Music Institute of Chicago Offers Annual Chicago Duo Piano Festival

The Music Institute of Chicago, the oldest community music school in Illinois and one of the three oldest in the nation, offers its annual Chicago Duo Piano Festival July 8-17 at Music Institute's Evanston East Campus, 1490 Chicago Avenue. In addition to offering students private and group coaching and the opportunity to perform in final recitals, the Festival includes three public performances at Nichols Concert Hall featuring acclaimed performers and celebrated duo piano repertoire.

Public performances
Gala Opening Concert: Celebrating Liszt-Friday, July 8 at 7:30 p.m.
Special guest Italian husband and wife piano duo Elisabetta Dessi and Francesco Giammarco perform four-hand transcriptions of works by Liszt, including Legends of Saint Elisabeth and the Mephisto Waltzes No. 1 and 2.

"Mozartiana"-Tuesday, July 12 at 7:30 p.m.
Chicago Duo Piano Festival Founders/Directors and Music Institute faculty piano duo in residence Claire Aebersold and Ralph Neiweem perform Mozart's Sonata in D Major for Two Pianos, K. 488 and two piano transcriptions of Mozart's music by Busoni and others, including Liszt's "Don Juan" Fantasy.

Duo Piano Extravaganza-Friday, July 15 at 7:30 p.m.
In this popular event, members of the Music Institute faculty offer a varied selection of four-hand and two-piano works. Performers include Chicago Duo Piano Festival Founders/Directors and Music Institute faculty piano duo in residence Claire Aebersold and Ralph Neiweem, along with faculty and staff members Maya Brodotskaya, Alexander Djordjevic, Irene Faliks, Elaine Felder, Mark George, Matthew Hagle, Brenda Huang, Mio Isoda, Katherine Lee, Soo Young Lee, Sung Mo, Milana Pavchinskaya, and Fiona Queen.

Tickets for the Chicago Duo Piano Festival concerts July 8, 12, and 15 at 7:30 p.m. at Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Avenue, Evanston are each $25 for adults, $15 for seniors and $10 for students, available at musicinst.org or 847.905.1500 ext. 108.

About the 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. Student registration deadline is May 25.
About 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.
About Elisabetta Dessì and Francesco Giammarco
Elisabetta Dessì and Francesco Giammarco completed their musical studies together and formed their piano duo in 1994. Since then, this husband and wife duo have mastered a vast repertoire for piano, four hands, from the complete sonatas of Mozart to the most significant works of the 20th century. Currently professors at the music conservatory G.P. Palestrina in their home city of Cagliari, Sardegna, in Italy, they have made guest appearances at important concert institutions in Italy and abroad. The duo has dedicated particular attention to the four-hand works of Franz Liszt, releasing the world premiere recordings of oratorios Christus and Legends of Saint Elisabeth as well as In the Sistine Chapel on Phoenix Classics label. In 2011 they were invited to perform at the prestigious Liszt Institute of Bologna as part of their celebration of the 200th anniversary of Liszt's birth. Other recordings include works by Dvorak, MacDowell, and Heinrich Hoffman for Rivo Alto.
About the Music Institute of Chicago
The Music Institute of Chicago believes that music has the power to sustain and nourish the human spirit; therefore, our mission is to provide the foundation for lifelong engagement with music. As one of the three largest and most respected community music schools in the nation, the Music Institute offers musical excellence built on the strength of our distinguished faculty, commitment to quality, and breadth of programs and services. Founded in 1931 and one of the oldest community music schools in Illinois, 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, our world-class music teachers and arts therapists provide the highest quality arts education to more than 5,000 students of all ability levels, from birth to 101 years of age at campuses in Evanston, Highland Park, Lake Forest, Lincolnshire, Winnetka, and Downers Grove. The Music Institute also offers lessons and programs at the Steinway of Chicago store in Northbrook and early childhood and community engagement programs throughout the Chicago area and the North Shore. Nichols Concert Hall, our education and performance center located in downtown Evanston, reaches approximately 14,000 people each year. Our community engagement and partnership programs reach an additional 6,500 Chicago Public School students annually. The Music Institute offers lessons, classes, and programs through four distinct areas: Community School, The Academy, Creative Arts Therapy (Institute for Therapy through the Arts), and Nichols Concert Hall.

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