The Knox-Galesburg Symphony’s mission is “to foster, promote and increase the musical knowledge and appreciation of the public by organizing and presenting performances of music in programs chosen chiefly from the literature of symphonic music.” The Symphony supports contemporary music not only through performance, but by commission: they have commissioned several works by Illinois artists, including a symphonic tribute to August M. Bondi of the Galesburg Bondi family, composed by the music director of the time, Bruce Polay, based on text by the late Galesburg native Martin Litvin.