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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251108T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251108T203000
DTSTAMP:20260910T101658
CREATED:20251010T183348Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251030T171555Z
UID:308984-1762628400-1762633800@pianofortechicago.com
SUMMARY:The Chicago Chopin Society presents "Music for (all) Hours" featuring May Phang
DESCRIPTION:The Chicago Chopin Society presents \nA Celebration of Polish Composers \nA Series of Four Concerts – “Music for (all) Hours” \n  \nThis is the first concert in the series\, presenting the breadth of Polish music in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Polish Composers’ Union. Each pianist will present a composer of their choice as well as pieces from Jaroslaw Golembiowski’s collection “24 Preludes: Music for Hours.” The collections showcase arrangements of moods and styles\, offering listeners\, a unique journey through hours of light in darkness. \nThe first featured pianist is May Phang. \nPay at the door\, checks payable to The Chicago Chopin Society. \n  \nPraised by critics and audiences for her imaginative programming and compelling performances\, pianist May Phang enjoys discovering and performing a wide range of repertoire from Bach and Liszt to Libby Larsen and Alexina Louie. Described as “vibrant”\, “colorful”\, and “evocative\,” May strives to deeply understand and bring fresh insights into the masterpieces of composers such as Beethoven and Chopin while equally committed to discovering and championing the works of today’s living composers. She premiered the works of Armando Bayolo\, Jaroslaw Golembiowski and Geoffrey Gordon\, and also worked with composers such as Aaron Jay Kernis and Joan Tower. Her 2013 debut CD Travels through Time featured works centered around Mark Twain’s satirical A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. Her recent recording of Beethoven’s masterpiece\, the Diabelli Variations (Centaur Records\, 2021) is available for purchase and streaming online. \nIn addition to her solo work\, May Phang is also an avid chamber musician. Recent collaborations include the José White Quartet\, the Philomusica Quartet\, the Amernet Quartet and the Percussion Plus Ensemble. \nPerformances as soloist and chamber musician have taken her to venues such as the Goethe Institute in Bangkok\, Tianjin Conservatory Concert Hall in China\, Victoria Concert Hall in Singapore\, Chapelle historique du Bon Pasteur and Place-des-Arts in Montreal\, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam\, Philadelphia Museum of Art\, Kennedy Center for the Arts and National Gallery in Washington DC\, the Chicago Cultural Center\, the Detroit Institute of Art\, and to festivals such as the Singapore Festival of Arts\, the Montreal International Piano Festival\, the Karol Szymanowski Festival in Zakopane\, Poland\, and the Festival de Música de Cámara de Aguascalientes\, Mexico. \nSolo performances with orchestras include the Banff Chamber Players\, Singapore Symphony\, Montreal Symphony\, and the Philadelphia Orchestra. Competition prizes include the Chopin Young Pianists’ Competition in Buffalo NY\, Canadian Music Competition\, Concours d’Orchestre symphonique de Montréal\, and Pontoise International Young Artists Competition in France. Radio and television appearances include profiles on Singapore Broadcasting Corporation’s “Life and Times” and “Arts Around” and broadcasts on Radio-Canada\, Vermont Public Radio\, WFLN\, Philadelphia\, Wisconsin Public Radio\, and WFMT\, Chicago. \nCurrently Professor of Piano at DePauw University\, Indiana\, and former John Rabb Emison Professor of Creative and Performing Arts\, her prior teaching positions include Carroll University in Waukesha\, Wisconsin\, and the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music in Milwaukee. A former teaching artist with Young Audiences of Indiana\, and artist faculty at Interharmony Italy\, May continues to frequently adjudicate competitions and present masterclasses nationally and internationally.
URL:https://pianofortechicago.com/event/the-chicago-chopin-society-presents-music-for-all-hours-featuring-may-phang
LOCATION:PianoForte Studios\, 1335 South Michigan Ave\, Chicago\, IL\, 60605\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=application/pdf:https://pianofortechicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Microsoft-Word-The-Chicago-Chopin-Society-LEGAL.docx.pdf
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251027T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251027T210000
DTSTAMP:20260910T101658
CREATED:20250911T171613Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250911T171613Z
UID:308847-1761593400-1761598800@pianofortechicago.com
SUMMARY:The Orion Ensemble - Concert 2
DESCRIPTION:Joseph Haydn\nString Quartet (TBD) \nPhillip Glass\nQuartet Satz (2017) \nArthur Bliss\nQuintet for Clarinet and Strings\, Op. 50 (1931) \n-with guests Stephen Boe (viola) and Mathias Tacke (violin) \n  \nRecognized as one of Chicago’s finest chamber music groups\, The Orion Ensemble has been performing since 1992. John von Rhein of the Chicago Tribune called Orion “one of Chicago’s most vibrant\, versatile and distinctive ensembles.” With the possibilities inherent in its unique combination of instruments—piano\, string trio and clarinet—Orion offers exciting interpretations of standard repertoire\, introduces audiences to rarely performed masterpieces and inspires composers with commissions for new works. \nThe Orion Ensemble boasts a roster of superb musicians who have performed throughout North America\, Europe and Asia\, as an ensemble and individually in solo\, orchestral and other chamber music roles. In Chicago\, Orion presents a four-concert series in three venues\, is heard regularly on the broadcast series “Live from WFMT” and appears frequently on the Chicago Cultural Center’s Lunchbreak Series “Classical Mondays.” \nOrion programs diverse works ranging from Mozart\, Beethoven and Brahms to William Bolcom\, Chick Corea\, Paul Schoenfield\, Augusta Read Thomas and other living composers\, offering audiences a remarkably broad chamber music experience. Orion’s expansive commitment to chamber music embraces the works of the classical through modern standard repertoire as well as an extensive range of new pieces for piano quartet and clarinet. Orion continues to inspire composers with commissions for new works written especially for its unique combination of instruments. As the Chicago Tribune’s John von Rhein wrote upon Orion’s 10th anniversary\, “It seems like only yesterday that a remarkable chamber group of musicians calling itself the Orion Ensemble was born. The Orions … quickly established themselves as one of the Chicago area’s most vibrant\, versatile and distinctive ensembles\, at home in every period but especially committed to enlarging the repertory of its unusual combination of piano quartet and clarinet.”
URL:https://pianofortechicago.com/event/the-orion-ensemble-concert-2
LOCATION:PianoForte Studios\, 1335 South Michigan Ave\, Chicago\, IL\, 60605\, United States
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251026T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251026T173000
DTSTAMP:20260910T101658
CREATED:20251007T165258Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251019T155308Z
UID:308956-1761494400-1761499800@pianofortechicago.com
SUMMARY:EAR TAXI FESTIVAL 2025 - Nervous Liturgies: The Piano Music of Robert Savage
DESCRIPTION:  \nPianist Daniel Baer brings the music of Robert Savage (1951-1993) to Chicago. Robert Savage\, a queer composer who died from complications due to AIDS in 1993\, is a largely unknown artist whose music is unpublished and rarely performed. This concert presents Savage’s music from his earliest works to those that he wrote after his AIDS diagnosis in 1988. Savage’s late compositions grapple with his AIDS diagnosis and mortality\, reflect his practice of Zen Buddhism\, and demonstrate the unique synthesis of popular and academic musical trends that led John Ashbery to describe him as “a serious and very talented musicologist and composer.” Listen to the evolution of a unique American artist composing music of unparalleled and urgent intensity. \n  \n  \n  \nThe New York Times has hailed Daniel Baer as a pianist who plays with “fluidity\, warmth\, and sparkle” who “achieved the often elusive…goal of putting virtuosity at the service of bigger ideas.” Dr. Baer won first prize\, the Marshall Prize\, at the 2015 Grieg Festival Young Artist Competition held in Sarasota\, Florida.  He has since made his international debut\, playing in the International Bergen Arts Festival and for the Grieg Society of Oslo.  He has been a prizewinner in many other national and international piano competitions including the 2017 Iowa piano competition\, the 2015 National Federation of Music Clubs Biennial Competition held in Fargo\, North Dakota\, and the MTNA young artist piano competition. Dr. Baer was invited to be the guest artist at the 2012 Leschetizky Annual Birthday Recital\, which was his New York solo debut. The blog Music\, Life and other challenges wrote “Daniel Baer’s playing took the ear on a leash. Every note had color\, depth\, emotion\, and meaning.” In 2011\, he participated in Juilliard’s ChamberFest program performing the Brahms G minor piano quartet in Paul Hall.  He has also played solo and chamber music recitals in Avery Fischer Hall\, Kilbourn Hall\, Hatch Recital Hall\, and Steinway Hall. \nBaer has taught at the Eastman School of Music\, the Eastman Community Music School\, and Syracuse University. His students have won piano competitions\, participated in local and statewide music programs\, and earned admittance to college music programs. Dr. Baer lectured and worked as an accompanist at Syracuse University in 2017. In 2016\, he was awarded the Teaching Assistant Prize in recognition of his work as a teacher for the Eastman School of Music. For his achievements in the study and performance of piano\, the Eastman School of Music awarded Dr. Baer the 2017 Cobos Piano Prize. \nBaer has studied with Seymour Bernstein since 2005 and has taken lessons from Richard Goode\, Joeseph Kalichstein\, Nina Tichman\, and Jerome Rose. Dr. Baer received his Master’s Degree in Piano Performance at Juilliard where he studied with Jerome Lowenthal and earned his Doctorate at the Eastman School of Music where he studied with Douglas Humpherys. \n 
URL:https://pianofortechicago.com/event/ear-taxi-festival-2025-nervous-liturgies-the-piano-music-of-robert-savage
LOCATION:PianoForte Studios\, 1335 South Michigan Ave\, Chicago\, IL\, 60605\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://pianofortechicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Daniel-Baer.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251024T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251024T213000
DTSTAMP:20260910T101658
CREATED:20250911T171515Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251010T151421Z
UID:308845-1761336000-1761341400@pianofortechicago.com
SUMMARY:EAR TAXI FESTIVAL 2025 - Myths and Accidents – Vocal Music by Doug Lofstrom
DESCRIPTION:Ryan De Ryke\, baritone and Daniel Schlosberg\, piano perform songs from the new Divine Art/Diversions CD “Myths and Accidents.” De Ryke and Schlosberg will present three songs cycles by Doug Lofstrom: All Must End\, Myths and Accidents and Three Sandburg Songs\, which will be a world premiere. \nThe artists have worked with the composer over the last several years to bring Lofstrom’s vocal works to fruition. The album presents the three song cycles along with Three Scenes from Lofstrom’s opera Two Soldiers\, featuring De Ryke and Schlosberg as well as soprano Kimberly Jones\, tenor Ryan Townsend Strand and a chamber orchestra conducted by the composer. \n  \nRyan de Ryke\, baritone\, is an artist whose versatility and unique musical presence have made him increasingly in demand on both sides of the Atlantic. The Baltimore Sun hailed him as “a talent that seems to defy labels\, he delivers a naturally beautiful sound that penetrates to one’s inner core.” His performance of Telemann’s Pimpinone in Haymarket Opera’s production was selected by the Chicago Tribune as one of the top ten classical concerts of 2019. \nPianist Daniel Schlosberg has appeared with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in numerous chamber music and new music concerts\, has premiered Augusta Read Thomas’s Starlight Ribbons and given the US premiere of Kaija Saariaho’s Calices with violinist Austin Wulliman. He has recorded for the Albany\, Bridge\, New World\, Nimbus\, Jacaranda and Permelia labels and is on the faculty of Notre Dame University. \nComposer Doug Lofstrom has been performing and composing since the 1970’s\, and his diverse scores and recordings reflect his ongoing involvement in jazz\, folk\, theater\, dance and symphonic music. His works have been performed by numerous symphony orchestras; highlights of his work include scores for the Pittsburgh Ballet\, Midwest Ballet and the New Philharmonic Orchestra. He has been on the music faculty of Columbia College Chicago since 1986\, and founded and directed their New Music Ensemble from 2000 until 2016. \n 
