Oakton Piano Ensemble to perform virtual concert

Treat your ears to an evening of musical mastery as the internationally-acclaimed Oakton Community College Piano Ensemble hosts a free virtual performance May 1 to June 1.

Founded and conducted by Glenna Sprague, Oakton professor and coordinator of music, the Oakton Piano Ensemble has delighted audiences for more than 25 years.

Members include Beatriz Levi (Northfield), Jacob Levin (Northbrook), Monika Miodragovic (Chicago) and Jason Nelson (Des Plaines).

The group performs classical, ragtime and popular music, as well as symphonic repertoire arranged for multiple pianos.

This year's program features works by Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Liszt, Isaac Albeniz and Scott Joplin. Audiences also will be entertained by the performance of "Oakton Toccata," a composition written and dedicated to the ensemble by the internationally renowned composer Robert Vandall and published by Alfred Music Publishing Company.

"The rich, layered sound of the ensemble compares to that of an orchestra, with each member playing a different part of a composition as the melody transfers from pianist to pianist," said Sprague, a Skokie resident.

Unique in the music world, the ensemble has performed throughout the U.S. and Europe, including at the 32nd World Conference of the International Society for Music Education at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow.

Critics from Honolulu to Vienna, Austria, have hailed the ensemble as "extraordinary," "innovative" and "technically superb."

Musical enthusiasts can watch the ensemble's virtual performance at Oakton.sharestream.net/Performing Arts Center Channel starting at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 1.

For information about the concert, contact Glenna Sprague at gsprague@oakton.edu.