IMPACT REPORT
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Dear Friends, We are pleased to share the 2023 Impact Report for the Music Institute of Chicago. Each year, our faculty, staff, and trustees strive to fulfill our mission to lead people toward a lifelong engagement with music. We believe that music is an essential element of an educated and compassionate community. While the world has become more fragmented, people more isolated, and youth more vulnerable to the detrimental effects of social media, music fortifies our emotional health and nurtures the human spirit.
L–R: MIC President Mark George, Duskin Awardee Marin Alsop, Board Chair Scott Verschoor, and his wife Areta at the 2023 Gala on May 15.
Within you will find numbers on enrollment, programs, and finances. You will also find evidence of the value of a lifelong engagement with music through stories of our faculty, students, and alumni. Music the MIC way can transform the lives of students and their families, regardless of who they are and where they live. This is why we exist and why we are worth supporting. Whether you are an MIC student, an audience member at Nichols Concert Hall, a donor, or someone entirely new to MIC, we hope this report will inform you about our role in the community and inspire you to further engage with music. We sincerely thank you for being a part of the MIC community. Your support is absolutely vital to our success.
Scott Verschoor Mark George Chair, Board of Trustees President and CEO
2023 FINANCIAL YEAR REPORT * 3%
2023 Operating Revenue: $ 6.2 million
25%
Net Tuition & Fees 72 % Contributions 25 % Earned Income & Other 3 %
72%
COMMUNITY MUSIC SCHOOL Need-based financial aid and scholarship awards: $486,000 +
2023 Operating Expenses: $ 7.5 million 23%
7% 70%
Program Costs 70 % Management & General 23 % Fundraising 7%
48 Staff 167 Faculty 1,820 Students from
* Unaudited. Audited financial statements will be available in early 2024.
17%
90
Illinois co
7%
mmunitie
MIC Student Body 7% Early Childhood 76% Youth 1 7 % Adult 76%
42 Chicago neighborhoods
s
CELEBRATING COMMUNITY On October 23, 2022 the third annual Families in Concert returned to Nichols Concert Hall to highlight and celebrate some of the remarkable students and programs that make up the Community Music School. Each year this in-person and livestreamed event raises critical support for need-based financial aid and scholarships.
FAMILIES IN CONCERT Students representing 10 different instruments offered solo, duet, quartet, and ensemble performances. MIC's tuition-free Third Coast Suzuki Cello Program, based in south Evanston, made its performance debut and MIC's Broadway Beginners, Suzuki Flute Ensemble, and Adult Recorder Ensemble rounded out the program.
45 Students age four through adult
$15,478 Raised
Host Committee Yana Nedvetsky • Kathy Nordmeyer Renée Parquette • Zalman Usiskin
MUSIC - PART OF A HEALTHY ECOSYSTEM For more than thirty years, the MIC Artslink program has worked to deliver highquality arts integration curricula and music instruction to teachers, schools, and non-profit partners in Chicago and the surrounding metropolitan area.
Third Coast Suzuki Strings
Adult Recorder Ensemble
During the 2022–2023 school year, Director of Arts Integration Matt Boresi led residencies at Helen C. Peirce Elementary, which incorporated state standard aligned music and drama education with core curriculum, including science units involving habitats and ecosystems. At LEARN Charter School (Excel Campus), MIC teaching artists integrated music, drama, journaling, and visual art with the school’s positive behavior and social-emotional goals for students. Artslink identified and purchased musical instruments to augment the school’s Skyline rock band, including guitars, amplifiers, and drums, as well as musical instruments for LEARN’s Drumline, including supplemental drums, sousaphone, and trombones, elevating their Drumline to a brass and drum corps. In addition, Artslink was able to provide teaching instruction to LEARN’s music teacher to enrich her own pedagogical and playing skills on both brass and percussion instruments.