URL:https://pianofortechicago.com/event/myths-and-accidents-vocal-music-by-doug-lofstrom
LOCATION:PianoForte Studios\, 1335 South Michigan Ave\, Chicago\, IL\, 60605\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://pianofortechicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/doug-lofstrom-canva-banner.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251019T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251019T163000
DTSTAMP:20260910T101658
CREATED:20250911T171322Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251010T151233Z
UID:308843-1760886000-1760891400@pianofortechicago.com
SUMMARY:Resonances of Armenia\, Syria\, and the Classical Masters | Pianist Riyad Nicolas
DESCRIPTION:Riyad Nicolas will perform unique works especially close to his heart\, celebrating his Armenian and Syrian heritage\, while also weaving together the rich musical voices of the classical canon. From the intricate elegance of Bach’s Partita No. 2 and the fiery passion of Beethoven’s “Appassionata” Sonata\, to the lyrical and folkloric colors of Babajanian\, Khachaturian\, Roustom\, Succari\, and Al-Hajjar\, the evening traces a journey across cultures\, histories\, and emotions. Each piece tells its own story\, yet together they form a tapestry of human expression and shared artistry. \nJohann Sebastian Bach Partita No. 2 in C minor\, BWV 826 \nLudwig van Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor\, Op. 57 “Appassionata” \nArno Babajanian Nocturne \nArno Babajanian Elegy and Vagharshapat Dance \nAram Khachaturian Lullaby from “Gayane” \nKareem Roustom Aleppo Songs \nDia Succari La Nuit du destin \nWalid Al-Hajjar Étude Révolutionnaire No. 1 \n  \nRiyad Nicolas\, the Syrian-British Pianist of Armenian Origin\, was born in Aleppo\, Syria\, in 1989\, and has already established himself as a leading figure of his generation on the international performing circuit. He has been complimented by such musicians as Daniel Barenboim\, Vladimir Ashkenazy and Uchida Mitsuko. \nRiyad has given solo recitals in many prestigious venues at the UK\, including Royal Albert Hall\, Cadogan Hall\, Wigmore Hall\, Barbican\, St. Martin-in-the-Fields\, St. James’s Piccadilly\, and Leighton House in London\, and Bridgwater Hall and Staller Hall in Manchester. Concert performances have also taken him to the United States\, including a debut at the Kennedy Center in Washington\, D.C.\, and the Chicago Cultural Center (Dame Myra Hess Series)\, as well as to various universities such as Princeton University\, Lewis University\, the University of Texas in Dallas\, Carleton College\, and many others. Internationally\, he has performed at the Yehudi Menuhin Forum in Switzerland and at venues across France\, Spain\, Germany\, the Netherlands\, Malta\, the Gulf\, Lebanon\, and Syria. \nIn the UK\, Riyad is regularly invited to give recitals hosted by the Beethoven Piano Society of Europe and the Chopin Society UK\, and performed extensively a solo pianist for over 100 music societies in the UK. He has also been invited to performing numerous UK musical festivals such as Harrogate\, Norfolk-Norwich\, King’s Lynn\, Brighton\, Devon\, Darlington\, Stratford-upon-Avon\, Lincoln\, Crediton\, and Eastbourne. \nRiyad made his first appearance as a soloist with an orchestra at the age of ten in Aleppo. Since then\, he has performed with many orchestras including the London Chamber Orchestra at the Cadogan Hall\, The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra (UK)\, Emirate Symphony Orchestra in Dubai\, Young Musician Symphony Orchestra at St. John’s Smith Square\, Todmorden Symphony Orchestra\, the Syrian National Symphony Orchestra at the opening of the new Damascus Opera House\, the Syrian Expat Orchestra as well as with the Gomidas Chamber Orchestra of Aleppo. \nRiyad has been selected to be a Tillett Trust Young Artist and an artist at the Countess of Munster Trust Concert Scheme in the UK. He has also won numerous international prizes and awards including First Prize with a recording contract at the Francaix International Piano Competition in Paris\, the first Prize at the Ference Liszt International Piano Competition\, and the first prize at the Norah Sande Award and the Christopher Duke Recital Prize in the UK. He also won Second Prize at the Seiler International Piano Competition in Greece and the Ciutat de Carlet International Piano Competition in Spain\, Educational Award Prize at The London International Piano competition and was a finalist at the Busoni International Piano Competition in Italy. \nBesides solo performances\, Riyad is also a keen chamber music player\, and has performed regularly in duos with violin and flute\, collaborating with artists including the flautist Wissam Boustany and the Violinist Levon Cilingirian. \nRiyad first came to London in 2005 when he was awarded a two-year scholarship to study at the Purcell School of Music with Sulamita Aronovsky\, continuing to work with her at the Royal Academy of Music\, where he graduated in 2011. In June 2015\, Riyad graduated with a distinction in a Master of Performance course at the Royal College of Music\, studying with Dmitri Alexeev and Vanessa Latarche\, when he won the Gold Medal at the prestigious Chappell Piano Competition. Riyad also teaches piano at the Guildhall School of Music\, and Forest School in London. \nThrough music Riyad has been promoting peace and raising awareness for the plights of the Syrian people and performing for many organizations such as UNHCR\, the International Rescue Committee\, the Arab British Centre\, Said and Asfari Foundation. \n  \n‘Riyad Nicolas is one of the most exciting young artists to emerge from the Middle East.’ \n‘Riyad is very talented and he has a very high level of musical sensitivity. He reached an impressive level of musicianship which speaks a dedication to music that bodes well for his career’ \nMaestro Daniel Barenboim \n‘…this paragon of pianistic prestidigitation…setting a new gold standard”\, \n‘..he had given a prodigious recital which rose head and shoulders above everything else we have heard this year’\,’…every aspect of his performance…melding all together into an indissoluble unity of conception.’ \nBeethoven Piano Society of Europe. \n‘A wonderful blend of intelligence and technical mastery with its huge range of colours and rhythms\, deftly negotiated by Riyad with great virtuosity’ \nSalisbury Journal \n  \n \n 
URL:https://pianofortechicago.com/event/resonances-of-armenia-syria-and-the-classical-masters-pianist-riyad-nicolas
LOCATION:PianoForte Studios\, 1335 South Michigan Ave\, Chicago\, IL\, 60605\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://pianofortechicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Bridgwater-Hall-picture.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251010T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251010T203000
DTSTAMP:20260910T101658
CREATED:20250911T171116Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251010T151104Z
UID:308841-1760122800-1760128200@pianofortechicago.com
SUMMARY:"Alba:Beyond Borders" - Album Release Event
DESCRIPTION:Join us for a special evening celebrating the release of Alba: Beyond Borders\, a deeply personal and groundbreaking album by acclaimed Venezuelan-American soprano María Brea and Israeli-American pianist Dror Baitel. This event will feature an intimate recital of works from the album\, offering a unique opportunity to experience their cross-cultural musical journey live. Following the performance\, you are invited to a special reception to celebrate the album’s release. Don’t miss this opportunity to mingle with María Brea and Dror Baitel\, purchase your copy of Alba: Beyond Borders\, and have it personally signed. \nThe concert is free\, but please RSVP through the link provided. \nAlba: Beyond Borders is more than just an album; it’s a testament to the power of music to unite diverse cultures and histories. The title itself is a play on words: “Alba” means “dawn” in Spanish\, symbolizing renewal and new beginnings\, while the phrase “Beyond Borders” speaks to the project’s core mission. The album traverses cultural\, geographic\, and emotional frontiers by bringing together the rich musical traditions of Latin America and the Jewish diaspora. It is a tribute to the historical connection between these two vibrant cultures\, a relationship that dates back over 500 years. \nMaria Brea and Dror Baitel first met in 2015 at The Juilliard School\, forging a long-time collaboration and friendship that is the heart of this project. “Alba\,” which means “dawn” in Spanish and serves as the album’s title track\, evokes themes of renewal\, awakening\, and the quiet strength found in new beginnings. The subtitle\, “Beyond Borders\,” speaks to the core essence of the project: transcending cultural\, geographic\, and emotional frontiers through music that carries memory and meaning across time. \nEach selection on the album holds a reason for its inclusion. From “Durme\, Durme\,” a Sephardic lullaby reimagined by Venezuelan composer Miguel Astor and sung by Maria to her twins\, to the poetic soul of Lazar Weiner’s Yiddish art songs\, the album weaves a rich tapestry of experiences. It includes a haunting piece in Portuguese by Mariel Mayz\, a composer of Venezuelan-Greek-American and Jewish descent\, and songs by Turkish-Sephardic composer Alberto Hemsi\, which document Mediterranean Jewish life. The album also highlights Latina composers like Maria Grever (Mexico) and Maria Luisa Escobar (Venezuela)\, celebrating Venezuelan culture and womanhood. The exuberant Venezuelan folk song “La Negra Atilia\,” arranged by Maria’s mentor\, Jewish-Uruguayan pianist Pablo Zinger\, honors tradition while celebrating freedom of expression. \nThis project is a musical journey across time and space\, honoring voices from multiple heritages that have often lived side by side. Through Spanish\, Ladino\, Yiddish\, Galego\, and Portuguese\, the songs explore universal themes of immigration\, motherhood\, faith\, displacement\, and the search for home — themes shared by Latin American and Jewish communities alike. \n  \n \n  \nOne of Venezuela’s most acclaimed opera singers\, Maria Brea has captivated audiences at prestigious venues including Carnegie Hall\, The Metropolitan Opera\, and Palais Garnier. Praised for her “luxurious” and “versatile” voice (OperaWire)\, the Juilliard graduate has appeared with the Boston Philharmonic\, Tucson Symphony\, Indianapolis Symphony\, and United Nations Symphony\, among others. A champion of new works with over 100 premieres\, she is also the co-founder of Latina Women in Opera. Learn more at mariabreasoprano.com. \n  \nPianist Dror Baitel captivates audiences with his profound artistry and remarkable breadth. He was on the original music team for Hamilton and served as pianist-conductor for Dear Evan Hansen. Dror made his Carnegie Hall debut with Meghan Kasanders and his album Breaking Glass Ceilings debuted at #2 on the Billboard Traditional Classical Chart. Dror holds a D.M.A. and M.M. from The Juilliard School and is an Assistant Professor of the Practice and Music Director of Opera and Musical Theatre at the University of Notre Dame. Learn more at drorbaitel.com. \n  \n“Alba: Beyond Borders” will be available on all major streaming platforms and for purchase on September 26\, 2025.
