DONALD SCHLEICHER - LEAD INSTRUCTOR
Chicago & Lake Geneva Workshops
Donald Schleicher is Director of Orchestras and Artist-in-Residence at the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University. He recently served as Resident Conductor at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. After twenty six years as Director of Orchestras at the University of Illinois, he was awarded the title of Daniel J. Perrino Professor Emeritus, School of Music, College of Fine and Applied Arts. Previous positions include Music Director and Conductor of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra and Music Director and Principal Opera Conductor for the Pine Mountain Music Festival. At the outset of his career, he spent seven years as a high school band director in Williamsville, New York and two years as Director of Bands at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. In addition, he served as both Associate Director of Bands and Associate Director of Orchestras at the University of Michigan.
Schleicher has conducted the National Philharmonic of Ukraine, the Daegu (South Korea) Symphony Orchestra, the Incheon (South Korea) Philharmonic, the Gwangju Symphony (South Korea), the Guiyang (China) Symphony, the Orquesta Filarmonica de la UNAM of Mexico City, the South Dakota Symphony, and the orchestras of Bridgeport, Tallahassee, and Lansing. He has appeared as a guest conductor at the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival and also served as a cover conductor for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
He is frequently invited to lead performances or provide conducting master classes at many of the countries major music schools such as the Oberlin Conservatory, Eastman School of Music, Baylor University, University of Minnesota, Ithaca College, Ohio State University, and the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. As an enthusiastic advocate of public school music education, Mr. Schleicher has conducted All-State orchestras, festivals, and youth orchestras in nearly every state of the United States.
As a conducting teacher, Mr. Schleicher regularly appears as conducting clinician and is currently engaged as a lead teacher for the International Conducting Workshop and Festival as well as the Conducting Master Class and Workshop Series. Many of his former conducting students have gone on to hold prestigious conducting positions with orchestras and opera companies across the globe.
Schleicher has conducted the National Philharmonic of Ukraine, the Daegu (South Korea) Symphony Orchestra, the Incheon (South Korea) Philharmonic, the Gwangju Symphony (South Korea), the Guiyang (China) Symphony, the Orquesta Filarmonica de la UNAM of Mexico City, the South Dakota Symphony, and the orchestras of Bridgeport, Tallahassee, and Lansing. He has appeared as a guest conductor at the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival and also served as a cover conductor for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
He is frequently invited to lead performances or provide conducting master classes at many of the countries major music schools such as the Oberlin Conservatory, Eastman School of Music, Baylor University, University of Minnesota, Ithaca College, Ohio State University, and the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. As an enthusiastic advocate of public school music education, Mr. Schleicher has conducted All-State orchestras, festivals, and youth orchestras in nearly every state of the United States.
As a conducting teacher, Mr. Schleicher regularly appears as conducting clinician and is currently engaged as a lead teacher for the International Conducting Workshop and Festival as well as the Conducting Master Class and Workshop Series. Many of his former conducting students have gone on to hold prestigious conducting positions with orchestras and opera companies across the globe.
MICHAEL SHEPPARD - PIANIST
Known as “a virtuosic soloist possessed of power, sensitivity, earthiness, and humor” (Whitney Smith, Indianapolis Star) with the “power to make an audience sit up and pay attention...thought-provoking for performers and listeners alike” (James Manheim, All Music Guide ), Michael Sheppard studied with the legendary Leon Fleisher at the Peabody Conservatory. He was selected by the American Pianists Association as a Classical Fellow, which designation led to the recording of his Harmonia Mundi CD of 2007. In 2018 he released an experimental album of all improvisations, "12 Images." In between those two, there was another album which has been languishing in limbo and will hopefully come out some time before the piano itself ceases to be culturally relevant. Updates about that as they occur. (His recording, not the relevancy thing.)
