dgmc rings in the new year with virtual concerts

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D O W N E R S G R O V E M U S I C C L U B . O R G ❖ Celebrating the musical arts since 1927

DGMC rings in the New Year with virtual concerts Finally, we can say goodbye to 2020! Each of us faced unprecedented challenges that truly reshaped our focus and

priorities. Like other organizations, the Downers Grove Music Club found new ways to connect with our members and

friends so we could continue our mission to advance the musical arts and support student music education in our

community. Due to the pandemic, we tailored our

approach to conduct club activities and engage our

community by entirely virtual means.

Even though in-person contact has not been

possible, we are pleased that we still awarded the

full complement of student music awards last year,

hosted a dozen streamed music performances,

held our Fall Benefit Concert online, published and

distributed our print newsletters, posted a number

of articles on our blog webpage and engaged our

members and friends via Facebook, among other

accomplishments.

As we move into the new year, we look forward to

a time we can see each other face-to-face and share our passion for music together as a community. Connect with us

today through membership and also share what’s on your mind through email, our website contact form, or via

Facebook. You can also leave a comment at our online concerts. We’d love to hear from you.

Piano Festival & Competition

Due to Covid-19, the Piano Festival and Competition will

be a virtual event this year conducted entirely online. The

date of the Festival & Competition remains the same,

March 7, 2021. The Honors Recital is scheduled for March

21, 2021 and will also be online. Complete Entry

Requirements and the List of Required Compositions are

posted on the website (downersgrovemusicclub.org).

Online registrations will be open through February 7,

2021. Please follow the new procedures for student

submission of video performances posted on the DGMC

website. In particular, note that videos are due by noon on

March 7th. All students who take part will be evaluated by

experienced judges and will receive constructive written

critiques soon after the video submission deadline.

Students who attain a high level of excellence will have

their performances showcased in a virtual honors recital

event held online. Cash prizes will be awarded to the first

and second place winners of the students who enter at

the competition level.

Vol. 29 No. 2 Downers Grove Music Club Newsletter January 2021

Fostering a vibrant musical arts community through free public concerts, student education programs, and making investments

that strengthen musical arts development in our schools and community.

Applications due: February 7, 2021 (no extensions!)

Video submission deadline: Sunday at noon, March 7, 2021

Virtual Honors Recital (selected students): Sunday, March

21, 2021

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The Student

Music Awards

Benefit Video

Concert features

works by

Debussy, J.S.

Bach, Beethoven,

and Handel, as

well as

appearances

from past

student award

winners.

Student Music Awards Applications for the Rising Star, College Music and

Elementary and Middle School (Private Lesson) awards are

now open for the 2021 season. Applications must be

completed on-line. Registration forms are found under the

Education menu tab on the DGMC website.

Each spring, the Music Club presents cash awards to

deserving music students attending a District 99 high

school. Winners are chosen from applicants based on their

musical ability and willingness to share their talent with

our community.

Applications must be completed by April 1st. The music

awards are funded by our benefit concerts, which are

always well supported by friends and members of DGMC

who give generously to our education mission.

100% of the proceeds from our benefit concerts and

donations go towards the awards. In addition, all

musicians who perform for the benefit concert donate

their time.

DGMC gives out up to six $400 Rising Star awards to

underclassmen attending a District 99 high school. We

give out at least one $1,000 College Music Award to a

senior who is planning to attend college in the fall

following graduation. Thanks to the Shelby Bulut

Memorial Fund, DGMC also presents multiple Private

Lesson Awards to 5th –7th grade students enrolled in the

Orchestra program in District 58. These awards, which

cover the cost of 12 lessons, are given to students who

have never had private string lessons but are judged to be

very motivated to take advantage of more instruction.

More information about the music education awards may

be found on our website.

Fall Benefit Concert Our first virtual Benefit Concert was held on November

29th. The streamed video event featured performances by

Chris Garofalo (piano), Dan Moroz (saxophone), Eric Pidluski

(violin) and Ethan Weingust (piano). In addition, former

DGMC student award winners Jack Sifuentes, Kristina

Mucha and Diana Kwak made appearances to describe

how the music awards helped further their music

aspirations. Proceeds to date from this event, the first of

two benefit concerts this season, have reached $1480.

As a virtual event held online, you can still view the

performance online and support the benefit with a

donation. 100% of the proceeds raised by the concert are

used to fund the Rising Star and College Music Awards,

which are competitively awarded each year to talented

local high school music students. We hope the wonderful

music of this benefit concert will inspire you to make a

generous donation in support of student music education

in our local community.

