2011-2012
2011-2012
18th Season!
Friday, July 15, 2011
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
Magic Mushroom children’s summer program and the Irving Park Fine Arts Committee will present “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” on Friday, July 15th at 10:00 a.m. A musical adaptation of the classic children’s novel by C. S. Lewis, “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” tells the story of what happens when four children discover a magical wardrobe that delivers them to the fantastic world of Narnia.
American Eagle Productions, a Chicago-based theater troupe specializing in children’s classics, will bring to life the story of the Pevensie children and their adventures in Narnia with song, dance, costumes and sets.
The performance will be held in the sanctuary of Irving Park Lutheran Church at 4100 N. Harding Ave. This free-will donation event is open to the public, and is sure to please audiences of all ages! Concessions will be sold in the parking lot following the performance where the audience will have a chance to meet and talk with the actors.
Sunday, September 18, 2011, 2:00 p.m.
Ben Melsky, Harp
The Irving Park Fine Arts Committee (IPFAC) is pleased to announce the first concert of the 2011-2012 Performing Arts Series. Lyric Opera harpist Ben Melsky will perform in a solo recital on Sunday, September 18th at 2:00 p.m. The concert will take place at the Irving Park Lutheran Church, 4100 N. Harding Ave., Chicago. Melsky will perform selections from J. S. Bach, Benjamin Britten and Paul Hindemith. Fine Arts patrons last saw Melsky in a performance last winter with the Naperville Chamber Players. Free will donations are welcome; a reception with the artist will follow the concert.
Melsky is an Evanston native who started playing the harp at age eight. He holds both Bachelor’s of Music and Master’s of Music from Northwestern University. As a soloist, he has performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. as part of the Millennium Stage Conservatory Project, was a 2008 winner of the Northwestern University Concerto Competition with Alberto Ginastera’s Harp Concerto, and has performed major concerti with the Instituto Cervantes Orchestra of Chicago and Northwestern University Chamber Orchestra. Recently he was recorded at the Goodman Theater for their production of Animal Crackers.
As an orchestral musician he currently plays second harp with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, and has played with the Chicago Philharmonic, Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra, Southern Illinois Summer Music Festival Orchestra and Evanston Symphony Orchestra. He currently maintains a private studio in addition to being an associate faculty member at Glenbrook South and Glenbrook North High Schools.
Sunday, December 11, 2011, 2:00 p.m.
Holiday Extravaganza
Series artistic director Rober Bingaman will be joined by many friends to usher in the holidays with joyful sounds!
Thursday, January 26, 2012, 7:00 p.m.
Plymouth State University Chamber Singers
Hailing from Plymouth, New Hampshire, the Plymouth State University Chamber Singers will perform in a special concert on January 26th. Under the direction of conductor Dr. Dan Perkins, the Chamber Singers’ recent repertoire includes Mozart “Mass in C minor” (in collaboration with NH Master Chorale), J.S. Bach “Komm, Jesu, komm,” Francis Poulenc “Four Christmas Motets,” and works by Eric Whitacre, Morten Lauridsen, Arvo Part, and Moses Hogan.
Sunday, February 26, 2012, 2:00 p.m.
The Avanti Guitar Trio
The Avanti Guitar Trio performs an eclectic variety of music including: repertoire from the Renaissance through Romantic eras, music from Spain and Latin America, arrangements of folk and pop tunes, and contemporary compositions that make use of improvisation, effects pedals, and electronics.
Sunday, April 29, 2012, 2:00 p.m.
Dorothy Deen cello, Roger Bingaman, piano
Dorothy Deen holds a Master’s degree in cello performance and pedagogy from Northern Illinois University, and has been a freelance cellist in the Chicagoland area for over 25 years. Dorothy has performed with numerous area groups such as the Chicago Jazz Orchestra, Kenosha Symphony, Northwest Indiana Symphony, Rockford Symphony and Illinois Philharmonic. Currently, Dorothy performs with New Philharmonic and is the principal cellist for Light Opera Works in Evanston. She has been a member of the Seraphim Trio for the past five years.
In addition to teaching, Dorothy is an active recitalist in the Chicago area. She has enjoyed playing chamber music series performances in private homes throughout Chicago and on Chicago’s classical radio station, WFMT. Recently, she premiered two new duet works for cello and saxophone and cello and flute at the Sherwood Conservatory of Music in Chicago. IPFAC audiences will remember Dorothy’s 2011 performance with the Naperville Chamber Players in their concert celebrating composer Alan Hovhaness.
Roger Bingaman, or Bing, as he is known to his many friends, serves as the Director of Music at the Irving Park Lutheran Church. He is also Director of Apprentice Program and Chorus Master for the Sarasota Opera in Sarasota, Florida. In Chicago, Bing is the Music Director and principal conductor of Light Opera Works, and has worked with Lyric Opera of Chicago, Bowen Park Opera, Chicago Opera Theatre and other fine arts organizations. For his dedication to the Performing Arts, former Chicago Tribune Critic Richard Christiansen presented the 2002 Friend of the Arts Award to Bingaman for his support and promotion of community artists. The award is given by The Artist’s Council of the Friends of Independence Branch Library.