Students
Teachers
Classrooms
437
17
16
Schools Served Broadway Beginners
Chicago Public Schools: Helen C. Peirce Elementary (Edgewater) LEARN Charter: LEARN Excel (East Garfield Park)
A FOUNDATION WORTH BUILDING The Music Institute thoughtfully designs programs to build skills that empower students to listen, express, and create for a lifetime. This begins with our youngest learners. Musikgarten®, MIC’s early childhood music and movement program, reaches babies, toddlers, and young children with a comprehensive, sequential plan for their musical development. Singing, moving, dancing, and games lay foundational groundwork that builds key skills like focused listening, coordination, concentration, and memory, which helps to prepare children for a wide range of music and school activities. Equally important, these classes help carve out a dedicated time each week for caregivers and little ones to bond and make music together in a joyful setting.
SUZUKI SPOTLIGHT
50 YEARS OF SUZUKI EDUCATION AT MIC
Chicago Suzuki Institute Each summer the Chicago Suzuki Institute (CSI) offers a concentrated week of master classes, group instruction, short-term teacher training courses, concerts, and musical enrichment for Suzuki violin, viola, cello, and piano students, their parents, and teachers. CSI participants experience dramatic musical growth, stimulating teaching by extraordinary faculty, the motivating presence of their peers, and the nurturing support of their parents. CSI is also a "laboratory" for the study of Dr. Suzuki's teaching methods. Prospective instructors as well as experienced teachers find opportunities to develop and refine their teaching through short-term courses approved by the Suzuki Association of the Americas and taught by internationally acclaimed educators.
"The Chicago Suzuki Institute is a special place I look forward to every year. With my CSI friends, I can be myself without having to pretend to be 'cool' or good at something. We have fun when playing games, and we encourage and support each other when playing music." - CSI student participant
BARSTON SUZUKI CENTER Parent orientation classes Private lessons Repertoire classes Suzuki Sundays Workshops Festival concerts Third Coast Suzuki Strings Chicago Suzuki Institute Teacher training Students served since Suzuki established at MIC in 1973
15,000 + Current Suzuki faculty
42 Suzuki instruments taught
9
Violin, viola, cello, piano, harp, guitar, flute, recorder
SUMMER ADULT PROGRAMS 200+ participants representing
21 states and Canada ages 19–84
SUMMER CAMP - NOT JUST FOR KIDS Summer programs at the Music Institute include a unique set of music-making opportunities for adults. In addition to multi-generational classes like family-style ukulele, MIC offers programming specifically tailored to adults. From the annual summer sing-along, to the Quintet Attacca Chamber Music Camp for Adults, to online music listening classes, Chicago Suzuki Institute teacher training courses, and more, adults find enticing options to match their varied interests, goals, and levels of experience. A welcome escape from the daily grind, these summer offerings provide an instant mood booster and the perfect place to hone musical skills, make new friends, and enjoy shared experiences with a supportive musical community.
ADULT PIANO CAMP Each summer, attorneys, teachers, psychiatrists, tax consultants, nurses, retirees, and more take time out of their busy schedules to make a small investment in themselves through this four-day intensive led by MIC Piano Department Chair Elaine Felder. This past June, 27 adult pianists ages 30 to 79 enjoyed private lessons with members of MIC's esteemed piano faculty, interactive symposiums, performance workshops, a faculty recital, dinner and lunches with participants, and a final student recital in Nichols Concert Hall. In recent years, the camp has filled immediately with participants traveling from New York to California to participate.
Celebrating 35 years of multi-generational, multi-piano music-making Hailed as a “duo piano mecca,” the Chicago Duo Piano Festival (CDPF) was founded in 1988 by award-winning piano duo and MIC Artistsin-Residence, Claire Aebersold and Ralph Neiweem. The piano duo, considered among the most accomplished of their generation, hosts the Festival at MIC which includes summer and winter events, student recitals, master classes, periodic student and professional competitions, and concerts featuring internationally-recognized guest artists. This year more than 50 participants, ranging in age from seven to 83, enjoyed five concerts and two master classes, and performed in multiple student recitals during the winter Mini-fest and summer Festival. The summer Festival opening concert began with Claire and Ralph performing Shubert’s Rondo, subtitled “Notre amitie est invariable” or “Our friendship is unvarying.” Ralph remarked how perfect its sentiment was in describing the Festival saying, “We’ve made so many friends over the years and playing duo piano music is really all about playing music with people you know and like and are friends with.” L–R: Katherine K. Lee, program director; Claire Aebersold and Ralph Neiweem, artistic directors; Soo Young Lee, MIC piano faculty; and 2023 Mini-fest participants.
