IN Masterclass: Daniel Razminia (15) at the Grant Park Music Festival with Michelle Cann, Concert Pianist and faculty at the Curtis Institute. - Tuesday, July 14th at 4PM. Free Tickets at Link Below Daniel will be performing Chopin’s Etude in B minor, Op. 25, No. 10.

NMS Faculty Steve Yepez, flute, and Jeffrey Panko, piano, will perform on Friday June 19th, 2026 at 7:00PM.

Their program includes Amanda Harberg’s Feathers and Wax, J.S. Bach’s Flute Sonata in Eb Major, BWV 1031, Francis Poulenc’s Sonata for Flute and Piano, and Yuko Uebayashi’s Flute Sonata.

NMS young violinist Aroosha Rooholamini (11) will perform her Suzuki Book 1 Recital on Sunday June 14th from 3:00-3:30PM.

This recital is a culmination of her progress through the first book of the Suzuki Method as she graduates into Book 2. She will be performing most of the Book 1 repertoire from memory - a huge accomplishment!

NMS Faculty Member Jeffrey Panko will lead Performance Class on Sunday June 7th, 2026 from 4:00-5:00PM. Students of all instrument types are welcome to attend, and you can sign up on your MyMusicStaff Calendar under “Find & Book.”

Performance Class is a great way to continue to progress by practicing how to perform your piece in front of an audience of other NMS Students! Led by an NMS Faculty Member, you will receive feedback on your repertoire and work on musicality, storytelling, performance protocols, practice strategies, how to battle nerves, and more. Performing in front of others is a critical skill to learn and master. It can help prepare you for recital opportunities, as well as your end of semester jury.storytelling, performance protocols, practice strategies, how to battle nerves, and more. Performing in front of others is a critical skill to learn and master. It can help prepare you for recital opportunities, as well as your end of semester jury.

NMS String Students will perform in an All Department Recital, StringStravaganza! on Saturday June 6th, 2026 from 4:00-6:00pm.

Please join us for an afternoon of string music featuring beginner, intermediate, and advanced students from the House of Bach, House of Mozart, and House of Beethoven. The recital will take place in Ganz Hall at Roosevelt University, and we hope all string students, families, and friends can attend.

Performance Day with Chamber Orchestra will take place at Ganz Hall at Roosevelt University on June 6, 2026. The performance order will be determined by the conductor.

Join our Adult Students on Friday June 5th 2026 at 7:00 for Champagne Showcase!

This recital features many of our Adult Students performing a variety of musical works to showcase what they’ve been studying during the Spring Semester. Bites and bubbly will be served, so you must be 21+ to attend.

Mak Grgic joins New Music School students IN Residency with Private Lessons.

Touted as a “gifted young guitarist” by the New York Times, and “a guitarist to keep an eye on” by the Washington Post, 4-time Grammy®-nominated artist Mak Grgic [GER-gich] is a star on the worldwide stage. An expansive and adventurous repertoire attests to his versatility and wide-ranging interests. From the ethnic music of his native Balkans to extreme avant-garde and microtonal music, his roles as soloist, collaborator, and Grammy-nominated recording artist are fueled by curiosity, imagination, and boundless energy. As a testament to his versatility and wide-ranging appeal, in 2018 Mak was invited by legendary singer-songwriter k.d. lang to perform as the opening act for the North American leg of her Ingénue Redux Tour.

More about Mak.

Rehearsals will take place at the Fine Arts Building on June 5, 2026. Each student will be assigned an individual time slot in advance to ensure a smooth and organized schedule. Please arrive a few minutes early and be prepared for your rehearsal time.

NMS will hold a Jury Make-up Day on Sunday May 31st, 2026 from 4:00-5:00PM. This opportunity is for students who have scheduling conflicts with the Standard Jury Days of April 25th and 26th. Please reach out to juries@newmusicschool.com with a request for your child to participate in this event.

If all jury students are accommodated and we still have space, we will open Performance Class spots for students to take a performance practice opportunity. Please reach out to our admin team at join@newmusicschool.com if you’d like to be kept on a waitlist for this option.

NMS pianist Tong Bai Deng (17) will be performing his House of Ravel recital on Saturday May 30th at 3:00pm. Music by Saint-Saens, Feinberg, Prokofiev.

This recital will be a celebration of his studies at New Music School. Tong Bai will be an entering student at Oberlin College Conservatory of Music Piano Performance Major under Alvin Chow.

All NMS String Students are invited to join us for String Performance Class on Saturday May 30th from 12:00-2:00PM, taught by violin faculty member MingHuan Xu.

String Performance Class is a great opportunity for String Students to perform a piece with accompanist in a “practice setting.” A different faculty member will lead each class, giving all students the chance to receive feedback from a variety of faculty perspectives.

NMS Faculty Member Dana Brown will lead an Adult Student Performance Class on Friday May 1st, 2026 from6:00-7:00PM. Adult Students of all instrument types are welcome to attend, and you can sign up on your MyMusicStaff Calendar under “Find & Book.”

