Supporting scholarships & financial aid
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2025
NICHOLS CONCERT HALL 1490 CHICAGO AVENUE EVANSTON, IL
YOUR SUPPORT IS INSTRUMENTAL!
S
E A S O N S P O N S O R S
NICHOLS CONCERT HALL 2025-2026
The Music Institute of Chicago is grateful to all its funders and partners, whose generous support helps us to educate, entertain, and inspire through live music performed by both new emerging artists and the most established artists of our time.
The Music Institute of Chicago is grateful for the support of these annual institutional supporters: Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, Edwardson Family Foundation, John and Pauline Fife, John R. Halligan Charitable Fund, ITW, The Julian Family Foundation, The Kiphart Family Foundation, William Harris Lee & Co., The Negaunee Foundation, Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Family Foundation, Northern Trust, Sargent Family Foundation, Shure, and The Wallace Foundation.
The Music Institute also acknowledges the generous support of the Evanston Arts Council, a city agency supported by the City of Evanston; the Farny R. Wurlitzer Fund from the DeKalb County Community Foundation; the Highland Park Community Foundation; the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
Sponsorship opportunities range from concerts and performances, to the annual Gala, special capital projects, and community engagement initiatives. For more information contact:
Jennifer Bienemann, Vice President and Chief Development Officer at jbienemann@musicinst.org.
Dear Friends,
It is with great joy that I welcome you to the Music Institute of Chicago’s Fall Fundraiser Concert, my first as President and CEO of this incredible organization. MIC played a formative role in launching my career as an educator, and I have long admired its unwavering dedication to excellence in music education.
Today, we gather to celebrate the transformative power of music to enrich lives, connect communities, and nurture the next generation of artists. Your presence and generosity directly support programs that ensure MIC remains a vibrant, inclusive, and inspiring home for all who seek the joy and discipline of music.
This event supports our key strategic priorities, especially the pursuit of programmatic excellence and increased accessibility. We are committed to ensuring that high-quality teaching and learning opportunities remain available to every student at MIC.
Our goal is to raise $2.3 million dollars to support our community with exceptional and accessible programs at a time when they have never been more urgently needed. Your gift fuels exceptional teaching and performances for students and audiences of all ages, abilities, and economic means.
Your support also empowers us to innovate, expanding early childhood education, deepening our work with strategic community partners, and strengthening our worldclass faculty. These vital initiatives are only possible because of your belief in our mission.
Together, we are building a future where music continues to inspire, uplift, and transform every life it touches.
With heartfelt gratitude,
Shalisa Kline Ugaz President and CEO Music Institute of Chicago
PRE-CONCERT PROGRAM
Nichols Concert Hall Lobby
MIC Adult Jazz Combo
Jonathan Gordon, saxophone
Peter Hakenen, trumpet
James Davis, coach
Hermann Riecke, piano
Chad Goodall, bass
David Weisman, drums
“Music of all genres has been a source of great joy to me for as long as I can remember. But until six years ago, at the ripe old age of 68, that joy came primarily from listening. I’ve always wanted to play the drums, but for many reasons, never pursued formal lessons or was motivated to teach myself. While I regret not having started earlier, I am beyond grateful to be learning and hopefully improving.
Playing the drums has enriched my life in ways I didn’t even imagine. Being part of a group and creating music is beyond exhilarating. Our group has a unique bond that keeps strengthening the longer we play together.
My advice to anyone who’s even considering learning an instrument…Don’t put it off…..Just do it… NOW!!”
- Dave Weismann
“Learning to play and improvise as part of a small jazz group of 5-6 people is a multi-faceted experience that not only builds musicianship, but also builds intellectual and social skills. It’s interactive, completely engaging and a great deal of fun.
The opportunity for personal growth, social interaction and enjoyment that MIC presents with its Jazz Combo classes is a rare opportunity to learn jazz culture and music from real jazz artists who also know how to teach.
After taking up the saxophone as an adult and then learning to play in a big band, I was pleasantly surprised to discover how many new skills I have developed and bad habits I’ve overcome in the past 2 years in this class.“
~ Jon Gordon
“What draws me particularly to jazz is the improvisation, it has given me a different (and deeper) understanding of music in general, also of classical music, which is what I have played most of my life.
James is an excellent combo teacher: he understands each instrument of the combo and can help each player not only in terms of general musicianship but also with respect to the specific instrument they play.
Having the music class is a wonderful regular interruption of the work week.”
~ Hermann Riecke
Jazz Studies at MIC
The Music Institute of Chicago’s jazz studies program includes some of Chicago’s most respected jazz musicians who bring a deep knowledge of the current jazz scene and jazz history into every class and lesson. MIC youth and adult students hone their skill and style development as they learn to play by ear and improvise. MIC middle and high school jazz students become leaders in their school jazz programs and students of all ages enjoy performance opportunities at Nichols Concert Hall as well as community venues.
Through jazz improv and combo classes, students learn to improvise across styles including swing, blues, bebop, New Orleans, Latin and contemporary. In addition to learning jazz standards there are opportunities to perform orginal music as well.
