Music Institute of Chicago to Present DUO PIANO WINTER MINI-FEST, 3/6-9

The Music Institute of Chicago's popular Chicago Duo Piano Festival presents its annual Duo Piano Winter Mini-fest March 6-9 at Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Avenue, Evanston. The festival features two concerts:

• Thursday, March 6 at 7:30 p.m.: Hans-Peter and Volker Stenzl Piano Duo, performing Schubert's Fantasy in F Minor, Mozart's Symphony No. 40 in G Minor (arranged by Carl Czerny), the Bach-Busoni Chorale Prelude Wie Wohl ist Mir and Ravel's La Valse (poeme choréographique).

The Stenzl brothers are among the world's preeminent piano duos, playing together for more than 20 years. Critics marvel at the "magical amalgam of the two brothers' hearts into one musical soul" and their "unique blend of innate musical instinct and knife-sharp intelligence." They have appeared in major concert halls throughout the world, including Royal Festival Hall and Wigmore Hall in London, Merkin Concert Hall in New York, Philharmonie in Berlin, Salle Gaveau in Paris, and many more. The duo won the second international Dranoff International Two Piano Competition. In 1996 Hans-Peter and Volker Stenzl were appointed Associates of the Royal Academy of Music London. They are professors at the Universities of Music in Stuttgart and Rostock, where many of their student teams themselves are international prize winners, and give master classes in many countries. In addition they serve on the juries of renowned national and international music competitions.

• Saturday, March 8 at 7:30 p.m.: Music Institute piano faculty members perform a mixed concert of music for piano duo. Performers include Claire Aebersold and Ralph Neiweem, Xiaomin Liang and Jue He, Elaine Felder and Milana Pavchiskaya, Irene Faliks and Maya Brodotskaya, Fiona Queen, Sung Hoon Mo and more.

The Stenzl brothers, who have taught many of the world's finest young piano duos, offer a master class Saturday, March 7 at noon. And students participating in the mini-festival give a recital Sunday, March 9 at 1 p.m., both at Nichols Concert Hall.

Pianists are welcome to register for the March 6-9 mini-festival, featuring concerts, master classes, lectures, coachings, and student recitals. All events take place at the Music Institute's Evanston East Campus, 1490 Chicago Avenue. Tuition is $95 per student, which includes admission to all concerts and events, participation in student recitals, coachings, and a festival dinner. Registration deadline is February 18, 2014.

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 students age 12 through adult coaching, master classes, concerts with special guest artists, and student recitals.

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 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 believes that music has the power to sustain and nourish the human spirit; therefore, its mission is to provide the foundation for lifelong engagement with music. Founded in 1931, the Music Institute has grown to become one of the three 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 of Community Schools of the Arts and accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music. Each year, the Music Institute's teachers and arts therapists reach thousands of students and clients of all ages and levels of experience. The Music Institute opened a new location this fall at Fourth Presbyterian Church's Gratz Center in downtown Chicago. Other Music Institute locations include 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, and Nichols Concert Hall.

The Chicago Duo Piano Winter Mini-Fest concerts take place Thursday, March 6 and Saturday, March 8 at 7:30 p.m. at Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Avenue, Evanston. Tickets are $30 for adults, $20 for seniors, and $10 for students, available at chicagoduopianofestival.org or 847.905.1500 ext. 108. For more information visit musicinst.org. All programming is subject to change.