ACADEMY
PRE-COLLEGE CONSERVATORY 28 STUDENTS FROM 4 STATES IL - 19 IN – 2 MN - 1 WI - 6 22 ARTIST FACULTY 12+ MASTER CLASSES with distinguished faculty including: JUILLIARD SCHOOL Jerome Lowenthal, piano USC THORNTON SCHOOL OF MUSIC Lina Bahn, violin NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY Paul Katz, cello Donald Weilerstein, violin
7 SENIORS MATRICULATE TO TOP CONSERVATORIES Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University Colburn Conservatory of Music Curtis Institute of Music Oberlin College and Conservatory Royal College of Music (London, UK) University of Wisconsin, Mead Witter School of Music
Academy Musicians Shine Violinist Lily Sullivan placed third in the International LOUIS SPOHR Competition for Young Violinists. Sixty candidates from 20 countries worldwide performed in Weimar for the event. Students in the final round performed the Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26, with the Orchestra of the University of Music FRANZ LISZT Weimar, with conductor Nicolás Pasquet. Lily travels to the Academy each week from Indianapolis, IN, and studies with Grigory Kalinovsky, violin faculty at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. Pianist Noah Kim performed Mozart, Debussy, Kapustin, and Schumann’s Symphonic Etudes on a European tour in Paris and Hamburg this past April. Sponsored by the Paris Committee and Hamburg Committee of Chicago Sister Cities International (CSCI), this opportunity was the second in a series of six recitals Noah will perform around the world. Noah is a scholarship fellow at the Young Pianists Abroad Program, which was created in cooperation with CSCI and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Noah studies with MIC Artist-in-Residence and alumna, Marta Aznavoorian. Cellist Amelia Zitoun earned the prestigious Gold Medal at the Stulberg International String Competition in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She was awarded the Burdick-Thorne Gold Medal with a cash prize of $6,000 and a concerto performance with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra and/or the Grand Rapids Symphony, as well as a concerto performance with the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra. Amelia travels to the Academy from Shorewood, Wisconsin and studies with Hans Jensen.
PELIOS STRING QUARTET
Chamber Music Champions
2023 Saint Paul String Quartet Competition GOLD & HAYDN PRIZE Fischoff 50th Annual Chamber Music Competition SILVER
Pelios String Quartet at Fischoff (L–R): Ellen Zhou, violin; Clark Snavely, violin; Amelia Zitoun, cello; and Tristan Zhu, viola perform at 2023 MIC Gala. Once again, hard work, dedication, precision performance, and committment to excellence paid dividends for the Academy's award-winning chamber music program. Weekly coachings with artist faculty, scheduled rehearsal time, performance classes, and regular ensemble concerts make up this key curricular component of the Academy.
CALCIFER STRING QUARTET 2023 Saint Paul String Quartet Competition BRONZE & HONORABLE MENTION, HAYDN PERFORMANCE (L–R): Kana Aihara, violin; Zak Chen, violin; Jan Vargas Nedvetsky, cello; and Leo Zupko, viola
GOYA PIANO TRIO Eleventh Annual A.N. and Pearl G. Barnett Chamber Music Competition FIRST PLACE - STRINGS AND PIANO DIVISION Rembrandt Chamber Musicians 28th Annual Chamber Music Competition FIRST PLACE Chicago National Chamber Competition FIRST PLACE STRING AND PIANO CATEGORY The Goya Piano Trio includes Lily Sullivan, violin; Serge Kalinovsky, cello; and Noah Kim, piano. Lily and Serge travel to the Academy each Saturday from Indianapolis.
ONE COMPOSER, ONE COMMUNITY First launched in 2021, ONE COMPOSER, ONE COMMUNITY (OCOC) focuses on the life and work of a single, often underrepresented BIPOC composer throughout the course of an academic year. This composer's work is featured in the "Nichols Concert Hall Presents" series as well as in student recitals, master classes, and other special events. During the 2022–23 season, the Music Institute featured Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos. Considered the single most significant creative figure in 20th century Brazilian art music, Villa-Lobos synthesized contemporary European techniques with elements of national music to create his unique compositional style.
