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Make Music Chicago Day
Susan Merdinger and Sheridan Solisti Chamber Orchestra
Chicago, IL --As part of the city-wide and nation-wide Make Music Day of celebration on the Summer Solstice, Susan Merdinger and Friends will take the stage in Ganz Hall at Roosevelt University as Sheridan Solisti Chamber Orchestra.
The concert program will include Ernest Bloch’s Concerto Grosso No. 1 for Strings and Piano (1925), with Steven Greene, pianist; Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.23, K. 488 with Merdinger conducting from the piano; Dvorak’s lively Rondo for Cello and Orchestra with Nazar Dzhuryn, Cello Soloist; Gershwin’s Summertime, arranged for Cello and Orchestra, and two contemporary works: Ilya Levinson’s American Landscapes for Orchestra and Aaron Alter’s Solar Rays for Flutes and Orchestra. The Concert will open with Franz Danzi’s Duet for Viola and Cello with Concert Master Charles Pikler and Principal Cellist Nazar Dzhuryn.
Sheridan Solisti Chamber Orchestra was founded by Steinway Artist Susan Merdinger in 2019, but has been dormant since then, in large part due to the Pandemic. The orchestra was founded to help promote its members both as soloists and orchestral musicians.
Although Merdinger is well-known as a soloist, few people are familiar with her orchestral conducting talents, first nurtured when she was an undergraduate and graduate student at Yale, under the tutelage of Robert Kapilow, Otto Werner Mueller, and Seymour Lipkin. Recently, Merdinger had the opportunity to conduct the Highland Park Strings from the piano in Mozart’s Concerto No. 25, and guest conducting the North Shore Chamber Orchestra. “I always dreamt of being a conductor, since I have always thought about the piano in terms of orchestral colors and sounds, and I thoroughly enjoy collaborating with members of an orchestra”, explains Merdinger from her home studio in Fort Sheridan, Illinois. “I also enjoyed many years in a youth orchestra playing the flute, piano and celeste, which was a formative experience for me that continued while at Yale. As a teen, I studied violin under New York Philharmonic member Asya Meshberg, but I found it excruciatingly painful for my fingertips and gave it up after three years! I also had eight years of ballet and figure skating, the choreography of which is something I can subconsciously draw upon when conducting an orchestra." Although it was difficult enough to be a female pianist in the earliest years of her career, Susan happily chose to focus on performing as a soloist and chamber musician- her primary passion! “At a certain point, however, I began to realize how much I love being enveloped in symphonic sounds and the enormous repertoire that an orchestra offers. The gender barriers seem to be falling away for female conductors. Thus, I am continually seeking out more opportunities to conduct orchestras in some of my favorite symphonic repertoire. Much of my orchestral repertoire I learned in my 30+ year career as a duo-pianist performing orchestral transcriptions and arrangements such as Stravinsky’s “Petrouchka”, Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite, or Brahms’ Haydn Variations, for example,” explains Ms. Merdinger. “However, keeping an ensemble of two, three, or four people together is entirely different than keeping an orchestra of 40-60 people in sync”! For this Make Music Day concert, Merdinger will perform and conduct from the piano, Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.23, in A major, K. 488. Merdinger explains her choice as a return to her “Viennese classical roots”, as this was the very first concert she studied as a young pianist around age 12.
The Ukrainian-born American cellist, Nazar Dzhuryn, the featured soloist and Principal cellist for the concert, is a member of the Sheridan Solisti Piano Trio with Susan Merdinger and Cyrus Forough. Nazar Dzhuryn’s worldwide performances have been hailed by critics and audiences alike as “Captivating" and "Inspiring." Mr. Dzhuryn appeared in concert with many classical music legends such as Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, Pinchas Zukerman, Daniel Barenboim, Mstislav Rostropovich and Georg Solti. Nazar describes his background with the Dvorak Rondo which he will perform with the NSCO:
”It is a piece I have played since I was sixteen years old and it was on my audition list to Moscow Conservatory in 1990. Dvorak is very famous for his concerto op.104 and this is op.94 written before. I like this piece because it gives freedom of expression, interaction with an orchestra, a momentum that every time you live in a different way. I enjoy performing in solo, chamber or orchestra settings, and this Rondo is a fun solo to perform because of its Eastern European style which is my heritage.” Nazar began his cello studies at age six in his native Lviv, Ukraine. “At that time I was a humble and quiet kid who was doing what I was told to do. I did not think of inspiration at that time, but I do now. My earliest inspirations were Feuermann, Piatigorsky, and Shafran”, Nazar reminisced.
