A Message from EMSO’s New President

Friends of EMSO –

I look forward to you joining with us to enjoy Going Places! – our March concert of musical journeys. We look forward to sharing with you the music of Grieg and Sibelius as well as tunes from musical theater and opera. We love to play, but we especially love to be joined in the appreciation of music by fellow music lovers, friends, family, and community members. It is not just us musicians, but those who join us as an audience, who make our orchestra what it is. We rely not only on your support but also your energy to make our performances shine. If you have people in your life who haven’t been to one of our concerts, invite them along as well. And, if you play, or if you know somebody that does, consider joining us in our upcoming season. We look forward to seeing you!

We have had many challenges and changes over the last couple of years, and I would like to thank Stephen Thompson for the time and energy he has contributed to EMSO as a board member and as President of the orchestra. Since Stephen stepped down in January, I have taken the role of President. After serving several years on the board, I have appreciated the guidance that Stephen has shared with me.  So, with that said – Hi! I’m James Slegers! I play in the viola section, and when I’m not playing with EMSO, I’m working as a planner for the power grid, volunteering with my St. Paul District Council, or riding my bicycle. A thing that I love about our orchestra is the wide variety of life experiences we bring with us – we are truly a community orchestra.