Music in the Loft was launched in 1992 with five concerts, one of which included the Ying Quartet.  This local chamber music group now performs at the Lincoln Center and all around the world.  Other groups that began performing in their early years at Music in the Loft include the Avalon and Pacifica Quartets.

What began as a second venue for local university students to perform has, in eight years, emerged into a not-for-profit, professional presenting organization.  The company has maintained its intimate setting, with excellent acoustics, while focusing on a primary mission: to provide a professional, acoustically superior venue for professional young chamber musicians to perform in.  While an occasional group may be from out of state, to offer Chicago audiences an opportunity to enjoy and experience diverse young musicians from around the country, a focus is placed on bringing in Illinois musicians in to the series.  The objective is to not only serve Illinois artists, but also to support other professional, community music organizations.  Each year, for example, Music in the Loft reserves one weekend of concerts (two performances) for “Young Award Winners”, and relies on organizations such as the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra to provide input as to who might benefit from receiving additional exposure to the Chicago community.

Music in the Loft produces at least ten concerts a year, allowing more musicians an opportunity to perform in this unique setting.  There are few places in the country where young Chamber Music musicians can perform that are comparable to what Music in the Loft provides.  Music in the Loft held its first benefit in December of 1999 and raised more than $5,000.  This event was listed as one of the “Best of the Classics” in the Chicago Tribune’s review of classical events in 1999.

Next season’s program includes performances by the Amelia Trio, the winners of the annual Fischoff International Competition (as yet to be determined), the Corigliano Quartet, pianist Theodora Satolia, and cellist Ani Aznavoorian.

Unique Role in Providing Special Venue

Music in the Loft has had a significant impact of the musical scene in Illinois.  The music community itself recognizes the value of having such a venue for young professional musicians.  This reality is underlined by the fact that the Fischoff International Music Competition has for several years asked Music in the Loft to present their Grand Prize Winners at one of our concerts.  One of these winners, The Corigliano Quartet, performed at Music in the Loft’s Sunday concert in October 1999.  The audience responded with an ovation, and with a commonly heard remark that this Quartet was comprised “not of rising stars, but of stars that had already risen”.   In its brief history, the Corigliano Quartet has performed in many of the nation's leading music centers, including Carnegie Hall, Weill Recital Hall, and the Kennedy Center.  The Corigliano has participated in the Isaac Stern Chamber Music Workshop and the Steans Institute for Young Musicians at the Ravinia Festival.  Under the mentorship of Atar Arad, the Corigliano Quartet served as the first-ever Graduate Quartet-in-Residence at Indiana University.  The quartet now resides in New York City.  They are a truly remarkable quartet and they exemplify the kind of quality music heard by patrons of Music in the Loft.

WFMT, the Chicago Tribune, and the Chicago Sun Times each did a feature story on Music in the Loft last year, and this year Ted Shen, writing in the Chicago Tribune, included Music in the Loft in his review of the Best of the Classics 1999.  As the organization enters its ninth season in September, Music in the Loft is confident that it can further solidify its role as one of Chicago’s most unique music institutions.
 

Organizational History

The Music in the Loft Chamber Music series was inaugurated in the spring of 1992 for the purpose of providing a venue for very promising young artists in the early stages of their careers.  At our first concert we had the Ying Quartet, a family from Winnetka who now perform at the Lincoln Center and all over the world.  Also on this program was a young clarinet student from Northwestern University who is now with a chamber music group in Israel.  The audience was small, but musically sophisticated.  The acoustics in the loft proved to be exquisite and the setting perfect for chamber music.

A series of five concerts was launched in September 1992 with the help of a few friends.  At the end of this series both the audience and the musicians felt Music in the Loft had to continue as it provided a unique forum in the city of Chicago for some of the stars of tomorrow.  The group formed into a not-for-profit organization and, with a dedicated board of directors, incorporated in 1995.

The Ying Quartet set a standard of excellence that has been adhered to in choosing other young artists to perform on the series.  All artists must audition or be heard at a concert or a competition before they are signed up for a Music in the Loft concert.  The last concert of the series each year is designated as a Young Award Winners concert in which two young winners are selected to share a program.  These are students from the Chicago or Illinois area, and because they are signed up a year in advance it gives them an opportunity to prepare a program with their teacher and have a concert on a professional level to work towards.  All of the musicians for the season are paid.  Because the setting is informal and intimate it allows the musicians and audience to be able to interact with each other following the performance.
 

Organization’s Objectives

Music in the Loft’s primary objective is to give young professional musicians an opportunity to perform in an intimate and acoustically excellent setting in which small appreciative audiences can listen and then interact with them following the concert. Music in the Loft is a small organization, and the board is intent on stabilizing the foundation of the company and increasing the support that it receives from both its audience and local funders.  The company held its first large benefit during the 1999-2000 season, which was a success in not only raising over $5,000 for the organization—it also provided a greater community awareness for the eight year old company.

Music in the Loft reaches out to younger audiences through its connection to such organizations as the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra. The artistic director and board feel that audience development is most important in young people because chamber music is rarely offered to them.

Starting in the 1998-99 season, Music in the Loft added another dimension to the series.  We provide a venue where the works of a young and gifted composer can be heard.  In this way, the three elements of music which make for a performance—composer, artist, and audience—can lead to a dialogue in which everyone can participate.   The organization is currently considering a composer-in-residence from Roosevelt University for the 2000-2001 season.

For further information on the company or to get on the mailing list, call Executive Director Fredda Hyman at 312.243.9233.