Claire Aebersold and Ralph Neiweem make beautiful music together as duo partners. They also provide an opportunity for others to do the same as co-founders of the Chicago Duo Piano Festival which celebrates its 36th year, July 7-15, at Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Ave. in Evanston.
The husband-and-wife, who are the Piano Duo in Residence at the Music Institute of Chicago, will lead off the festival, performing a Gala Opening Concert, at 3 p.m. July 7.
Ralph Neiweem and Claire Aebersold are co-founders of the Chicago Duo Piano Festival, which is in its 36th year. The festival runs from July 7-15 at Nichols Concert Hall in Evanston. (Organic Headshots)
“We’re starting off with Mozart’s ‘Magic Flute Overture;’ that is an arrangement by the Italian pianist Busoni,” Neiweem said. “It’s very popular and a piece that I think the kids can relate to as well.”
“It’s a lot of fun to play,” Aebersold added.
That will be followed by “Variations in A Flat Major on an Original Theme” by Franz Schubert. Neiweem noted that Schubert wrote the largest amount of four-hand music of any composer.
“Then we’re playing the beautiful impressionistic pieces of Debussy and Ravel,” Aebersold said. Those are “Habnera, Feria from Rapsodie Espagnole” by Ravel and “Petite Suite” by Debussy.
The program will close with “Don Juan Fantasy” by Franz Liszt.
“He takes themes from Mozart’s ‘Don Giovanni,’ and he incorporates them into a little mini-drama for two pianos,” Neiweem explained.
There will also be a Faculty Extravaganza at 7 p.m. on July 9, an event Aebersold said is always a big hit.
“Many of them have formed duos on their own as a result of our festival,” Neiweem noted. “They all look forward to coming together and playing this program.”
Piano faculty members who will perform include Katherine Petersen, Mark George, Alexander Djordjevic, Xioamin Liang, Jue He, Elaine Felder, Milana Pavchinskaya, Matthew Hagle and Mio Isoda-Hagle.
Aebersold and Neiweem will participate in the Faculty Extravaganza, performing some Brahms’ “Hungarian Dances.”
In addition, Neiweem said, “We put together a quartet of four pianists and two pianos. That’s going to be the overture to Verdi’s opera, ‘Nabucco.’”
On July 12 at 7 p.m. there will be a Guest Duo Concert featuring Stanislava Varshavski and Diana Shapiro.
“They’re wonderful,” Neiweem said. “They have already played a couple of concerts for us on our festival. They also judged for us on one of our international competitions.”
Varshavski and Shapiro have been performing together since 1998.
“We’re good colleagues that became the closest friends, almost like a family member playing together,” Shapiro said. “You live through ups and downs and emotional events.”
Shapiro noted that they are both very independent people, but when they perform as a duo, it brings in a new dimension.
“When you want to make something one, everyone brings their opinions and ideas and we try to mesh it together,” Shapiro said. “Hopefully, our audience likes the result.”
The duo will be performing “Fantasy in F Minor” by Franz Schubert, “Scaramouche Suite” by Darius Milhaud, “Six Burlesques” by Max Reger, and “Suite No. 1 for Two Pianos” by Sergei Rachmaninoff.
In addition, Varshavski and Shapiro will hold a Guest Duo Master Class at 10 a.m. on July 13. There will also be a Final Student Concert at 2 p.m. on July 14.
Shapiro praised the Chicago Duo Piano Festival, calling it an amazing event.
“You can see a variety of duets from quite young pianists, like 10 or 11-year-olds, to mature adults,” she said. “And everybody enjoys playing together.”
Tickets to the Gala Opening Concert, Faculty Extravaganza and Guest Duo Concert are $30 each; $15 for students and seniors. Admission to the master class and final student concert are free. For reservations, visit chicagoduopianofestival.org.
Both Aebersold and Neiweem are thrilled that the festival they started so long ago continues to thrive.
“We’re very, very grateful that we have had such a wonderful time with so many people over the years,” Aebersold said. “So many friendships. It’s been one of our greatest satisfactions in life.”
“It’s hard to believe it’s been 36 years,” Neiweem added. “We started out at the Music Institute in Winnetka in their concert room and many, many years ago switched over to Nichols Concert Hall and it’s been truly a festival event because of that.”
Myrna Petlicki is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