FALL FUNDRAISER CONCERT PROGRAM
Sunday, November 2 » 3:00 pm
Minuet in C
WELCOME
Shalisa Kline Ugaz, MIC President and CEO
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Third Coast Suzuki Strings Ensemble
Luis Coto, Ivan Garcia, Lucas Gonzalez, Alexandra Mateos, Julieta Murillo
Bianca d’Avila do Prado and Jess Hudson, directors
Louise Chan, piano
Ode to Joy Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) arr. Carol McClure
Under the Trees
Song of the Niles
Joyful March
Grace McLaughlin, harp
Phyllis Adams, teacher
Hungarian Folk Song arr. Carol McClure
Egyptian Folk Tune arr. Carol McClure
Carol McClure (b. 1955)
Minuet 1
Johann Sebastian Bach
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star Variation A Shinichi Suzuki (1898-1998)
Suzuki Violin Ensemble
Amita Desikan, Nell Hoyt, Eliana Kamau, Estée Lau, Rita Travers, Joseph Travers, Benjamin Van, Mira Yerramilli
Sarah Montzka, director
Louise Chan, piano
Ukrainian Rhapsody Ivan Levytskyi (1875–1938)
Julia Perekhozhuk, violin
Sang Mee Lee, teacher
Louise Chan, piano
Minuet in G minor, BWV Anh. 115, Christian Petzold from the Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach (1677-1733)
Tova Seltzer, piano
Mary Drews, teacher
“Chorus” from Judas Maccabaeus George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
Leo Pensinger-Sok and Anna Somin, violins
Sarah Montzka, teacher
Louise Chan, piano
Paganiniana Nathan Milstein (1904-1992)
Sebastian Craciun Manning, violin
Almita Vamos, teacher
PRESENTATION OF THE TEACHER OF NOTE AWARD
Introduction by Shalisa Kline Ugaz and Emily Abraham
Vannia Phillips
Music Institute of Chicago Suzuki violin and viola faculty
Liebertango Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992)
Suzuki Cello Ensemble
Michael Cerimele, Micah Chan, Addie Colledge, Rosalee Eltanal, Nathaniel Florin, Emmett Hourihane, Eugene Kang, Kate Kang, Juliana Konopacki, Nadiya Kundu, Sophia Lau, Liam Lockwood, Judah Miller, Alexander Rim, Seunghun Shin, Caleb Tang, Isaac Yang
Avi Friedlander, director
Duo Sonata No. 5
Jean Daniel Braun II. Allegro (c. 1728-1740)
August Meyer, bassoon
Galina Kiep, bassoon faculty
Baba Yaga (The Witch)
Fantasiestücke, Op. 12
Emily Fan, piano
Elaine Felder, teacher
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
Robert Schumann
I. Des Abends (In the Evening) (1810-1856)
Audra Wilson, piano
Daniel Baer, teacher
Sonata in E minor, K. 304
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart I. Allego (1756-1791)
Madeleine Kim, violin
Aaron Gil, piano
Sang Mee Lee and Elaine Felder, teachers
Soledad
Evelyn Zhang, guitar
Brad Conroy, teacher
Improvisation No. 13 in A minor
Timothy Patenode, piano
Milana Pavchinskaya, teacher
Maria Linnemann (b. 1947)
Francis Poulenc (1899-1963)
“The Light in the Piazza” from The Light in the Piazza Adam Guettel (b. 1964)
Scarlett Newman, soprano
Dorothy Jean Lloyd, teacher
Louise Chan, piano
Prelude and Fugue No. 12 in F minor, BWV 881
Edie Park, piano
Winston Choi and Marta Aznavoorian, teachers
J.S. Bach
I. Nicht schnell
David Zampa, saxophone
David Fivecoate, teacher
Louise Chan, piano
PRESENTATION OF THE ALUMNI OF NOTE AWARD
Introduction by Shalisa Kline Ugaz and Emily Abraham
Julia Wen Mariano
Music Institute of Chicago Suzuki cello and Musikgarten® faculty
Jeux d’Eau
Maurice Ravel (1875–1937)
Matthew Hagle, piano faculty featured alumnus
Duo for Violin and Cello, Op. 7 Zoltán Kodály I. Allegro serioso, non troppo (1882-1967)
Almita Vamos, violin faculty
Tanya Carey, cello faculty
Community Sing
Dona Nobis Pacem Traditional
Daniel Wallenberg, conductor
Barbara Ann Martin, Jennifer McCormick, Zalman Usiskin - section leaders
Donanobispacem
Dona Nobis Pacem
Dona-nobis-pacem,-pacem.-Dona-nobis-pacem. -
Dona-nobis-pacem.-Dona-nobis-pacem. -
Dona-nobis-pacem.-Dona-nobis-pacem. -
Edited by Gary D. Cannon
TEACHER OF NOTE AWARD
Established in 2023, the Teacher of Note Awards were created to bring our community together to honor and express appreciation to the people who live our mission every day: MIC’s internationally-acclaimed, award-winning faculty.
The award recipients represent the excellence of the entire MIC faculty and demonstrate dedication, enthusiasm, and inspiration in their teaching. With these awards, MIC embraces the participation of each and every member of our community. Together, we honor excellence in teaching.
2023 Bianca d’Avila do Prado and Christina Tio
2024 Avi Friedlander and Davis King
2025 TEACHER OF NOTE AWARD RECIPIENT
Vannia Phillips
Vannia Phillips has been a member of the Music Institute of Chicago faculty since 2003 where she teaches both Suzuki and traditional violin and viola.
While earning her B.A. in philosophy at Villanova University in Pennsylvania, she both studied and performed as a chamber and orchestral musician. Her philosophy professor and mentor Dr. John Immerwahr encouraged her love of music and inspired her to continue her music studies. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Music at Oberlin Conservatory as a student of Jeff Irvine and Lynne Ramsey, and continued her education at DePaul University, where she studied with Rami Solomonov and completed her Master of Music in Performance.
Vannia has studied Suzuki pedagogy at the Western Springs School for Talent Education, the Music Institute of Chicago, and through the Chicago Suzuki Institute. Two years ago, her desire to incorporate improvisation into her private and group teaching led her to take her first course in Creative Ability Development. In addition to teaching at MIC,
she has taught at the Birch Creek Adult Chamber Music Retreat, the Fairbanks, Alaska Fine Arts Camp, and the Louisville Suzuki Summer Institute.
Beyond her work as a music teacher, Vannia spent many years teaching yoga. She found that her training in hatha yoga closely aligned with the Suzuki philosophy—both emphasized balance and healthy alignment and were rooted in the belief that teachers are nurturing the whole person.
