history
Founded in 1995 and giving its very successful inaugural concert in May 1996, Ars Viva quickly took its place among the finest orchestras in the Chicago metropolitan area. The core of the orchestra is made up of musicians from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Ars Viva was named Orchestra of the Year for 2003 by the Illinois Council of Orchestras, and the Council named Music Director Alan Heatherington Conductor of the Year for 2005.
Since April 1997, the orchestra has performed on Sunday evenings to increasingly larger audiences at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie and has garnered more subscribers every season. The 2005-2006 season for the first time will feature two performances of each concert program, one on Sunday evening and a second performance on the immediately following Monday evening.