URL:https://pianofortechicago.com/event/albabeyond-borders-album-release-event
LOCATION:PianoForte Studios\, 1335 South Michigan Ave\, Chicago\, IL\, 60605\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://pianofortechicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/ALBA-Beyond-Borders-Cover-scaled-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251005T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251005T170000
DTSTAMP:20260910T101658
CREATED:20250911T170849Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250911T170849Z
UID:308839-1759672800-1759683600@pianofortechicago.com
SUMMARY:EAR TAXI FESTIVAL 2025 - Crossing Borders / La Caccina / Holocene
DESCRIPTION:Celebrate contemporary music with powerful performances from Crossing Borders Music\, La Caccina\, and Holocene. Crossing Borders’ program Chicago Composers: The Next Generation features new works by youth composers from North Lawndale and Garfield Park\, alongside premieres by emerging African-American composers including Jessica T. Carter and AJ Isaacson-Zvidzwa. Vocal ensemble La Caccina presents Weird Sisters\, exploring the stories of mythological and historical witches through music. Holocene offers Expanding\, an immersive sound experience that shifts focus beyond the human perspective. \n  \nPERFORMERS \nCrossing Borders: \nCaroline Jesalva\, violin\nSarah Kim\, violin\nWilfred Farquharson\, viola\nElijah Hawkins\, rapper \nLa Caccina: \nSarah Fisk\, soprano\nMegan Fletcher\, soprano\nCarling FitzSimmons\, soprano\nAlana Grossman\, soprano\nNyandeng Juag\, mezzo-soprano\nMadeleine Woodworth\, mezzo-soprano\nStephanie Schoenhofer\, mezzo-soprano\nEden Hensel\, alto \nHolocene: \nDalia Chin\, flute\nIsidora Nojkovic\, cello\nPhoebe Wu\, piano\nEmma Hospelhorn\, voice \n  \nPROGRAM \nCrossing Borders: Chicago Composers:\nThe Next Generation World-Premiere \nTo be announced \n  \nLa Caccina: Weird Sisters \nStefan Kalmer\, arr. Carling FitzSimmons † | When shall we three meet again? \nKaterina Gimon | Siren Song \nTraditional American\, arr. Alison Krauss\, Emmylou Harris\, and Gillian Welch | Didn’t Leave Nobody but the Baby \nArne Mellnäs | Aglepta \nHannah Cai Sobel | Oread* \nKaren Beth | Full Moonlight Dance \nDon Macdonald | Moonset\, from “Fire Flowers” \nDarius Lim | A Puppet’s Dream \nKristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez\, arr. Megan Fletcher † | The Ballad of the Witches’ Road \nMist Þorkelsdóttir | Spinna Minni \nYsaye M. Barnwell | Breaths \nMelissa Dunphy | Wild Embers \nStacey V. Gibbs | The Mysteries* \nDevon Cole\, arr. Emily Drum | W.I.T.C.H. \n  \nHolocene: \nShi-An Costello † | Night music \nGeorge Crumb | Vox Balaenae \nNina Shekhar | A Negative Space \nTania Rubio | Grito Silente del Mar \nEmma Hospelhorn † | New work ‡ \nTrio plus Emma Hospelhorn \n  \n*World Premiere Performance\n† Illinois-based Composer\n‡ Micro-Grant Awardee \n  \n“Chicago Composers: the Next Generation” celebrates the work of composers in the Crossing Borders Music Young Composers Project. \nIn the project\, youth from music programs in North Lawndale and Garfield Park receive weekly composition lessons and write a piece for the Crossing Borders Music string quartet. Hear their fresh\, new approaches to an age-old genre! \nPlus\, hear music commissioned by Crossing Borders Music of emerging African-American composers including brand new works by Jessica T Carter and more. \nJoin La Caccina for Weird Sisters and hear stories of witches\, magic\, and powerful women. Throughout history\, women who possessed deep knowledge in subjects like botany\, physiology\, and medicine were condemned as witches. This concert sets the record straight\, celebrating the power of those knowledgeable women and harnessing the magic that lives within us all. \nExpanding brings focus to the voices of the living and inanimate that exist in our shared world. Featuring the premiere of NEW WORK TBD by Emma Hospelhorn\, Holocene is joined onstage by the composer herself as vocalist. Vox Balaenae by George Crumb\, inspired by an early recording of the voices of whales\, immerses listeners in the sense of nature’s powerful and impersonal forces. Works by Tania Rubio\, Nina Shekhar\, and Shi-An Costello explore the everyday and remarkable features that make up our environment\, including shadows\, the subjectivity of time\, intimacy\, and deterioration.
URL:https://pianofortechicago.com/event/ear-taxi-festival-2025-crossing-borders-la-caccina-holocene
LOCATION:PianoForte Studios\, 1335 South Michigan Ave\, Chicago\, IL\, 60605\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://pianofortechicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/10_5LaCaccinaHoloceneCrossingBordersMusic.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20250926T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20250926T203000
DTSTAMP:20260910T101658
CREATED:20250911T170657Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250911T170657Z
UID:308837-1758913200-1758918600@pianofortechicago.com
SUMMARY:Josh Surviving’s 20th Year Bone Marrow Transplant Anniversary Concert
DESCRIPTION:Chicago-based pianist Josh Surviving celebrates 20 years of surviving Cancer along with undergoing a Bone Marrow Transplant with a piano-led intimate musical concert performing some of your favorite songs in addition to telling his story about how he overcame Cancer. \nBasically from birth\, Josh Surviving has been raised up in church and from a very early age fell in love with music. By age 12\, with his mother’s encouragement\, Josh Surviving began playing the organ at church. Word of mouth quickly spread about the gifts and talents bestowed upon him and shortly after beginning his career\, Josh Surviving started to work with some of the biggest names and churches in the gospel world across the Chicagoland area. Josh Surviving is a self-taught organist\, pianist\, keyboardist\, singer and he also plays his portable “airboard” for crowds whenever possible. \nWhile going through the chemotherapy and radiation treatments\, Josh Surviving would play the baby grand piano on the hospital floor he was admitted to. The music would disrupt the silence\, pull other patients out of their beds into the hallways in search of the sound that was changing the atmosphere\, which if only temporarily\, changed how they felt on the inside. The music allowed Josh Surviving’s spirit to escape the walls of the hospital and flow into the rivers of faith\, hope\, joy\, love and destiny to fulfill his purpose. \nIn 2025\, Josh Surviving started writing\, producing and recording his upcoming EP to be released in 2026. The music is for anyone who has given up\, lost their way\, thinks time has ran out\, nobody cares about them or simply doesn’t know what to do\, Josh Surviving has been through all of that and the testimony will be in the music. \nFor more information please visit\nJosh Surviving on YouTube
URL:https://pianofortechicago.com/event/josh-survivings-20th-year-bone-marrow-transplant-anniversary-concert
LOCATION:PianoForte Studios\, 1335 South Michigan Ave\, Chicago\, IL\, 60605\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://pianofortechicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/image-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20250922T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20250922T210000
DTSTAMP:20260910T101658
CREATED:20250911T170502Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250911T170502Z
UID:308835-1758569400-1758574800@pianofortechicago.com
SUMMARY:The Orion Ensemble - Concert 1
DESCRIPTION:Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart\nTrio for Clarinet\, Viola and Piano (“Kegelstatt”)\, K. 498 \nSebastian Huydts\nSelected movements \nJohannes Brahms\nQuartet in G Minor for Strings and Piano\, Op. 25 \n-with guests Stephen Boe (viola) \n  \nRecognized as one of Chicago’s finest chamber music groups\, The Orion Ensemble has been performing since 1992. John von Rhein of the Chicago Tribune called Orion “one of Chicago’s most vibrant\, versatile and distinctive ensembles.” With the possibilities inherent in its unique combination of instruments—piano\, string trio and clarinet—Orion offers exciting interpretations of standard repertoire\, introduces audiences to rarely performed masterpieces and inspires composers with commissions for new works. \nThe Orion Ensemble boasts a roster of superb musicians who have performed throughout North America\, Europe and Asia\, as an ensemble and individually in solo\, orchestral and other chamber music roles. In Chicago\, Orion presents a four-concert series in three venues\, is heard regularly on the broadcast series “Live from WFMT” and appears frequently on the Chicago Cultural Center’s Lunchbreak Series “Classical Mondays.” \nOrion programs diverse works ranging from Mozart\, Beethoven and Brahms to William Bolcom\, Chick Corea\, Paul Schoenfield\, Augusta Read Thomas and other living composers\, offering audiences a remarkably broad chamber music experience. Orion’s expansive commitment to chamber music embraces the works of the classical through modern standard repertoire as well as an extensive range of new pieces for piano quartet and clarinet. Orion continues to inspire composers with commissions for new works written especially for its unique combination of instruments. As the Chicago Tribune’s John von Rhein wrote upon Orion’s 10th anniversary\, “It seems like only yesterday that a remarkable chamber group of musicians calling itself the Orion Ensemble was born. The Orions … quickly established themselves as one of the Chicago area’s most vibrant\, versatile and distinctive ensembles\, at home in every period but especially committed to enlarging the repertory of its unusual combination of piano quartet and clarinet.”
URL:https://pianofortechicago.com/event/the-orion-ensemble-concert-1
LOCATION:PianoForte Studios\, 1335 South Michigan Ave\, Chicago\, IL\, 60605\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://pianofortechicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/orion.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20250914T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20250914T213000
DTSTAMP:20260910T101658
CREATED:20250911T170240Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250911T170240Z
UID:308833-1757880000-1757885400@pianofortechicago.com
SUMMARY:Adrian Dunn's Resurrection I - EP Release Chicago
DESCRIPTION:The Chicago EP release concert of Resurrection Live in LA. Street parking or public transportation\, or ride share encouraged. \nResurrection is an album dedicated to the idea that Black American’s are the architect’s and engineers of getting back up and making ways out of no way! \nThe concert features the world renowned Adrian Dunn Singers. The album features music from the new EP: HOLD ON\, THE RIVER\, I’VE GOT JOY\, WALK ON WATER & I’VE GOT JOY reprise. \n  \n  \n \nAdrian Dunn is a trailblazing\, award-winning singer\, composer\, conductor\, and multi-genre artist whose groundbreaking contributions to American music and have earned him international acclaim. He made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2024 and premiered Wonderful: A Soulful Celebration on PBS live at Milwaukee Symphony Hall. His European debut came at the Klangwolke Festival in Linz\, Austria\, collaborating with the legendary Francesca Zambello. \nAn Emmy Award-winning composer\, Dunn received critical acclaim for his PBS special Emancipation\, recorded live at the Harris Theater Millennium Park\, which has surpassed 1 million streams and garnered four Grammy pre-nominations. He composed performed the Disney+/Hulu film Sacred Soil & is a MacArthur grant recipient for his original composition work Hopera: a hip hop opera. A visionary composer\, Dunn received The American Prize in Composition for Requiem from The Mass for the Unarmed Child. He made his Ravinia festival debut with a commissioned composition Going Home with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Marin Alsop. He was choral conductor for The Seven Last Words of the Unarmed at Chicago’s Symphony Center and Wentz Hall in 2019 and made his conducting debut with the Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra in 2021. He’s served as Chorus Master for Chicago Opera Theater\, Southshore Opera company. His Requiem has been performed by ensembles including the Morehouse Glee Club & the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra. He is currently composing The 42 Project\, an opera based on the life of Jackie Robinson. As a published composer\, he has over 10 published choral pieces with E.C. Schirmer & gentry labels.