In addition to her work as a teacher, Vannia maintains a robust performance career. She has been a member of the Chicago Sinfonietta since 1998 and often performs with other local groups such as Chicago Opera Theater and Music of the Baroque. A lover of period instrument music, she has played baroque viola with True Colors Baroque, Chicago Opera Theater, and Bella Voce, among others.
Vannia also enjoys popular music. She was the violist in the string quartet of the Chicago production of The Color Purple and performed in the 2023 Broadway in Chicago production of Jagged Little Pill. She will play in the 2025-2026 Broadway in Chicago production of Phantom of the Opera. She has performed with artists including Stevie Wonder, Wilco, Bernadette Peters, Al Jareau, and Brian Wilson, among others, and appeared with the rapper Common on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, with Josh Groban on Oprah, and as part of a string quartet on an episode of the TV series Empire. In the Chicago area, she joined with Quartet Parapluie in recording sessions and performances and has appeared at the Hideout, Constellation, and Square Roots Festival. Over the last few years, she has also taken up the banjo.
“I strive to meet a student where they are—emotionally, physically, intellectually—and work to both capitalize on what comes easily to them and develop what is difficult.”
~Vannia Phillips
ALUMNI OF NOTE AWARD
This year the Music Institute of Chicago is proud to present its first Alumni of Note Award. This award recognizes an extraordinary alumni who has made important contributions through their work in music or another field while exemplifying the Music Institute’s values.
The Alumni of Note award honors the lasting impact of a Music Institute education, showcases the success of its alumni as role models, and strengthens connections between past and present students, faculty, and the broader MIC community, highlighting the Institute’s enduring influence on the musical world.
2025 ALUMNI OF NOTE AWARD RECIPIENT
Julia Wen Mariano
Julia Wen Mariano has been a member of the Music Institute of Chicago faculty since 2016 where she teaches Musikgarten and Suzuki cello as well as serves as Suzuki Clinician and Events Coordinator and Assistant Director of the Chicago Suzuki Institute.
Julia is passionate about connecting families through music, through both the Suzuki cello method and early childhood Musikgarten curricula. In addition to her work at MIC, she maintains a private studio and has taught in the Arlington Heights School District 25 Music for Youth program, Peabody Preparatory, and Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s El-Sistema-inspired program, ORCHKids. A trained Suzuki teacher, Julia completed pedagogy training with Jean Dexter, Dr. Tanya Carey, and Sally Gross.
In addition to teaching, Julia finds joy serving her community through music by serving on the worship team at her home church, facilitating recitals at retirement communities for her students, and volunteering as a Certified Music Practitioner.
An enthusiastic chamber musician, Julia holds a particular love for cello ensembles. While studying at the Peabody Conservatory, she took advantage of its Creative Access program to recruit fellow cellists as performers for hospital, homeless shelter, and retirement communities. Julia also wrote for the CREDO music blog, a musical organization dedicated to training youth in excellent musicianship and service in the context of Christian fellowship.
Julia earned her Master of Music degree from the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore with Alan Stepansky, former Associate Principal cellist of the New York Philharmonic. She completed additional studies in Pedagogy with Bai-Chi Chen and Baroque Cello with Dr. John Moran. She completed her Bachelor of Music degree at Roosevelt University with Chicago Symphony Orchestra cellist Richard Hirschl and was a student of former Lyric Opera of Chicago principal cellist Daniel Morganstern. The teacher who inspired it all, however, was a woman of incomparable talent and dedication: Gilda Barston, her childhood teacher at the Music Institute of Chicago. Julia studied with Barston at the Music Institute for 12 years.
“My favorite memories at MIC were hanging out with fellow Suzuki cellists - Aaron Kaplan, Lauren Peacock, Leora Sherman, Katharine Owens - to name a few during the mid-winter workshops and CSI. We sat on the concrete entrance walls into Thoresen, swinging our legs and snacking in between classes. We found secret places to hide and gossip during CSI breaks.
Studying with Gilda wasn't easy - she had high standards, but she also knew how to create a culture of friendship and camaraderie amongst her students. Her commitment to excellence - in both relationships and music - made my student life extremely special.”
~Julia Wen Mariano
Suzuki Education at MIC
The Music Institute of Chicago’s Barston Suzuki Center offers one of the largest and most comprehensive Suzuki programs in the country. The internationally recognized Suzuki method is based on the philosophy of Dr. Shinichi Suzuki that talent and musicianship can be developed in any child.
MIC offers Suzuki instruction for piano, strings, flute, guitar, and recorder. Suzuki students participate in a group class in addition to their private lesson each week and there are numerous performance and enrichment opportunities offered throughout the year including Suzuki Winter Workshops, the summer Chicago Suzuki Institute, Resources for Suzuki Parents, and Suzuki Teacher Training.
Thank you to the Suzuki faculty who helped prepare and direct the ensembles you hear on today’s performance.
Avi Friedlander Director, Barston Suzuki Center; Suzuki Cello Faculty
Associate Director, Barston Suzuki Center; Suzuki Violin/Viola Faculty
MIC’s Third Coast Suzuki Strings program provides equitable access to MIC’s renowned Suzuki Education platform by transcending socio-economic and geographic barriers to provide tuition-free violin, viola, and cello lessons for children using the Suzuki method. Students study with highly trained Suzuki faculty during weekly private lessons and group instructional sessions for 34 weeks during the school year and six weeks in summer.
In addition, all students receive fully subsidized instrument loans and repertoire books and have free access to the full slate of performances at Nichols Concert Hall, workshops and master classes, recitals, MIC’s Suzuki Sundays, and the nationally renowned Chicago Suzuki Institute in the summer. Parents and guardians are actively involved in all aspects of the child’s musical development and receive specialized training to be a “home teacher.” The Third Coast program currently has 16 violinists studying in Chicago and 37 cellists studying in Evanston.
