What a season it has been!
  
We could not have anticipated, or ever imagined, a year when we would have to limit our live playing for audiences so significantly. And certainly, none of us saw offering concerts livestreamed in our futures—until this season!
 
And yet, this was the year of the “pivot.” We are so grateful that we could still find ways to share our music with you, and we thank you for your continued support. One blessing of livestreaming our concerts is that people who were physically distant from us have been able to enjoy our music. One of our patrons took the time to email us about how important listening to our music became to her during a difficult time:
 
“I cannot come [to the concert], as during Covid, I've been in Michigan caring for my father and doing my work remotely from here. I will watch it, though, on YouTube and I'm so grateful—so, so, so grateful—that you are doing this concert. I watched your April concert last night and it is like a lifeline to something so beautiful and so meaningful in these tremendously difficult times. Thank you so much! I loved the piece you played. I watched it again this morning. Sublime!”
 
A lifeline. Beauty. Meaning. We venture to say that music has the power to be a lifeline and invoke beauty and meaning in the best of times—and these qualities are even more elusive and more needed in challenging times. We hope that you have found hope in music during the past year and continue to in the year ahead.
 
As for Orion, we look forward to making music for you in the 2021–22 season, and we will share our performance schedule as soon as we can. If you would like to make a gift to the Ensemble to help support us after what has been a challenging year, you may do so on our website or via mail (1107 N. Fischer Drive, Addison, IL 60101).
 
Cheers to the 2021–22 season, when hopefully more live music will be performed and heard on stages everywhere!
 
Kathy, Florentina, Judy and Diana
The Orion Ensemble

Please note, you can still enjoy all of Orion's concerts from this season on our YouTube channel.

"One of Chicago's most vibrant, versatile and distinctive ensembles."
~ John von Rhein, Chicago Tribune

The Orion Ensemble is supported in part by grants from the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the John R. Halligan Charitable Fund, the Farny R. Wurlitzer Foundation Fund, and the Illinois Arts Council Agency, and generous donations from our dedicated patrons.