CHAMBER ORCHESTRA AUDITIONS

New Music School is pleased to announce the formation of its Chamber Orchestra, debuting in the 2025 Fall Semester. Under the leadership of Eric Gratz this tuition-free ensemble showcases exceptional pre-conservatory string players from the greater Chicago area. Participants benefit from collaborations with esteemed soloists, opportunities to premiere original compositions, and performance tours. The Chamber Orchestra explores a diverse repertoire, with particular emphasis on classical and modern works that are often underrepresented in traditional programs.

900 SHOPS TRICK-OR-TREAT FEATURING AN NMS PETTING ZOO
900 Shops, Level 3

Stop by the 900 Shops on Sunday October 26th from 12:00-3:00pm for a building wide Trick-or-Treat! NMS will be hosting a Petting Zoo for interested potential string students, so invite your friends for the fun and festivities!

About:
Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the link below.

IN MASTERCLASS
CLARISSA BEVILACQUA
New Music School Concert Hall

Join NMS former student, Clarissa Bevilacqua, IN Masterclass as she works with our current string students who are preparing for the Sejong Music Competition.

KEN GALLWAS, FIRST PLACE
ROCKFORD SYMPHONY YOUTH ORCHESTRA CONCERTO COMPETITION

Congratulations to Ken for winning the RSYO Concerto Competition performing Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37, III. Rondo. Allegro-Presto. Ken studies with Mary Sauer, Jeffrey Panko and Sean Bennett at NMS.

About:
Kenneth Gallwas of Chicagoland, a senior at York Community High School, has quickly emerged on the piano scene as the 3rd Place winner of the 2024 MTNA National Competition (Senior Piano Duet) with his twin brother, Joseph. An avid 17-year-old concerto and solo pianist, he has performed with the Chicago Arts Orchestra, the TIMM Ensemble Orchestra in Todi, Italy, and the SEEN Festival Orchestra under Conner Gray Covington, and earned top prizes in the DuPage, IYACC, ISMTA, Sejong, Aloha International, and other national and international competitions. Kenneth studies with Jeffrey Panko, Mary Sauer, and Sean Bennett at the New Music School in Chicago, and has performed in masterclasses with renowned pianists including Antonio Pompa-Baldi, Steven Osborne, and Joyce Yang. Also a cellist and varsity ice hockey player at York, he is a Level 4 USA Hockey referee, youth coach, sports counselor, and community musician performing at senior residences and churches in Elmhurst.

FACULTY CHAMBER MUSIC PERFORMANCE
Lincolnwood Chamber Orchestra - Lincolnwood, IL

New Music School Faculty Member Desirée Ruhstrat, violin, will be the featured soloist in concert with the Lincolnwood Chamber Orchestra. She’ll be performing Piazzolla’s Four Seasons alongside NMS Faculty Members Emily Fischer and Sam Sharp in the Ensemble. The concert is free, and the link to attend is below.

About: The artistry of GRAMMY-nominated Desirée Ruhstrat has captivated audiences throughout Europe and the Americas. She is renowned for her versatility as a soloist, chamber musician, and teacher. The Berlin Taggespiegel wrote that "she played with such an intensive fire and sleepwalking assuredness that she was stormily celebrated by the audience."

Founded in 1990 by Music Director Philip Simmons, the Lincolnwood Chamber Orchestra became part of American Music Festivals in 2002.  One of Chicago’s leading professional ensembles, it was named Chamber Ensemble of the Year in 2000 by the Illinois Council of Orchestras.  Flexible in composition and instrumentation, the LCO easily collaborates with a wide variety of programs and special events. 

GOLD AWARD
JUNIOR B Division - TOP 4
Grand Prix Gala Concert, Singapore August 2025

Congrulations to Constantine Wang who received a Gold Award in the Singapore Raffles International Music Festival Competition! After placing in the top four, he has been invited to perform in the Grand Prix for the Junior B Division. Additionally, he is a semi-finalist in the up-coming Carmel Klavier International Piano Competition and was recently a finalist in the Chicago International Music Festival.

