SSO presents Folk, Fire, and Folly

On Sunday, November 15, at 4:00 pm, the Southwest Symphony Orchestra presents its second concert this season – FOLK, FIRE, AND FOLLY. The SSO has been making music for over 60 years in the Southwest suburbs.

This concert will spotlight Nicholas Koo as Guest Conductor. Pieces that will be performed are: Dances of Galánta by Kodály, The Three-Cornered Hat by de Falla, and Symphony No. 1 by Shostakovich.

Dr. Koo is a Korean-American conductor whose career spans orchestras across the United States, including the Minnesota Orchestra, the Colorado Symphony Association, the Utah Symphony | Utah Opera and the San Diego Symphony. He made his debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in March 2025 as part of their MusicNOW series, conducting works by Jimmy López, and was featured with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra in their Leonard Slatkin 80th Birthday Celebration as an emerging conductor. Most recently, he returned to Minneapolis to lead a series of education, family, and sensory-friendly concerts with the Minnesota Orchestra in partnership with the Minnesota Zoo, reaching more than 13,000 youth across the greater Twin Cities.

A 2023 recipient of the Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award, Koo was also selected from over 300 applicants worldwide to join Riccardo Muti’s Italian Opera Academy in Ravenna, Italy, where he studied and performed Verdi’s Messa da Requiem under Maestro Muti’s guidance at Teatro Comunale Alighieri.

Originally from the Bay Area, Koo holds undergraduate degrees in molecular cell biology and music from the University of California, Berkeley, where he studied conducting with David Milnes and choral conducting with Vance George and Marika Kuzma. He earned his master’s and doctoral degrees in orchestral conducting from Northwestern University.

·Ticket prices are $25.00 to $30.00 for seniors, adults $30.00 to $35.00, full time students and children are free.

·Tickets are available in advance and at the door.

The not-for-profit Southwest Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1964 and serves audiences throughout the south and southwest suburban communities. For ticket information and to learn more, visit us at southwestsymphony.com, call 708-802-0686, email southwestsymphony@gmail.com  or visit us on Facebook and Instagram.