Classical Music Chicago is pleased to announce the fall season of the Dame Myra Hess Concerts, featuring an exciting roster of outstanding artists.

SEPTEMBER

Sep 3 – Han Chen, piano

Featuring music by Florence Price, Ligeti, and Rachmaninoff.

Praised for “astonishing” pianism and limitless imagination (New York Classical Review), Han Chen is a Gold Medalist of the China International Piano Competition and noted Ligeti interpreter.

Sep 10 – William Suh, cello & Kyunga Lee, piano

Featuring music by Price, Debussy, and Poulenc.

Cellist William Suh has earned top prizes worldwide and was recently honored with the St. Botolph Club Emerging Artist Award; pianist Kyunga Lee is admired for her artistry and versatility as a collaborative musician.

Sep 17 – Dilshod Narzillaev, cello & Victor Asuncion, piano

Featuring music by Schumann, Varelas, and Brahms.

Uzbek-born cellist Dilshod Narzillaev has captivated audiences globally, while pianist Victor Asuncion has been praised by The Washington Post for his “poised and imaginative playing.”

Sep 24 – Cerus Quartet, saxophone quartet

Featuring music by Iturralde, Glazunov, Chaminade, Schubring.

Winners of the 2025 Concert Artist Guild Competition and Gold Medalists at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, Cerus Quartet champions new works alongside classical masterworks.

OCTOBER

Oct 1 – Lydia Rhea, cello & Amber Scherer, piano

Featuring music by Debussy, Casarrubios, Lasser, Brahms.

A passionate advocate for musical storytelling, Lydia Rhea has brought music from Carnegie Hall to Cuban classrooms; pianist Amber Scherer is equally devoted to

broadening accessibility to the arts.

Oct 8 – Laura Liu, viola & Victor Asuncion, piano

Featuring music by Price, Bergsma, Brahms.

Described as a “standout” with a warm, lyrical sound by Classical Voice America, violist Laura Liu has participated in the Verbier Festival Academy, Music@Menlo's International Performer Program and the Marlboro Music Festival.

Oct 15 – Katarina String Quartet

Featuring music by Haydn and Kevin Puts.

Grand Prize winners of the 2025 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, this Juilliard-based quartet is known for its vibrant artistry and community engagement.

This Dame Myra Hess Concert is dedicated to the loving memory of Helen S. Gore and is

generously sponsored by the Gore Family Memorial Foundation Trust.

Oct 22 – Linda Lee, piano

Featuring music by Brahms and Scriabin.

Praised for her bold individuality and artistry, Linda Lee is a prizewinner at international competitions and a member of the award-winning Amnis Piano Quartet.

Oct 29 – Grant Houston, violin & Dina Vainshtein, piano

Featuring music by William Grant Still, Sibelius, and Szymanowski.

Violinist Grant Houston brings unbridled energy to the stage and frequently appears at Festivals across the country; pianist Dina Vainshtein is an acclaimed collaborator and winner of the Special Prize for the Best Collaborative Pianist at the International Tchaikovsky Competition.

NOVEMBER

Nov 5 – Galina Kiep, bassoon & Myunghee Chung, piano

Featuring music by Larson, Jeanjean, Ugay and Saint-Saëns

Bassoonist Galina Kiep, who has performed with ensembles including the Minnesota Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, and Grant Park Festival Orchestra, is joined by pianist Dr. MyungHee Chung, prizewinner of the William Kapell and Gina Bachauer International Competitions.



Nov 12 – Jan Vargas Nedvetsky, cello & Liang-Yu Wang, piano

Featuring music by Dinuk Wijeratne and Shostakovich.

Just 18 years old, Jan Vargas Nedvetsky has already performed recitals across Europe and the United States and is praised as a “young virtuoso on the rise”; pianist Liang-Yu Wang has been praised as a pianist who “strokes the keyboard pristinely and with elegance” by the Herald Times.

Nov 19 – Umi Garrett, piano

Featuring music by Gershwin/Wild, Price, Walker, Beach, Bolcom.

A Kovner Fellow at The Juilliard School and a Young Steinway Artist, Umi Garrett has performed internationally with major orchestras and is acclaimed for her artistry and versatility.

Nov 26 – No Concert (Thanksgiving Holiday)

We look forward to welcoming you this fall as we continue the tradition of bringing world-class performances to Chicago, free and open to all.



Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts are presented in partnership with 98.7 WFMT



Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts are made possible through the generosity of the

Paul M. Angell Family Foundation

Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts are presented in association with the

Seventeenth Church of Christ, Scientist, Chicago

Classical Music Chicago gratefully acknowledges the generous in-kind support of

The Chicago Club

Our programs are partially supported from a grant from the Illinois Arts Council

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