URL:https://pianofortechicago.com/event/adrian-dunns-resurrection-i-ep-release-chicago
LOCATION:PianoForte Studios\, 1335 South Michigan Ave\, Chicago\, IL\, 60605\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://pianofortechicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/image1.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20250913T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20250913T173000
DTSTAMP:20260910T101658
CREATED:20250630T174540Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250630T174540Z
UID:308505-1757779200-1757784600@pianofortechicago.com
SUMMARY:Kaleidoscope Quartet Illinois Tour
DESCRIPTION:Minnesota’s Kaleidoscope Quartet is bringing their artisanal a cappella to Illinois! \nCome hear the greatest hits from their Fuschia\, Vermilion\, and Cerulean programs: a colorful mix of folk tunes\, pop songs\, and new music by living composers\, tailored to the Quartet’s wide range and distinctive blend. \nThis is a great event for couples\, families\, friends\, or even a solo night of music. We love sharing the wonders of vocal music with everyone and anyone who likes to bask in rich harmonies. \nDiscounts for 65+ and students age 13 through college. Children 12 and under get in free. \n  \nKaleidoscope Quartet is a Twin Cities-based vocal ensemble known for its tight harmonies\, layered textures\, and bold musical range. With decades of experience between them\, Ian Cook (tenor 2)\, Taylor Quinn (baritone)\, Dana Skoglund (bass 2)\, and Jack Vishneski (tenor 1) create four-part a cappella shows full of joy\, range\, and soul. \nThe group grew out of a series of in-home concerts for Dana’s wife\, Cheryl. Confined at home with complications from a heart transplant\, Cheryl loved the sounds of a male quartet but couldn’t attend concerts. So Dana brought the sound to her\, inviting Jack\, Taylor\, and others to sing in their living room. Cheryl passed away in November 2020. One of her parting wishes was to have a grand concert at her memorial service. Grief and the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the service a year\, during which Ian Cook joined the group. In November 2021\, the group performed Cheryl’s favorites for hundreds of people at the service. The beauty of that moment made it clear—these guys needed to keep singing together and discover the full spectrum of their joined voices. \nToday\, Kaleidoscope Quartet performs across Minnesota and beyond\, carefully curating their programs to feature songs new and old from diverse genres. Be it a theater stage\, or a more intimate venue\, a KQ show is a great event for couples\, families\, friends\, or even a solo night of music.
URL:https://pianofortechicago.com/event/kaleidoscope-quartet-illinois-tour
LOCATION:PianoForte Studios\, 1335 South Michigan Ave\, Chicago\, IL\, 60605\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://pianofortechicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Four-Singers-Logo.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20250823T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20250823T193000
DTSTAMP:20260910T101658
CREATED:20250610T164939Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250610T164939Z
UID:308491-1755972000-1755977400@pianofortechicago.com
SUMMARY:Ulli Meta | Piano | Vocals | Guitar
DESCRIPTION:Sound Voices of Earth with Ulli Meta Piano | Vocals| Guitar \n“Sound Voices of Earth” is the third concert in which Ulli invites you to join her on a musical explorative journey and transcend from your everyday world. She creates music with various instruments\, piano\, voice\, guitar\, drums and singing bowls. Audiences often find that Ulli’s energetic spaces enable them to touch new feelings and to constellate new insights. She leads you on a path that is not defined by space\, but by the energy of the moment. Every concert is unique\, for Ulli opens herself to the energy of musical spontaneous creations and compositions. So it is a kind of an exchange and co-creation by all present. You’ll hear elements of classical\, jazz\, folk\, and traditional music. Experience a unique musical and transformational event. \nUlli Meta is a composer\, lyricist\, pianist\, vocalist\, and guitarist who has studied classical piano\, jazz\, voice\, and traditional music. She has composed since she was twelve and performed since the age of sixteen.
URL:https://pianofortechicago.com/event/ulli-meta-piano-vocals-guitar-2
LOCATION:PianoForte Studios\, 1335 South Michigan Ave\, Chicago\, IL\, 60605\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://pianofortechicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/20200112-DSC_1691-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20250723T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20250723T200000
DTSTAMP:20260910T101658
CREATED:20250528T162847Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250528T162847Z
UID:308457-1753295400-1753300800@pianofortechicago.com
SUMMARY:Quiche & Kiss Soirée | Culture for All
DESCRIPTION:We are delighted to invite you to Quiche & Kiss\, our second Soirée hosted at PianoForte Chicago for Culture for All. This very special evening celebrates our nonprofit’s mission: fostering an inclusive and diverse culture that values and celebrates the contributions of all individuals. We strive to create a supportive environment opening up windows to the Arts through music where everyone can thrive and make a positive impact in our community. Together\, we work towards a shared goal of promoting equality\, inclusivity\, respect\, and understanding for all. \nThe evening will feature Isabelle Olivier\, award-winning French harpist and composer\, joined by the dynamic Ernie Adams\, renowned American drummer and percussionist. Together\, they blend the delicate and the powerful\, weaving a rich tapestry of sound that journeys through jazz\, world music\, and improvisation. Their collaboration brings together rhythm and resonance\, storytelling and soul. Inspired by the people and places that have shaped their musical paths\, Isabelle and Ernie will perform a vibrant program\, ranging from jazz standards to modern improvisations. Come savor the music\, share a slice of quiche\, and embrace the unexpected joy of artistic encounters. \nGuests will have the opportunity to see a live performance\, meet the artists and the board\, and enjoy French wine and good food. \n$60\, food and drinks included. For students and artists\, please join us and donate as able. \nSelect silent auction items\, donations and programs will be available with a tax deduction. \nDue to limited seating\, reservations are required. \nCulture For All is a not-for-profit corporation under paragraph 501(C)(3) of the IRS code. You can make a tax-deductible gift at booking.cultureforall@gmail.com or mail a check to Culture For All\, 990 N Lake Shore Drive Suite 30 A\, Chicago IL 60611 or website: \n  \nhttps://www.culture-for-all.org/
URL:https://pianofortechicago.com/event/quiche-kiss-soiree-culture-for-all
LOCATION:PianoForte Studios\, 1335 South Michigan Ave\, Chicago\, IL\, 60605\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=application/pdf:https://pianofortechicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Quiche-and-kiss-final-version-.pdf
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20250719T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20250719T173000
DTSTAMP:20260910T101658
CREATED:20250509T164810Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250509T164910Z
UID:308380-1752940800-1752946200@pianofortechicago.com
SUMMARY:Tango with Winnie
DESCRIPTION:Welcome back Tango with Winnie to Pianoforte Studios\, Home of the legendary Fazioli pianos and great acoustics! Winnie is back with a tremendous sextet featuring the music of Julio Peralta\, author of no less than 14 tango albums in recent years! Let’s hear the hottest living tango composer in Argentina today. Dancers are welcome! There will be impromptu showcase dancing! Come prepared! \nVisit https://tangowithwinnie.com/ for more info. \nConvinced of tango’s power to include everyone\, pianist-bandoneonista-dancer Winnie Cheung launched Tango With Winnie to bring live tango dance and music to both classic and unconventional tango corners of the world: concert halls\, milongas\, art galleries\, farmers markets\, K-12 schools\, universities\, dementia homes\, assisted living spaces\, prisons\, town-wide multicultural celebrations\, and more.\nWith veteran artists that Winnie brings from all over the world\, Tango with Winnie handcrafts each program towards any imaginable objective of your event\, and invites you sincerely to tango\, whoever you are\, wherever you are. \nWinnie has played well over 1\,000 tango events in the USA\, Canada\, Asia\, Argentina\, even Antarctica. For 2023\, Winnie completed a record 250+ events. Her album with Cuarteto Tanguero\, Guapeando\, charted Top 10 Billboard World Music in 2018. Her newest album with the duo Ben & Winnie\, La Próxima Traición\, was released in 2020 with glowing reviews. \nOriginally from Hong Kong\, Winnie is a globetrotting musician holding a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Chicago and Masters and Doctorate from the Eastman School of Music in Piano and Music Composition. She taught classes in music composition\, theory\, piano\, choir\, and music appreciation from ages 5 to 95 in Canada/USA until tango found her.
