Welcome
ESO is an ambitious non-professional orchestra bringing quality concerts to the heart of Chelmsford, and it is my great pleasure to be their Music Director. Together we aim to deliver top-class performances of full-scale symphonic repertoire ranging from established classics to lesser-known pieces that deserve more exposure. Players in the orchestra are hugely committed and I’m constantly amazed by their passion and precision. ESO regularly works with top soloists and local professional musicians whose performances are exhilarating and inspirational. Each year the orchestra engages with local young people through a series of events and workshops aimed at encouraging the next generation of musicians and music lovers. Essex has a rich cultural past and, with the help of ESO and you as our audience, we hope to ensure that the future is just as bright.
Robert Hodge, Music Director, ESO
WELCOME TO THE 2024/25 SEASON!
Full introduction and details of our 75th Anniversary Season coming soon, but for now, an overview of the concerts:
7 December 2024
Borodin – Prince Igor Overture, Gipps Horn Concerto and Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherazade
8 March 2025
Shostakovich Festival Overture, Shostakovich Cello Concerto 1 and Dvorak Symphony 8
21 June 2025 Film Music – family afternoon 1 hour + evening full concert
Free Young People’s Orchestral Workshop
In May 2025 at St John Payne School, Chelmsford, we will be repeating our ever popular Young People’s Orchestral Workshop.
Exact date and full details of how to apply to follow soon.
The workshop is for pupils who learn an orchestral instrument in or out of school and who have passed Grade 1to Grade 5.