MUSIC FOR LIFE: HEITOR VILLA-LOBOS (1887–1959) In conjunction with the OCOC initiative, MIC created a brand-new Music for Life program about the life and music of Heitor Villa-Lobos. Each year Music for Life offers people of all ages a compelling introduction to LISTEN, LEARN, and EXPLORE important people in music history using a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility framework. Composers from around the world and throughout history come alive through hands-on lessons and live demonstrations by MIC musicians. This year the Music for Life Villa-Lobos program was presented at The Mather Evanston and featured Brazilian cellist and MIC faculty member Bianca d’Avila do Prado.
Calcifer String Quartet members enjoy a master class with Cuarteto Latinoamericano.
Cuarteto Latinoamericano MIC kicked off the Nichols Concert Hall season with the Latin Grammy Award-winning Cuarteto Latinoamericano, presented in partnership with the International Latino Cultural Center of Chicago. The world-renowned quartet— recognized for premiering more than 100 new pieces and championing neglected musical gems by underrepresented composers—offered a free, public master class in which two Academy string quartets performed works by Villa-Lobos. They also offered a special pre-concert conversation for VIP ticketholders.
Academy faculty Rodolfo Vieira (center) moderates pre-concert conversation with the quartet.
EVANSTON LIFT EVERY LIFTS VOICEITS VOICE On January 15, 2023, a packed house gathered at Nichols Concert Hall for an inspiring afternoon in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Presented and co-curated by MIC and Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre Artistic Director Tim Rhoze, the celebration included music, dance, art, and remarks about Evanston's groundbreaking reparations initiative from Claire McFarland Barber, Reparations Committee member, and Evanston Mayor, Daniel Biss. “Justice delayed is justice denied," Biss said. "I think it’s important for all of us to spend time thinking about what we can do to build the kind of society that [Martin Luther King, Jr.] was fighting for...I think being here this afternoon is one part of that.”
Sign Language with Praise Dance ~ T.E. & Company
"When you experience the arts, when you listen, when you see, when you feel movement and dance, people come and they experience it personally. It may affect people in different ways, but we’re all together having that experience.” ~ Mark George
Tim Rhoze and Mark George
Mateo Tirres Evanston Dance Ensemble
Daniel Biss
Kaylee Johnson ~ Sistema Ravinia
"Our belief is that together we are stronger than when we are apart, and when we move with a unified purpose and share our passions, resources, ideas, beliefs, and energies, we can accomplish the seemingly impossible." ~Tim Rhoze
World Premiere Music In partnership with Hearing in Color, an organization dedicated to sharing the music of artists historically excluded from musical spaces, the Music Institute of Chicago commissioned the world premiere of A Stone of Hope (Martin’s Song), a musical work by up-and-coming composer Ephraim Champion.
Ephraim Champion
“People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they have not communicated with each other.” ~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
(L–R) Angela DeVenuto, Marta Aznavoorian, and Mara McClain
PERFORMANCE PARTNERS Evanston Art Center Evanston Dance Ensemble
Evanston Reparations Committee Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre
Hearing in Color T.E. & Company
Gala Benefit May 15, 2023
The Music Institute of Chicago welcomed 270 guests to The Peninsula Chicago for its annual Gala Benefit, which raised more than $1 milion from a combination of ticket sales, contributions, and sponsorships.
CELEBRATING TRAILBLAZING WOMEN IN MUSIC DUSHKIN AWARD Marin Alsop
CULTURAL VISIONARY AWARD FOR CHICAGO Karen Gray-Krehbiel and John Krehbiel, Jr. RICHARD D. COLBURN AWARD FOR TEACHING EXCELLENCE Barbara Ann Martin
(L–R) Fran Edwardson, Alexandra C. Nichols, Marin Alsop, Karen Gray-Krehbiel, and Nancy and Scott Santi With the support of Patron of the Arts Benefactors John D. Nichols and Alexandra C. Nichols and Honorary Chairs Nancy and Scott Santi, the gala was led by Co-Chairs Carlos Cárdenas, Dan and Yoo Mi Hahn, and Barbara Speer. Proceeds from the Annual Gala Benefit provide the single largest source of funds for financial aid and scholarships, tuition-free community engagement and school programming, and neighborhood-based service activities. Musical performances were peppered throughout the evening and featured talented voice, string, and piano students as well as MIC's award-winning Academy chamber musicians.
