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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are pleased to congratulate Carmon DeLeone on
4the occasion of his retirement as music director and conductor
5of the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra after 25 years of
6dedicated service; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Carmon DeLeone earned his bachelor of music,
8bachelor of science, and master of music degrees from the
9Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music; he has also served at
10the Conservatory as an adjunct assistant professor of opera and
11music theatre; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Under Carmon DeLeone's leadership, the Illinois
13Philharmonic Orchestra has expanded the scope and content of
14its musical programming; during his tenure, the IPO was named
15the 2010 "Professional Orchestra of the Year", an honor also
16awarded to the orchestra in 1992; and
 
17    WHEREAS, In addition to his work with the Illinois
18Philharmonic Orchestra, Carmon DeLeone has been music director
19of the Cincinnati Ballet for 42 years; during his 12-year
20tenure as Assistant, and later Resident Conductor of the
21Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, he served on the orchestra's
22staff with Music Directors Max Rudolf, Thomas Schippers, Walter

 

 

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1Susskind, and Erich Kunzel; he has served as music director of
2the Middletown Symphony in Ohio for 29 years; he has served as
3conductor and host of the "Family Concert" Series at New York's
4Carnegie Hall and has conducted frequent performances with the
5Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra in Europe; he made his New
6York conducting debut with the Alvin Ailey American Dance
7Theater at New York's City Center; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Carmon DeLeone has composed many original scores
9for the ballet, most recently the work entitled Princess and
10the Pea; his best known work, the full-length ballet Peter Pan,
11is enjoying continued praise in major cities from coast to
12coast and abroad; he conducted the debut of Peter Pan in London
13during a 28-performance run with the Atlanta Ballet at the
14prestigious Royal Festival Hall; his list of ballet score
15creations also includes Frevo, Guernica, With Timbrel and Dance
16Praise His Name, and Ruth Page's Billy Sunday, which was
17nationally televised in 1983, featured in a WTTW-PBS
18documentary in 2007, and remounted by the IPO that same year;
19he most recently premiered Fanfare, Funk, and Fandango (An
20American Dance Set); and
 
21    WHEREAS, As a pops conductor, Carmon DeLeone has performed
22in concert with many famous artists, including Ella Fitzgerald,
23Tony Bennett, George Burns, Jerry Lewis, and Bill Cosby; he has
24been a French horn soloist with orchestras throughout the

 

 

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1United States, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico, playing
2both the classics and jazz; he hosted the very popular "Sunday
3Morning Music Hall" on Cincinnati Radio Station WRRM (98.5 FM)
4for 16 years; he has also been featured in concert broadcasts
5on Chicago's WFMT (98.7 FM); and
 
6    WHEREAS, In 1995, Carmon DeLeone was named the "Illinois
7Music Director of the Year" by the Illinois Council of
8Orchestras; he is also the recipient of the Cincinnati College
9Conservatory of Music's Distinguished Alumni Award and the
10Post-Corbett Award for excellence in the arts; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Carmon DeLeone and his wife, Kathy, have played
12integral roles in the development of the south suburban region
13in the perspective of art and culture; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Despite his retirement, Carmon DeLeone will
15continue to serve the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra as
16director laureate; as director laureate, he will make
17occasional guest appearances at the annual Holiday Concert and
18direct the Young People's Concert series; therefore, be it
 
19    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
20NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
21we congratulate Carmon DeLeone on the occasion of his
22retirement and wish him many happy and healthy retirement

 

 

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1years; and be it further
 
2    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
3presented to Carmon DeLeone as a symbol of our esteem and
4respect.