URL:https://pianofortechicago.com/event/tango-with-winnie
LOCATION:PianoForte Studios\, 1335 South Michigan Ave\, Chicago\, IL\, 60605\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://pianofortechicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/PHOTO-2025-05-07-12-54-21.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20250710T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20250710T210000
DTSTAMP:20260910T101658
CREATED:20250521T150927Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250708T173655Z
UID:308448-1752175800-1752181200@pianofortechicago.com
SUMMARY:TO BE RESCHEDULED: Many Moons Preview Concert
DESCRIPTION:*This concert has been rescheduled. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding. The new performance date will be announced soon. \nFor those who have already purchased tickets\, please note that all tickets will be refunded. If you would like to attend the rescheduled concert\, new tickets will be available for purchase once they go on sale.* \n  \nThe Many Moons preview is a concert featuring music from a new album to be released by Third Coast Sounds in early August 2025. \n7pm doors with music at 7:30pm \n  \nTime and moon vibes have evidently been a part of my consciousness during the past few years bubbling up in thoughts and feelings and even surfacing in titles on an EP album from 2024 named Penumbra with the tune “One Month’s Time” found on the record. \nMany Moons is a continued acknowledgment of this frame of mind in tunes titles referencing the moon\, time\, and periods of time such as the originals “By and By”\, “Before We Met”\, “Penumbra” and including “Time to Spare”\, the composition from Brice Winston. \n  \nTrumpeter Markus Rutz brings a bluesy\, soulful style to his music\, with a tone that has been described as “gorgeous.” A dedicated performer\, composer\, and educator based in Chicago\, Markus has made significant strides in his mid-career\, earning both local and national recognition for his work. \nMore about Markus can be found here: \nRutzMusicWorks.com/More-About-Markus \nPlease consider additional show of support for the project with a donation: \nhttps://rutzmusicworks.com/tip-jars/33308 \n  \nTHANK YOU! \nMarkus & Third Coast Sounds
URL:https://pianofortechicago.com/event/many-moons-preview-concert
LOCATION:PianoForte Studios\, 1335 South Michigan Ave\, Chicago\, IL\, 60605\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://pianofortechicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Many-Moons-Markus-Rutz_front-cover_0011_2.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20250628T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20250628T173000
DTSTAMP:20260910T101658
CREATED:20250213T223133Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250623T165359Z
UID:308168-1751126400-1751131800@pianofortechicago.com
SUMMARY:The Fantasie | Yoahn John Kwon
DESCRIPTION:**THIS CONCERT HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED FROM SATURDAY MAY 3 TO SATURDAY JUNE 28 AT 4PM** \nAfter his sold-out all-Chopin recital last November\, pianist Yoahn John Kwon will return to the PianoForte stage. Experience the beauty of Beethoven’s iconic “Moonlight Sonata” alongside captivating works by Debussy and Chopin. Don’t miss this opportunity to witness a masterful performance that promises to resonate deeply with music lovers. \nC. Debussy\nClair De Lune from suite Bergamasque \nL. V. Beethoven\nPiano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor Op. 27 No. 2\, “Quasi una fantasia”\nAdagio sostenuto (C♯ minor)\nAllegretto – Trio (D♭ major)\nPresto agitato (C♯ minor) \nF. Chopin\nFantasie-Impromptu in C sharp minor\, Op.66 \nF. Chopin\nSonata in B minor\, Op.58\nAllegro maestoso (B minor)\nScherzo. Molto vivace (E♭ major) – Trio (B major)\nLargo (B major)\nFinale. Presto non tanto (B minor) \n  \nPianist Yoahn John Kwon\, a native of South Korea\, has received wide acclaim for his profound musicianship\, sensitivity\, and insightful performances. Renowned critic Harris Goldsmith praised him as a “versatile and interesting musician who keeps audiences’ attention from beginning to end.” \nMr. Kwon began his piano studies at the age of nine and attended the Pre-College Division of The Juilliard School. After graduating from LaGuardia High School of Music and Arts\, he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Mannes College of Music\, studying piano under Diane Walsh and theory and analysis with Carl Schachter\, with generous support from the Jerry Seinfeld Family Foundation. \nAdditionally\, Mr. Kwon completed the Stages de Perfectionnement at L’École Normale de Musique de Paris\, where he studied with Anne Queffelec for four consecutive years. During his formative years\, he studied with pianist Jacob Krichaf (a student of Claudio Arrau) in New York and was later mentored by Anton Kuerti\, Jacques Rouvier\, and John O’Conor. With his unique touch and detailed musical analysis\, Mr. Kwon’s interpretations have garnered praise during his concerts\, recitals\, concerto appearances\, and chamber music performances with members of the New York Philharmonic\, the Metropolitan Opera\, the Chicago Symphony\, and the London Philharmonic Orchestra at renowned concert halls worldwide. \nAs a prolific recording artist\, Mr. Kwon has released numerous CDs for Audioguy\, WFMT Chicago\, and the SONY Classical label. His Chopin and Beethoven’s complete works for piano and violin won critical acclaim. In addition to his concert career\, Mr. Kwon is also in high demand as a teacher\, with prospective students from South Korea seeking his guidance. His most recent private students have gained acceptance to some of the top conservatories and universities globally\, including the Manhattan School of Music\, Mannes College of Music\, Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University\, Indiana University in Bloomington\, Oberlin College\, Cleveland Institute of Music\, EastmanSchool of Music at the University of Rochester\, Northwestern University\, USC’s Thornton School of Music\, L’École Normale de Musique de Paris\, HMDK Stuttgart\, and Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin. \nMr. Kwon is also a concert piano technician\, action rebuilder\, church organist\, harpsichordist\, program coordinator and music director currently residing in Hoffman Estates\, Illinois.
URL:https://pianofortechicago.com/event/the-fantasie-yoahn-john-kwon
LOCATION:PianoForte Studios\, 1335 South Michigan Ave\, Chicago\, IL\, 60605\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://pianofortechicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Headshot-.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20250618T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20250618T203000
DTSTAMP:20260910T101658
CREATED:20250508T173536Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250508T202051Z
UID:308377-1750273200-1750278600@pianofortechicago.com
SUMMARY:"Big Eyes Big Ears" | Bradley Williams
DESCRIPTION:Bradley Williams\, renowned Chicago jazz pianist plays selections from his new album “Big Eyes Big Ears\,” along with other original works. Expect rambunctious pieces like “Trading Underpants” and “Gal Costa” alongside more meditative numbers like “Karen” and “Christmas Eve 2020.” Perhaps even a splash of Tango. A lively and varied pallet awaits you!
URL:https://pianofortechicago.com/event/big-eyes-big-ears-bradley-williams
LOCATION:PianoForte Studios\, 1335 South Michigan Ave\, Chicago\, IL\, 60605\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://pianofortechicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/bradley-williams.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20250517T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20250517T183000
DTSTAMP:20260910T101658
CREATED:20250429T234616Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250429T234616Z
UID:308353-1747501200-1747506600@pianofortechicago.com
SUMMARY:American Chamber Music Society: CAFÉ MUSIC
DESCRIPTION:The American Chamber Music Society Presents: \nCAFÉ MUSIC: SEASON FINALE \n“Electric . . . [the] performance extracted all the tensions\, fun\, and charm that can be found” \n~THIRD COAST REVIEW \nCAFÉ MUSIC is a wildly entertaining evening of chamber music infused with classical\, jazz\, tango\, and other unique styles from the 20th century. This flashy final program of the season showcases the music of Piazzolla\, John Novacek\, Coleridge-Taylor\, Britten\, and concludes with Schoenfield’s groundbreaking piano trio\, “Café Music.” \nGold medal winner at the Gurwitz International Piano Competition\, Scott Cuellar teams up with poetic St. Louis Symphony cellist\, Yin Xiong. They join violin soloist and ACMS Director Eric Gratz. \nTickets start at just $10. \n——– \nThe American Chamber Music Society is deeply invested in inspiring and connecting with our local community. As one of the most intimate classical music experiences in Chicago\, it is our honor to enrich our culture by performing repertoire ranging from centuries ago to the present\, providing a variety of educational opportunities and offering tickets at a discounted price. There is nothing like sitting a few feet away from the best musicians in the world\, especially when many of them are from your home town. I am confident the diverse and innovative programming of our events will leave you moved\, exhilarated\, and eager to return. \n–ERIC GRATZ\, DIRECTOR
URL:https://pianofortechicago.com/event/american-chamber-music-society-cafe-music
LOCATION:PianoForte Studios\, 1335 South Michigan Ave\, Chicago\, IL\, 60605\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://pianofortechicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/acms-strings-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20250516T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20250516T203000
DTSTAMP:20260910T101658
CREATED:20250317T231000Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250326T152437Z
UID:308226-1747422000-1747427400@pianofortechicago.com
SUMMARY:Ulli Meta | Piano | Vocals | Guitar
DESCRIPTION:Sound Voices of Neptune with Ulli Meta Piano | Vocals| Guitar \n“Sound Voices of Neptune” is the second concert in which Ulli invites you to join her on a musical explorative journey and transcend from your everyday world. She creates music with various instruments\, piano\, voice\, guitar\, drums and singing bowls. Audiences often find that Ulli’s energetic spaces enable them to touch new feelings and to constellate new insights. She leads you on a path that is not defined by space\, but by the energy of the moment. Every concert is unique\, for Ulli opens herself to the energy of musical spontaneous creations and compositions. So it is a kind of an exchange and co-creation by all present. You’ll hear elements of classical\, jazz\, folk\, and traditional music. Experience a unique musical and transformational event. \nUlli Meta is a composer\, lyricist\, pianist\, vocalist\, and guitarist who has studied classical piano\, jazz\, voice\, and traditional music. She has composed since she was twelve and performed since the age of sixteen. For more information and music visit www.ullimeta.com
URL:https://pianofortechicago.com/event/ulli-meta-piano-vocals-guitar
LOCATION:PianoForte Studios\, 1335 South Michigan Ave\, Chicago\, IL\, 60605\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://pianofortechicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/20200112-DSC_16911-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20250515T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20250515T200000
DTSTAMP:20260910T101658
CREATED:20250430T020506Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250430T020506Z
UID:308355-1747332000-1747339200@pianofortechicago.com
SUMMARY:Swell Soirée - The Fabulous Fifties | Sarah Siddons Society
DESCRIPTION:Join us for an evening with a little bit of rhythm and blues\, rock and roll\, honky-tonk country\, swing and Broadway. The 1950’s\, besides being the decade when the Sarah Siddons Society was founded\, had so many great musical genres. We will celebrate them with some of Chicago’s top cabaret artists. They will be performing along with talented theatre arts students from the four Chicago area universities where we fund scholarships. \nThis year’s Swell Soirée is part of the May 9-18\, Chicago Cabaret Week. For more information about the many shows happening in the city\, click here.