(L–R) Gala Co-Chairs Carlos Cárdenas, Barbara Speer, and Dan Hahn with Marin Alsop
(L–R) Pianists Ethan Zheng, Zachary Guo, Marta Aznavoorian, Noah Kim, and Anna Knight
(L–R) Board member Renée Parquette with Barbara Ann Martin
(L–R) Jaiden and Evie Hsu
Dushkin awardee Marin Alsop conducts Villa-Lobos' Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 for soprano, sung by voice faculty Angela De Venuto, and an orchestra of cellos.
© Mike Grittani
“I really want to celebrate you tonight because without the support and the community you’ve created, these kids could not succeed. You understand the transformative power of music. Being here and feeling this kind of commitment and your incredible understanding has inspired me. I celebrate all of you—congratulations!” ~ Marin Alsop
NICHOLS CONCERT HALL ATTENDANCE
16,000 PERFORMERS
850 PERFORMANCES
63 RECORDINGS
192 RENTAL EVENTS
40
A NIGHT OUT AT NICHOLS The 2023 "Nichols Concert Hall Presents" series featured an eight-concert season showcasing some of the finest classical, jazz, and gospel musicians of our time. Three alumni pianists— Matthew Hagle, Inna Faliks, and Marta Aznavoorian—returned to the Nichols Concert Hall stage for performances, while perennial favorites like MIC's "Duke It Out!" Nutcracker and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration played to sellout crowds. The Venezuelan Reverón Trio, co-curator of MIC's LatinAmerican programs, featured "One Composer, One Community" composer Heitor Villa-Lobos alongside other underrepresented Latin-American classical music. The joint got jumpin' with the Marcus Roberts Trio's fresh twist on jazz standards and Chicago jazz favorite and MIC Artist-in-residence Tammy McCann paid homage to gospel pioneer Mahalia Jackson.
State-of-the-Art Nichols Concert Hall provides a state-of-the-art performance space and music education facility to Community Music School students of all ages and levels. The venue's exceptional acoustics and high-quality livestream and recording technology give aspiring musicians the singular experience of performing and/or recording on a professional stage. As a key community resource for non-profit and corporate partners alike, the Hall also meets the needs of those in search of an outstanding performance venue for a wide variety of events.
THANK YOU! The following list recognizes friends of the Music Institute of Chicago who contributed $250 or more cumulatively between September 1, 2022 and August 31, 2023. We are grateful to all the individuals, foundations, and companies that made gifts of all sizes to support our mission. $250,000 and more
$10,000 to $24,999
Alexandra C.* and John D. Nichols †
Anonymous The Canning Foundation Lester and Renée Crown Roger and Sandra Deromedi Craig and Janet Duchossois John and Fran Edwardson Evanston Arts Council Jim and Karen Frank Paul Galvin Memorial Foundation Wilbur and Linda Gantz Ronald and Christina Gidwitz Norman and Cynthia Goldring Mrs. Mona Golub Dan* and Yoo Mi Hahn Caryn and King Harris Courtney Holohan* and Wesley Mueller Dr. Jim Hsu and Ms. Elisa Barston Caroline and Charles Huebner J. Thomas Hurvis and Ann Andersen Illinois Arts Council Agency Anne Kaplan Ethelle Katz
$100,000 to $249,000 The Negaunee Foundation
$50,000 to $99,999 ITW Mr. John H. Krehbiel Jr. and Mrs. Karen Z. Gray-Krehbiel Ms. Barbara Ann Speer
$25,000 to $49,999 Paul M. Angell Family Foundation John and Pauline Fife KPMG and Scott* and Areta Verschoor Jim and Kay* Mabie Family Northern Trust Corporation Mr. and Mrs. Patrick W. Ryan The Wallace Foundation William E. Wolf and Meredith Bluhm-Wolf
Susan R. Kiphart Mrs. Paul Klimstra Tom and Joyce Leddy Diane vS. and Robert M. Levy Molex Incorporated National Endowment for the Arts Bill and Cathy Osborn Ms. Renée Parquette* Ms. Sheila Penrose and Mr. Ernest Mahaffey Ravinia Festival Association Andrew and Betsy Rosenfield Michael and Cari Sacks Sage Foundation Scott and Nancy Santi Barbara* and Peter Sereda Lisbeth C. Stiffel Lee Anne* and Richard Stoddart UL Audrey L. Weaver Mr. Miles D. White Wintrust Commercial Banking Tao Zhu and Weihua Ye
