Ravinia Steans Music Institute 2019

RAVINIA’S STEANS MUSIC INSTITUTE 11 PAYING IT FORWARD Music may be “food for the soul,” but some musicians are putting their artistry to work to feed people’s bodies as well. RSMI Facutly Member Kim Kashkashian , viola, is the Founder and Artistic Director of Music for Food, a musician-led initiative for local hunger relief, raising resources and awareness in the fight against hunger. This winter saw RSMI alums Joel Link (P&S ‘09) and Bryan Lee (P&S ‘09, ‘10), and RSMI Faculty Member Robert Levin , piano, perform concerts benefiting food banks and shelters. Trumpeter Jason Palmer (Jazz ‘03) brought his Quintet to Roxbury, MA in support of a very good cause. Neighborhood Arts, presented by the Celebrity Series of Boston, brings “the joy of live performance to people of all ages and abilities.” The public concert benefits the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative, whose mission is to empower residents to organize, plan for, create and control a vibrant, diverse and high-quality neighborhood. During the month-long government shutdown in the United States, the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra provided free admission for furloughed federal employees and their immediate families to one of their evening concerts. The performance included Mahler’s Ninth Symphony, and violinist Nikki Chooi (P&S ‘10) as featured soloist on Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3 in G Major. RSMI ALUMNI NEWS Achievements & Accomplishments 2018 Joseph Joachim International Violin Competition 1st Prize — Timothy Chooi , violin (P&S ‘15) 2018 International Paulo Cello Competition 2nd Prize — Zlatomir Fung , cello (P&S ‘16, ‘17) 2018 The Art of Duo: Boulder International Chamber Music Competition 2nd Prize — Matthew Cohen , viola (P&S ‘16, ‘17) and Zhenni Li, piano (P&S ‘15, ‘16) 2020 Léonie Sonning Music Prize Winner — Barbara Hannigan , soprano and conductor (Singers ‘99) 2019 Grammy Award for “Best Opera Recording” Winner — Sasha Cooke , soprano (Singers ’06) for her role as Laurene Powell Jobs in Mason Bates’ “The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs” with Santa Fe Opera 2019 Yamaha Young Performing Artists Competition Winner — Will Kjeer , piano (Jazz ’16) 2019 Avery Fisher Career Grant Winner — Henry Kramer , piano (P&S ‘11, ‘12) 2019 Queen Elisabeth International Violin Competition Finalists — Timothy Chooi (P&S ‘15), JiWon Song (P&S ‘13), Stella Chen (P&S ‘13, ‘14), Clémence de Forceville (P&S ‘18, ‘19), Anna Göckel (P&S ‘16, ‘17), Christine Lim (P&S ‘14), Kyumin Park (P&S ‘18, ‘19), and Max Tan (P&S ‘17, ‘18) 2019 George London Foundation Award Competition Finalist — Elizabeth Reiter , soprano (Singers ’11) 2018 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition Semifinalists — Addison Frei , piano (Jazz ‘14), David Mede r, piano (Jazz ’11), and Billy Test , piano (Jazz ’15) Awards Nikki Chooi Billy Test (Jazz ‘15) competes in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition (right). SIMON DARBY