Violinist Jennifer Koh Opens 18-19 Artist Series at Music Institute of Chicago

The Music Institute of Chicago welcomes back alumna violinist Jennifer Koh for the opening concert of its 2018-19 Faculty and Guest Artist Series Saturday, September 15 at 7:30 p.m. at the historic Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Avenue in downtown Evanston.

The acclaimed Glen Ellyn native returns to play a program featuring two solo works by Bach-Sonata No. 1 in G minor and Sonata No. 3 in C Major-juxtaposed with a contemporary piece for solo violin, For Violin Alone, by John Harbison. Critics have described her playing of the Bach Sonatas and Partitas as intense, beautifully shaped, and mesmerizing. "Koh's arresting tone and emotional interpretations of Bach are a perfect fit for the acoustics of Nichols Concert Hall," said Music Institute President and CEO Mark George.

Violinist Jennifer Koh is recognized for commanding performances delivered with dazzling virtuosity and technical assurance. An adventurous musician, she collaborates with artists from multiple disciplines and curates projects that find connections between music of all eras from traditional to contemporary. She has premiered more than 60 works written especially for her and has made 11 recordings for the Cedille Records label. Her concert program for the Music Institute includes repertoire from two recent initiatives: Shared Madness, a project comprising short works for solo violin that explore virtuosity in the 21st century, written by more than 30 of today's most celebrated composers, and Bach and Beyond, a recital series that traces the history of the solo violin repertoire from Bach's Six Sonatas and Partitas to 20th and 21st century composers. Koh is Musical America's 2016 Instrumentalist of the Year, a winner of the Concert Artists Guild Competition, and a recipient of an Avery Fisher Career Grant. For more information and her complete biography, visit jenniferkoh.com.

Admission is $50 for VIP seating, $40 for adults, $25 for senior citizens, and $15 for students.
Tickets are available at musicinst.org/nichols-concert-hall
or by calling 847.905.1500 ext. 108. All programming is subject to change.
The Music Institute will announce its complete 2018-19 Faculty
and Guest Artist Series shortly. For more information, visit musicinst.org.

Nichols Concert Hall
Noted architect Solon S. Beman designed the architecturally and acoustically magnificent First Church of Christ, Scientist, located at 1490 Chicago Avenue in Evanston, in 1912. In 2003, the building was sensitively restored to become Nichols Concert Hall, a state-of-the-art, 550-seat performance space and music education destination, easily accessible to numerous restaurants, on-street and metered parking, and the Davis Street CTA and Metra stations. The converted building, featuring a fully restored, 1914 E. M. Skinner pipe organ, received the Richard H. Driehaus Award for best adaptive use by the Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois. Each year Nichols Concert Hall reaches approximately 15,000 people and hosts a world-class chamber music series, workshops and master classes, student recitals, and special events.

Music Institute of Chicago
The Music Institute of Chicago is dedicated to transforming lives through music education. Founded in 1931, the Music Institute has grown to become one of the largest and most respected community music schools in the nation. Offering musical excellence built on the strength of its distinguished faculty, commitment to quality, and breadth of programs and services, the Music Institute is a member of the National Guild for Community Arts Education and accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Pre-collegiate Arts Schools (ACCPAS). Each year, the Music Institute's teachers reach thousands of students of all ages and levels of experience. Music Institute locations include Chicago, Evanston, Winnetka, Lincolnshire, Lake Forest, and Downers Grove. In addition, the Music Institute is proud of its longstanding partnership with the Chicago Public Schools through its Arts Link program. The Music Institute offers lessons and classes, and concerts through its Community Music School, Academy, and Nichols Concert Hall.

For more information, visit musicinst.org.

Photo of Jennifer Koh by Juergen Frank.

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