Wheaton

The Credo Trio, comprised of internationally acclaimed Karen Burgman, Elizabeth Larson and Steuart Pincombe, performs Saturday as part of the College Church of Wheaton's Sixth Annual Credo Day Chicago Festival.

The trio will perform the works of Brahms, Hadyn and Mendelssohn starting at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, at the Wheaton church, 332 E. Seminary Ave. The concert is free and open to the public.

The church will be the first stop on the Credo Trio's second U.S. tour, which takes the ensemble to concert halls from coast to coast.

The Credo Day Chicago Festival is a program of master classes, chamber music reading and service projects that are provided free to students from Chicago and elsewhere.

For more information about the concert, call (440) 774-3658 or e-mail office@credochambermusic.org.

The Brookfield Zoo and Cantigny Park are just a couple of places recognizing Veterans Day (Nov. 11) with ceremonies.

Cantigny Park is offering a series of botanical design classes this fall for anyone looking to add a personal touch to their holiday decorations.

The sessions at Cantigny's greenhouse include an intensive "Holly Daze Workshop" and a snow globe class for children.

Snap a photo of Cantigny Park in Wheaton and enter the Cantigny in Focus annual photo contest.

Amateur photographers of all ages are invited to share their best images of Cantigny, the 500-acre former estate of Robert R. McCormick and part of the McCormick Foundation. The entry deadline is Friday, Dec. 11.

Cantigny Volunteer Jim Frazier snaps a shot at Cantigny's Rose Garden. SUBMITTED PHOTO

The confluence of 2009 anniversaries of the birth and deaths of musical greats inspires a concert by chamber orchestra Camerata Chicago and one of its favorite guest artists, pianist Lyudmila Lakisova. Conductor and founder Drostan Hall talks about the performance in Wheaton, followed by their appearance on the “Live from WFMT” broadcast at 8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 23.

Drostan Hall, conductor and founder of Camerata Chicago, will lead the chamber orchestra in a free performance in Wheaton, preceding a live radio broadcast on WFMT. SUBMITTED PHOTO

Saint Michael Catholic Church in Wheaton announces the first organ recital on the 2009–10 Joseph and Helen Keim Organ Concert Series. It begins at 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, at 310 S. Wheaton Ave.
 
“Mr. Hope is an incredibly dynamic performer with skill beyond his years; we're very excited to host him again at St. Michael Church,” says Christopher Orf, director of music and liturgy.

Jonathan Hope gives a recital at Freiburg Cathedral in Germany this year (www.officialjonhope.com).

The Artist Series at Wheaton College presents the Virsky Ukrainian National Dance Company in performance at 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24.

The ensemble was formed in 1937 when Ukrainian ballet masters Pavlo Virsky and Mykola Bolotov assembled a group of folk dancers. Under Virsky’s guidance, the ensemble matured into an internationally respected dance company. Myroslav Vantukh, an expert in folk traditions and ethnography, has led the ensemble since 1980, preserving the choreographic folk art.
 

The Virsky troupe. SUBMITTED PHOTO

As leafy canopies turn into rainbows, here are some of the best suburban vantage points to savor autumn’s splendor — from favorite trails to special events.

ST. CHARLES PADDLEWHEEL RIVERBOATS
ADDRESS 2 North Ave., St. Charles
PHONE (630) 584-2334
WEB www.stcriverboats.com
Leave dry land for a little time travel, taking in the scenery from aboard a St. Charles riverboat on a four-mile round trip on the Fox River. Tickets aboard the replica paddlewheeler cost $7.50 for adults and $6 for youth ages 2 to 15. A boat will set out at 2, 3 and 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 18, leaving from Pottawatomie Park. Before autumn fades, you also can book charter excursions by reservation.

THE MORTON ARBORETUM
ADDRESS At I-88 and Route 53, Lisle
PHONE (630) 968-0074
WEB www.mortonarb.org
Think trees, think Morton Arboretum. “Fall colors (can) be especially impressive because of the wide variety of trees and other plants from around the world,” says Ed Hedborn, Arboretum botanist and “Color Scout” who chronicles the changes in hues week by week. To take in the vistas, visitors can hike the 16 miles of trails, bicycle or drive the nine miles of roads, or hop a tram. Hedborn reports his weekly color findings at www.mortonarb.org/colorupdate and on the Bloom ‘n Color Hotline at (630) 719-7955. The Arboretum’s Fall Color Festival this month offers events for the whole family, such as art shows, a “Theatre-Hike” musical, wine tasting, pumpkin decorating, taffy apples and the lakeside Scarecrow Trail.

Take a ride on a St. Charles riverboat and scope beautiful
foliage lining the shores of the Fox River. SUBMITTED PHOTO

Hear about real G.I. Joes and Abraham Lincoln in a film screening and lecture, respectively, in the next two days at Cantigny Park in Wheaton.

Illinois State University Symphony Orchestra begins its annual high school concert tour this week, with performances in Naperville, Wheaton and Elmhurst.

On Wednesday, Oct. 7, the orchestra will make its way to Naperville North High School for a 10 a.m. concert, then travel to Wheaton for a 1:15 p.m. concert at Wheaton North High School. The orchestra concludes its tour with a side-by-side concert with the York Community High School Orchestra at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8 in Elmhurst.

ISU Director of Orchestras Glenn Block schedules the tour each fall to give his performers experience and to help introduce Illinois high school students to the sound and talent of an university symphony orchestra.