GODFREY/WOOD RIVER - Community members have multiple fun opportunities to support the Alton Symphony Orchestra while enjoying live music.
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From 6–8 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026, Rustic Roots in Wood River will host ASO’s biggest fundraiser, “Sips and Strings.” Attendees can shop local vendors and enjoy wine tastings while listening to the ASO string quartet. At 3 p.m. on Feb. 28, the full orchestra will perform its spring concert at Hatheway Hall on the Lewis and Clark Community College campus.
“It is important, especially right now, to support the arts,” said clarinet player Melissa Bock. “A lot of funding has been cut off. Illinois still offers their arts grants, which we do get, but that is just a very small portion of our operating budget. There's not a whole lot of other financial assistance out there for arts organizations at the moment. So supporting us either through fundraisers, coming to concerts, donating — anything helps.”
Bock noted that ASO provides affordable, local concerts to community members who might not be able to go to shows in St. Louis. Tickets to ASO concerts always cost $10 for adults and $5 for children, and they work hard to keep these prices stable.
That’s why fundraisers like Sips and Strings are so important. Advanced tickets cost $30 and can be purchased online; tickets at the door cost $40. All proceeds will go toward ASO’s operating budget so they can continue to provide performances and scholarships.
The Sips and Strings fundraiser will feature approximately 30 wine samples from Koerner Distributing. Attendees can purchase their favorite wines, and a portion of sales will go back to ASO.
Nosh House, owned by former ASO member Sydney Matthews, will provide appetizers and desserts. There will be several vendors selling their wares, including print art, fiber art, home decor, jewelry, crochet art, honey-infused products and more.
During the Feb. 28 concert, ASO will feature a few special guests for their “Variations on Americana” theme. ASO’s Marie Stillwell Concerto Competition winner, high schooler Tyler He, will play "Warsaw Concerto" from the film "Dangerous Moonlight.” The orchestra will also welcome senior members from the Alton Youth Symphony to join them for two pieces.
The “Variations on Americana” theme will include music from “West Side Story” and other favorites, including “Lincoln Portrait” narrated by Jared Hennings. This piece includes quotes from famous speeches by Abraham Lincoln, including a quote from the Alton Lincoln-Douglas debate.
Bock is eager for people to enjoy the concert. She noted that ASO’s performances are a great opportunity to engage with classical music, and people from “all over” come to see them perform.
Bock added that ASO is made up of people who play professionally as well as high school students, retirees, teachers, and others “from all walks of life.” She expressed her appreciation for the ability to play her instrument even though she does not work in the music industry. ASO provides the opportunity for musicians to hone their skills and play together across the Riverbend region.
As the orchestra gears up for its major Sips and Strings fundraiser on Feb. 20 and their spring concert on Feb. 28, Bock and her fellow musicians hope people come out to see the value of classical music on the local level.
“It provides access to classical music that a lot of people otherwise would not be able to see. Not everybody can pay $75 or $100 to go to see the St Louis Symphony. So this is an opportunity for people who normally would not see this type of performance to come,” she added. “It's a very wide audience, and it's important to us to keep those prices low so that anybody who wants to come can come.”
For more information about the Alton Symphony Orchestra, including how to support them, visit their official website at AltonSymphonyOrchestra.org.
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