Nazar’s solo recitals for Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts and the PianoForte Salon Series have been broadcast live on 98.7 WFMT. He has appeared as a soloist with the Moscow State Symphony “Young Russia,” Moscow Conservatory Symphony, Elgin Symphony Orchestra, in the prestigious Rush Hour Concerts at St. James Cathedral and as a guest artist with Chicago Chamber Musicians. Merdinger immediately thought to invite Nazar Dzhuryn to be a featured artist on the program. Susan explains “I love Nazar’s sound and interpretations of all the music we have performed together, from Schubert to Schumann, Beethoven to Brahms, Piazzolla to Prokofieff. Nazar can play anything and everything and do it so well. Since we already have a long-standing collaborative partnership as a duo and piano trio, I thought it would be great to work together again with Nazar from the podium in a Chicago venue, reachinga new audience.”
For more information please visit: www.susanmerdingerpianist.com
Susan Merdinger to conduct the North Shore Chamber Orchestra
Two Mother's Day Weekend Concerts
Evanston, IL --The North Shore Chamber Orchestra is pleased to announce its Spring Mother’s Day concert featuring Susan Merdinger as the Guest Conductor in a program of works by Bloch, Ravel, Dvorak, and Mendelssohn.
The concert program will include Ernest Bloch’s Concerto Grosso No, 1 for Strings and Piano (1925), with Steven Greene, pianist; Ravel’s beloved Mother Goose Suite, featuring solos by co-Concertmasters Cyrus Forough and Charlie Pikler; Dvorak’s lively Rondo for Cello and Orchestra with Nazar Dzhuryn, Cello Soloist; and Mendelssohn’s joyful and exuberant “Italian” Symphony No. 4.
The North Shore Chamber Orchestra is a community orchestra founded by the late Harvey Treger in 1981. The orchestra performs a wide range of beautiful repertoire for chamber orchestra from the 17th century to the present. Featuring distinguished soloists and emerging artists from the Chicago area as soloists, the ensemble includes as members a core of dedicated volunteer musicians along with professional musicians who perform three to four concerts per year. The orchestra’s Board of Directors is led by President Judy Sandstrom and Treasurer Peter Kohn, who have been long-time members of the orchestra, and they welcome new members to join this vibrant and collegial orchestra.
There will be two concerts:
Friday May 10th at 7:30pm in Buffalo Grove and Sunday May 12th at 3:30pm in Evanston.
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2023 Chopin with a View International Piano Competition and Festival
Fourth Annual Competition!
Distinguished Jurors are announced and Applications are accepted now through March 31st, ( Late fees have been waived) with video submissions due by April 1st.
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Ringing in the New Year 2023
Annual Musicale draws a record crowd!
Susan and Steven Greene, Owners of Sheridan Music Studio host the Annual New Year's Day Musicale in their home- after a two year suspension due to the Pandemic! A delightful group of musicians and music lovers enjoyed a 5 hour long party with homemade food and drink, and glorious music performed by some of Chicago's finest musicians. Click on the link to view the full-length video!
Performers included: Aidan and Leilan Watts, violinists; Grace Tong, pianist: Tao Tong, tenor; Cantor Stefanie Greene, soprano; Charles Pikler, viola and violin: Steven Greene, piano; Xiaoping Wang, piano; Susan Merdinger, piano; Irina Feoktistova, piano; Nora Williams, viola; Violetta Todorova, violin; Martine Benmann, cello; Sasha Levinson, cello; Ilya Levinson, piano;
SEATLLE INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION GOLD MEDAL WINNER ANNOUNCED!
