The Music Institute of Chicago presents the 34th season of its Chicago Duo Piano Festival featuring four free public events from July 8 to July 17 at Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Ave. In addition, pianists age 8 and older will participate in the education program of the 10-day festival, which includes coaching, lectures, master classes and recitals, directed by Festival Co-Founders and Artistic Directors Claire Aebersold and Ralph Neiweem and Music Institute piano faculty Katherine Lee.
Friday, July 8 at 7:30 p.m.
Gala Opening Concert – Claire Aebersold and Ralph Neiweem
Festival Co-Founders and Music Institute Piano Duo in Residence Aebersold and Neiweem present a Duo Piano Dialogue, Johannes Brahms, Clara Schumann, and the story of Brahms’s Piano Concerto No. 1, a concert with commentary. The program includes short works by Clara and Robert Schumann and a complete performance of Brahms’ own arrangement for piano four hands, of his Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor.
Tuesday, July 12 at 7:30 p.m.
Faculty Extravaganza I
Franz Schubert’s Fantasy in F Minor, D. 940 performed by Yumy Kim and Sung Hoon Mo Ron Surace’s Excerpts from Pinocchio Suite for Two Pianos, performed by Ann and Ron Surace
Emma Lou Diemer’s Homage to Cowell, Cage, Crumb, and Czerny performed by Louise Chan and Katherine Petersen
Mozart’s Sonata in D Major for Two Pianos, K. 448: Andante; Molto Allegro, performed by Elaine Felder and Soo Young Lee
Friday, July 15 at 7:30 p.m.
Faculty Extravaganza II
Schubert’s Rondo in A Major, D.951, performed by Aebersold and Neiweem
Nikolai Medtner’s Russian Round Dance and Knight Errant for Two Pianos, performed by Mio Isoda and Matthew Hagle
Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dance No. 1 for Two Pianos, performed by Elaine Felder and Milana PavchinskayaIgor
Stravinsky’s Danse Infernale from Firebird Suite and Prokofiev’s Classical Symphony (arr. Terashima), performed by Xiaomin Liang and Jue He
Saturday, July 16 at 10 a.m.
Master class
The Unison Piano Duo, consisting of Du Huang and Xiao Hu from Luther College in Iowa, conduct a master class.
Sunday, July 17 at 2 p.m.
Student recital
Admission to all events is free. Livestream access is available for the three concerts
at nicholsconcerthall.org. All programming is subject to change. For more information, visit chicagoduopianofestival.org.
Submitted by The Music Institute of Chicago