Sheridan Music Studio and IN.LIVE Announce Two New Outdoor and Virtual Concert Series for 2020-2021

Sheridan Music Studio LLC of Chicago and Highland Park, in collaboration with IN.LIVE, will present two concert series in a “Pandemic-friendly” format.

Sheridan Music Studio’s Artistic Directors Susan Merdinger and Svetlana Belsky are pleased to announce two new concert series for 2020-2021 at their downtown Chicago studio in the Fine Arts Building. The first series, Music with a View, will feature ten Classical music concerts from September 2020 through June 2021. The Blue Skies Concert Series will comprise twelve programs of artists ensembles of non-classical genres.

Both concert series will offer an experience of live performances combined with professionally-recorded live-streaming of the concert on IN.LIVE site. IN.LIVE is a new Silicon Valley startup company offering integrated live-streaming for musicians and audiences. IN.LIVE enables musicians to earn income from their live-streams of concerts and audiences to connect directly with their favorite musicians and ensembles.

Live concerts, available to subscribers and ticket holders only, will be held for a limited in-person audience at Sheridan Music Studio Chicago at 410 South Michigan Avenue, Suite 908.  Audience members will be screened appropriately and required to wear masks while attending these concerts in an intimate yet spacious, beautiful concert venue overlooking Lake Michigan, Buckingham Fountain and the City of Chicago Skyline.

The livestream of the concerts will be available on IN.LIVE and can reach audiences around the world, without limit to the number of viewers. 

Both Concert series will be previewed at a special “Summerfest” at Sheridan Music Studio, Highland Park, in an outdoor setting for five nights only, from August 21-25. The outdoor seating will be limited, and social distancing will be strictly observed. 

Susan Merdinger believes in the power of music to transform, heal, educate and inspire. “The COVID-19 Pandemic need not stop music production in its tracks; rather we must be more creative and flexible in finding solutions to bring music to people because it feeds the human spirit and soul. It is not option, but essential”, she says.

Dr. Svetlana Belsky states that “The musicians we are featuring are some of the finest in the world, who are contributing to the vibrant music and art culture that Chicago has to offer. Actually, our concert series is really a World Music Series, in its scope and reach.”

Co-hosting the Blue Skies Series with Susan and Svetlana is Grammy-nominated artist, Ilya Levinson, who is also Composer-in-Residence at Sheridan Music Studio for 2020-2021.   Levinson states “It has been my great pleasure to collaborate with Susan Merdinger over the years in her performances and world premieres of many of my works.  I look forward to collaborating with her at the new Sheridan Music Studio.  I am excited to present my new composition there in May 2021, and also to include the New Budapest Orpheum Society in Blue Skies Concert Series.”

The featured “Summerfest” classical artists will be: 

Ian Maksin, cello and voice on Friday, August 21: 

Ron Arden, Classical and Crossover Pop vocalist with Caleb Tolleson, keyboardist, on Saturday, August 22; 

The Maxwell Street Klezmer Band on Sunday, August 23; 

The Red Riding Hood String Quartet with guest violist Sarah Greene, on Monday, August 24; 

Triple Play Pianists- featuring Svetlana Belsky, Susan Merdinger and Steven Greene, pianists, on Tuesday, August 25.

The Music with a View Concert Series will feature the following distinguished, internationally-renowned artists and ensembles: 

The Kaia String Quartet, Sept. 4 and 6; Andrew Schultze, baritone and Svetlana Belsky, piano, October 9 and 11; Sarah Greene, viola and Steve Greene, piano, November 6 and 8; Susan Merdinger, piano, December 11 and 13; The Estrella Piano Duo, (Svetlana Belsky and Elena Doubovitskaya) Jan. 8 and 10; Pianissimo! Ensemble, Feb. 12 and 14; Red Riding Hood String Trio, March 12 and 14; Stephen Burns, trumpet and Kuang-Hao Huang, piano, April 9 and 11;Chicago Arts Trio (Vadim Mazo, violin, Martine Benmann, cello and Svetlana Belsky, piano), May 7 and 9; Sheridan Solisti Trio, June 11 and 13.

The Blue Skies Concerts will feature the following artists and ensembles:

Ian Maksin, cello; Grammy-nominated The New Orpheum Budapest Society; The Maxwell Street Klezmer Band; Ron Arden, vocalist; Chris Greene Jazz Quartet; Grammy Award winner Jon Samson, vocalist, songwriter; Grammy Award Winner Ricky Kej, multi-instrumentalist and composer from India; Grammy Award Winner Wouter Kellerman, flautist from South Africa; The Josh Harlow Trio; David Farrell Melton, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter from New York; Ben and Winnie, A Tango Duo from Indiana; Bryan Harrell, international Singer-Guitarist.

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Subscriptions and individual concert tickets are available at www.sheridanmusicstudio.com/events-purchase-tickets. 

Livestream-only single concert tickets are available on IN.LIVE.

Please visit each concert series’ webpage for detailed information:

www.sheridanmusicstudio.com/music-with-a-view

www.sheridanmusicstudio.com/blue-skies-concerts

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