Concerto Extravaganza Features Audience Favorites May 14 at Nichols Hall

In a unique concert combining the talents of Music Institute of Chicago’s “Concerto Divas,” pianist Marta Aznavoorian, violinist Desirée Ruhstrat and cellist Wendy Warner perform the top three concertos of the 2010–11 season, as voted on by MIC audiences, Saturday, May 14 at 7:30 p.m. at Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Ave., Evanston. Accompanying the soloists will be an MIC orchestra of students, faculty, and alumni, conducted by James Setapen.

The program includes:

• Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor by Ludwig van Beethoven, performed by Aznavoorian
• Violin Concerto, Op. 14 by Samuel Barber, performed by Ruhstrat
• ·      Variations on a Rococo Theme by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, performed by Warner
• ·      Fanfare 80 (orchestral premiere) by Mischa Zupko, MIC Composer-in-Residence 

“The response from audiences at Nichols Concert Hall has been overwhelming,” commented MIC President and CEO Dr. Mark George. “We have received more than a thousand ballots. The quality and charisma of our artist faculty have caught the imagination of the voters. With our amazing soloists and an orchestra of MIC faculty, students and alumni, this will be a truly spectacular concert.”  

About the musicians

Marta Aznavoorian is a member of MIC’s piano faculty and was the top prize winner at the Aspen Music Festival Piano Competition. She has appeared as a soloist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, New World Symphony, Aspen Concert Orchestra, San Angelo Symphony and San Diego Symphony. Desiree Ruhstrat is chair of MIC’s Strings Department and has appeared as a soloist with orchestras throughout the world, including the Berlin Radio Symphony, Gottingen Symphony, Philharmonia Da Camera, Radio Suisse Romande, Orchestra Symphonica Auguescalientes, Colorado Symphony, Oregon Symphony, Concerto Soloists Of Philadelphia, Chicago Civic Orchestra, Debut Orchestra of Los Angeles and more. She and Aznavoorian also have performed chamber music nationally as members of the Lincoln Trio (with cellist David Cunliffe). MIC faculty member and cellist Wendy Warner is a part of the renowned duo WarnerNuzova. She has performed on prestigious stages including New York’s Carnegie Hall, Symphony Hall in Boston, Walt Disney Hall in Los Angeles, Paris’ Salle Pleyel and Berlin’s Philharmonie.

About the Music Institute of Chicago

The Music Institute of Chicago (MIC) 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, MIC’s musical excellence is built on the strength of our distinguished faculty, commitment to quality, and breadth of programs and services. Founded in 1931, MIC is one of the oldest community music schools in Illinois. MIC 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 ages and ability levels, at campuses in Evanston, Highland Park, Lake Forest, Lincolnshire, Winnetka, and Downers Grove. MIC 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. Performances at Nichols Concert Hall, located in downtown Evanston, reach approximately 14,000 people each year. MIC community engagement and partnership programs reach an additional 6,500 Chicago Public School students annually.

MIC 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.

Tickets for Concerto Extravaganza on Saturday, May 14 at 7:30 p.m. at MIC’s Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Avenue, Evanston are $25 for adults, $15 for seniors and $10 for students, available at musicinst.org or 847.905.1500 ext. 108.

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