$5,000 to $9,999 Anonymous Mrs. Carol Lavin Bernick BMO Harris Bank Norman and Virginia Bobins Boys & Girls Club of Chicago Lawrence O. Corry Mr. and Mrs. Mark Deangelis Thomas W. Dower Foundation Thomas and Patricia Gahlon John R. Halligan Charitable Fund Irving Harris Foundation Dr. Wellington and Dr. Erin Hsu Dolores Kohl Kaplan Karen and Mark Koulogeorge Mr. John W. Madigan Mr. and Mrs. William J. McKenna Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Moore Mary P. Murley Timothy Patenode* and Judy Royal Mr. Robert Perlmutter Mr. and Mrs. John J. Piepgras Sargent Family Foundation Dr. Scholl Foundation Sidley Austin LLP
Jennifer Steans and James P. Kastenholz Jim Stone* Pam and Russ Strobel Mr. and Mrs. David F. Vitale Frederick and Catherine Waddell David* and Eileen Zampa Florian Zettelmeyer* and Meghan Busse
$1,000 to $4,999 Anonymous Paul and Katie Brourman Michael and Catherine Busch Walt and Julie Busse Carlos R. Cárdenas* The Cathedral Church of St. James Chicago Chanel Tanja and Paul-Henri Chevalier The Chicago Community Foundation Ms. A. Alyce Claerbaut Concerts for Seniors Mr. and Mrs. E. David Coolidge III Robert and Isabel Curley Michael and Barbara Davis James and Penelope DeYoung Mr. Howard Dubin The Field Museum of Natural History
Sanford and Fern Finkel Jospeh Fisher Joe Fisher and Eyal Wallenberg John and Linda Fix Mr. and Mrs.* Cyrus F. Freidheim, Jr. Mark George and Elizabeth Calihan James and Louise Glasser David Goroff and Jay M. Behel Howard L. Gottlieb and Barbara Greis Dietrich and Erika Gross David and Marion Hanold Highland Park Community Foundation Margot Hodgson and Jack Bishop International Latino Cultural Center of Chicago Ms. Barbara Jane Irwin Irene Jakimcius Randi Kalish Mr. Larry H. Katz Suzanne Laplante Richard H. Lenny Bin Li and Jun Zhang Mr. and Mrs. Randolph C. H. Lyon MacLean-Fogg Company Susan and Stanley McCracken Siddharth and Swati Mehta
Judith Monroe David and Diana Moore Bob Moriarty Allan and Elaine Muchin Sylvia M. Neil and Dan Fischel Katherine L. Olson J. W. and Adrienne Petersen Charles and Jacqueline Pick Rachel Barton Pine* and Gregory Pine PJH & Associates, Inc. Deborah F. Rutter* and Peter Ellefson Donald and Eileen Schiller Gordon and Carole Segal Matthew and Beth Sennett Suzanne T. Smart Mona Smithburg Sue Stevens Melanie and Chris Thomas Ross *and Emily Updegraff Dr. Axel Vargas and Dr. Yana* Nedvetsky Tamara Walsh Matthew Weisz and Kelly Tanaka Todd Wiener and Paula Jacobi Audra Wilson* Xixue and Jian Zhou
$500 to $999 Anonymous Drs. Prema Abraham and Jim Buchanan Charles and Kate Arnold Daniel Arthurs and Ivonne Cabrera Neema Bayran and Edith Diaz Jennifer McCarthy Bienemann and Robin Bienemann Dean and Rosemarie Buntrock Douglas and Lenore Cameron Mr. John M. Christian Lisa Cornell William and Shelley Farley Tiffany Farriss and George DeMet Alexander Forowycz and Alexandra D. Baranyk Dr. Libby and Mr. William Graham Jen Hanson Dr. Erin and Dr. Wellington Hsu Richard and Marie Jones Paul and Mary Ann Judy Lisa and Dean Karahalios David and Darlene Landsittel Maria and Aaron Lauve Maurice R. Lemon and Catherine A. Kallal Emily Lin Ms. Tami A. Lucas
Janet and John McCarron Kathy Nordmeyer Kathleen Rundell Elizabeth and Mark Sami Susan and Roger Schmitt Bill and Stephanie Sick Toni and Jeff Slepak Mary Ellen and Dean Snyder
Anna Knight, Academy Merit Scholarship Felllow, was forced to leave her home in Ukraine after the Russian Army attacked her city in 2022. She was able to move to the U.S. to study with Marta Aznavoorian at the Academy and performed at the 2023 Gala with the Svitanok Piano Trio and as a soloist.
