The Music Institute of Chicago, now in its 82nd year, hosts its annual gala Tuesday, May 1 at the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago, 120 E. Delaware Pl.
The oldest community music school in Illinois and one of the three largest community music schools in the nation, MIC is planning a celebratory evening highlighted by the presentation of the Dushkin Award to internationally acclaimed stage and film composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim.
Chaired by Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols, the evening begins at 5:30 p.m. with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, followed by an elegant dinner and awards presentation.
The prestigious Dushkin Award, established 26 years ago and named for MIC's visionary founders Dorothy and David Dushkin, recognizes international luminaries in the world of music for their contributions to the art form, as well as to the education of youth. Past recipients include Riccardo Muti, Yo-Yo Ma, Leon Fleisher, Renée Fleming, Placido Domingo, William Warfield, Isaac Stern, Sir Georg Solti, Pierre Boulez, Samuel Ramey, and Bruno Bartoletti, among others. This year's recipient, Stephen Sondheim, has been honored with multiple Tony Awards, as well as Grammy and Academy Awards, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1985.
The Music Institute of Chicago will confer its third annual "Cultural Visionary Award for Chicago," which recognizes individuals who have provided visionary philanthropic and civic leadership for the broad spectrum of arts in Chicago and Illinois, on Marilynn Alsdorf, an unparalleled leader in supporting Chicago's visual arts institutions.
Musical performances throughout the evening will include young musicians from both the Music Institute's Community School, including the Musical Theater program, and the prestigious Academy for gifted pre-college musicians, many of whom receive financial aid or scholarship support. Ensemble in residence Axiom Brass also will perform.
Honorary Chairs for MIC's 82nd Anniversary Gala include John H. Bryan, Joan W. Harris and Cindy Pritzker, all of whom received the inaugural "Cultural Visionary Award for Chicago" at the 2010 80th Anniversary Gala.
The generosity of individuals and companies who support the annual gala provide the primary source of scholarship and financial aid programs that benefit more than 5,000 students annually at the Music Institute's eight primary campuses, as well as through its extensive outreach programs in Chicago Public Schools and with community-based nonprofit organizations.
Tickets to the Music Institute of Chicago's 82nd Anniversary Gala are $550. For information, please call 847-448-8327.
About the Music Institute of Chicago
The Music Institute of Chicago believes that music has the power to sustain and nourish the human spirit; therefore, our mission is to provide the foundation for lifelong engagement with music. As one of the three largest and most respected community music schools in the nation, the Music Institute offers musical excellence built on the strength of its distinguished faculty, commitment to quality, and breadth of programs and services. Founded in 1931 and one of the oldest community music schools in Illinois, the Music Institute is a member of the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts and accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music. Each year, the Music Institute's world-class music teachers and arts therapists provide the highest quality arts education to more than 5,000 students of all ability levels, from birth to 101 years of age at campuses in Evanston, Highland Park, Lake Forest, Lincolnshire, Winnetka, and Downers Grove. The Music Institute also offers lessons and programs at the Steinway of Chicago store in Northbrook and early childhood and community engagement programs throughout the Chicago area and the North Shore. Nichols Concert Hall, an education and performance center in downtown Evanston, reaches approximately 14,000 people each year. The Music Institute's community engagement and partnership programs reach an additional 6,500 Chicago Public School students annually. The Music Institute offers lessons, classes, and programs through four distinct areas: Community School, The Academy, Creative Arts Therapy ( Institute for Therapy through the Arts ) , and Nichols Concert Hall.
