Oakton Piano Ensemble returns to live performances
After a two-year hiatus, the Oakton Community College Piano Ensemble celebrates its return to live performances.
The ensemble will present concerts at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 23, and 3 p.m. Sunday, April 24, in the Footlik Theater at Oakton Community College, 1600 E. Golf Road, Des Plaines.
Founded and conducted by Glenna Sprague, Oakton professor and coordinator of music, the Oakton Piano Ensemble has delighted audiences for more than 25 years.
This is a performance group comprised of adult students chosen through a highly selective audition process. Due to the pandemic, the ensemble has not performed live since 2019, but instead held virtual performances.
"Oakton's Piano Ensemble is hailed by critics from across the globe as 'extraordinary,' 'innovative,' and 'technically superb,'" said Sprague, a Skokie resident. "I am extremely excited to return to live performances to allow the audience to experience this incredible collection of talent as it was intended."
This year's performers include Beatriz Levi, Northfield; Jacob Levin, Northbrook; Monika Miodragovic, Chicago; and Jason Nelson, Des Plaines.
Playing on multiple pianos, the group performs not only traditional classical piano music, but also symphonic literature, ragtime and jazz.
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.
The ensemble will feature works by Haydn (Symphony No. 104); Beethoven (March, Op. 45, No. 2); Piazzolla (Libertango); Ellington (Satin Doll); Joplin (Rag-Time Dance); Vandall (Oakton Toccata) and other works.
Oakton Toccata is a composition composed and dedicated especially for the Oakton Piano Ensemble by the late renowned composer Robert Vandall. It is published by Alfred Publishing Company.
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, as well as in Vienna, Austria.
The Oakton Piano Ensemble has released two compact discs: Live in Concert and Live in Concert II.
Tickets are $17 for general admission and $14 for seniors and students. There will be limited seating; COVID-19 protocols will apply. Order tickets online at www.oakton.edu/tickets or call the Oakton Box Office, (847) 635-1900.