Benefit Concert for Centro Romero

Join us for a beautiful chamber music concert featuring works by Raimi, Schumann, Poulenc, and Dvorak, for the benefit of Centro Romero.

Centro Romero empowers the immigrant and refugee community by developing and strengthening the family unit, fostering community leadership, and providing quality social and adjustment services. The organization provides legal services, a youth program, a domestic violence program, public benefits, and adult education.

Donations will be collected at the concert.

Pianist Daniel Paul Horn earned a doctorate from Juilliard in 1987, has been on the faculty of the Wheaton College Conservatory of Music since 1984, and has collaborated with Max Raimi since 1972.  He continues an active career as a soloist, chamber musician, recording artist, and educator.

Max Raimi has played viola in the Chicago Symphony for more than 40 years.  He is an active educator and composer, having had works performed and recorded by, among others, the American Chamber Players and the Chicago Symphony.  He has played the Star Spangled banner as part of a viola ensemble for the White Sox and the Bulls.

Rong-Yan Tang was appointed to the first violin section of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra by Daniel Barenboim in 2003. As a soloist, she has performed in China, Hong Kong and France, and with several U.S. orchestras.  A former protégé of Isaac Stern, Tang plays on a violin from Stern’s private collection, and by his invitation performed at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall.

William Welter was appointed Principal Oboe of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra by Music Director Riccardo Muti in June 2018. Prior to his appointment to the CSO, Welter performed as a guest musician with the Cleveland Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony, New York Philharmonic and as guest principal oboe of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.  He also participated in Music from Angelfire by invitation of acclaimed violinist Ida Kavafian.

Keith Buncke began his tenure as Principal Bassoon of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in July 2015, having been appointed to the position by Music Director Riccardo Muti. He made his solo debut with the orchestra in January 2018 performing Mozart’s Bassoon Concerto. He has had the great opportunity of performing chamber music with distinguished artists like Vadim Gluzman and Mitsuko Uchida. Currently on the faculty at DePaul University, he has been a guest teacher at a number of institutions including the Aspen Festival and the Interlochen Arts Camp and Academy.

Heather Wittels is a member of the Lyric Opera of Chicago Orchestra first violin section where she was the co-Acting Assistant Concertmaster for the 2022-23 Season. She is the Director of Chamber Music at the University of Chicago, and Artist Faculty at Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts. Since 2022, Heather has spent her summers serving as Concertmaster of the AIMS Festival Orchestra in Graz, Austria.

Stephen Balderston is a master chamber musician and coach of the highest caliber. While retired from DePaul University School of Music in June of 2025, Balderston maintains a robust performance and teaching schedule in a variety of venues, presents master classes, and adjudicates around the United States. He has performed solo works and chamber music with Daniel Barenboim, Pierre Boulez, Christoph Eschenbach, Lynn Harrell, Yo-Yo Ma, Menahem Pressler, Gil Shaham, Joseph Silverstein and Pinchas Zukerman, and has appeared as featured artist at the Ravinia Festival, the International Festival-Institute at Round Top, the American String Project, and Bargemusic, as well as many other national and international festivals over his long career.