$250 to $499 Anonymous Emily Abraham Mr. Suresh Advani Ayoyinka Akere Jeff and Keiko Alexander Amazon Smile Foundation Ralph Beck Louis D. Bernstein Nicoletta Berti Jerry and Josephine Conlon John and Lisa Cregan Jon and Jayne Daniel Bruce and Laurie Davidson Mark Firary Erin Fusco Vanessa Garippo James Ginsburg and Patrice Michaels Victor J. Goldberg and Patricia A. Waldeck Nora Grafton
Joan Guitart Christine and William Guthrie Ms. Lee R. Hamilton Minjiang Hu Tamima Itani Matthew and Diane Johnson Elizabeth Karabatsos Alison Keane Lisa and Steven Kleiman Philip Lee Amy and Stephen Lucas Nilanjana Majumdar Joseph Michaels Susan Milanak Jeanne and Martin Mueller Zahra Nateghpour Luis Perea Mrs. Cynthia Phelan Clare Pierce Marcia and Jeff Rubin Harper Ruttencutter Scott and Robbie Schreiber Sara C. Star Dennis and Ailee Wen Ella Zibitsker
GIFTS RECEIVED IN HONOR OF Claire Aebersold-Neiweem and Ralph Neiweem Marin Alsop Jennifer Bienemann Blake Brasch Avi Friedlander John H. Krehbiel Jr. and Karen Z. Gray-Krehbiel Barbara Ann Martin Alexandra C. Nichols GIFTS RECEIVED IN MEMORY OF Gilda Barston Michael Buckwalter Ilan Hurtado Irene Faliks Norris Larson John D. Nichols Mildred Robbins Larisa "Lora" Zhizhin
* Trustee † Deceased
IN REMEMBRANCE Michael Buckwalter
Larisa "Lora" Zhizhin
Michael Buckwalter, French horn faculty for the Music Institute, passed away in January 2023. Treasured by his family, friends, and the many colleagues he gained during his long career as a professional French hornist in Chicago, he served 20 years with the Music Institute. During his tenure he taught French horn lessons and led horn sectionals for the New Horizons Band.
Larisa “Lora” Zhizhin served on the Suzuki and traditional violin faculty of the Music Institute of Chicago from 1980 until her passing in August 2023. Before coming to MIC, she earned degrees in violin performance and pedagogy from Odessa Music College and a master of arts in teaching from Odessa State Conservatory of Music. She previously taught at DePaul University, and wrote a textbook on violin pedagogy for young children.
In addition to teaching, Michael was an accomplished performer. He served as Third and Associate Principal Horn of the Nashville Symphony and Co-principal of the RAI Torino Symphony and was a member of more than 10 Chicago-area orchestras. It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to our colleague and friend.
During her long tenure, Lora touched not only the lives of her students, but also those of her colleagues with her genuine warm heart, incredible sense of humor, passion for music, generosity, and deep devotion to her students.
