Epic Steel Orchestra (ESO) is an unfolding story of the power of vision and the pursuit of purpose. What began as an idea to positively affect the lives of urban youth in a tough Chicago neighborhood has become a musical sensation, garnering the attention of audiences throughout the Midwest.
Epic Steel began in 2011 playing the indigenous steel drums of Trinidad & Tobago, West Indies. This energetic group is committed to performing calypso, the genre of music that gave birth to the steel drums in its native Trinidad. The Epic Steel performers bring pleasantry and accessibility to this complex musical style, and they demonstrate great flexibility and musical chops as they engage soca, reggae, Latin, Jazz, Classical, and contemporary music. They demonstrate the infectious and intricate beats of Calypso and the subtlety that is possible in performing Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Flight of the Bumblebee”.
The orchestra’s home is at the West Point School of Music — a community music school serving the needs of children with talent but without privilege. Epic Steel is the premier performing ensemble of the school. The long-term vision is for the ensemble to boast a membership of 100 players from some of the most disadvantaged neighborhoods on Chicago’s South Side. Epic Steel currently has members assist in instructing new students as a part of their service to this transformative vision.
Julian J. Champion, a civic and socially conscious leader, is the founder of West Point School of Music and the director of this dynamic ensemble.