He has performed solo recitals and concertos around the world, as well as across the USA, including several solo Weill (Carnegie) Hall recitals and a solo Kennedy Center debut. As a funny little matter of fact, he happens to have given solo recitals in the hometowns of both Mahler (Jihlava, Czech Republic) and Elvis (Tupelo, Mississippi), and enjoys taking in the local culture wherever in the world he finds himself. Michael gives master classes, teaches regularly and plays with some of the top singers and instrumentalists around; he also coaches singers, instrumentalists, and conductors, and also has begun to conduct occasionally himself.
He has performed solo recitals and concertos around the world, as well as across the USA, including several solo Weill (Carnegie) Hall recitals and a solo Kennedy Center debut. As a funny little matter of fact, he happens to have given solo recitals in the hometowns of both Mahler (Jihlava, Czech Republic) and Elvis (Tupelo, Mississippi), and enjoys taking in the local culture wherever in the world he finds himself. Michael gives master classes, teaches regularly and plays with some of the top singers and instrumentalists around; he also coaches singers, instrumentalists, and conductors, and also has begun to conduct occasionally himself.
LI-KUO CHANG - GUEST LECTURER
(CMWS 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021)
Li-Kuo Chang has been the assistant principal viola of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra since 1988, appointed by Sir Georg Solti. He has appeared with many orchestras as soloist, including the Chicago Symphony, most recently with Pinchas Zukerman performing Bach’s Sixth Brandenburg Concerto. He also has been an active chamber music performer collaborating with many renowned artists, such as Daniel Barenboim, Christoph Eschenbach, Pinchas Zukerman, in concerts at the Orchestra Hall in Chicago, as well as at Ravinia Music Festival, Los Angeles Music Center, Staatsoper in Berlin, Lucerne Music Festival and Jerusalem Chamber Music Festival, among other venues around world. From 2000 to 2007, he was invited by Daniel Barenboim to be the guest solo viola of the Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin and Berlin Staatskapelle, and toured with these two ensembles in their many European and Asian tours, including Richard Wagner’s complete Ring des Nibelungen performances in Japan in 2002.
Li-Kuo Chang has been active as a teacher for many years. He has been on the faculty of Northwestern University from 1993 to 2008 and Roosevelt Universities since 1998. Since September, 2011, he joined the faculty of the Peabody Institute as an artist teacher. He has also been on the faculty of the Affinis Music Festival in Japan since 1992. Chang has given master classes at the Indiana University, Northern Illinois University, DePaul University, Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts and Shanghai Conservatory. His students have won positions in major orchestras, such as Chicago, Detroit, Saint Louis, Indianapolis, and have received competition prizes.
Chang studied violin and piano at the Music High School of the Shanghai Conservatory in his native city Shanghai, China. He was a first prize winner of the Chinese Young Artist Competition, held in Shanghai in 1978. In 1979, he came to the U.S. with a full scholarship at the Eastman School of Music and a young artist fellow at the Music Academy of the West. He studied viola with Francis Tursi, Donald McInnes, Milton Thomas, William Magers and Paul Doktor. He has also played for William Primrose at Primrose’s master classes.
Li-Kuo Chang has been active as a teacher for many years. He has been on the faculty of Northwestern University from 1993 to 2008 and Roosevelt Universities since 1998. Since September, 2011, he joined the faculty of the Peabody Institute as an artist teacher. He has also been on the faculty of the Affinis Music Festival in Japan since 1992. Chang has given master classes at the Indiana University, Northern Illinois University, DePaul University, Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts and Shanghai Conservatory. His students have won positions in major orchestras, such as Chicago, Detroit, Saint Louis, Indianapolis, and have received competition prizes.
Chang studied violin and piano at the Music High School of the Shanghai Conservatory in his native city Shanghai, China. He was a first prize winner of the Chinese Young Artist Competition, held in Shanghai in 1978. In 1979, he came to the U.S. with a full scholarship at the Eastman School of Music and a young artist fellow at the Music Academy of the West. He studied viola with Francis Tursi, Donald McInnes, Milton Thomas, William Magers and Paul Doktor. He has also played for William Primrose at Primrose’s master classes.
