Music Institute of Chicago to Present 28th Annual Chicago Duo Piano Festival

Following the debut of its Chicago International Duo Piano Competition June 8-11, the Music Institute of Chicago presents its 28th annual Chicago Duo Piano Festival July 8-17. In addition to offering students coaching, lectures, master classes, and recitals, the Festival includes five public events at Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Avenue, in Evanston, featuring guest duo Anne Louise-Turgeon and Edward Turgeon, Festival Founders/Directors Claire Aebersold and Ralph Neiweem, and Music Institute piano faculty, all performing duo piano repertoire.

Public performances
Gala Opening Concert-Friday, July 8 at 7:30 p.m.
Chicago Duo Piano Festival Founders/Directors and Music Institute piano duo in residence Claire Aebersold and Ralph Neiweem perform a program including works by Schubert, Liszt, Durey, and Respighi.

FREE Faculty Recital-Sunday, July 10 at 3 p.m.
Music Institute piano faculty members perform a concert program of duo piano repertoire, including Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances.

Faculty Extravaganza Concert-Tuesday, July 12 at 7:30 p.m.
In this popular event, members of the Music Institute and Chicago Duo Piano Festival performance faculty perform a mixed program of duo piano favorites, including music by Mozart, Dukas, and Rachmaninoff.

Performers in the July 10 and 12 faculty concerts include Elaine Felder and Milana Pavchinskaya, Irene Faliks and Maya Brodotskaya, Mio Isoda and Matthew Hagle, Grace Juang, Katherine Lee and Gregory Shifrin, Alexander Djordjevic and Brenda Huang, Claire Aebersold and Ralph Neiweem, Sung Hoon Moand Inah Chiu, Keiko Alexander, and others.

Guest Recital: Duo Turgeon-Friday, July 15 at 7:30 p.m.
This acclaimed piano duo returns, after appearing at the Chicago Duo Piano Festival's Winter Mini-Fest in February 2011, to perform works by Franz Schubert, Johannes Brahms, Valery Gavrilin, Witold Lutoslawski, Ernesto Lecuona, and Francisco Mignone.

Born in Montreal and Toronto, respectively, Anne Louise-Turgeon and Edward Turgeon have been playing together since 1988 and performing professionally since 1996. Critically acclaimed as one of the top piano duos of our time, the Turgeons have given hundreds of performances, including a European debut at the Concertgebouw of Amsterdam and a New York debut at Weill Recital Hall. Festival appearances include Sanibel Chamber Music, San Francisco International Chamber Music, Montreal International Duo Piano, Duettissimo (Minsk), Novosibirsk International Duo Piano, Festival Miami, New York Summer Music Festival, Austin Chamber Music, Algoma Fall Festival, Chicago International Two Piano Festival, Norfolk Chamber and the World Piano Conference (Serbia).

FREE Master Class-Saturday, July 16 at 10 a.m.
Guest duo Anne Louise-Turgeon and Edward Turgeon lead a master class.

All concerts take place at Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Ave., Evanston. Except where noted, tickets are $30 for adults, $20 for seniors, and $10 for students and are available at musicinst.org/cdpf-concert-schedule or 800.838.3006.

Chicago Duo Piano Festival
Called a "duo piano mecca" by Pioneer Press, Chicago Duo Piano Festival (CDPF) was founded in 1988 by Music Institute faculty members and resident piano duo 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. The Festival includes an annual summer festival, a winter mini-fest, and periodic national and international duo piano competitions for youth and adults.

Claire Aebersold and Ralph Neiweem
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 pianos. 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 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 reach thousands of students 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, and concerts through its Community Music School, Academy, and Nichols Concert Hall. For more information, visit musicinst.org.