By TOM BOWSER
Dame Myra Hess Concerts are free to attend and occur every Wednesday at 12:15 within the fabulous Seventeenth Church of Christ, Scientist, Chicago at 55 E. Wacker Drive in Chicago, IL. Artists that appear at Dame Myra Hess concerts are high quality and worthy of your time and attention. Performances are 45 minutes long. Dame Myra Hess concerts are a perfect lunch break during the week if you work downtown. My wife and I occasionally meet during lunch hour then head back to our respective days. NOTE: Seats are limited so arrive at least 20 minutes prior to the 12:15pm start time if possible.
The Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert series features a variety of "classical" music artists and instruments. Performances range from solo piano, to violin or cello and piano, string quartets, flute, clarinet to brass and saxophone ensembles and more. One of my recent favorites was the beautiful Chicago Harp Quartet.
Those of you who have read my "About Me" page will notice I have worked with a range of music types and musicians from jazz and country to setting up for The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd and U2 tours. However, I was a classical music fan long before I listened to that first Aerosmith Rocks album my highschool friend Mark Ashby lent me. One of my favorite childhood memories was driving with my father while listening to his favorite classical music (Shostakovic). Now that he's passed on this memory holds even more significance.
Parents bring your children if they are old enough to sit quietly and attentively through a 45 minute performance. As they mature your children will remember and cherish the classical music experiences you shared with them. College students who live and attend school downtown should consider Dame Myra Hess concerts as a welcome break during their day. Music students have a great opportunity to see and learn from working musicians.
New to live classical music events?
- Turn off or silence your phone or other noise making device before the show begins.
- If you take pictures do not use a flash.
- It's customary to hold your applause until an entire piece of music (song) has completed. If you're not sure when to clap simply wait until a majority of the audience has begun to applaud.
Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts is produced by the International Music Foundation of Chicago. All Dame Myra Hess concerts are recorded and broadcast live on WFMT 98.7 FM. Concerts are also streamed live from the WFMT Web site.
Naria Kim and Evan Solomon
I enjoyed the performance. I found Naria's playing to be very musical and fluid. She played with passion and articulated the more complicated double stop sections with ease. Naria and Evan worked well together. Piano can become to loud in Preston Bradly Hall with the many highly reflective surfaces of the room. Evan did a nice job maintaining an appropriate volume level that did not overpower Naria's playing.Naria and Evan performed:
- Nocturne Op. 51, No. 3 (3') composed by Jean Sibelius
- Sonata for Violin and Piano in G minor (14') composed by Claude Debussy
I. Allegro vivo
II. Intermede: Fantasque et leger
II. Finale: Tre anime
- Violin Sonata, FP. 119 (20') composed by Francis Poulenc
I. Allegro con fuoco
II. Intermezzo. Tres lent et calme
III. Presto tragico
NOTE: The Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert series is free to attend. However, it is funded in part through donations. Please consider making a donation to insure the continuance of this long running and important concert series. Whether you donate five dollars or ten thousand dollars I'm confident your donation will be put to good use.