Rev. Dr. Gilbert W. Bowen Rev. Dr. Gilbert W. Bowen was a great friend and supporter of the Music Institute of Chicago who served as a Music Institute board member from 2000–2012 and then as a Life Trustee until his passing in June 2023. A prolific writer, he catalogued more than 3,000 sermons and authored six books. Dr. Bowen served as senior minister of the Kenilworth Union Church from 1970–2007 and then as minister emeritus upon his retirement. His friendship with past MIC President Frank Little and wife Lyn, both Kenilworth Union Church parishioners, brought him to the Music Institute. Gil wrote, "Music has always been there and always will be. Real faith is a matter of remembering, and music...keeps us remembering." We will remember Gil fondly, with a song in our hearts.
John D. Nichols John D. Nichols, longtime friend and supporter of the Music Institute, passed away in June 2023. A man who preferred to let his actions do the talking, John was highly lauded for his business acumen and philanthropic impact and will be remembered for his wit, intellligence, and integrity.
John was deeply committed to the cultural arts in Chicago. His philanthropic endeavors produced tremendous increases in the quality of life for Chicagoans with projects as wide-ranging as The Nichols Bridgeway linking The Art Institute of Chicago with Millennium Park and The Nichols Center at UCAN in Chicago's Lawndale neighborhood.
© Stephen J. Serio
John served as chairman of the board and CEO of Illinois Tools Works Inc. (1980 to 1996), president and CEO of The Marmon Group, Inc., and retired as vice chairman of The Marmon Group in 2013. Winner of numerous national business awards, he was named to the National Business Hall of Fame in 1999.
John and Alexandra Nichols at Nichols Concert Hall
He and his wife MIC Board of Trustee Chair Emerita, Alexandra were honored by the Music Institute with the "2014 Cultural Visionary Award for Chicago" for their extraordinary civic leadership and philanthropic commitment to the arts, culture, and education. Their impact across the city of Chicago and beyond has had clear foundational significance, enriching and advancing Chicago's cultural legacy. Of particular note for MIC, Alexandra and John's leadership in chairing the multi-million dollar "Overture for the Future Campaign" from 2000–2003 made the purchase and conversion of the century-old landmark First Church of Christ, Scientist building in Evanston into the award-winning performance and teaching John Nichols, Yo-Yo Ma, and facility which bears their name—Nichols Concert Hall. This world-class, architecturally significant center Maggie Daley at 2014 Gala earned an award from the Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois for best adaptive use and has proved transformative for the Music Institute, the city of Evanston, and the larger North Shore community. Since opening in 2003, Nichols Concert Hall has welcomed more than a quarter of a million community members for concerts, recitals, and community celebrations.
TRUSTEES
Scott Verschoor, Chair Alexandra C. Nichols, Chair Emerita Timothy J. Patenode, Treasurer Barbara Sereda, Secretary Lee Ann Stoddart, Vice Chair Carlos R. Cárdenas Hans Germann Daniel Hahn Courtney Holohan Kay Mabie Yana Nedvetsky Renée Parquette Vikram Raghavan Jim Stone Ross Updegraff Zalman Usiskin Audra Wilson David Zampa Florian Zettelmeyer Tao Zhu
CHICAGO • DOWNERS GROVE • EVANSTON • LAKE BLUFF • LAKE FOREST • WINNETKA 622 DAVIS STREET, 4TH FL, EVANSTON, ILLINOIS 60201 • 847.905.1500 • MUSICINST.ORG
LIFE TRUSTEES John J. Berwanger Mitzi Freidheim Brooks Morgan Rachel Barton Pine Betsey L. Puth Priscilla F. Richman William N. Topaz
Each year, MIC hosts instrument "petting zoos" for kids at area libraries, farmers markets, our own campuses, and more. Pettings zoos are a fun, hands-on introduction to all the instruments. Kids experience making music for the first time and parents have the opportunity to talk with faculty and staff at these popular events.
EX-OFFICIO TRUSTEES Jennifer Koh Nina Kraus Christopher Rintz Deborah F. Rutter
On the front cover: Debut performance of the tuition-free Third Coast Suzuki Strings program in south Evanston.
This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.