URL:https://pianofortechicago.com/event/swell-soiree-the-fabulous-fifties-sarah-siddons-society
LOCATION:PianoForte Studios\, 1335 South Michigan Ave\, Chicago\, IL\, 60605\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://pianofortechicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Concert-Hall-Image-for-YT-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20250511T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20250511T170000
DTSTAMP:20260910T101658
CREATED:20250428T232435Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250502T193556Z
UID:308349-1746975600-1746982800@pianofortechicago.com
SUMMARY:A Mother's Day Concert | DAKH String Quartet & Sebastian Huydts
DESCRIPTION:PROGRAM \nRobert Schumann\, Quintet Op.44 (1842) \nSchumann composed the quintet in 1842 and its first public performance took place the following year. Noted for its “extroverted\, exuberant” character\, the quintet is considered one of his finest compositions and a major work of nineteenth-century chamber music. Composed for piano and string quartet\, the work revolutionized the instrumentation and musical character of the piano quintet and established it as a quintessentially Romantic genre. Schumann had begun his career primarily as a composer for the keyboard; after his detour into writing for string quartet\, the “reunion with the piano” which the piano quintet provoked gave “his creative imagination … a new lease on life” according to Joan Chisell\, who made a special study of the life and works of Schumann. The composer dedicated the piano quintet to his wife Clara. Although she was due to perform the piano part in the first private performance of the quintet on the 6th December 1842 at the home of Henriette Voigt and her husband Carl\, she fell ill and Felix Mendelssohn stepped in\, sight-reading the “fiendish” piano part. Mendelssohn’s suggestions to Schumann after this performance led to revisions to the inner movements\, including the addition to the third movement of a second trio. \nI. Allegro brillante: This movement opens with a powerful and joyous main theme\, followed by a more lyrical second theme in a dialogue between the cello and viola. \nII. In modo d’una marcia\, un poco largamente: This movement has a somber and melancholic atmosphere\, with a funeral march theme introduced by the first violin. The movement includes a contrasting\, more agitated section\, and then returns to the funeral march theme. \nIII. Scherzo\, molto vivace: This movement is lively and energetic\, featuring a rushing scale that moves around a G minor scale. It includes two trios\, the first with lyrical references to the first movement’s main theme\, and the second a more robust and dance-like section. \nIV. Finale: Allegro ma non troppo: The finale is a contrapuntal movement that returns to a marching mode with rondo episodes. It includes a stunning fugal coda that brings back both the opening theme of the first movement combined with the main theme of the finale. \n  \nSebastian Huydts\, Quintet Op.60 (2024) \nThe piano quintet op.60 was written in late summer of 2024. While this work is my fourth piano quintet\, it is the first for strings and piano\, the others always including at least one woodwind instrument. Like in the previous quintets\, the listener is taken on a musical journey in which styles evocative of the past are fused with a more contemporary approach that serves as a pensive\, introspective\, and at times flamboyant musical reflection on present times. I am grateful to Hannah Bingham and Kenichi Kiyama for suggesting I write this work. It is therefore lovingly dedicated to them. \nI: “Tonada Oscura” opens with an extended melody that forms the principal idea for the piece. Accompaniments and contrasting voices alternate between affirmation and response\, pushing the music to several points of climax. Periods of sonorous intensity\, consonance vs. dissonance\, accompanied by ambiguous\, and often somber harmonic motion\, elusively search for peace over restless rhythm and instrumental flourishes. \nII: “Desenfrenado” tries to chase away the dark mood from the previous movement through incessant chatter and machine-like repetition. A few attempts at slowing down its nervous energy lead to little more than fleeting moments of false elegance\, after which the dizzying chatter quickly returns. When the movement finally crashes to a halt\, a sole surviving pitch leads the music without pause into the next movement. \nIII: “Epicedio” laments the loss of innocence\, as if it were a dear friend. It softly bemoans increased awareness of the merciless progress of time. In search of consolation\, the music recalls memorable moments heard in the previous movements. But the context has changed\, and icy flurries sneak in\, promising a different direction only to retreat from whence they came. The opening melody then returns over slowly tolling bells\, stressing the inevitable linearity of time. Just before the end accompanying chords appear\, hushed but strident\, as if to ask: “what’s next?” \nIV: The final movement\, “Exaltación”\, recalls the melodic ideas of the opening movement\, but now in an upbeat\, decidedly Iberian context. The darker\, earlier atmosphere is left behind. By mixing song and dance\, always with great rhythmic vitality\, a forward momentum is suggested that leads to a brilliant\, jubilant conclusion\, expressing hope and resolve. \n  \nBIOGRAPHIES \n  \nPianist–Composer Sebastian Huydts (b.1966) studied piano at the Amsterdam Conservatory in The Netherlands with Edith Lateiner Grosz. He continued his graduate studies at the University of Chicago where he studied composition with Shulamit Ran\, Marta Ptaszynska\, Howard Sandroff\, Cliff Colnot\, and John Eaton. He concertizes in solo and chamber music\, and conducts various ensembles that promote contemporary music. He has been commissioned by renowned artists who have adopted his work in their repertoire. At present\, Mr. Huydts is Professor in the School of Audio and Music at Columbia College in Chicago\, where he teaches courses in music appreciation\, musicianship skills\, composition\, and where he directs the New Music Ensemble. His works are published by Jeanné of Minneapolis\, As a pianist and conductor\, Sebastian Huydts regularly performs both contemporary and older classical works for solo piano\, chamber ensemble\, and chamber orchestra. His most popular recordings are those of his 27 fairy tales in Spanish style\, “Delicias de Blancanieves”\, available online. \n​Hanna Bingham is currently an actively performing violinist in the greater Chicago area. Raised in Dekalb\, Illinois\, Hanna holds a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from Northern Illinois University\, where she studied under Blaise Magniere as well as with soloist Yang Liu. Hanna also received her Masters Degree in String Performance from Northwestern University Bienen School of Music where she studied with Blair Milton and Desiree Ruhstrat. Hanna also studied with Ann Monztka Smelser\, Okumura Kazuo\, and Drew Lecher. She has soloed with a number of orchestras including the NIU sinfonia\, Rockford Symphony Youth Orchestra\, the Oistrakh Symphony of Chicago\, NIU Philharmonic\, and Northwestern Univeristy’s Baroque Music Ensemble. She has been featured on the WFMT broadcast “From the Top.” Her chamber music experience is diverse\, and features an array of ensembles including a string quartet that competed in the St. Paul String Quartet Competition and were named semi-finalists in the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition in South Bend\, Indiana. Hanna was named recipient of the Richard and Helen Thomas Endowed Fellowship\, twice\, and is a recipient of the School of Music Eckstein Fund at Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music. \nHanna is also a member of Apollo’s Fire Baroque Orchestra and is currently their Young Artist Fellow. \n  \nKenichi Kiyama is a versatile California-born violinist with a passion for performing and teaching. As an orchestral musician\, has served every principal and non principal seats in various orchestras in the CA and Midwest area\, including the Elmhurst Symphony\, Minnesota Orchestra\, Elgin Symphony\, Rockford\, Madison Chamber\, San Luis Obispo Symphony\, and more. Kenichi has acted as soloist and chamber musician for numerous concert series and competitions. He recently was a finalist in the Chicago International Violin Competition. He recently commissioned a violin sonata by Sebastian Huydts in April 2024. \nAdditionally\, Kenichi is the owner/sole practitioner of Kiyama Bodyworks LLC\, specializing in Sotai-Ho\, a non-invasive bodywork modality that helps clients\, particularly musicians and athletes\, move freely and without pain. \n  \nViolist August DuBeau is a first year member with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. He received a master’s degree from Stony Brook University in May 2024 where he studied under Lawrence Dutton and Matthew Lipman. As violist of the Harlo Quartet\, he participated in the university’s Emerson String Quartet Institute\, coached by and playing alongside Philip Setzer\, Eugene Drucker\, Lawrence Dutton\, Paul Watkins\, and David Finckel. Previously\, he received his bachelor’s of music degree with a double major in viola performance and music theory at the Cleveland Institute of Music studying with Cleveland Orchestra violist Mark Jackobs. There\, he began his specialized study of string quartet repertoire within the Institute’s Advanced String Quartet program as violist of the Ilo Quartet. Coached by Si-Yan Li\, Philip Setzer\, Todd Phillips\, and Ilya Kaler\, the Ilo Quartet were prize-winners in the 2021 Coltman Chamber Music Competition and the 8th Stockholm International Music Competition. \n  \nCellist David Caplan began his musical studies at the age of ten. He has studied with Amir Eldan\, Daniel McDonough\, Dmitry Kouzov\, Jonathan Pegis\, Benjamin Whitcomb\, and Adelaide Hagari. \nAs an orchestral musician\, David has served as a principal cellist of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago\, and has performed frequently as substitute with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Grant Park Orchestra. He has performed under the baton of conductors such as Riccardo Muti\, Gennady Rozhdestvensky\, Manfred Honeck\, Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider\, Carlos Miguel Prieto\, Hannu Lintu\, Ludovic Morlot\, Christoph Eschenbach\, Daniel Harding\, Robert Spano\, Giancarlo Guerrero\, David Danzmayr\, Petr Popelka\, and James Gaffigan. David has performed with a wide range of artists\, including: Seong-Jin Cho\, Gil Shaham\, Stefan Jackiw\, Xavier Foley\, Zlatomir Fung\, Awadagin Pratt\, Natalie Merchant\, Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra\, and the American Ballet Theater. \nAs an avid chamber musician\, David\, along with Quartet Bellezza\, won first prize at the 2017 Discover Chamber Music Competition\, first prize and audience prize in the junior division of WDAV’s Young Musician’s Chamber Competition\, and the junior division gold medal at the 2017 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. Recent chamber music engagements include concerts with the St. Petersburg String Quartet\, Yaron Kohlberg\, Fabiola Kim\, Yizhak Schotten\, Amir Eldan\, and Nicholas Walker. David has also appeared in recital on the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series at the Seventeenth Church of Christ Scientist in Chicago and live on WFMT Chicago. \nDavid has a Master’s Degree in Cello Performance from the University of Michigan\, where he studied under the tutelage of Amir Eldan. David also performed in the U-M Baroque Chamber Orchestra and studied baroque cello with Eva Lymenstull. Prior to his time in Michigan\, David received his Bachelor’s Degree in Cello Performance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign\, where he studied with Daniel McDonough\, of the Jupiter String Quartet. \nDavid has a burning passion for teaching others and showcasing the power of music\, and is a frequent clinician at Midwest Young Artists’ Conservatory\, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater\, The Musical Offering\, and ArtsAhimsa Chamber Music Festival. David has also enjoyed being a part of the Civic Mentors program\, which provides coachings to music students at various Chicago high schools. \nDavid has made appearances at the Chautauqua\, Aspen\, and Taos summer music festivals\, and was a fellow with the Grant Park Orchestra in 2023. 2025 will take David to the National Repertory Orchestra in Breckenridge\, Colorado\, where he will be a featured soloist in the Brahms Double Concerto.
URL:https://pianofortechicago.com/event/a-mothers-day-concert-sebastian-huydts-piano-quintet
LOCATION:PianoForte Studios\, 1335 South Michigan Ave\, Chicago\, IL\, 60605\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://pianofortechicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/sebastian-strings.webp
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20250510T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20250510T210000
DTSTAMP:20260910T101659
CREATED:20250326T161320Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250326T161442Z
UID:308251-1746905400-1746910800@pianofortechicago.com
SUMMARY:2025 Aeolian Classics Emerging Artist Series Winner Recital
DESCRIPTION:Introducing Yuan Wang\, winner of the 2025 Aeolian Classics Emerging Artist Award \n  \nProgram: \nBeethoven Piano Sonata in E-flat Major\, Op. 81a “Les Adieux” \nBeethoven Sonata in E Major\, Op. 109 \nScriabin Sonata Piano No. 9\, Op. 68 \nBerio Feuerklavier \nAlbeniz Eritana from Iberia \nRavel Gaspard de la unit \n  \nBiography \nAs a late protégé of the well-known Chinese Composer/Pianist Jianzhong Wang\, Yuan Wang started learning piano with him at Age of 5. Yuan is a graduate with high honors and scholarship from Music Middle School Affiliated to Shanghai Conservatory of Music\, where he studied with Qi Zhang and Shanshan Jin. He is currently pursuing his Bachelor of Music Degree at the CCPA of Roosevelt University under the tutelage of Prof.Winston Choi\, Prof.Michal Drewnowski and Manhattan School of Music under the tutelage of Alexandre Moutouzkine\, while also taking private lessons with distinguished pianist Jeffrey Biegel and Vladimir Viardo. \nAs an aspiring young classical pianist\, Yuan has achieved remarkable results at major competitions\, both domestically and internationally\, including: \n• Laureate of the 2025 Aeolian Classics Emerging Artist Award\, Chicago \n• 1st Prize\, 32nd Annual international Chopin piano competition by Fryderyk Chopin Society of Texas 2024 \n• 1st Prize\, V Future Stars International Competition Hartford 2019 \n• 2nd Prize\, Chopin International Piano Competition Hartford 2019 \n• 1st Prize\, Asian Music Competition Taiwan 2015 \n• 2nd Prize\, William Knabe Piano Institute Thomas F. Hulbert International Piano Competition\, Maryland 2023 \n• 4th place\, Chopin International Piano Competition\, Valldemosa\, Spain 2017 \n• Semifinalist\, Bartok World Competition (part of WFIMC)\, Budapest\, Hungry 2019 \nRecent highlights include recital debuts in Carnegie Hall\, New York; Chopin’s Former Residence\, Valldemosa\, Majorca\, Spain; Appearance performance in Franz Liszt Academy of Music\, Budapest\, Hungary; Chamber music performance in Paderewski Symphony Orchestra Music Academy\, Chicago and Ganz Hall\, Chicago; Auer Hall\, Bloomington\, Indiana and Seoul National University. Nanjing Culture and Art Center\, Shanghai Oriental Art Center\, Shanghai Helvting Concert Hall\, Shanghai Opera House\, Guangzhou Opera House. \nYuan Wang is a contracted concert pianist of AC Orange\, a performing arts company of national renown based in Shenzhen. Under their auspices\, he had conducted countrywide tours of China\, covering many provinces such as Hebei\, Henan\, Shanxi\, Shaanxi\, Anhui\, Guangdong and Fujian. Yuan has had the honor to study and play with many influential pianists\, including Lang Lang\, Meng Chieh Liu\, Solomon Mikowsky\, Matti Raekallio\, Antonio Pompa-Baldi\, Vladimir Viardo\, Ilja Scheps\, Yilun Huang.
