Joliet Symphony Orchestra at USF Awarded Grant Worth Over $4,600

Joliet, Ill. – The Joliet Symphony Orchestra (JSO) at the University of St. Francis (USF) in Joliet will soon add instruments to its percussion section thanks to a grant worth over $4,600 from the Community Foundation of Will County through the Jay and Lori Bergman Charitable Fund. Alexandra Dee, USF Director of Orchestral Activities and Music Director and Conductor of the Joliet Symphony Orchestra, was presented with the grant award on October 25th at Mistwood Golf Club.

“We sincerely thank the Community Foundation of Will County and the Jay and Lori Bergman Charitable Fund for this generous grant,” Dee said. “The grant will allow us to expand our percussion section through the purchase of a vibraphone and a set of tom-tom drums. These additions will also allow us to increase the diversity of music we perform.”

The Joliet Symphony Orchestra has close to 60 members and is comprised of members of the USF Orchestra and individual community members. It is also the only orchestra for adults in Will County.

JSO invites community members to mark their calendars now for the group’s “Rhythms of Nature” show that is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 12, 2019 at 11 a.m. in Sexton Auditorium (which is located in Moser Performing Arts Center on the main USF campus in Joliet). The interactive show is a family event that will provide an opportunity for attendees to enjoy hands-on activities, which will include conducting, crafting a handmade instrument, and navigating a 200-instrument “petting zoo,” following the performance. Admission to the event is free of charge.

The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves 4,100 students nationwide, offering undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 49,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit www.stfrancis.edu.

University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose.