Danko Drusko, left, and Ameena Maria Khawaja will be featured at POPS concert.

OGLESBY - The Illinois Valley Symphony Orchestra invites everyone to join Maestro Danko Drusko, along with Los Angeles-based mezzo-soprano Ameena Maria Khawaja, for An Evening of Disney Magic & Movies on Saturday, Sept. 22 at IVCC’s Dr. Mary Weeg Cultural Centre. The concert will begin at 7 p.m.

Music will include selections from “The Lord of the Rings,” “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “Wicked,” “Pocahontas,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Frozen” and “Themes from 007.” Many other surprises are planned including music from memorable Hollywood movies. Bring the whole family for an evening of delightful music that is sure to be an enjoyable evening for all ages. Children K-12 will be admitted free.

Guest conductor Drusko, who was born in Germany, is currently the visiting assistant professor and director of orchestra and opera at Northern Illinois University School of Music. He is the founder and music director of the Hoosier Philharmonic and previously held the position of associate instructor at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music Opera and Ballet Theatre.

Drusko has conducted professional, university and youth orchestras throughout Europe and North America, including the Frankfort Radio Symphony, Frankfort Opera, Metropolitan Opera, Lisbon, Rochester Philharmonic, New York Symphony, Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles, and the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik in Trossingen, Germany.

Along with his work as a professional trumpet player in symphonies and pit orchestras in Germany, Drusko also enjoyed performing as a tenor in several operas and toured with orchestras in Spain, Italy, Denmark, Poland and the United States. He has a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree in Orchestral Conducting from Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University.

Ameena Maria Khawaja is a Los Angeles-based cellist and mezzo-soprano. She holds a degree in cello performance from Cal State University and studied vocal performance at the Hochschule für Musik in Trossingen, Germany. As a cellist, Khawaja has worked on numerous studio recordings and live performances, and was recently seen playing with Kamasi Washington at Walt Disney Concert Hall and Jeff Lynne’s Electric Light Orchestra in New York and Los Angeles.

Other artists with whom she has collaborated include Paul Anka, Sia, Mary J. Blige, Mandy Moore, Spacehog, Marc Anthony, Linda Perry, Switchfoot, Delta Goodrem, Rain Phoenix, Marco Antonio Solís, Trans Siberian Orchestra, and many more. Khawaja has had the opportunity to perform live at the Grammy Awards, as well as on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, NBC’s The Voice, American Idol, and The Jimmy Kimmel Show. She is a teaching artist for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, The Harmony Project, and the cello instructor for YOLA (Youth Orchestra Los Angeles) at EXPO, whom she coached for their recent performance with Coldplay at the Super Bowl 50 Halftime Show. She has also coached for the Pasadena Youth Symphony Orchestra Philharmonic and is a staff cellist and vocalist for the Pacific Crest Music Festival.

Admission to the concert is by season subscription or individual ticket, available online at ivso.org or at the door. Children and students through grade 12 are admitted free and college students with an ID are $5.

The auditorium is accessible. Season Sponsors are Ottawa Radio and Ning Communications.