URL:https://pianofortechicago.com/event/2025-aeolian-classics-emerging-artist-series-winner-recital
LOCATION:PianoForte Studios\, 1335 South Michigan Ave\, Chicago\, IL\, 60605\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://pianofortechicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/a351e64a9f6ac8983d83a81a93bd117e.jpeg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20250510T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20250510T173000
DTSTAMP:20260910T101659
CREATED:20250317T233009Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250317T233009Z
UID:308228-1746892800-1746898200@pianofortechicago.com
SUMMARY:Lakeshore Rush | "One Small World"
DESCRIPTION:Lakeshore Rush’s programmatic theme for this season is “One Small World\,” which is both a nod to the Disneyland attraction and a unifying message of peace. This 10th Anniversary season features seven concerts highlighting composers from each of the seven continents\, and have taken place in neighborhoods throughout Chicago. Programs include works by composers from Japan and South Korea\, Ukraine\, South America\, South Africa\, Antarctica\, North America\, and Australia. Join us for our One Small World: Celebrating Musical Works by Composers from South America program at PianoForte! \nLakeshore Rush is partnering with UNICEF this season to help raise awareness of the work UNICEF does to ensure every child everywhere in the world is healthy\, educated\, protected\, and respected. \n  \nProgram: \nAstor Piazzolla\, Four Seasons \nJuan Orrego Salas\, Partita \nAram Khachaturian\, Trio for Violin\, Clarinet\, and Piano \nLowell Liebermann\, Trio for Flute\, Alto Saxophone\, and Piano\, op. 137 \nKeyna Wilkins\, Titan Tango \nBrian Nabor\, 7 Dances \nLouis Armstrong\, It’s a Wonderful World \n  \n  \nLakeshore Rush is an integral part of the Chicago community\, the city they call home. Their priority is to present music by living composers and forgotten chamber music masterpieces. Over the past ten years the ensemble made appearances at the Chicago Symphony Center\, WFMT – Chicago’s classical radio station\, Ear Taxi Festival\, Chicago Cultural Center\, the PianoForte Foundation\, Fulton Street Collective\, Garfield Park Conservatory in partnership with the Honnold Foundation\, Constellation\, and the Thirsty Ears Festival – Chicago’s only classical music street festival. Lakeshore Rush is an active member of New Music Chicago\, and has commissioned several works by local established composers. \nTheir debut album\, Lakeshore Rush: Moving Parts\, came out on Albany Records TROY 1896 in 2022. The ensemble was featured in Lawrence Axelrod’s album 5X4: Quartets for Various Instruments\, released in 2023 on Ravello Records. A review in Gramophone Magazine described their performance as ‘exquisitely rendered’. \nThe ensemble is currently celebrating its 10th Anniversary Season with a programmatic theme titled “One Small World\,” which is both a nod to the ride at Disneyland and a unifying message of peace through understanding. The 10th Anniversary Season features seven concerts in the Chicago area\, highlighting composers from each of the seven continents.
URL:https://pianofortechicago.com/event/lakeshore-rush-one-small-world
LOCATION:PianoForte Studios\, 1335 South Michigan Ave\, Chicago\, IL\, 60605\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://pianofortechicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Edited-SaintJohns-2-5-25-1.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20250504T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20250504T163000
DTSTAMP:20260910T101659
CREATED:20241009T173914Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241009T173914Z
UID:307991-1746370800-1746376200@pianofortechicago.com
SUMMARY:Kariné Poghosyan: Khachaturian "Piano Works & Ballet Transcriptions"
DESCRIPTION:There’s such a sense of joy\, even ecstasy as she plays.” This is how NY1’s Stephanie Simon describes the Armenian-American concert pianist Kariné Poghosyan’s performances. \nMs. Poghosyan’s recent concerts include several sold-out recitals at Carnegie Hall\, including a CD Release concert of her “Rachmaninoff and Stravinsky” recording\, which garnered rave reviews\, with Gramophone Magazine praising its “masterly textural layering and resounding climaxes\,” and the American Record Guide stating that “a more heroic program would be hard to find\, and few could play as well as the Armenian-American Poghosyan.” She was also featured o on WQXR and was interviewed by David Osenberg on his award-winning program on WWFM\, Cadenza. \nDuring the pandemic\, Ms. Poghosyan performed 100 consecutive free weekly virtual concerts\, gathering a loyal world-wide coverage from the press\, including the Pianist Magazine\, Katie Couric’s newsletter The Wake-up Call\, NY1’s Stephanie Simon\, and ABC’s Rick Rowe. She also has her own monthly virtual concert series on Patreon\, which she performs for a global audience of patrons ( www.patreon.com/ karinepoghosyan ) \nIn February 2023\, Ms. Poghosyan released her third album Folk Themes on Parma Recordings. Ms. Poghosyan has embarked on an exhilarating 2024-25 season\, including a return to Carnegie Hall on June 10\, for an all-Khachaturian program. \n 
URL:https://pianofortechicago.com/event/karine-poghosyan-khachaturian-piano-works-ballet-transcriptions
LOCATION:PianoForte Studios\, 1335 South Michigan Ave\, Chicago\, IL\, 60605\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://pianofortechicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/image0-1.jpeg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20250503T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20250503T203000
DTSTAMP:20260910T101659
CREATED:20250110T154257Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250110T170126Z
UID:308112-1746298800-1746304200@pianofortechicago.com
SUMMARY:Interior Visions | Late Piano Music of Schubert for Two and Four Hands
DESCRIPTION:This evening of Schubert’s music centers around the great C Minor Sonata\, D. 958 and also includes the 6 Moments Musicaux and Variations on an Original Theme for Piano Four Hands\, D. 813. Noted Chicago area pianists Matthew Hagle and Mio Isoda-Hagle will be presenting this tribute to Schubert’s unique and private vision in PianoForte’s intimate space – a perfect combination. \n  \nProgram: \n  \nMoments Musicaux\, D. 780 by Franz Schubert (1797-1828) \nModerato\nAndantino\nAllegro moderato\nModerato\nAllegro vivace\nAllegretto \n  \n8 Variations on an Original Theme\, D. 813 by Franz Schubert \n  \nSonata in C Minor\, D. 958 by Franz Schubert \nAllegro\nAdagio\nMenuetto: Allegro\nAllegro
URL:https://pianofortechicago.com/event/interior-visions-late-piano-music-of-schubert-for-two-and-four-hands
LOCATION:PianoForte Studios\, 1335 South Michigan Ave\, Chicago\, IL\, 60605\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://pianofortechicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/image0-2-scaled.jpeg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20250428T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20250428T210000
DTSTAMP:20260910T101659
CREATED:20240914T195150Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240914T195150Z
UID:307943-1745868600-1745874000@pianofortechicago.com
SUMMARY:The Orion Ensemble: “To Joy!"
DESCRIPTION:Program \nRichard Strauss\nQUARTET in C Minor for Violin\, Viola\, Cello and Piano\, Op. 13 \nLudwig van Beethoven\nSEPTET in E-Flat Major for Strings and Winds\, Op. 20 \n  \nWith guests Stephen Boe (viola)\, Robert Kassinger (bass)\, Andrei Muravev (bassoon) and Greg Flint (French horn) \n  \nRecognized as one of Chicago’s finest chamber music groups\, The Orion Ensemble has been performing since 1992. John von Rhein of the Chicago Tribune called Orion “one of Chicago’s most vibrant\, versatile and distinctive ensembles.” With the possibilities inherent in its unique combination of instruments—piano\, string trio and clarinet—Orion offers exciting interpretations of standard repertoire\, introduces audiences to rarely performed masterpieces and inspires composers with commissions for new works. \nThe Orion Ensemble boasts a roster of superb musicians who have performed throughout North America\, Europe and Asia\, as an ensemble and individually in solo\, orchestral and other chamber music roles. In Chicago\, Orion presents a four-concert series in three venues\, is heard regularly on the broadcast series “Live from WFMT” and appears frequently on the Chicago Cultural Center’s Lunchbreak Series “Classical Mondays.” \nOrion programs diverse works ranging from Mozart\, Beethoven and Brahms to William Bolcom\, Chick Corea\, Paul Schoenfield\, Augusta Read Thomas and other living composers\, offering audiences a remarkably broad chamber music experience. Orion’s expansive commitment to chamber music embraces the works of the classical through modern standard repertoire as well as an extensive range of new pieces for piano quartet and clarinet. Orion continues to inspire composers with commissions for new works written especially for its unique combination of instruments. As the Chicago Tribune’s John von Rhein wrote upon Orion’s 10th anniversary\, “It seems like only yesterday that a remarkable chamber group of musicians calling itself the Orion Ensemble was born. The Orions … quickly established themselves as one of the Chicago area’s most vibrant\, versatile and distinctive ensembles\, at home in every period but especially committed to enlarging the repertory of its unusual combination of piano quartet and clarinet.”