Sarah Montzka
Bianca d’Aliva do Prado Suzuki Cello Faculty; Third Coast Suzuki Strings
Jess Hudson Suzuki Cello Faculty; Third Coast Suzuki Strings
Third Coast Suzuki Strings is made possible with support from:
The Paul M. Angell Family Foundation City of Evanston
William Harris Lee & Company
Dr. Scholl Foundation
Farny R. Wurlitzer Fund from the DeKalb County Community Foundation
Grace McLaughlin is a freshman at New Trier High School, where she has a strong interest in language and literature. She has been studying harp for only nine months but has also been studying cello for four years. Playing the cello helped fuel Grace’s passion for music and inspired her to learn to play the harp, since she had always had a fascination with it. Grace plays cello in her school orchestra and has enjoyed the program since fifth grade. Outside of music, Grace plays for the New Trier tennis team, is an avid reader, and loves to draw, exploring any and all types of art. Grace is excited to continue to learn and grow as a musician and harpist.
Julia Perekhozhuk, 16, is a violin student of Sang Mee Lee at the Music Institute of Chicago. She has won prizes in numerous competitions, including DePaul, Sejong, Granquist, Society of American Musicians, American Protégé, Ukrainian Music Festival (Toronto, Canada), and the USA Ukrainian Diaspora talent competition. Julia has also been featured on WFMT Radio’s Introductions and gives many performances at Ukrainian festivals and cultural events. She has performed in master classes for Jennifer Koh, Robert Chen, Sixto Franko, Mimi Zweig and Nurit Pacht.
With collaborative pianist Myroslav Mykhailenko, Julia has played numerous solo recitals at various venues, churches, and senior homes. All profits from her solo recitals are sent to orphans in Ukraine.
She has been a member of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra (CYSO) for eight years and served as concertmaster of the Symphony Orchestra in their concert tour to Spain this summer.
Julia is a junior at Benet Academy in Lisle, IL. In her free time, she likes to draw, write, and sing.
Tova Seltzer, 6, is a student of Mary Drews at MIC. Tova attends first grade at Dewey Elementary in Evanston. She likes reading, ice cream, and bunnies.
Leo Pensinger-Sok is in eighth grade at Lincoln Elementary in Lincoln Park, Chicago. He started playing the violin at age four and is a student of Sarah Montzka. He has attended Suzuki institutes in Wisconsin, Ontario and France. He is a member of CYSO Debut Orchestra. He also plays the clarinet in the school band. Leo enjoys playing soccer and tennis and he has been a part of several musical theater productions. Leo is also a big fan of Formula 1 racing.
Anna Somin, a sixth grader, has been playing the violin since the age of four through the Suzuki method. She began her musical journey with the Oak Park String Academy and, in 2020, joined the Music Institute of Chicago, where she currently studies under Sarah Montzka.
In 2025, Anna participated in the Chicago Chamber Music Festival (CCMF), a week-long summer program for young musicians held at Northeastern Illinois University. Over the past year, she has deepened her passion for violin performance, leading to her selection for the prestigious ILMEA Junior Orchestra Festival this fall. Through ILMEA, she will rehearse and perform alongside talented young musicians from across the state, gaining valuable ensemble experience under professional conductors.
Outside of music, Anna is a dedicated competitive swimmer and enjoys horseback riding.
Sebastian Craciun Manning, 16, is a Scholarship Fellow at the Music Institute of Chicago’s Academy, a training center for advanced pre-college musicians. He studies violin with Almita Vamos.
In 2024, upon receiving the Academy’s merit scholarship, Sebastian moved to the US after nine years as a student at the “Ion Vidu” High School of Art in Timisoara, Romania, where he worked with Cristina Dan. While in Romania, he participated in numerous recitals organized by the school and by the local Philharmonic and Conservatory. In recent years, he has had several solo recitals at the National Art Museum and at the Conservatory in Timisoara, the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest, and the Serbian National History Museum in Belgrade. In August 2024, he was concertmaster of the Junior Orchestra of Romania. In addition, Sebastian has participated in several national and international competitions, where he has won various prizes.
Sebastian is also passionate about chamber music. Last year, he was a member of the Hemingway Quartet at the Music Institute of Chicago, with whom he won the Grand Prize at the Barnett Chamber Music Competition and participated in the prestigious Fischoff Competition.
Sebastian has taken masterclasses with Christoph Wyneken, Barnabas Kelemen, Boris Brovtsyn, Rachel Barton Pine, Ida Kavafian, Martin Beaver, Robert Chen, and the Pacifica Quartet, among others. He participated in three editions of the Eufonia Festival in Timisoara and studied with Bernhard Forck at the Eufonia Baroque Academy. He has been a scholarship recipient at the SoNoRo Interferente Festival, and this past summer he participated in SoNoRo Musikland, a festival designed to bring classical music to unconventional venues and new audiences.
August Meyer is a bassoonist in the studio of Galina Kiep. He plays a mini bassoon that plays a fifth higher than a standard bassoon. He also studies piano and composes under the instruction of David Keller. His composition “I Don’t Know (Cat)” won second place in his age category in the Chicago Area Music Teachers Association’s 2025 Composition Festival and was featured, alongside video of the family cat Butterscotch, in Access Contemporary Music’s Molto Tutti festival.
Augie attends fifth grade at Bell Elementary School in Chicago. He is also interested in wall-climbing, pickleball, and constructing massive Lego sets.
Galina Kiep is a solo, chamber, and orchestral musician. She has been a member of the Sarasota Opera Orchestra since 2014, and has played with ensembles such as the San Diego Symphony, the Houston Symphony, Houston Grand Opera and Ballet orchestras, the Atlanta Symphony, and the Philadelphia Orchestra. She has participated in many music festivals including the Atlantic Music Festival, the Pacific Music Festival, the Colorado College Music Festival, and Music From Angel Fire. In addition to her performance engagements, she currently serves on the faculty at the Music Institute of Chicago, Carthage College, and Olivet Nazarene University.