JOHN TETI WINS GOLD IN THE ADULT AMATEUR PIANO DIVISION
JOHN TETI, a Dartmouth College graduate, and owner of his own family business, is passionate about playing the piano. He has been studying with Susan for about two years, and is seriously considering a second career in music! John won a Gold Medal in his division with a live unedited video recording of Mozart's Sonata in C minor. K. 475 and Chopin's notoriously difficult Ballade No. 2 in F major. Bravo, John!
WE'VE MOVED!
NEW HOME STUDIO!
CONVENIENT, COMFORTABLE and WELL-APPOINTED!
We have Steinway and Baldwin Concert Grand Pianos and a two-story Music Room, Full Music Library and Recording Equipment!
And, of course, expert piano and chamber music instruction by Steinway Artist, Susan Merdinger!
NEWS FLASH!
SHERIDAN MUSIC STUDIO IS MOVING!
AS OF JUNE 21, 2022, Sheridan Music Studio will move from Sheridan Road in Highland Park to Fort Sheridan!
Details to follow! All the same quality lessons, soirees and livestream events and concerts will take place at the new location!
Stay tuned for more exciting news!
Rafael Vivanco, Classical Guitarist
In Recital March 13, at 3pm
Classical Guitarist, Rafael Vivanco is set to perform on March 13, 2022 at 3pm Central Time for Sheridan Music Studio’s Music with a View concert series.
Rafael Vivanco started playing the guitar at the age of 11 in Peru. He performed regularly in Lima while studying classical guitar with Alonso Acosta Ojeda. He went on to complete his Bachelor of Music degree in classical guitar performance at the University of British Columbia in Canada, where he also learned to play the lute and the baroque guitar with members of the Vancouver Early Music Ensemble. He received his Master of Music degree at Roosevelt University in Chicago. He has also taken lessons and masterclasses from guitarists such as Eduardo Fernandez, Fabio Zanon, Jason Vieux, Alexander Dunn, Michael Strutt and Ray Nurse. Rafael was sponsored to teach and perform in the USA for over 10 years by Jim Scoglietti of Sherry Brener Inc., the Spanish guitar importer and Guitarra Magazine editor who collaborated with icons such as Andrès Segovia and Christopher Parkening, to popularize the Spanish guitar around the world. Rafael’s live performances have been broadcast on public radio, and he has been a recurring guest in music festivals such as The Chicago Latino Music Festival, The Chicago Flamenco Festival, The Latin American Guitar Festival of Chicago and the International Guitar Festival of Milwaukee, among others. He was also given an artistic residence at the Cervantes Institute of Chicago in 2017, where he taught and performed. Rafael has participated in several ensembles like The UBC Guitar Quartet, and The Early Music Series of Collegium Musicum at the University of British Columbia, and with other projects such as the Spanish music group Kantuz, the piano and guitar group Duo Vivanco/Sikina, and the Lisa Zane Ensemble.
Mozart with a View International Festival and Competition 2022
Deadlines January 10th and 25th
Sheridan Music Studio is sponsoring our 3rd Annual Music with a View Festival and Competition - Mozart with A View. This year we have more instrument, ensemble and age categories. If you love Mozart, now is your chance to shine! Ages 8-88!
CANCELED AND POSTPONED: Sheridan Music Studio's Annual Gala Fundraiser Concerts featuring Pianissimo! and The Allegro String Quartet
DATES TBD!
We have an exciting program planned for our gorgeous studio in downtown Chicago- featuring the Mozart Three Piano Concerto, the Bach Two Piano Concerto in C minor, Overture to The Marriage of Figaro, Mozart's most famous Arias, Saint-Saen's Danse Macabre, and so much more! YOur ticket entitles you to LIVE admission- OR a Live-Stream, if we must limit audience attendance due to COVID19. The shows will go on! We are raising money for Sheridan Music Studio Foundation NFP- concert series, competition, scholarships and studio enhancements. Your generosity helps our programs and directly helps many professional and aspiring musicians make a difference in people's lives!