Constantine currently studies piano with Winston Choi and Ani Gogova at New Music School in Chicago; beginning his piano journey with Dr. Soo-Young Kim. He has taken master classes from esteemed artists such as Antonio Pompa-Baldi, Alan Chow, Sean Bennett, and Steven Osborne. He has also studied violin since he was three years old.

Constantine is a music-loving 12 year-old who attends Francis W. Parker School in Chicago. Other interests include tennis, cross country, as well as computer programming and animation.

IN MASTERCLASS with
Steven Osborne
Grant Park Music Festival

New Music School’s Mika Mastsuyama will be performing Chopin’s 2nd Scherzo in a Masterclass with Steven Osborne at the Grant Park Music Festival. Attend link below.

About:
Steven Osborne OBE is one of Britain’s most treasured musicians with an immense depth of musicality and exceptional refinement of expression across diverse repertoire be it in Beethoven or Messiaen, Schubert or Ravel, Prokofiev or jazz improvisations. His numerous awards include The Royal Philharmonic Society Instrumentalist of the Year, two BBC Music Magazine Awards and two Gramophone Awards.

IN RESIDENCY
STEVEN OSBORNE
Concert Pianist
Visiting Professor at the
Royal Academy of Music & the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

Performance with Grant Park Symphony Orchestra · Masterclass at Grant Park Music Festival · Private Lessons at NMS

About:
Steven Osborne OBE is one of Britain’s most treasured musicians with an immense depth of musicality and exceptional refinement of expression across diverse repertoire be it in Beethoven or Messiaen, Schubert or Ravel, Prokofiev or jazz improvisations. His numerous awards include The Royal Philharmonic Society Instrumentalist of the Year, two BBC Music Magazine Awards and two Gramophone Awards.

IN MASTERCLASS
with Imani Winds
Grant Park Music Festival

NMS Piano Trio (Tongbai Deng, Kevin Hernandez, Gabby Joew) perform in a CHAMBER MUSIC MASTERCLASS with the Imani Winds at the GRANT PARK MUSIC FESTIVAL.

Weber: Trio for Flute, Cello, and Piano, Op. 63 1. Allegro moderato

About:
Imani Winds is the 2024 GRAMMY® winner in the Classical Compendium category for Jeff Scott’s “Passion for Bach and Coltrane” released on their recently formed record label, Imani Winds Media.

Celebrating over a quarter century of music making, the four time GRAMMY® nominated group has led both a revolution and evolution of the wind quintet through their dynamic playing, adventurous programming, imaginative collaborations and outreach endeavors that have inspired audiences of all ages and backgrounds.

The ensemble’s playlist embraces traditional chamber music repertoire, and newly commissioned works from icons to new voices reflectly the times in which we live. 

IN RECITAL
ZARIN MEHTA (17)
NMS PIANO, HOUSE OF RAVEL
Free - Open to Public

PLAYLIST
L. Beethoven
Sonata No. 18 in E-flat Major, Op. 31, No. 3
I. Allegro
Il. Scherzo. Allegretto vivace
Ill. Menuetto. Moderato e grazioso
IV. Presto con fuoco

F. Mendelssohn
Songs Without Words, Op. 19
I. Andante con moto
II. Andante espressivo
III. Molto allegro e vivace
N. Moderato
V. Poco agitato
VI. Andante sostenuto

P. Tchaikovsky / M. Plentev
Selections from the Sleeping Beauty suite
I. Prologue
IV. Andante
X. Adagio
XI. Finale

Zarin Mehta is a student of Jeffrey Panko, Winston Choi, and Sean Bennett.

IN RECITAL
NATHAN LI (17)
NMS PIANO, HOUSE OF BEETHOVEN
Free - Open to Public

PLAYLIST
J. S. Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II, Prelude and Fugue No. 18
Liszt: "Waldesrauschen" from Two Concert Etudes
Ravel: Jeux d'eau
Grieg: Piano Concerto in A Minor, 1st Movement

Nathan Li is a student of Winston Choi.

