Get ready for an evening of Sax + Romance with your Illinois Symphony Orchestra

Dance into Valentine’s Day with our Love Notes concert, an irresistible blend of energy, passion, and musical flirtation. We open with Bernstein’s playful and spirited Three Dance Episodes from On the Town, bursting with rhythm and charm.
 
Then sparks fly as dynamic saxophone duo Valentine Kovalev and Aiwen Zhang make their debut in Carr’s sultry Concerto for Two Saxophones, a work that smolders with rich colors and intimate musical interplay.
 
We close with the sweeping emotion of Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony—a journey from fateful tension to triumphant radiance that guarantees a heart‑stirring finale.
 
It’s the perfect soundtrack for a night of romance.
 
Classical saxophonist Valentin Kovalev is redefining the voice of the saxophone for the 21st century. His commanding performances, innovative programming, and powerful digital presence are elevating the instrument on the world's most prestigious stages.
 
Aiwen Zhang is an innovative and dynamic artist committed to exploring diverse musical repertoire and multimedia art forms that captivate audiences worldwide. A classically trained saxophonist, Aiwen is in high demand as a performer and educator, with engagements spanning the United States, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Thailand.
 
Taichi Fukumura, Music Director of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra and newly appointed Assistant Conductor of The Cleveland Orchestra, is one of the most electrifying young talents on the podium today. A Second Prize Winner of The Mahler Competition 2023 and a four-time recipient of the prestigious Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award (2021–2024), Fukumura is rapidly emerging as a bold new voice in American orchestral music.
 
Join us at 7:30 PM on Friday, February 13, 2026, at First United Methodist Church, in Springfield, Illinois or at 7:30 PM on Saturday, February 14, 2026, at ISU Center for the Performing Arts in Normal, Illinois. Please join us one hour prior to the concert for Concert Comments, a special pre-concert discussion that will take you, the listener, inside the music.
 
Order your tickets today!
Tickets may be purchased in Springfield through the UIS Ticket Office at (217) 206-6160 or in Bloomington-Normal through the ISU Center for the Performing Arts at (309) 438-2535. You can also order tickets online at ilsymphony.org/lovenotes. Single ticket prices range from $10 for students (24 & under) to $65 for premium seating. Ticket prices do not include online ticketing fees.
 
Love Notes is sponsored by season sponsors The Landmark Automotive Group and Debra & Daniel Brownstone, M.D., and guest artist sponsors Terry Huff and Steve & Ruth Ann Friedberg.
 
The Illinois Symphony Orchestra (ISO), under the inspiring leadership of Music Director Taichi Fukumura, is the premier professional orchestra of central Illinois—bringing world-class music to life for more than 35,000 patrons across Bloomington-Normal, Springfield, and surrounding communities. With thrilling symphony, Pops, and chamber performances, engaging Concerts for Kids, and intimate and immersive chamber experiences like the Sips & Sounds, Around the Town and Beyond the Stage performances, the ISO is redefining what a regional orchestra can be.
 
The ISO’s reach goes far beyond the concert hall. Through transformative education programs like Itsy Arts and Music Matters, the orchestra sparks creativity in pre-K and elementary classrooms, while guest artist residencies and ensemble visits connect with middle schools, high schools, universities, and senior centers—building lifelong relationships with music.
 
In 2020, the ISO expanded its mission by acquiring the Sangamon Valley Youth Symphony, now the Illinois Symphony Youth Orchestras (ISYO), serving over 300 young musicians through five progressive ensembles. With strong partnerships through its’ PEACE (Partnership in Education and Community Engagement) with UIS-Music and Illinois State University, the ISO is cultivating the next generation of artists, educators, and arts advocates. ISO’s annual operating budget is $1.6 million.
 
Additional information about the Illinois Symphony Orchestra is available at www.ilsymphony.org.
 
This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council.