A Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration to Be Presented at Nichols Concert Hall, January 2022

The Music Institute of Chicago presents two January matinee concerts at Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Avenue, Evanston, spotlighting a variety of musical genres.

On Sunday, January 16 at 3 p.m., the Music Institute presents a free musical celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The program includes several works for string quartet by William Grant Still and a concerto by Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745-99). Among the performers are Music Institute String Department Chair Sang Mee Lee on violin, Artist in Residence Marta Aznavoorian on piano, and Music Institute President and CEO Mark George on piano.

On Sunday, January 23 at 3 p.m., Chicago Symphony Orchestra Concertmaster Robert Chen and Music Institute piano faculty Matthew Hagle perform a program of Classical and Romantic masterpieces for violin and piano, to be announced.

Chen, a native of Taiwan, has served as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's concertmaster since 1999 performing as a featured soloist with Riccardo Muti, Daniel Barenboim, Pierre Boulez, and others. In addition to his work with orchestras, he is an avid chamber musician and has performed with artists including Itzhak Perlman, Pinchas Zukerman, and Yo-Yo Ma. A frequent participant at numerous festivals, he also has toured extensively with Musicians from Marlboro and is a founding member of the Johannes Quartet.

Chicago-area native Hagle, an active chamber musician and collaborator, has performed in concert halls throughout the U.S. and abroad with members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Avalon Quartet, and Quintet Attacca. He has released three acclaimed CDs on the Cedille label with violinist Rachel Barton Pine. He has served as a faculty member at the Music Institute since 1998 and teaches piano and composition. A Fulbright Scholar and graduate of Peabody Conservatory and Yale School of Music (where he received his DMA), he is also a Music Institute alumnus.

The Music Institute of Chicago is adhering to all current protocols related to the COVID-19 pandemic, as determined by the state of Illinois and the CDC, for all events at Nichols Concert Hall. As of October 29, requirements include providing proof of vaccination (or a negative COVID test within 48 hours of the performance date) and masking at all times.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration takes place Sunday, January 16 at 3 p.m.; admission is free.

Robert Chen and Matthew Hagle perform
Sunday, January 23 at 3 p.m.
Admission is $50 for VIP seating, $25 for advance purchase,
and $30 at the door.
Tickets are available at Nichols-Concert-Hall.ticketleap.com.

Both concerts take place at Nichols Concert Hall,
1490 Chicago Avenue, Evanston.
All programming is subject to change.

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