Music Institute Of Chicago Celebrates Trailblazing Women In Classical Music At Annual Gala Benefit, May 15

Honoring trailblazing women in classical music who inspire the next generation, the Music Institute of Chicago hosts its Annual Gala Benefit on Monday, May 15 at 5:30 p.m. at The Peninsula Chicago, 108 E. Superior Street, Chicago. Event highlights include the presentation of the prestigious Dushkin Award to Maestra Marin Alsop, the Cultural Visionary Award for Chicago to Karen Gray-Krehbiel and John Krehbiel, Jr., and the Richard D. Colburn Award for Teaching Excellence to Barbara Ann Martin.

With the support of Patron of the Arts Benefactors John D. Nichols and Chair Emerita Alexandra C. Nichols and Honorary Chairs Nancy and Scott Santi, the Gala is led by Co-Chairs Carlos Cárdenas, Dan and Yoo Mi Hahn, and Barbara A. Speer. Proceeds from the Annual Gala Benefit provide the single-largest source of funds for financial aid and scholarships, tuition-free community engagement and schools programming, and neighborhood-based service activities. Each year the Music Institute positively impacts thousands of individuals of all ages and backgrounds from nearly 100 Illinois communities and scores of Chicago neighborhoods.

The evening begins with an hour-long, private cocktail reception in The Peninsula's award-winning restaurant The Lobby, followed by dinner in its renowned ballroom. Musical performances throughout the evening include talented vocal students from the Music Institute's Community Music School, chamber music from the Music Institute's renowned Academy for gifted pre-college musicians, as well as a performance of Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 for soprano and an orchestra of cellos by Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos, the focus of the Music Institute' One Composer, One Community program this year.

Established more than 30 years ago and named for the Music Institute's visionary founders Dorothy and David Dushkin, the Dushkin Award recognizes international luminaries in the world of music for their contributions to the art form as well as to the education of youth. Previous award honorees include Hilary Hahn, Maestro Zubin Mehta, Wynton Marsalis, Stephen Sondheim, Maestro Riccardo Muti, and Yo-Yo Ma, among others. Alsop, who currently serves as the Ravinia Festival's chief conductor and curator, continues a legacy of Ravinia conductors who have been honored with the Dushkin Award, including Christoph Eschenbach (2000) and James Conlon (2009).

A conductor of vision and distinction, Marin Alsop is internationally recognized for her innovative approach to programming and audience development, deep commitment to education, and advocacy for music's importance in the world. The 2022-23 season marks Alsop's fourth as chief conductor of the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, which she leads at Vienna's Konzerthaus and Musikverein, and on recordings, broadcasts, and tours. As Chief Conductor and Curator of Chicago's Ravinia Festival, she conducts the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's summer residencies, formalizing her long relationship with Ravinia and the orchestra.

Alsop has longstanding relationships with the London Symphony Orchestra and the Philarmonia and regularly guest conducts the Cleveland Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Filarmonica della Scala, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and the Danish National, Budapest Festival and Royal Concertgebouw orchestras. Since 2021 Alsop has been music director laureate and OrchKids founder at the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, concluding her outstanding 14-year tenure as music director, when she led the orchestra on its first European tour in 13 years, on multiple award-winning recordings, and in more than two dozen world premieres, alongside founding OrchKids, its music education program for thousands of the city's
most disadvantaged young people. In 2019, after seven years as Music Director, Alsop became Conductor of Honour of the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra, where she continues conducting major projects each season. For her complete biography, visit marinalsop.com/biography/.

The Cultural Visionary Award for Chicago recognizes individuals who make an indelible impact on the community through their philanthropic, civic, and cultural leadership. This year's honorees, Karen Gray-Krehbiel and John Krehbiel, Jr., embody the philanthropic spirit they believe is key to building a stronger, more flourishing community. Karen serves on the boards of directors at the Art Institute of Chicago, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago, Field Museum, WINGS, Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Frick Collection in New York, and the Smithsonian Archives of American Art in Washington D.C. She previously worked for many years as a marketing executive and creative director in the advertising industry. John is former co-chairman of Molex and currently co-chairman of KF Partners and a philanthropist who has contributed to business, the community, and many charities for more than 50 years. His lifelong commitment to education has included serving as board chairman for Dartmouth's Thayer School of Engineering.

Together, Karen and John serve on the President's Leadership Council at Dartmouth College, where they have established and funded scholarships for 97 recipients to date and are actively involved in the Krehbiel Scholarship Program at Lake Forest College. They are longtime supporters of Mayo Clinic and the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago.

The Music Institute presents the Richard D. Colburn Award for Teaching Excellence to faculty members who exemplify the high standard of excellence set by Richard D. Colburn in his many musical endeavors. This year's honoree, Barbara Ann Martin, is chair of the Music Institute's Voice Department and has been a member of the voice faculty since 1995. Martin has performed with major opera companies and at premier music festivals throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. A well-known interpreter of the works of American composer George Crumb, she has sung his master-work Ancient Voice of Children with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Berlin and New York Philharmonics, the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, the Maggio Musicale, the Montreal Symphony, and the Israel Philharmonic to critical acclaim. She is the featured soloist with James Freeman and Orchestra 2001 on the 2010 Grammy-nominated CD that includes A Journey Beyond Time and The Winds of Destiny, two major song cycles Crumb wrote for her. Martin has been a guest professor at the International Summer Academy Mozarteum in Salzburg and the Royal Danish and Odense Conservatories in Denmark. She has completed vocal, acting, and audio book training and is a member of SAG/AFTRA, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the National Association of the Teachers of Singing, and Toastmasters International.

The Music Institute of Chicago is grateful to ITW and KPMG for their sponsorship of this event.

The Music Institute of Chicago's Annual Gala Benefit, celebrating trailblazing women in classical music, takes place Monday, May 15 at 5:30 p.m. at The Peninsula Chicago, 108 E. Superior Street, Chicago. Individual tickets are $750; table sponsorships start at $10,000. For tickets or to make a gift, please visit musicinst.org/gala23.