The Northwest Symphony Orchestra was founded
in 1952 by a group of amateur musicians living in the northwest suburbs of
Chicago. They asked Perry Crafton, a violinist with the Chicago Symphony
Orchestra, to conduct the orchestra, and under his baton, the group’s inaugural
concert was held on May 3, 1953. Mr. Crafton continued as music director until
his retirement in 1994. This forty-two season tenure as music director is
unprecedented in community orchestra annals and speaks to Mr. Crafton’s
abilities as a musician and leader. During this period the orchestra gradually
increased in size, establishing a regular annual season program of four
concerts.
In 1994, Paul Vermel was appointed
music director and conductor and currently is in his seventeenth season with
the NSO. His considerable skills as teacher, conductor, and musician have
endeared him to orchestra members and audience alike. Each season, Maestro
Vermel programmed rarely performed compositions, as well as works by living
composers (the 1996-1997 and 2002-2003 seasons included world premieres), and
has often collaborated with other area musical groups to present joint
performances. The Northwest Symphony Orchestra commissioned “Entrance to the
City of Proud Fancy” by Daniel Steven Crafts, to celebrate the orchestra’s 50th
Anniversary.
In 1995, through the efforts of Barbara Hedlund from the
Champaign-Urbana Symphony, the NSO instituted a solo competition for young
instrumentalists, and each year a string performer has been named the Paul
Vermel Young Artist Award winner. In addition to a cash prize, the winner
performs a solo concerto with the orchestra at a scheduled concert. Recipients
of this award have gone on to hold seats in prestigious groups such as the
Indianapolis Symphony, the Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam, the Sarasota
(FL) Symphony, and the Milwaukee Symphony.
The NSO received the
Programming of the Year Award for 2003 from the Illinois Council of Orchestras.
Other awards garnered by the NSO from the Illinois Council of Orchestras
include the Volunteer of the Year (Jim Bataille) in 2002, Community Orchestra
of the Year in 2005, Conductor of the Year (Paul Vermel) in 2006, Board
President of the Year (Diane Macewicz) in 2007, and Volunteer of the Year
(Walter Wolodkin) in 2008.
Currently, the orchestra consists of nearly eighty regular
members and presents a four-concert subscription season. The volunteer
musicians include educators, professionals, students, and retirees who love to
make fine music and who donate considerable time and effort to meet high
performance standards. They live in Des Plaines, Arlington Heights, Chicago,
and more than 45 surrounding communities.
As a partner with D214 Community Education program, the NSO
presents their season concerts at the Forest View Community Education Center,
Arlington Heights, IL. The NSO partners with the Chicago Youth Symphony
Orchestra by presenting a young concerto artist in concert each spring.
The Northwest Symphony Orchestra Association announced the
appointment of Maestra Kim Diehnelt as Music Director and Conductor beginning
the 2013-2014 season. Maestra Diehnelt brings her experience as an accomplished
composer and conductor in Europe, Central America, and the United States to our
musical community.
Maestra Diehnelt
initiated The Paul Vermel Conductor Apprenticeship Program to mentor young
conductors. Now in its third season, the Apprenticeship program offers a student of conducting an opportunity to receive guidance
and one-on-one instruction from Maestra Diehnelt and to study, rehearse,
and conduct a selected work in concert with the Northwest Symphony Orchestra.
Maestra Diehnelt also
launched the NSO’s International Call for Scores whereby composers of any
nationality or age may submit works for presentation by the NSO in the
following NSO season.
Under the guidance of
Maestra Diehnelt the NSO has reached new artistic levels, including an Encore
Performance
in April 2014
with violist Michael Hall at prestigious Orchestra Hall in
Chicago.