JIM HIRSCH - GUEST PRESENTER (CMWS 2015)
Jim Hirsch has served as Executive Director of Chicago Sinfonietta since August of 2004. During his tenure at the Sinfonietta the organization’s budget has increased by over 65% and programming has expanded in important new directions. These new initiatives include: Project Inclusion and Project Inclusion Ensembles, minority fellowship programs that seek to address the dearth of minority musicians playing in U.S. orchestras; and the SEED Program that provides high school age student-musicians with instruction in ensemble playing techniques. Hirsch guided the Sinfonietta through the retirement of Founding Music Director Paul Freeman in June of 2011, the appointment of his successor, Mei-Ann Chen in July of 2011, and the orchestra’s re-location from River Forest to Naperville for its west suburban concert series.
Prior to his work at Chicago Sinfonietta, Hirsch served as Vice President and Executive Director of the Chicago Association for the Performing Arts, managers and programmers of the Chicago Theatre, and as the Executive Director of the Old Town School of Folk Music. During his tenure at Old Town from 1982 until 2000, the organization became the largest institution of its kind in the country. The organization’s budget grew from $300,000 in 1986 to $7 million in 2000. In 1999, Hirsch completed work on a $10.2 million capital campaign that funded the organization’s expansion to the new Chicago Folk Center, a 43,000 square-foot building that the City of Chicago donated to the School, and established a $1 million endowment fund.
Hirsch has served as a grants panelist for the Illinois and Oregon Arts Councils and as a member of NARAS (Grammy) Awards and Nominations committee. He produced a nationally syndicated radio program for NPR and has released three commercial recordings. Hirsch was chosen by Crain’s Chicago Business for their annual 40 Under 40 article that honors Chicago’s up-and-coming business executives under 40 years of age and was named Chicago Arts Entrepreneur of the Year in 1996 by Columbia College. In 1998, he was chosen as one of Chicago Magazine’s Chicagoans of the Year. In 2011 Hirsch received a Midwest/Chicago Emmy Award for Best Arts and Culture Documentary as Co-Producer of Chicago Sinfonietta: Sounds of Diversity.
LIZ MADEJA - GUEST PRESENTER (CMWS 2016)
Elisabeth Scheffler-Madeja is a seasoned arts marketer with over 15 years’ experience in sales, branding, data driven decision making, research, advertising and digital media, social media, as well as content marketing. Liz’s professional development started while still an undergrad at University of Illinois- Urbana with several internships with various theater groups and ensembles Krannert Center for the
Performing Arts.
Liz began her formal career at The Philadelphia Orchestra. During her tenure, Liz was responsible for expanding the marketing for both the Philadelphia Orchestra as well as Peter Nero and the Philly Pops. A primary tool was development of partnerships, promotions and social media strategy in support of ticket sales in lieu of budget dollars. Liz oversaw the creation of several pilot programs which continue to this day including eZSeatU, a college student ticket program in which a student can purchase a season-long pass for $25 and get unlimited access to all concerts, as well conducted extensive audience research to better understand patrons and tailor concert offerings.
Liz then moved on to Chicago Symphony Orchestra as Director of Marketing, a position she has held for over 6 years. Liz oversees a team of 5 to achieve ticket sales of over $23 million a season for a variety of programs including Chicago Symphony Orchestra concerts, as well as holiday concerts, CSO at the Movies, CSO Family Concerts and the Symphony Center Presents (SCP) Jazz, Chamber, Piano, and Visiting Orchestra series. In addition to revenue goals, Liz is responsible for achieving capacity utilization goals, audience make-up goals, and finding ways to make the CSOA accessible to all types of music lovers. In addition to planning and executing the marketing plans for over 250 concerts a season, Liz is responsible for the research for audience development initiatives including GEN XY and Latino audience development, cultivating audiences in Chicago’s Western suburbs, as well as building an online community through social media and other outlets that engage with the original content that is developed on the CSO’s digital magazine, Sounds & Stories.