URL:https://pianofortechicago.com/event/the-orion-ensemble-to-joy
LOCATION:PianoForte Studios\, 1335 South Michigan Ave\, Chicago\, IL\, 60605\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://pianofortechicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/orion.png
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20250425T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20250425T203000
DTSTAMP:20260910T101659
CREATED:20250301T155846Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250409T225849Z
UID:308206-1745607600-1745613000@pianofortechicago.com
SUMMARY:Out of Time\, Out of Place
DESCRIPTION:The Kombos Collective presents Out of Time\, Out of Place\, a look at displacement and self-discovery through the eyes of artists in the diaspora. Hellenic-American artists Michael Malis (piano)\, Constantine Novotny (baritone) and Ellie Falaris Ganelin (flute) explore these concepts through the convergence of music and poetry. The cornerstone of the program is Malis’s original song cycle Another Shore\, Another Country set to the poetry of C.P. Cavafy\, commissioned by ProMusica Detroit and premiered in February 2024. Cavafy\, who lived most of his life in Alexandria\, Egypt\, is the quintessential voice of the Greek diaspora and a prominent figure among 20th-century poets. \nThrough Ganelin’s and Malis’s own arrangements\, the trio performs songs of love and longing by Greek idols Mikis Theodorakis and Manos Hadjidakis. These masterful colleagues born the same year (1925) each brought a new vision and prominence to Hellenic music through the radio in their homeland and in film worldwide. Also on the program is “6 Short Pieces” for solo flutes by Athens-based composer Constantine Lignos. \nThis concert is made possible by the generous support of the Charles C. Condes Trust\, The Greek Women’s University Club\, and Hellenic Museum of Michigan. \nThis is a free concert\, but RSVP is required \n \nPresented Under the auspices of the Consulate General of Greece in Chicago
URL:https://pianofortechicago.com/event/out-of-time-out-of-place
LOCATION:PianoForte Studios\, 1335 South Michigan Ave\, Chicago\, IL\, 60605\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://pianofortechicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Trio-crop.jpeg
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20250424T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20250424T200000
DTSTAMP:20260910T101659
CREATED:20250227T004359Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250227T004359Z
UID:308202-1745519400-1745524800@pianofortechicago.com
SUMMARY:Isabelle Olivier | Impressions CD Release Party
DESCRIPTION:Acclaimed jazz harpist and composer Isabelle Olivier explores Impressionism in music and the visual arts with her genre-melding new album. Out now in Europe and March 21\, 2025 in the US and Canada via Rewound Echoes\, Impressions brings together jazz and classical influences via a remarkably versatile electro-acoustic ensemble. \n  \nIsabelle Olivier\, harp and composition \nTom Olivier piano\, accordion and composition \nRaphael Olivier\, electronics \nAnya Brumfield\, violin \nCaroline Jesalva\, violin \nWilfred Farquharson\, viola \nJ Holzen\, cello \nErnie Adams\, drums \n  \n“Leaping from traditional repertoire to time- and space-tripping avant-garde\, the musicians fuse groove and improvisation\, and perform with a kind of measured steadiness that only could be delivered by their highly skilled hands.” – Denise Sullivan\, DownBeat review of OASIS \n“[Olivier’s] bold approach is characterized by permanent risk-taking and a strong desire to collaborate with musicians and artists from various backgrounds.” – Joel Chevassus\, 6Moons.com \nThe French Impressionists revolutionized the art world by privileging the emotional and spiritual perception of the natural world over its literal reproduction. Hailing from France\, harpist Isabelle Olivier has always felt an innate affinity for Impressionism and discovered its echoes within her other artistic passions\, primarily the parallel worlds of jazz and classical music. \nOn her vibrant new album\, Impressions\, Olivier conjures a bold musical landscape from the lush and stirring hues of her diverse influences. Inspired by tenor sax icon John Coltrane’s revered composition “Impressions\, ” she explores the confluences of jazz and Impressionism with a painter’s instinct for complementary colors\, forms and textures. \n“I think about Impressionism as a combination between elegance\, minimalism\, spectral notions\, feelings and vibes – things that you can feel but you cannot explain\, ” Olivier describes. “Looking at Impressionist art is like becoming part of nature\, to the point where you forget that you’re human. I love this feeling.” \nOut now in Europe and in the US/Canada on March 21\, 2025 via Olivier’s Rewound Echoes imprint\, Impressions features a versatile and genre-fluid ensemble that includes the harpist’s sons – pianist and accordionist Tom Olivier-Beuf and electronic musician Raphael Olivier – along with a string quartet and drummer Baptiste Thiebault. In addition to Olivier’s Impressionism-inspired compositions\, the album is interspersed with a number of group improvisations that suggest or were suggested by impressionistic ideas – from the misty\, crepuscular “Fog on the Lake” to the stark\, pointillist “A Pizzicato Life.” \nWith its many references to Chicago art and artists\, Impressions brings together the two metropolises that Olivier calls home – the Windy City and the City of Lights\, Chicago and Paris. The album bridges various landmarks for the harpist\, including her roots in jazz and classical music\, as well as her love for aural and visual art. These seemingly divergent poles have never been separate in her mind – she was introduced to her instrument in the first place by Duchess\, the harp-playing cat in Walt Disney’s jazz-inflected 1970 animated film The Aristocats. Not long after finishing her classical studies at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse in Lyon\, she co-founded the jazz quartet Océan with the Moutin Brothers\, well known figures on the French and American jazz scenes. \nOlivier recalls the first time that she was deeply affected by visual art. “It was a painting from Van Gogh\, ” she says\, recalling the first of many experiences that left her with the suspicion that she has a minor form of Stendahl Syndrome\, the condition of being affected physically by beautiful art or objects. \n“I was just shocked. I had goosebumps\, then I wanted to cry. I didn’t understand it\, but I was so moved.” \nVan Gogh’s work is suggested by the opening track of Impressions\, “Fleurs de Soleil\, ” which Olivier wrote in tribute to her 94-year-old mother. The title refers obliquely to Van Gogh’s famed series of “Sunflowers” paintings\, which the composer was stunned to see grouped together in an Amsterdam exhibition. The literal French translation of “sunflowers\, ” though\, is “tournesols\, ” which didn’t capture the tenderness that Olivier wanted to express towards her mother’s final months. \nWith Olivier-Beuf’s accordion alternately suggesting French and Eastern European folk rhythms\, “Eclats” draws inspiration from the musicological expeditions of Béla Bartók. “Cezanne” makes reference to the titular Impressionist in its soft\, lush colors\, and forms a diptych with the breezy\, propulsive “Bike\, ” named for a piece by Chicago-based illustrator Darcy Day Zoells. The melding of harp and electronics on “An Open Window” depicts Olivier’s stay on a picturesque island on Lake Michigan\, which she says supplied her with\, “a wonderful soundtrack of birds\, and waves and wind.” \nThe gentle rocking of waves is suggested by the string figures of “The Boating Party\, ” which is based on a painting by the American Impressionist Mary Cassatt. “Forlane” strikingly adapts a composition by the Impressionist composer Maurice Ravel\, while Olivier-Beuf indulges in a bit of modern-day Impressionism of his own with his composition “Evanescence\, ” swooningly capturing the evasive ethereality hinted at by its title. “Tango” takes an impassioned cue from the music of the brilliant Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla\, whose studies with the French composer and pedagogue Nadia Boulanger provides a spiritual link to the Gallic heart of the album. \n“La Gare” is a painting come to life\, providing a soundtrack to Claude Monet’s “Arrival of the Normandy Train\, Gare Saint-Lazare\, ” which resides at the Art Institute of Chicago. Not only is Olivier’s composition built on a locomotive foundation\, but the ensemble adds a variety of voices and soundtracks to bring the locale to imaginative life. Paired with the album’s closer\, Coltrane’s familiar title tune\, it ends the vivid proceedings with another diptych\, pairing a train with the Trane. Like in so much of Olivier’s work\, she manages to find echoes that are playful\, resonant and beautiful by making unexpected connections. \nAs a jazz harpist and composer\, Isabelle Olivier has charted an unconventional path throughout her career\, forging interdisciplinary connections within the arts and exploring various musical styles. Artistic and human exploration through the harp has allowed her to broaden her musical horizons across disciplines and territories. Olivier has recorded a dozen albums featuring her own compositions and has traveled to 25 countries to present collaborative and interactive projects. In 2021 she celebrated three decades on stage with Smile\, an album that paid homage to Charlie Chaplin and Emily Dickinson\, Cannonball Adderley and James Blake. Olivier has collaborated with such exceptional artistic personalities as Oscar-winning filmmaker Agnes Varda\, acclaimed drummer Peter Erskine\, and innovative guitarist Rez Abbasi. As the first composer laureate of the Villa Le Nôtre in Versailles\, she was commissioned by the Art Institute of Chicago in 2017 to compose and perform an artistic response to “Gauguin\, the Alchemist.” Supported by the FACE Foundation for her OASIS project with Rez Abbasi\, she is passionate about intercultural and intergenerational intersections.
URL:https://pianofortechicago.com/event/isabelle-olivier-impressions-cd-release-party
LOCATION:PianoForte Studios\, 1335 South Michigan Ave\, Chicago\, IL\, 60605\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://pianofortechicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Isabelle-Olivier-Impressions-digipack-FRONT-PHOTO-scaled.jpg
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20250410T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20250410T210000
DTSTAMP:20260910T101659
CREATED:20250208T223056Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250208T223056Z
UID:308164-1744313400-1744318800@pianofortechicago.com
SUMMARY:Markus Rutz & Third Coast Sounds | Concert for Jazz Appreciation Month
DESCRIPTION:Join Markus Rutz & Third Coast Sounds for a FREE concert in partnership with The Chicago Federation of Musicians. \nThe concert is to celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month and is set for Thursday\, April 10 2025 at 7:30 pm (7 pm doors). \nThis LIVE performance is a a FREE event open to the public with ticketed reservations: RutzMusicWorks.com/upcoming-gigs. \nThe concert is an appreciation of Chicago musicians historical and contemporary playing original and standards. \nhttps://rutzmusicworks.com/more-about-markus
URL:https://pianofortechicago.com/event/markus-rutz-third-coast-sounds-concert-for-jazz-appreciation-month
LOCATION:PianoForte Studios\, 1335 South Michigan Ave\, Chicago\, IL\, 60605\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://pianofortechicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/IMGL0976-copy-scaled.jpg
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20250405T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20250405T210000
DTSTAMP:20260910T101659
CREATED:20250206T163759Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250403T222228Z
UID:308150-1743881400-1743886800@pianofortechicago.com
SUMMARY:CHICAGO COMPOSERS' CONSORTIUM and YARN/WIRE | New Music for 2 Pianos\, 2 Percussion
DESCRIPTION:Chicago Composers’ Consortium is thrilled to welcome Yarn/Wire\, a phenomenal New York quartet of two pianists and two percussionists\, in a program of World Premieres written expressly for Yarn/Wire. Music of five Chicago composers plus the Chicago premiere of Steve Reich’s iconic ‘Quartet’\, which Reich calls “one of the more complex I have composed.” \nTickets are $25 for general admission and $5 for students. \nProgram: \nAscensions – Timothy Dwight Edwards \n‘After Clouds\,…’ – Elizabeth Start \nAu revoir a soi – Timothy Ernest Johnson \nGame of Fibs – Amos Gillespie \nVelocities – K.C. Ginther \nQuartet – Steve Reich (Chicago premiere) \n  \nYarn/Wire is a NYC-based piano and percussion quartet dedicated to energetic and insightful performances of today’s most adventurous music\, and to the promotion of creative\, meaningful live musical experiences in the US and abroad. Yarn/Wire started making music together in 2005\, focused from the beginning on creating music in partnership with composers\, sound artists\, noise musicians and more people around the globe who inspired them. Now\, some 18 years later\, Yarn/Wire is still guided by the same principles of openness\, curiosity\, and experimentation. New York Classical Review writes: “Yarn/Wire may well be the most important new music ensemble on the scene today.” \nChicago Composers’ Consortium (C3) is a composer-led collective which promotes the creation\, performance and promulgation of new music by Chicago composers. Over its 35-year history\, C3 has produced hundreds of concerts and events\, presenting the works of emerging and established composers alike\, and collaborating with other ensembles in the creation of unique musical events. What sets C3 apart from other contemporary music organizations is a history of innovative composer-generated collaborative projects and a spirit of adventure\, with a focus on works by little known and emerging composers who are deserving of a larger audience.
URL:https://pianofortechicago.com/event/chicago-composers-consortium-and-yarn-wire-new-music-for-2-pianos-percussion
LOCATION:PianoForte Studios\, 1335 South Michigan Ave\, Chicago\, IL\, 60605\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://pianofortechicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Yarn-Wire.jpg
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