Edwardsville Symphony (formerly Edwardsville Community Symphony)

Description

Edwardsville Symphony is the only professional, union symphony orchestra in Southern Illinois. Lead by founder and artistic director, Angelina Salanga McLaughlin-Heil, the orchestra is now on its fifth year of bringing culturally, generationally, and ethically diverse programmed free concerts to our community. Our concerts include collaborations with other community non profits and promoting youth in music. We provided music therapy performances during covid which also provided work for our players by putting on outdoor chamber concerts and shared through Facebook live. We look forward to continued excellence in performance and serving our community through music.

Work Sample

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?extid=NS-UNK-UNK-UNK-IOS_GK0T-GK1C&v=893959991238930

A collaboration with Aza Duo playing multi-cultural music on our free outdoor concert on August 29, 2021. We collaborate with multi-cultural musicians to provide diverse programming. This piece was two minutes long, but we could program guest soloist from any culture and create an accompaniment part for the symphony orchestra.

https://www.facebook.com/631820341/posts/10159081038450342/?d=n

Composer Kent Baker is a military veteran and composed a unique arrangement of the Star Spangled Banner specifically for the Edwardsville Symphony. We programmed the arrangement on every concert the summer we came back after covid to offer a patriotic emotional release for our audience. The arrangement was especially effective when we had a vocal soloists lead the audience, which we were able to do twice. This arrangement is in our permanent library and can easily be added to any future concert program.

Our July 25,2022 free concert in the park. We had a guest MC, generationally and culturally diverse programming that includes employment of youth performing in our symphony orchestra. We also provide a free arts and crafts table for anyone needed to get up and move around while enjoying the concert.

These are three examples that show the diversity of programming and efforts of the board and I to share multicultural, multi-generational, and gender diverse musical performances for our community and job creation for local musicians.

History

When I graduated from Illinois State University I expected that the many symphony orchestras I have played with over the years would allow me to be in the running for conductor positions as sub or long term. I was overlooked too many times and saw that the Edwardsville community had a need for a professional symphony since they have a great private and public school music program and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville music program. There are many professional players in town needing paid work. I found a strong of community members for my board and worked with the Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants of St.Louis to start the non-profit symphony orchestra. We are now celebrating our fifth year anniversary and are the only professional, union symphony orchestra south of Springfield.

Artistic Vision

I am now one of three professional women conductors in the state of Illinois with the goal to normalize women conducting, promote classical music by women and minorities, and play diverse repertoire on every concert while encouraging the professional players in the orchestra to do the same.

Programs for Specific Audience(s) Expertise

Music concerts can be formatted to fit any audience needs. As an educator, my bachelors is in music education and I have over twenty years of music teaching experience for ages 4 through adults, I understand the changes necessary to give diverse audiences a positive concert experience.

Traditional Folk/Ethnic Artform Statement

I am the daughter of a Filipino immigrant, I am both a minority and a women in classical orchestra field, which is dominated and historically white male. I understand first hand how representation matters and making the extra effort to change the status quo of only playing “standard” orchestra works (I.e. Beethoven, Mozart) that people are used to leaves out more than one population of music lovers and players. Diversifying programming so music is relatable to a wider audience is the key to continuing classical music and symphony orchestras in our community.