Liz received her B.S from University of Illinois-Urbana in Business-Marketing with a minor in Clarinet performance. Liz received her MBA from Smeal College of Business at Penn State University- State College PA. In addition to playing the piano and clarinet, Liz sits on the board as secretary for the Chicago Metamorphosis Orchestra Project (ChiMOP), a non-profit start-up which utilizes instrumental and orchestral training as a platform for social change among elementary and middle school students on Chicago’s west side.
Performing Arts.
Liz began her formal career at The Philadelphia Orchestra. During her tenure, Liz was responsible for expanding the marketing for both the Philadelphia Orchestra as well as Peter Nero and the Philly Pops. A primary tool was development of partnerships, promotions and social media strategy in support of ticket sales in lieu of budget dollars. Liz oversaw the creation of several pilot programs which continue to this day including eZSeatU, a college student ticket program in which a student can purchase a season-long pass for $25 and get unlimited access to all concerts, as well conducted extensive audience research to better understand patrons and tailor concert offerings.
Liz then moved on to Chicago Symphony Orchestra as Director of Marketing, a position she has held for over 6 years. Liz oversees a team of 5 to achieve ticket sales of over $23 million a season for a variety of programs including Chicago Symphony Orchestra concerts, as well as holiday concerts, CSO at the Movies, CSO Family Concerts and the Symphony Center Presents (SCP) Jazz, Chamber, Piano, and Visiting Orchestra series. In addition to revenue goals, Liz is responsible for achieving capacity utilization goals, audience make-up goals, and finding ways to make the CSOA accessible to all types of music lovers. In addition to planning and executing the marketing plans for over 250 concerts a season, Liz is responsible for the research for audience development initiatives including GEN XY and Latino audience development, cultivating audiences in Chicago’s Western suburbs, as well as building an online community through social media and other outlets that engage with the original content that is developed on the CSO’s digital magazine, Sounds & Stories.
Liz received her B.S from University of Illinois-Urbana in Business-Marketing with a minor in Clarinet performance. Liz received her MBA from Smeal College of Business at Penn State University- State College PA. In addition to playing the piano and clarinet, Liz sits on the board as secretary for the Chicago Metamorphosis Orchestra Project (ChiMOP), a non-profit start-up which utilizes instrumental and orchestral training as a platform for social change among elementary and middle school students on Chicago’s west side.
MAX RAIMI - GUEST LECTURER (CMWS 2018)
A native of Detroit, Max Raimi has been a violist in the Chicago Symphony since 1984. He is an active chamber musician and served as a chamber music coach at Northwestern University for many years. A prolific composer, Max has received commissions from many ensembles and institutions, including the Chicago Symphony, the Library of Congress and the American Chamber Players. In February 1998, His Elegy for 12 violas, harp, celeste, and percussion was performed at three Chicago Symphony subscription concerts conducted by Daniel Barenboim. Riccardo Muti and the Chicago Symphony performed the World Premiere performance of his Three Lisel Mueller Settings at three subscription concerts in March of 2018, a Chicago Symphony commission.
Mr. Raimi’s arrangements have enjoyed wide circulation as well, having been performed by Daniel Barenboim on piano, among others. In August 1985, a sellout crowd at the old Comiskey Park heard the Chicago Symphony viola section play his arrangement of The Star-Spangled Banner before a Chicago White Sox game, and a three-viola version was twice performed at the old Chicago Stadium for Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. On two occasions, Riccardo Muti has conducted Mr. Raimi’s orchestration of the University of Michigan fight song “Hail to the Victors” at Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor. He lives in Chicago with his wife, Barbara Flood, and their son, Paul.