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UPCOMING VIRTUAL EVENTS FROM THE 2020-2021 CONCERT SERIES

Check the DGMC website for the latest event schedule developments and concert web links.

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Sunday, January 24, 2021 — Natasia Preys

performing her composition "Darr" — streamed

event

Listen to the performance that won 1st place in the

national Thanksgiving Online Piano Competition

2020. There is no doubt why Natasia won this

award!

Sunday, January 31, 2021 — Louise Kelly

performing her composition "We Belong to the

Earth" — streamed event

What a lovely thought as we start the new year.

Performing with Louise are Dorothy Deen (cello),

Kelly Jozwiak (violin), Marie Bennett (flute), Jack

Murray (bass), Scott Liebenow (drums).

Sunday, February 7, 2021 — Chris Garofalo

performing Duke Ellington’s “Reflections in D” —

streamed event

Piano Reflections (1953) is considered the most

important recording by Jazz legend Duke Ellington as

a pianist. Chris Garofalo performs the piece

“Reflections in D” from this album.

Sunday, February 14, 2021 — The Korbitz family

performing Carulli’s “Duo No. 1 for Violin and

Guitar” and Holst’s “Four Songs for Voice and

Violin” — streamed event

Here again is violinist Amelia Korbitz, who won both

a Rising Star and College Music Award, as she plays

two more selections – Ferdinando Carulli's Duo No. 1

with her father, Ron Korbitz, and Gustav Holst’s

“Four Songs for Voice and Violin” with her mother,

Angela Presutti Korbitz.

2021 Piano Festival & Competition — streamed

event

Noon on March 7, 2021: video submission deadline

Well-established, adjudicated event open to piano

students in Downers Grove and its surrounding

communities. This will be an online event.

Piano Festival Honors Recital

Sunday, March 21, 2021 — streamed event

Online recital featuring the piano students who

excelled at the 2021 Piano Festival and Competition.

Spring Benefit Concert

April 16, 2021 — streamed event

Our second fundraising event for the 2020-2021

season. All proceeds are used to fund our student

music awards given to talented local high school

music students. This will be an online event.

Rising Stars Concert

Month of April 2021 — streamed event

This wonderful concert featuring 2020 Rising Star

recipients, will be an online event with performances

distributed on Sundays during the month of April.

Additional concerts and events may be added in the future. Check the DGMC website for the

latest developments. It is also hoped that in-person events will resume during the 2021 calendar

year once it is safe to do so; however, we will continue to offer web-based concerts until then.

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Musicians for Hire

DGMC is pleased to announce a

new initiative, Musicians for Hire

– a great way to find quality

music for your event while

supporting our local artists.

Need music for a private party,

corporate function, wedding,

church service or other event? Musicians for Hire can

help you find talented performers for your function

that offer music in a wide array of styles, from classical

to standards to jazz and contemporary.

Note that fees are negotiated between

you and the musicians and that DGMC

receives no compensation from either the

client or the performer. We are compiling

this directory as a service to the

community but make no representations

of the listed musicians. However, all

musicians are current members of DGMC who have

performed at our public concerts.

Contact us if you are a DGMC member musician or group

interested in being listed.

ORGANIZATIONS and EVENTS Many of the following organizations are now offering streaming events. Check the indicated sources for details.

Downers Grove Choral Society: begins its 62nd season. For more information, visit www.dgcs.org.

Grant Street String Quartet: This quartet was formed in 2010 by four professional musicians in the

western suburban area of Chicago. For more info, visit http://www.grantstreetstringquartet.weebly.com.

PianoForte Studios: Thomas Zoells, Director, and Owner of the PianoForte Chicago piano store.

Visit https://pianofortechicago.com/concerts-events/ for information on upcoming piano concerts at the

PianoForte Studios, 1335 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago. You can also call for information at (312) 291-0000.

Sinfonietta Bel Canto: with Dan Pasquale D’Andrea, Artistic Director/Conductor. For more information,

please visit www.SinfoniettaBelCanto.org or call 630-384-5007.

Spirito! Singers: offers young singers between 5th – 12th grades the opportunity to learn and grow

through exceptional vocal and musicianship training, discipline and performance. For more info, visit

www.spiritosingers.org .

West Towns Chorus: Chartered in 1948, the group is one of the premier men’s a cappella choruses in the

Chicago area. More information is available at www.westtowns.org.

http://www.dgcs.org/

http://www.grantstreetstringquartet.weebly.com/

https://pianofortechicago.com/concerts-events/

http://www.sinfoniettabelcanto.org/

http://www.spiritosingers.org/

http://www.westtowns.org/

dgmc rings in the new year with virtual concerts

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