Emily Fan is a third grader and piano student of Elaine Felder. Other than playing piano, she enjoys drawing her fruit people, singing in the shower, dancing in front of a mirror, and taking naps after school.
Audra Wilson has been a champion for racial and economic justice for over 20 years, serving as a public interest lawyer, teacher, policy shaper, community mobilizer, and experienced executive manager. Currently, she holds the position of President and CEO at the Shriver Center on Poverty Law, a national anti-poverty organization based in Chicago.
Wilson is also an avid music enthusiast. She began playing the piano at the age of five and spent several years studying at the Westminster Conservatory of Music in Princeton, New Jersey, where she grew up. Currently, she continues her piano studies with Dr. Daniel Baer. Furthermore, Wilson serves on the MIC’s Board of Trustees and leads the PianoForte Piano Performance Group, an amateur piano ensemble that meets quarterly at the exquisite PianoForte high-end piano store and performance space in the South Loop. In addition to her piano skills, she is an accomplished alto saxophonist.
Madeleine Kim is a freshman at Walter Payton College Prep and she is a 2025 MIC merit scholarship recipient. She has been playing the violin since 4 years old and currently studies with Sang Mee Lee at the Music Institute of Chicago. She was one of the youngest members of the Virtuosi Strings at Northwestern University String Academy and received Baroque violin instructions from Rachel Barton Pine.
Some of Madeleine’s achievements include first place in Annual State Olympic Music hosted by Illinois Music Association, honorable mention in the 2025 CCMF Concerto Competition, honorable mention in CYSO’s Concert Competition, and finalist in primary division for the 2020 Sejong Music Competition. She currently plays first violin in CYSO’s Symphony Orchestra and was a concertmaster in Concert Orchestra. She is also an accomplished pianist and has won gold medals in CAMTA sonatina/sonata competitions in 2021 and 2022 and was awarded honorable mention in the Society of American Musicians Competition in 2022. In her free time, she enjoys playing chess, rock climbing, and baking.
Aaron Gil is a 14-year-old 8th grader and a student of Elaine Felder at MIC since the summer of 2024. During the short time he has been part of the MIC student family, Aaron has been a Gold Medal recipient in the 2025 NSMTA Sonata Sonatina Festival, an MIC Merit Scholarship winner, and the 2nd place prizewinner in the NSMTA 2025 competition.
In 2025, Aaron qualified to play in the MIC masterclass given by Norman Krieger, piano department chair at Indiana University, and in October he played in the MIC masterclass taught by Asaf Zohar, piano department chair of Tel Aviv University.
Since January 2025, Aaron has participated in the MIC chamber program. When Aaron is not playing the piano, he thoroughly enjoys practicing and competing in his fencing club, participating in his school’s Scholastic Bowl team, and spending time with his family.
Evelyn Zhang is a member of the Honors Guitar Ensemble at Adlai E. Stevenson High School, where she serves as a leader on both the Tri-M Music Honor Society and Guitar Board. She has studied with distinguished artists through masterclasses led by Colin Davin and Maestro Vladislav Bláha, and performed in the final recital at the Interlochen Classical Guitar Intensive.
Passionate about sharing music beyond the stage, she regularly performs at local nursing homes, bringing live classical guitar to her community. Outside of music, she enjoys baking and eating out with friends, and going on walks with her dog.
Timothy Patenode took piano lessons for five years as a child, inspired by his mother’s playing on the family upright. Those lessons gave him a firm musical foundation for singing and playing other instruments all the way through law school. But after establishing himself in his legal career, he felt there was a gap in his life, and he returned to piano as an adult. Ultimately, he discovered MIC’s adult piano camp, held every June and directed masterfully by piano chair Elaine Felder; and through that camp, he found his current teacher Milana Pavchinskaya, with whom he has spent six productive years. He was so impressed with the quality of music instruction at MIC and its deep community of adult pianists and other musicians, that he joined the MIC board, served as Treasurer for several years, and just recently received the honor of being elected board chair.
Tim wants to express his heartfelt gratitude to Renée and Shiraz for their tremendous efforts on behalf of the Fall Fundraiser and the chance to join the festivities.
Scarlett Newman is 16 years old and a sophomore at New Trier High School in Winnetka, IL. She is involved in musical theatre, choir, dance and film club and was recently cast as Violet Beaureguarde in the upcoming Freshman/Sophomore musical Willy Wonka.
Scarlett is a voice student of Dorothy Jean-Lloyd. She began her musical studies at age three with classical piano and violin lessons and has focused on vocal performance since age 14.
She enjoys spending summers at Interlochen Center for the Arts studying musical theatre and is excited about being a newly licensed driver.
Edie Park, 16, is a Scholarship Fellow at the Music Institute of Chicago’s Academy, where she studies piano with Marta Aznavoorian and Winston Choi.
Edie made her orchestral debut with the Northeastern Illinois University Orchestra after winning the 2024 Chicago Chamber Music Festival Concerto Competition, and later performed with the Fox Valley Orchestra and Choir. She has been invited to perform at prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall (New York), Beethoven-Haus (Bonn), and Royal Albert Hall (London.) Her live performance was featured on Introductions on WFMT 98.7, and she is scheduled to perform in the 2026 Young Steinway Concert Series in Chicago. She has received recognition at competitions including the Grand Prize Virtuoso International Music Competition, American Protégé International Piano & Strings Competition, VSA International Young Musicians Program, ISMTA and MTNA Piano Competitions, and more.
Edie has participated in masterclasses with distinguished pianists including Stanislav Loudenitch, Jerome Lowenthal, John Perry, Alan Chow, Jean-Louis Haguenauer, James Giles, and many more. A passionate chamber musician, she has played in ensembles since 2017, including Troi Amies, Amarela Trio, and Trillium Trio.
