockford Dance Company.
Holiday Pops
The annual Holiday Pops presents your favorite merry melodies to get the whole family in the Holiday spirit!
Holiday Pops Matinee
The annual Holiday Pops presents your favorite merry melodies to get the whole family in the Holiday spirit!
Art of the Fugue
Chamber Concerts offer audiences the opportunity to hear from RSO musicians about the music on the program and how it inspires them.
Love…It’s Complicated
Celebrate love and all its complexity with music filled with passion, romance, and drama. The program includes Tchaikovsky’s iconic Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture, Strauss’s electrifying Don Juan, and the intimate dialogue of Brahms’s Double Concerto for Violin and Cello.
Beyond the Silver Screen
Chamber Concerts offer audiences the opportunity to hear from RSO musicians about the music on the program and how it inspires them.
Night at the Movies
Walk the red carpet under the Coronado stars for an evening of symphonic works from Academy Award®-winning films.
Melodies at the Museum Matinee
Chamber Concerts offer audiences the opportunity to hear from RSO musicians about the music on the program and how it inspires them.
Melodies at the Museum
Chamber Concerts offer audiences the opportunity to hear from RSO musicians about the music on the program and how it inspires them.
From Fate to Triumph
Experience the musical brilliance of Beethoven and his influence on future generations of composers. From classical to contemporary, this performance explores the universal themes of fate and triumph.
America 250
The season concludes with a jubilant celebration honoring the 250th anniversary of the United States. Ranging from the pioneers of the American sound to two of today’s acclaimed composers, the evening showcases the rich and diverse heritage of American music.
Brilliant Brass
Chamber Concerts offer audiences the opportunity to hear from RSO musicians about the music on the program and how it inspires them. Brilliant Brass will feature modern music for brass quintet by a variety of composers, centered around Michael Tilson Thomas’s Street Song.
Encore! Radio Broadcast (Ellis Island: Dream Of America)
Tune in to this one-hour broadcast featuring excerpts from Ellis Island: Dream Of America, recorded live on March 8, 2025, at the Coronado Theatre.
RSYO Spring Chamber Concert
Featuring the award-winning Rockford Symphony Youth Orchestra in concert with conductor Linc Smelser.
Ellis Island: Dream of America
This concert celebrates Rockford’s long history of welcoming immigrants, and the heritage shared by these newcomers that has created Rockford’s own unique culture.
FIELD TRIP: Ellis Island: The Dream of America Youth Concert
This Field Trip opportunity to attend our annual Youth Concert will explore the immigrant experience through the music of Boyer's Ellis Island: The Dream of America.
Recommended for grade levels five and up.
Stunning Strings
Chamber Concerts offer audiences the opportunity to hear from RSO musicians about the music on the program and how it inspires them.
Encore! Radio Broadcast (Mozart Meets Mahler)
Join Classical WNIU host Eric Hradecky for this one-hour broadcast featuring excerpts from Mozart Meets Mahler, recorded live on January 18, 2025, at the Coronado Performing Arts Center.
Mozart Meets Mahler
Mozart meets Mahler in this concert featuring RSO’s own Concertmaster Michèle Lekas and Principal Viola Rebecca Swan.
SoundBites with Laura Strickling
Join us as Music Director Yaniv Attar speaks with Guest Artist Laura Strickling about her experiences, and what she is most excited about for the concert. RSVP requested. Lunch is available for purchase.
Coffee with the Maestro
Join us at Anderson Japanese Gardens to meet Maestro Yaniv Attar from 11:30am-1:00pm. Stop by to say hello and grab a cup of coffee.
Encore! Radio Broadcast (Holiday Pops)
Join Classical WNIU host Eric Hradecky for this one-hour broadcast featuring excerpts from Holiday Pops, recorded live on December 21, 2024, at the Coronado Performing Arts Center.
Holiday Pops Matinee
Matinee added! Featuring the RSO, Santa and Mrs. Claus, and three local choirs, this annual Holiday tradition presents your favorite merry melodies to spread joy and create memories with the whole family.
Holiday Pops
Featuring the RSO, Santa and Mrs. Claus, and three local choirs, this annual Holiday tradition presents your favorite merry melodies to spread joy and create memories with the whole family.
Nutcracker Matinee
Join us for a holiday classic presented in partnership with the Rockford Dance Company and featuring professional lead dancers from the region's top ballet companies.
Nutcracker
Join us for a holiday classic presented in partnership with the Rockford Dance Company and featuring professional lead dancers from the region's top ballet companies.
FIELD TRIP: The Nutcracker
The Rockford Symphony Orchestra and Rockford Dance Company are coming together to create a magical student matinee. This field trip opportunity at the Coronado Performing Arts Center is for students in grades 3-12.
Encore! Radio Broadcast (Symphonic Classics)
Join Classical WNIU host Eric Hradecky for this one-hour broadcast featuring excerpts from Symphonic Classics, recorded live on November 16, 2024, at the Coronado Performing Arts Center.
RSYO Fall Orchestra Concert
Featuring the award-winning Rockford Symphony Youth Orchestra in concert with conductor Linc Smelser.
Symphonic Classics
Mozart’s iconic and beloved Symphony No. 40 alongside Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto makes for a program of Classical-era music that’s sure to delight.
SoundBites with Mark Baldin
Join us as Music Director Yaniv Attar speaks with RSO Principal Trumpeter, Mark Baldin about his experiences, and what he is most excited about for the concert. RSVP requested. Lunch is available for purchase.
RSYO Fall Chamber Concert
Featuring the award-winning Rockford Symphony Youth Orchestra in concert with conductor Linc Smelser.
Encore! Radio Broadcast (Spooktacular)
Join Classical WNIU host Eric Hradecky for this one-hour broadcast featuring excerpts from Spooktacular, recorded live on October 26, 2024 at the Coronado Performing Arts Center.
Spooktacular
Wear your costumes and celebrate Halloween early with a spine-tingling program of spooky symphonic sounds.
Encore! Radio Broadcast (Tchaikovsky And Rachmaninoff)
Join Classical WNIU host Eric Hradecky for this one-hour broadcast featuring excerpts from Tchaikovsky And Rachmaninoff, recorded live on September 14, 2024 at the Coronado Performing Arts Center.
Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff
Join the RSO on Opening Night for this celebratory program of Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff with Violinist Giora Schmidt
SoundBites with Giora Schmidt
Join us as Music Director Yaniv Attar speaks with Guest Artist Giora Schmidt about his experiences and what he is most excited about for the concert. RSVP requested. Lunch is available for purchase.
Star Spangled Spectacular
The annual Star Spangled Spectacular in the beautiful Starlight Theatre is the perfect way to celebrate Independence Day!
RSYO Auditions
Audition to the join the Rockford Symphony Youth Orchestra for the 2024/25 Season!
Encore! Radio Broadcast
Join Classical WNIU host Eric Hradecky for this one-hour broadcast featuring excerpts from Soundscapes, recorded live on May 11, 2024 at the Coronado Performing Arts Center.
RSYO Auditions
Audition to the join the Rockford Symphony Youth Orchestra for the 2024/25 Season!