Chicago Duo Piano Festival to Host Competition for Young Duos, 5/30

The Music Institute of Chicago's popular Chicago Duo Piano Festival, as part of its mission to foster the performance and teaching of music for piano duo for young performers, presents its 2015 Competition for Young Piano Duos May 30 at Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Avenue, Evanston.

The competition is open to students between the ages of eight and 18 in two divisions, Elementary and High School. Competitors may perform two or three works for piano duo-either four hands, one piano, or four hands, two pianos, or a combination. The winners concert takes place Saturday, May 30 at 7 p.m. and is open to the public. Chicago's classical music radio network WFMT will record the High School Division winners for later broadcast. Elementary Division prizes are $500 for first place, $300 for second place, and $200 for third place. High School Division prizes are $800 for first place, $600 for second place, and $400 for third place. The judges will be experts in piano duo and ensemble performance who are not affiliated with the Music Institute.

The registration deadline is April 15, 2015. Information and an application are available at musicinst.org/cdpf-competition

The Competition for Young Piano Duos concert, which takes place Saturday, May 30 at 7 p.m. is FREE and open to the public.

Chicago Duo Piano Festival
Called a "duo piano mecca" by Pioneer Press, the Chicago Duo Piano Festival was founded in 1988 by Music Institute of Chicago faculty members Claire Aebersold and Ralph Neiweem. Its mission is to foster a deeper interest in the repertoire, performance, and teaching of music for piano, four hands and two pianos, in a fun and supportive atmosphere. The Festival offers opportunities to piano students age 12 through adult through a winter mini-festival, a summer festival and periodic competitions, master classes, and workshops.

Claire Aebersold and Ralph Neiweem
Chicago Duo Piano Festival Founders and Directors Claire Aebersold and Ralph Neiweem, artists in residence and faculty members at the Music Institute, enjoy an international career as proponents of music for both piano duet and two keyboards. The duo has appeared with orchestras internationally, including the Chicago Philharmonic and the Vienna Tonkünstler. They have performed in recitals throughout the U.S. and Europe. Recent concerts include a 25th anniversary celebration concert at Merkin Hall in New York, an appearance at the Gina Bachauer Festival in Salt Lake City, and two recitals in Odessa, Ukraine. Aebersold and Neiweem have commissioned significant new works for the piano duo, including pieces by Joseph Turrin and Patrick Byers. The duo's CDs on the Summit label include Four Hand Reflections and music of Brahms and Schubert.

Music Institute of Chicago
The Music Institute of Chicago, which has a mission to provide the foundation for a lifelong engagement with music, is dedicated to transforming lives through music education. Founded in 1931, the Music Institute has grown to become one of the largest and most respected community music schools in the nation. Offering musical excellence built on the strength of its distinguished faculty, commitment to quality, and breadth of programs and services, the Music Institute is a member of the National Guild for Community Arts Education and accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Pre-collegiate Arts Schools (ACCPAS). Each year, the Music Institute's teachers and arts therapists reach thousands of students and clients of all ages and levels of experience. Music Institute locations include Chicago, Evanston, Winnetka, Lincolnshire, Lake Forest, and Downers Grove. In addition, the Music Institute is proud of its longstanding partnership with the Chicago Public Schools through its Arts Link program. The Music Institute offers lessons and classes, creative arts therapy, and concerts through its Community School, Academy, Institute for Therapy through the Arts (ITA), and Nichols Concert Hall.