Deeply committed to music outreach, Edie is the Executive Director of Musicians for Hope, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting music education in underfunded Chicago schools. Recently, she launched a mentorship program, partnering with the Chicago Center for Music Education and she regularly visits the Sunrise Senior Living to share her music with the residents.
David Zampa has been studying with David Fivecoate at the Music Institute of Chicago for over 15 years. David started playing in grade school. During his senior year of high school, he was a finalist in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Youth Auditions (a predecessor to the CSO Young Artist Competition), for which he was awarded the opportunity to perform as a soloist with the orchestra. David studied with Dr. Hemke, renowned professor of saxophone at Northwestern University, for one year before deciding to pursue a degree in liberal arts at NU.
David then pursued a law degree at Notre Dame Law School and has been practicing corporate law in Chicago for over 30 years.
Matthew Hagle is a musician of great versatility and depth, whose performances are a rare mixture of musical understanding, imaginative programming, pianistic command and beauty of sound. The New York Times has described him as “a sensitive pianist,” and Clavier magazine praised the “rare clarity and sweetness” of his playing. Matthew has been heard in concert halls throughout the United States, including the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., Symphony Space in New York, and in concert at the United States Supreme Court. Outside of the U.S., he has performed at venues in England, Canada, Brazil, Australia and Japan. A resident of the Chicago area, Hagle performs frequently at local spaces including the Ravinia Festival, Symphony Center, and the Chicago Cultural Center and can often be heard on radio station WFMT 98.7FM in Chicago.
Hagle is also highly valued as a collaborator by many other artists. He has released three acclaimed CDs on the Cedille label with fellow MIC alum, violinist Rachel Barton Pine and frequently performs in the annual Chicago Duo Piano Festival with Mio Isoda-Hagle. Other chamber music partners have been the Parker Quartet, the Avalon Quartet, Quintet Attacca, and members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Almita Vamos graduated from the Juilliard School of Music where she was a student of Mischa Mischakoff and Louis Persinger. She was the winner of the Concert Artists Guild Competition in New York City, The Juilliard Orchestra Competition, and the Chautauqua Orchestra award.
Almita, along with her husband Roland and cellist Tanya Carey were members of the Lydian Trio for fourteen years and recorded for Monacelli Press. More recently, she and her husband completed a recording featuring Chicago-area composers. As a duo team with her sister Eugenia, Almita has performed in Greece, Italy, and Taiwan, in addition to two recitals in Carnegie Recital Hall which received glowing reviews from the New York Times. She has also appeared with orchestras in China, Taiwan, and Korea and in recitals across Europe, Canada, and the United States.
Almita has served on the violin faculty of Western Illinois University, Oberlin Conservatory, Northwestern University, and for forty years at the Music Institute of Chicago. She currently teaches at Roosevelt University, and has been awarded teaching awards seven times from Presidential Awards, ASTA, and others. Her students have won top prizes in many national competitions including, Klein, Stuhlburg, Johannsen, Corpus Christi, Kingsville; and international competitions including the Queen Elisabeth Competition, Tchaikovsky, Carl Flesch, Menuhin, Bach (Leipzig), Sigeti, Kreisler, Neilsen, Paganini, and Montreal, and her students have gone on to play with top orchestras across the United States, Europe, and Asia.
Tanya Lesinsky Carey has had a profound impact on cello teaching. In addition to her daily teaching in Chicago and as a guest master clinician, she has trained hundreds of cello teachers around the world, ensuring that her high standards in cello pedagogy are shared with present and future generations. Tanya has been a member of the Music Institute’s cello faculty since 2005, instructing cellists of all ages in the Suzuki program as well as the Academy. She holds a Master of Music, Bachelor of Music, and Performer’s Certificate from the Eastman School of Music and a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Iowa.
In service to the Suzuki Association of the Americas she has been President, Board Member of the ISA, Chair of the Cello Committee, Chaired the Task Force to develop the first Teacher Training Guidelines and is a cello Teacher Trainer. She was a former National Board member of ASTA and professor of music at Western Illinois University. In addition to her work at the Music Institute, she is an artist-teacher at Roosevelt University CCPA.
Carey has had an illustrious career as a performer, having played with the Rochester Philharmonic and Eastman Rochester and Rochester Civic Orchestras. She was Assistant Principal of the Milwaukee Symphony, Associate Principal of the Quad City Symphony, and performed as soloist with orchestra with the major concerto literature. As a recitalist and chamber musician, she has presented concerts in Tully and Carnegie Halls. Her list of recordings includes “Golden Celebration” with the Carey Consort and “Lydian Trio” with Almita and Roland Vamos. She is the author of the Cello Playing is Easy series.
Daniel Wallenberg has been conductor of the Music Institute Chorale since 1987. In 2021, he and his wife Nina were the recipients of the Colburn Award for Teaching Excellence.
In addition to his work the MIC Chorale, Wallenberg is the director of the junior and adult choirs at the Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation and was the founder and artistic director of “Zemer Am,” the Chicago Jewish Choral Festival. He also was on the conducting staff of the Chicago Children’s Choir (now “Uniting Voices Chicago”) where he worked with the In-School Chorus Program and the After-School Programs for the Humboldt Park and Rogers Park Neighborhood Choirs.
Born in Bogota, Colombia, Wallenberg earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in choral conducting from the Rubin Academy of Music in Jerusalem and Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. In Israel, Wallenberg founded several adult and children’s choirs and sang with the Cameran Singers, a professional choir in Tel Aviv. He has extensive conducting experience with collegiate choral groups and both community and children’s choirs in different parts of the world and has many choral arrangements and compositions to his name. He is also an amateur cellist and is an avid chamber music player.
