Since 2000, Orchestra Parents/Patrons’ United Support has the vision to create a fuller and more enriched life with beautiful chamber and orchestral music for Naperville, IL, and the surrounding communities in Chicago. The mission of OPUS is to provide inspirational opportunities for people to build awareness of, cultivate, and strengthen the performing arts by expanding their instrumental music skills.
The OPUS programs aim to grow students’ musical intellect while enhancing their growth in friendship, self-confidence, and a sense of social responsibility. Recent emphases include: (1) Encourage underrepresented and minority students and teachers to participate to foster diversity, equity, inclusion, and a sense of belonging in the performing arts, and (2) Present high-quality music to older adults, veterans, differently-abled, and other underserved groups.
OPUS has organized, underwritten, and executed numerous music programs
OPUS has cultivated a collective of chamber and orchestral music performers, dedicated to nurturing an appreciation for exploring new chamber music repertoire while fostering deep bonds of friendship. The OPUS students range from age 7 to 25, to over 80 years old. They have applied learned musical skills to enrich communities throughout history, as OPUS has graced diverse venues with numerous concerts. Each performance has been an exhibition of the exceptional talents harbored by its students. OPUS has mentored numerous students playing chamber music as their lifelong love. 2025 marks the 25th year of the organization, and the longevity is a testament to the group’s enduring legacy and beyond.
Anchoring this musical journey is the annual Chamber Music Camp (24th annual in 2026), a cherished multiple-day (7 days now) immersive experience offering students (ages 7 to 25) the space to refine their craft beyond the traditional music learning experiences found in the school classroom. It’s a platform where kindred spirits, united by a passion for chamber music, come together to both refine their skills and forge lasting connections. Each camp is a cohort experience that provides opportunities year-round for campers.
A highlight eagerly anticipated is the “Salute, Honor, & Love” concert, an annual event that epitomizes the essence of OPUS. This concert, held in the Wentz Concert Center, showcases the pinnacle of the students’ and teaching assistants’ artistry. The SHL Concert makes a meaningful connection between the young sharing their musical gifts with the veterans and older adults who attend the performance.
OPUS’s programming is year-round
OPUS provides clinics to schools, music competitions, awards and recognitions to students, and concerts to bring joy to local hospitals, rehabilitation centers, service organizations, as well as in the local parks in the “Chamber Music in the Park” series. OPUS Holiday Workshop, followed by several Holiday Concerts at older adults’ residences also yielded high accolades, leaving joyful and festive musical footprints since 2003. These concerts created joyful experiences that uplift seniors in comfort and care at their own residences.
In addition, OPUS offers “Get the Taste” of OPUS Chamber Music Workshop for school-age students, and “Never Too Late to Learn” chamber music workshops for amateur adults. A unique OPUS Chamber Orchestra program was inaugurated in 2024. OPUS students with advanced skills learned from its faculty playing next to them in a small chamber orchestra (15 to 30 people). The OCO provides tremendous mentoring and education, which inspires and transforms the young musician to reach a high bar they never thought possible to achieve. The OCO performs in larger older adults’ living complexes year-round. The admissions to OPUS concert performances are always free, except for its milestone anniversary GALA concerts.
Spotlight Guests: Mara Gallagher, Music Director, and Daryl Silberman, Assistant Music Director
