William Wilsen came for a while, stayed a lifetime. William Wilsen, he of the East Coast pedigree and the Yale University degree, he who once lived in the Alps and guest-conducted in Vienna, thought he'd stay five years, maybe seven, when he came to Peoria to conduct the symphony. Wilsen stayed 20, longer than any other conductor in the symphony's 100-year history, and he'll retire this summer as perhaps its most popular. He plans to stick around. What happened, Bill Wilsen? "Well, after about five years I realized what a terrific place this is," he says. "I think it's a wonderful place for anybody who's got their head screwed on straight." "There's the opera, the symphony, a wealth of good art and theater, the choruses, the Orpheus Club. I think we've created an orchestra of basically local players who most of the time play as well as orchestras with 50 times the resources. You could take anybody from anywhere to hear the performances of the opera, and the chances of them not being blown away are minimal. "There's lots to do, and it's all accessible and affordable. The university has a lot to offer. "I love sailing. I love the river, I think we've got better seafood than St. Louis and certainly than Indianapolis. This is a fairly cosmopolitan place. There are lots of interesting people. They're honest and open. The people here are terrific. "Let me tell you what I do when I'm recruiting somebody. I show them the river front. I drive over the Michel Bridge through East Peoria, and past the Caterpillar facilities. I head up Fondulac Drive and show them the bluffs and the stunning view. I stop at Dixon's and pick up some shrimp or oysters. "I drive across the McClugage to Grandview Drive and head up, so they can see how the vista opens. We have a little picnic. Then I turn around and go back down the drive to Barnacle Billy's for a glass of wine or hot-buttered rum. Then we go to the West Bluff, up Moss, past the Frank Lloyd Wright house, through the university. "I turn on WCBU while I'm driving, and I see if I can take them in for a look at the Civic Center Theater. I tell them about the ice skating and the hockey and the college basketball. They're not high on my personal list, but Peoria's a much better place for having them." But what about the 20-somethings, Bill Wilsen, the targets of Cat's college recruiters, the ones who say Peoria might be a good place to bring up a family, but doesn't have enough action for singles? "I'd say, brother, I've been single for 18 years. I'd say get yourself one of those awful water craft if you must. Go bicycling. I'd say they'd be welcome in the Chamber Leadership School. I'd probably say go get a book and improve your mind, and maybe you'll meet somebody in the next aisle you might like to get to know. "There's no excuse for ever being bored here." Wilson hangs up. He calls back. "And another thing. My kids had a great experience in District 150. The schools are great and so are the parks. "I'd say to them, get a life. Find out what's good around here. Broaden your interests. Learn to like opera. Learn to like the symphony. Don't be so whiney. Buck up and get a life." Not many people leave editorial writers wordless, but Wilsen has. There's nothing left to say him but "Bravo!"