Louise Chan, a native of Ottawa, Canada, is a classical pianist, chamber musician, orchestral keyboardist, and music educator. She is a founding member of the Blue Violet Duo with violinist Kate Carter. Their second album, “Strike, Strum and Stride,” was released by Centaur Records in January 2023.
Chan is dedicated to performing new music; recent Chicago performances have included appearances at the Ear Taxi Festival, the George Crumb Festival, and with Fulcrum Point New Music Project and The Zafa Collective. She was the former principal pianist for the Madison Symphony Orchestra, and is a keyboard substitute for the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.
As a music educator, Chan maintains a busy studio of young and adult piano students at the Music Institute of Chicago. Her students have been prizewinners at local and state competitions. She is a member of the Royal Conservatory of Music’s College of Examiners, and travels throughout North America as an adjudicator. She has served on the faculties of the Chicago Chamber Music Festival, the Chicago Duo Piano Festival, and Northeastern Illinois University. She studied with Fernando Laires at the Eastman School of Music and Alan Chow at Northwestern University.
ADULT STUDIES PROGRAM
PRIVATE LESSONS
Whether you are learning an instrument for the first time, returning after a long hiatus, or just wanting to brush up on your musical skills, the Music Institute of Chicago (MIC) welcomes you!
• Rolling registration
• Flexible scheduling for busy adults
• Personalized teacher placement process with an expert music educator to ensure the best student-teacher match
• Deeply discounted musicianship classes, complimentary tickets to select performances at Nichols Concert Hall, and free master classes featuring renowned visiting artists
• Performance opportunities at beautiful Nichols Concert Hall and throughout Chicagoland
GROUP CLASSES AND ENSEMBLES
Meet a friendly, vibrant, and supportive community of adult music learners! Take one of our classes or join an ensemble.
• MIC Chamber Winds
• MIC Concert Band
• MIC Chorale
• Chamber Music
• Listening to Music (Virtual)
• Baroque Trio Sonatas
• Jazz Studies - Combos
• Adult Musicianship Program
• Online Suzuki Teacher Training
• Alexander Technique for Musicians
• Guitar and Ukulele classes
FALL FUNDRAISER DONORS
The following list recognizes friends and supporters who contributed to MIC’s 2025 Fall Fundraiser. We are grateful for gifts of all sizes to support our mission.
As of October 29, 2025
Donations to the Fall Fundraiser Concert are generously matched by Lori Julian on behalf of the Julian Family Foundation up to $50,000.
$50,000+
Lori Julian, on behalf of the Julian Family Foundation
$5,000 - $10,000
Karen and Mark Koulogeorge
John D. and Alexandra C.* Nichols
Family Foundation, in honor of Scott Verschoor*
Renée Parquette*
Karen and Zalman*° Usiskin
$1,000 -$4,999
Courtney Holohan* and Wesley Mueller
Shiraz* and Vijay Kotte
Darryl and Kimberly Newman
Timothy Patenode* and Judy Royal
Barbara* and Peter Sereda
Scott* and Areta Verschoor
$500-$999
Jennifer McCarthy Bienemann and Robin Bienemann
Clem Leek
Lee Anne* and Rich Stoddart
$250-$499
Anonymous Gifts
Carlos R. Cardenas*
Jen Hanson
Kathy Nordmeyer °
Sandy Rhee and Allen Kao
Marcia and Jeff Rubin
Valerie Stein
Shalisa Kline Ugaz and Luis Ugaz
$100-$249
Emily and Alejandro Abraham, in honor of Brad Conroy, Avi Friedlander, Vannia Phillips, and Julia Wen Mariano
Em Couling, in honor of Jennifer Bienemann
Elizabeth Keller, in honor of
Barbara Ann Martin
Michael Kelly
Roopal and Shilajit Kundu
Eren Kusdogan
Robert Lenet
Barbara Ann Martin Green and Reverend Jim Green
Maureen McGrath and David Simmons
Nancy M. Miller, in honor of Lee Anne Stoddart*
Sue and Tim Polutnik
Montha Suphangul
Wang Family
Emily Yerramilli
Eileen and David Zampa
$1-$99
Promila Banerjee
Natalie Bennison
Kunal Bhaumik
Andrew Busch
Dianne Chen
Justin and Ann DeLucenay
Jennifer Desser
Neelamjit Dhaliwal
Magdeline Enich
Erin Fusco, in honor of Bianca d’Ailva do Prado and Lisa Zilberman
Lucia Glunz
Pamela Grout
Erin Healy and Sam Wiczorek, in honor of Vannia Phillips
Penny Henry and Glen Ghiselli
Robert Hopper
Linden Leman
Dana Mclaughlin
Christopher Meadath
Judy Perlman
* MIC Board of Trustee member
Fall Fundraiser Co-Chair
° Fall Fundraiser Co-Chair Emeritus
Oksana Pidruchna and Viktor Perekhozhuk
Erin Pipal
Oksana Pugach
Laurel Rector
Lilah and Joel Shapiro
Michelle Siu
FALL FUNDRAISER CONCERT 2025
MIC gratefully acknowledges the following people for making this event possible.
Fall Fundraiser Host Committee
2025 Fall Fundraiser Co-Chairs
Shiraz Kotte
Renée Parquette Co-Chairs Emeriti
Kathy Nordmeyer
Zalman Usiskin
Our Faculty, Performers, Staff, and Volunteers
A very special thanks to our amazing faculty, performers and their families, and all the staff and volunteers who have helped make this day special.
Thank you to Bennison’s Bakery and Defloured for assistance with post event treats.
RESIDENT ENSEMBLES AT NICHOLS CONCERT HALL
The Music Institute of Chicago is pleased to host five resident ensembles and, new this year, worldclassmusic.live, a Resident Company who brings world music to Nichols Concert Hall for the 2025-2026 season.
