3rd Annual Janet Thau Tribute Showcase Concert

Largest and Longest Running Showcase Concert in Chicago!

For nearly 30 years, Howard Reisman and Janet Thau would hold musicales in their Northbrook, Illinois home, welcoming professional musicians and aspiring young musicians alike, to entertain their friends and each other. Audience members/guests would all bring delicious food and beverages to keep everyone happy for hours on end from morning until night. Some musicians have even met and gotten married as a result of their invitation to perform at Howard and Janet's musicales! When the home got too crowded, people would sit out in the backyard listening to the music piped through speakers- much like a "mini" Ravinia!

All the musicians would attend because of their friendship with the outgoing Mr. Reisman, a Court Reporter, and the bubbly and effervescent Janet Thau. Together, Howard and Janet attended nearly every concert or opera performance that they possibly could in the Chicago area. And all the performers would always be showered with enthusiastic praise and support by this lovely couple. Recently, Howard even walked on the picket line in support of the striking Chicago Symphony Orchestra Musicians- which is quite a feat when you consider that he is 89 years old yet still going like the energizer bunny!

Unfortunately, such was not the fate for Howard's beloved Janet- she passed away unexpectedly on Thanksgiving Day 2016. Shortly thereafter Howard decided he wanted to have a memorial concert for Janet, and he contacted Susan Merdinger, a professional musician- friend, who suggested that the event needed to be well-organized and in a public concert venue. The first and second Janet Thau Tribute Showcase Concerts were held at the Merit School of Music and were smashing successes for performers and audience alike. This year, the 3rd Annual Janet Thau Showcase Concert will take place at the Music Institute of Chicago's Nichols Concert Hall at 1490 Chicago Avenue in Evanston. The acoustics and two marvelous Steinway D pianos will enhance the performances of all! The concert will start at 12 Noon and run continuously until 11 pm!

There are approximately 120 musicians scheduled to perform in various combinations and ensembles. It is a FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC CONCERT- SO ALL ARE WELCOME!

The concert is co-sponsored by Howard Reisman, Lynn Sampson of Music First, Aparna and Sanjay Huprikar, and Susan Merdinger, Artistic Director of Sheridan Music Studio. Donations will be gratefully accepted and acknowledged.

PLEASE VISIT THE EVENT WEBPAGE TO RSVP: https://pianista.pingg.com/3rd...

To open the concert, Sheridan Solisti Chamber Orchestra will perform several selections by Mozart, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and Annika Huprikar, a 16 year old prize-winning pianist and composer who studies with Ms. Merdinger and won top prizes and honors in the ILMEA All-State Composition Contest, as well as the Elite Competitions, the American Prize, Illinois Music Association, Great Composers Competitions, and more. The SSCO will be followed by the Memorial Brass Ensemble, performing works by Gabrieli, Handel, Copland, Janacek, Dukas, and Ewazen. Both ensembles will be under the direction of Steinway Artist, Susan Merdinger, who studied conducting at Yale under Otto Werner Mueller, and is a popular piano soloist in the Chicago area.

The Concert program will continue with distinguished instrumentalists, opera singers, pianists, small chamber ensembles, a jazz band, and a special feature of young performers ages 10-18. Here is a list of the performers you can expect to hear:

ORCHESTRA: Lauren Moldenhauer, Samantha Haake,Josh Goo, Madison Carroll, Heidi Brann, Jan Gabalev, John Pope, Thomas Vienna, Sarah Younker, David Maller, David Letvin, Paul Hefner, Chloe Schneider, Cynthia Arden, Yuriy Geyer, Dana Zapata, Cara Schlecker, Hannah Barton, Agniezska Likos, Ron Arden, Charlie Pikler, Ed Coster, Janet Weinberg, Larry Block, Barb Cannon, William Cernota, Patricyja Likos, Naza Bektur, Elijah Medina, Andrew Cierny, Steve Greene.

BRASS ENSEMBLE: David Maller; Doug Marshall; Ivo Braun ; Sam Veren; Matthew Bain; Sarah Jones; Jakob Noestvik; Connor Thummel; Kayla Howell; Ryan Foster Sedgewick; Ross Heim; Matt Martin; Ryan Berndt; Laura Stone; Valerie Whitney; Thomas Paul Vienna; Sarah Younker; Brad Granville; Laurel Lovestrom; Adam Moen; Steve Replogle; Dan DiCesare; Debbie Katz Knowles; Ed Harrison; Jim Holland; Beverly Friend; John Alberts.

 OPERA SINGERS: Kerry Walsh, soprano; Marina Hoover, soprano; Mana Winkler, soprano; Olta Rafalo, mezzo-soprano; Dana Brown, piano

OPERA SINGERS: Jennifer Kosharsky, mezzo-soprano and Jenny Cook, soprano; Eleanor Warrington, mezzo-soprano, and Jill Mihailovec-Sternberg, soprano; Dana Brown, piano.

Jillann Gabrielle composer, lyricist, performer (voice/piano)
Margaret Hoover, musical saw.
YOUTH PERFORMERS: Caitlyn Tomasino, singer age 13; Kelvin Grzelak, singer age 14; Bobby Schiff, piano; Jasmine Horton, violin, age 10 with Gloria Horton, piano; Zachary Fewkes, age 15, singer; Bobby Schiff, piano;
Leon Stein, piano;
Yulia Lipmanovich, piano
Vadim Mazo, violin and Yulia Lipmanovich, piano
TRIO: Madison Carroll, clarinet; Thomas Vienna, Horn; Anna Kovalevskaya, piano;
Ketevan Kartvetlishvili, piano
Lynn Sampson, trumpet; Bobby Schiff, piano.
Pawel Checinski, piano
Cara Schlecker Ketter, violin; Steven Greene, piano
Christian Ketter, tenor; Steven Greene, piano
Svetlana Belsky, piano
Bill Cernota, cello; Susan Merdinger, piano.
Charlie Pikler, violin with Steve Greene, piano;
Susan Merdinger, piano.
Cate Hummel, Flute; Steven Greene, piano.
Susan Merdinger and Steven Greene, Duo Pianists
Ani Gogova, piano.
Carole Ettelson, singer with The Horner Park Jazz Band and Don Sadofsky, bandleader
Consuelo Lepauw, violin.
Xiaoping Wang, piano.

Oltea Gurgui, piano.

Roxane Assaf-Lynn, Mezzo and Cabaret Artist; Pianist, TBD.