Mr. Raimi’s arrangements have enjoyed wide circulation as well, having been performed by Daniel Barenboim on piano, among others. In August 1985, a sellout crowd at the old Comiskey Park heard the Chicago Symphony viola section play his arrangement of The Star-Spangled Banner before a Chicago White Sox game, and a three-viola version was twice performed at the old Chicago Stadium for Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. On two occasions, Riccardo Muti has conducted Mr. Raimi’s orchestration of the University of Michigan fight song “Hail to the Victors” at Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor. He lives in Chicago with his wife, Barbara Flood, and their son, Paul.
IN MEMORIAM: RUSSELL MILLER - ASST. INSTRUCTOR/PIANIST
Pianist Russell Miller was a coach and teacher of vocal repertoire at Eastman from 1995 until his retirement in 2022. He performed throughout the United States and abroad as soloist and accompanist, including concert tours to Korea and Hong Kong with tenor Robert White and to Alaska and the former Soviet Union with cellist Stephen Kates. With violist Donald McInnes, he recorded works of Hindemith and Loeffler on the Kleos Classics label. Notable vocal collaborations include Schubert’s Winterreise with tenor Robert Swensen at the Pierpont Morgan Library, as well as in recital with Jan Opalach, Julia Broxholm, Susan Shafer, Marilyn Horne and Håkan Hagegård. For twelve years he was the musical director for the vocal quartet “SATB”, which performed a wide variety of repertoire from classical chamber pieces to Broadway.
A native of Los Angeles, Dr. Miller studied at the University of Southern California, the Manhattan School of Music and The Juilliard School, and earned a doctorate from the University of Michigan. His principal teachers were Edith Knox, Brooks Smith, Gwendolyn Koldofsky, Marshall Williamson, Margo Garrett, Martin Katz, Louis Nagel and Graham Johnson. For twelve years he was a staff pianist and faculty member at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara and also served as pianist and harpsichordist for the Florentine Opera of Milwaukee for their productions of Rossini’s La cenerentola and Verdi’s Aïda.
Besides appointment at Eastman, Dr. Miller has also held faculty positions at The Cleveland Institute of Music, Bowling Green State University (Ohio), The Ohio State University and Oberlin College Conservatory, University of Kansas, and University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. In the summers, besides his years at the Music Academy, he coached song and opera at the Pine Mountain Music Festival in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, the “Oberlin in Italy” program, and Vancouver International Song Institute in British Columbia.
Additional Note:
For over a decade, Russell was a staple of our annual Chicago Conducting Workshop. We are grateful for his dedication and time he spent playing with the string sextet. The knowledge, wisdom, and experiences he shared with everyone he encountered will be cherished forever. Russell's presence will be greatly missed.
A native of Los Angeles, Dr. Miller studied at the University of Southern California, the Manhattan School of Music and The Juilliard School, and earned a doctorate from the University of Michigan. His principal teachers were Edith Knox, Brooks Smith, Gwendolyn Koldofsky, Marshall Williamson, Margo Garrett, Martin Katz, Louis Nagel and Graham Johnson. For twelve years he was a staff pianist and faculty member at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara and also served as pianist and harpsichordist for the Florentine Opera of Milwaukee for their productions of Rossini’s La cenerentola and Verdi’s Aïda.
Besides appointment at Eastman, Dr. Miller has also held faculty positions at The Cleveland Institute of Music, Bowling Green State University (Ohio), The Ohio State University and Oberlin College Conservatory, University of Kansas, and University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. In the summers, besides his years at the Music Academy, he coached song and opera at the Pine Mountain Music Festival in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, the “Oberlin in Italy” program, and Vancouver International Song Institute in British Columbia.
Additional Note:
For over a decade, Russell was a staple of our annual Chicago Conducting Workshop. We are grateful for his dedication and time he spent playing with the string sextet. The knowledge, wisdom, and experiences he shared with everyone he encountered will be cherished forever. Russell's presence will be greatly missed.