These partnerships showcase the breadth and depth of great music-making in Chicago and beyond and compliment the Music Institute’s “Nichols Concert Hall Presents” series and robust calendar of Music Institute of Chicago faculty and student performances and events. In addition, these resident ensembles expand enrichment opportunities available to Music Institute of Chicago students through master classes and other educational offerings.
APOLLO'S FIRE
GRAMMY® winners Apollo's Fire, led by Jeannette Sorrell, are renowned for their passionate and historically informed performances of Baroque music.
CHICAGO A CAPPELLA
Chicago a cappella is a dynamic group known for their innovative arrangements and impeccable harmonies.
CIVITAS ENSEMBLE
Civitas Ensemble is a leading chamber music group whose repertoire spans four centuries of music history and numerous genres and styles, including newly commissioned works.
THE ORION ENSEMBLE
The Orion Ensemble is a renowned chamber music group known for their exciting interpretations of standard repertoire and their commitment to introducing audiences to rarely performed masterpieces.
REMBRANDT CHAMBER MUSICIANS
Rembrandt Chamber Musicians features a trio of highly accomplished Chicago musicians who perform an expansive repertoire, ranging from baroque classics to contemporary works by local composers.
Sunday, November 2 at 7:30 PM
Orion Ensemble
With special guests: Stephen Boe, viola and Mathias Tacke, violin
Thursday, November 6 at 8 PM
Lili Henley, singer, fiddler and guitarist Presented by worldclassmusic.live
Saturday, November 8 at 7:30 PM
Nichols Concert Hall Presents Matthew Hagle, piano: Jesters & Gargoyles J
Saturday, November 15 at 7:30 PM
Academy Orchestra Concert
Sunday, November 16 at 5 PM
String Departmental Recital
Saturday, November 22 at 4 PM & 6:30 PM
Voice Departmental Recitals
Sunday, November 23 at 3 PM
Music Institute Chorale Concert: Exultate Deo
Wednesday, December 3 at 8 PM
The Arab Blues
Presented by worldclassmusic.live
Friday, December 5 at 7:30 PM
Civitas Ensemble presents: Woodwinds in Winter
Saturday, December 6 at 10 AM & 1 PM
Nichols Concert Hall Presents “Duke It Out” Nutcracker
Saturday, December 6 at 7:30 PM
Academy Chamber Music Concert
Sunday, December 7 at 2 PM & 3:30 PM
Adult Student Recitals
Thursday, December 11 at 12 PM
MIC Concert Band
Thursday, December 11 at 7 PM
Chamber Music Workshop for Adults Concert
2025-2026 PUBLIC EVENTS CALENDAR FALL SEMESTER
NICHOLS CONCERT HALL
Saturday, December 13 at 7:30 PM
Chicago a cappella presents: Holidays a cappella
Sunday, December 14 at 1:30 - 4:30 PM
Piano Departmental Recitals
Saturday, January 10 at 3 PM
MIC Chamber Music Concert
Saturday, January 10 at 5 PM
Master Class with violinist Midori
Sunday, January 11 at 2 PM
MIC Chamber Music Concert
Friday, January 16 at 7 PM
Rembrandt Chamber Musicians presents: Philippe Quint plays Chausson
Sunday, January 18 at 3 PM
Nichols Concert Hall Presents: Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Celebration Concert
Sunday, January 18 at 7 PM
Winds, Brass, Percussion Departmental Recital
Wednesday, January 28 at 8 PM
Ballaké Sissoko & Derek Gripper Presented by worldclassmusic.live
Thursday, January 29 at 8 PM
Ballaké Sissoko & Derek Gripper Presented by worldclassmusic.live
Saturday, January 31 at 1 PM
Angela and Alvin Cheng Piano Master Class
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
TRUSTEES
Timothy Patenode, Chair
Alexandra C. Nichols, Chair Emerita
Hans Germann, Treasurer
Barbara Sereda, Secretary
Carlos R. Cardenas, Vice Chair
Shiraz Kotte, Vice Chair
Lee Anne Stoddart, Vice Chair
Saurab Bhargava
Paul Brourman
Daniel Hahn
Courtney Holohan
Kay Mabie
Yana Nedvetsky
Renée Parquette
Vikram Raghavan
Jim Stone
Ross Updegraff
Zalman Usiskin
Scott Verschoor
Audra Wilson
Florian Zettelmeyer
Tao Zhu
LIFE TRUSTEES
John J. Berwanger
Mitzi Freidheim
Brooks Morgan
Rachel Barton Pine
Priscilla F. Richman
William N. Topaz
HONORARY BOARD
Robert Chen
Roberto Diaz
Peter Dushkin
John and Fran Edwardson
James Ginsburg
Wu Han
Jennifer Koh
Nina Kraus
Cathy and Bill Osborn
Marcus Roberts
Deborah F. Rutter
Scott and Nancy Santi
Rick and Cate Waddell
EX-OFFICIO TRUSTEE
Shalisa Kline Ugaz
Christopher Rintz
SENIOR MANAGEMENT
Shalisa Kline Ugaz
President and Chief Executive Officer
Sue Polutnik
Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Academy Executive Director
Emily Abraham
Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs
Marcia Rubin
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Jennifer Hanson
Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer
Jennifer Bienemann
Vice President and Chief Development Officer
DEVELOPMENT TEAM
Em Couling
Manager of Development Services and Engagement
Linden Leman
Annual Fund and Donor Communications Manager
Luis Romero
Development Coordinator
The board, administration, and faculty work diligently to further the MIC mission while dealing with the day-to-day needs of those we serve. Please do not hesitate to contact us with your ideas, questions, or concerns.
Main Administrative Office • 622 Davis Street, 4th Floor • Evanston, IL 60201 Phone: 847.905.1500 • musicinst.org
Your support fuels the transformative power of music to educate, inspire, and strengthen communities. GIVE TODAY!
Your support fuels the transformative power of music to educate, inspire, and strengthen communities.
GIVE TODAY!
CHICAGO