Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestras
Aaron Kaplan enjoys a multifaceted musical career as a conductor, musical director, cellist, music educator, and arranger. He earned a master’s degree in orchestral conducting from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign under the tutelage of Donald Schleicher, as well as his bachelor’s degree in cello performance and bachelor’s degree in music education with high honors also from the University of Illinois.
Aaron is the artistic director/conductor of the JAM Orchestra, a Chicago-based ensemble dedicated to performing a diverse repertoire of classical, Broadway, swing, and film music. He also conducts the Sinfonia Orchestra for the Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Preludio Orchestra, and Cello Choir at Music Institute of Chicago and is the assistant director of the Chicago Suzuki Institute. A dedicated teacher, Aaron is an orchestra director at Glenbrook North and Glenbrook South High Schools where he co-teaches the orchestra classes, conducts the Glenbrook Symphony Orchestra, teaches AP Music Theory, writes orchestrations for both schools’ annual variety shows, and conducts the annual Glenbrook musical.
A passionate advocate of American musical theatre, Aaron has been the music director/conductor for over 80 productions (with complete orchestration) including West Side Story, On the Town, Les Misérables, RENT, Chess, Guys & Dolls, Fiddler on the Roof, and The Producers. He was invited to conduct the orchestra for the Illinois High School Theatre Festival All-State Production twice; in 2013 for Memphis (premiere amateur production) and in 2017 for Sweeney Todd. Aaron currently sits on the board of directors for several different theatre companies and was a co-founder and co-president of Illini Student Musicals on the University of Illinois campus.
He has continued his conducting studies at workshops in the United States and Europe with Gustav Meier and Larry Rachleff and has conducted the Bohuslav Martinu Philharmonic (Czech Republic) and the New Symphony of Bulgaria. Aaron began studying cello at the age of 5 with Holly Compton and continued with Blake Brasch, Ani Aznavoorian, and Brandon Vamos of the Pacifica Quartet.
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Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestras
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The Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestras has a national reputation for providing not only an engaging musical experience for its students, but also a comprehensive learning environment which promotes curiosity, imagination, critical thinking, and collaboration. With six large ensembles, three small ensembles, and a thriving Chamber Music Institute, EYSO auditions record numbers of students each year in addition to the hundreds of musicians who already enjoy its rigorous methods of inquiry and "expert noticing." Under the leadership of Artistic Director Matthew Sheppard, a leader in music education, the students of EYSO explore a comprehensive curriculum each season—one which aims not only to help these students develop artistically and technically, but also to prepare them for a future of complex ideas, creative risk-taking, and leadership as global citizens. The dynamic and engaging rehearsals foster musical and personal growth as students develop into well-rounded and thoughtful communicators, and leaders in their sections, ensembles, schools, and communities. This thoughtful and attentive approach that is the hallmark of EYSO has led hundreds of alumni to successful careers as professional musicians, educators, and leaders in every field. It’s what we call “educating the whole musician”: preparing our students for a lifelong journey of inquiry, creativity and growth. Regardless of our alumni’s pursuits, their EYSO experience as a valued member of a thought-provoking, fair, and encouraging creative environment continues to serve them well. The Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestras would not exist today without the generous support of families, audience members, and donors. Your sponsorship of EYSO inspires artistry, confidence, and curiosity in hundreds of young musicians in the Chicago area. To learn more about the pedagogical approach that EYSO conductors and coaches use in delivering the EYSO mission please visit the Illinois Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance (CMP) page.