American Grands to feature nearly 500 pianists
Nearly 500 pianists of all ages and skill levels will perform during American Grands XVII Saturday, Jan. 28, at Elgin Community College.
The piano event of the year will be held at 1, 4 and 7 p.m. at the ECC Arts Center’s Blizzard Theatre, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin.
Previously a mainstay of the former St. Charles Music Festival, this ECC production is sponsored by Cordogan’s Pianoland, Geneva, the event’s sponsor since its inception. Cordogan’s has provided and maintained all the Yamaha grand pianos for this huge annual undertaking.
Audiences will hear the premiere of two pieces penned by Utah composer Kevin Olson dedicated to two longtime American Grands participants Mary Hooper and Jill Dickens. This is Hooper’s final year of teaching the younger students for the event. Dickens is a founding member of American Grands and has performed in every event.
“This event is a joyful celebration of the piano,” Music Director Larry Dieffenbach says of American Grands. “Group piano performances are rare and I think that is why both players and audience members have responded to American Grands with such enthusiasm for 17 years.
“It’s so exciting to see players of all ages on stage, playing together, and sharing their love of music.”
This will be Dieffenbach’s 16th concert. He is on the music faculty at ECC, teaches privately in Geneva, and is the organist/music director at the Little Home Church by the Wayside in Wayne. He also is founder/director of the St. Charles International Piano Competition.
Dieffenbach made his orchestral debut under the baton of New York conductor Broch Macelherin.
Colin Holman returns as conductor, a role he has held for 16 of the 17 American Grands concerts. He maintains an active career as conductor and musicologist in the Chicago area as music director of the Fox Valley Concert Band, Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Brass Band and the St. Louis Brass Band. He also teaches undergraduate and graduate music history at Northern Illinois University.
Jon Mortensen again serves as percussionist, percussion arranger and assistant conductor, having been with American Grands since its first year. Mortensen, a music educator for the past 26 years, has a broad theater background, and is principal timpanist for the Rockford Symphony Orchestra and the Woodstock Mozart Festival Orchestra since 1986.
Tickets to American Grands XVII are $22 for adults and $15 for children age 12 and younger. To purchase tickets, call (847) 622-0300 or visit tickets.elgin.edu.
Visit elgin.edu/arts for more information about the ECC Arts Center, including video clips of upcoming artists and events, the Standing Room Only blog, and links to the Arts Center’s Twitter and Facebook pages.