IN RECITAL - 98.7 WFMT Introductions
Encore Broadcast with the Gallwas Twins

Joseph and Kenneth Gallwas of Elmhurst work together as a piano duet, studying at New Music School. They perform music of Mozart, Piazzolla, Guastavino and Bach on WFMT's Steinway.

House of Ravel students Joseph Gallwas and Kenneth Gallwas are students of Mary Sauer, Jeffrey Panko and Sean Bennett at New Music School.

IN RECITAL
VICTORIA ZHANG (11) & CONSTANTINE WANG (12)
NMS PIANO, HOUSE OF MOZART (Level 2)
Free - Open to Public

PLAYLIST
Mozart - Piano Sonata No. 14 in C Minor, K. 457: 1. Molto Allegro
Schubert - Impromptu in G-flat Major, Op. 90: III. Andante
Debussy - Pour Le Piano L. 95: I. Prelude

Constantine Wang is a student of Winston Choi and Ani Gogova

Bach - Sinfonia No. 2 in C minor
Haydn - Sonata in F Minor, Hob. XVII:6
Chopin - Fantasie-Impromptu, Op. 66
Liszt - Etude Op. 10, No. 9 in F minor
Wang Jian-Zhong (王建中) - Colorful Clouds Chasing the Moon

Victoria Zhang is a student of Winston Choi and Dr. Wenting Shi.

FACULTY CHAMBER MUSIC RECITAL
Steve Yepez, Flute
David Cunliffe, Cello
Jeffrey Panko, Piano
Kelly Hill, Guest Vocalist

Playlist
Carl Maria von Weber - Trio for Piano, Flute and Cello, Op. 63 (1819)
Maurice Ravel - Chansons madécasses (Madagascan Songs)
Nikolai Kapustin -Trio for Flute, Cello and Piano, Op. 86 (1998)
Gonzalo Garrido-Lecca - Fábulas (2023)
Astor Piazolla - Oblivion for flute, cello and piano

IN RECITAL
TONG-BAI DENG (16)
NMS PIANO, HOUSE OF RAVEL
Free - Open to Public

Playlist
Liszt, Rhapsodie espagnole, S. 254. R. 90
Beethoven, Piano Sonata No. 26 in E Flat Major, Op 81a - Les Adieux (The Farewell)
Liebermann, Gargoyles, Op. 29: IV. Presto feroce
Prokofiev, Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Minor, Op. 16: IV. Finale. Allegro tempestoso

CONGRATULATIONS TO TONGBAI DENG
for winning 1st Alternate (2nd Place) in the 2025 Crain-Maling Foundation Chicago Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Competition

Tongbai Deng is a student of Winston Choi, Sean Bennett, and Jeffrey Panko.

IN RECITAL
WENTING SHI
Concert Pianist and NMS Artist Faculty
Free - Open to Public

Playlist
An All Liszt Program including transcriptions of works of August Conradi, Johann Herbeck - Tanzmomente SW 492, Joachim Raff  -Tanz Caprice Op. 54, Bedřich Smetana - Polka de salon  Op. 7 and Franz Liszt - Piano Sonata in B minor SW 178

IN RESIDENCY
JENNIFER GUNN
Flute & Piccolo of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Recital · Masterclass · Private Lessons

Mentored by Chicago Symphony Orchestra musicians, renowned collegiate professors, and other world-class faculty, our students participate in a robust five-level curriculum, combining private study, chamber music, and theory/ear training.

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Level 1 - House of Bach
Beginning

Levels 2-3 - House of Mozart/Beethoven
College Preparatory

Level 4 - House of Ravel
Undergraduate School Expectations

Level 5 - House of Glass
Graduate School Expectations
Artist Development & Management

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Our program challenges and grows with students; whether they are picking up an instrument for the first time or are looking to enter the most prestigious music conservatories in the world. Lessons are offered in piano, violin, viola, cello, voice, guitar, and flute. New Music School offers lessons for all ages, early childhood, and adults. Lessons occur at 900 N Michigan Ave Level 6 in Chicago; onsite or online.