Performance Class is a great way to continue to progress by practicing how to perform your piece in front of an audience of other NMS Students! Led by an NMS Faculty Member, you will receive feedback on your repertoire and work on musicality, storytelling, performance protocols, practice strategies, how to battle nerves, and more. Performing in front of others is a critical skill to learn and master. It can help prepare you for our Champagne Showcase Recital opportunity.

NMS pianists Joseph and Kenneth Gallwas (18) will be performing their combined House of Ravel recital on Saturday May 23rd at 4:00pm.

This recital will be a celebration of their studies at New Music School as they graduate and pursue their undergraduate degree at Northwestern University in Music Performance and Economics.

Piano students will record their complete concerto movement in one take.

String students will record their complete concerto movement in one take.

THIS SUNDAY, Leo Ma will perform as a soloist with the Chicago Youth Symphony Concert Orchestra for winning the 2025 Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras Concerto Competition for the Concert Orchestra. Leo will be performing Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole. Tickets are available here. Leo, will also perform in May 2027 with the CYSO Philharmonic Orchestra, after winning the concerto competition for the Philharmonic division.

Canadian pianist Winston Choi is Associate Professor of Piano and the Head of the Piano Program at Roosevelt University's Chicago College of Performing Arts. His professional career was launched when he was named Laureate of the 2003 Honens Piano Competition and winner of France’s Concours International de Piano 20e siècle d’Orléans in 2002. An inquisitive performer, his fresh approach to standard repertory, and masterful understanding, performance and commitment to works by living composers, make him one of today’s most dynamic young concert artists.

On Sunday May 3rd, New Music School will be hosting our Spring Showcase Recital. This event will feature stand-out students from our recent Juries, as well as students invited to perform based on competition success throughout the semester.

This event is free and open to the public. We ask out of respect to our performers that all audience members stay for the duration of the recital.

NMS Faculty Member Jeffrey Panko will lead Performance Class on Sunday May 3rd from 4:00-5:00PM. Students of all instrument types are welcome to attend, and you can sign up on your MyMusicStaff Calendar under “Find & Book.”

Performance Class is a great way to continue to progress by practicing how to perform your piece in front of an audience of other NMS Students! Led by an NMS Faculty Member, you will receive feedback on your repertoire and work on musicality, storytelling, performance protocols, practice strategies, how to battle nerves, and more. Performing in front of others is a critical skill to learn and master. It can help prepare you for recital opportunities, as well as your end of semester jury.

Violinist MingHuan Xu is a dedicated performer and educator whose wide-ranging career spans solo, chamber, and contemporary music. In addition to her teaching at New Music School, she serves as the Program Director of Strings and Assistant Teaching Professor of Violin at Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts, where she has been instrumental in developing a vibrant and competitive string program, drawing exceptional students from around the globe. 

NMS Students in our Woodwind and Piano Departments will participate in the Spring Juries on Sunday April 26th 2026. The jury performances allow our NMS faculty to measure student progress in relation to curricular benchmarks to ensure that students are being instructed at the highest standard.

Woodwind: 10:00-11:00am
Piano: 11:00am-8:00pm

Your student’s warm-up and jury times will be emailed to you directly. Any jury inquires should be emailed to juries@newmusicschool.com

Join us for an afternoon of music as we celebrate the release of a brand new all-Liszt album on the prestigious Naxos label, featuring New Music School Artist Faculty member Dr. Wenting Shi.

The program captures the full range of Liszt’s genius - from sparkling, rarely heard character pieces to the transcendent Sonata in B Minor.

Steinway Artist Wenting Shi brings fearless virtuosity, poetic sensitivity, and commanding depth to this music, illuminating both its dazzling brilliance and profound spirituality in an unforgettable live performance.

The Checkout | Saturday, April 25 | 3:00 PM

The album will be available for purchase, and Ms. Shi will be signing copies following the performance.

NMS Students in our Woodwind and Piano Departments will participate in the Spring Juries on Sunday April 26th 2026. The jury performances allow our NMS faculty to measure student progress in relation to curricular benchmarks to ensure that students are being instructed at the highest standard.

Woodwind: 10:00-11:00am
Piano: 11:00am-8:00pm

Your student’s warm-up and jury times will be emailed to you directly. Any jury inquires should be emailed to juries@newmusicschool.com

Daniel Razminia (15) will perform his House of Beethoven recital on Sunday April 19th at 3:00pm.

Daniel is a 15-year-old pianist currently in tenth grade, where he attends Hinsdale Central High School in Hinsdale, Illinois. He aspires to be a concert pianist.

Daniel started his formal training in classical music in 2022 with Jeffrey Panko at the New Music School in Chicago. He is currently a student of Panko and Mary Sauer, principal keyboardist emeritus of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He has also taken master lessons from internationally-renowned pianists and teachers Steven Osbourne and Alan Chow.

NMS will hold a Pre-Jury Day on Sunday April 12th, 2026 from 4:00-5:00PM. This opportunity is for students who have scheduling conflicts with the Standard Jury Days of April 25th and 26th. Please reach out to juries@newmusicschool.com with a request for your child to participate in this event.

If all jury students are accommodated and we still have space, we will open Performance Class spots for students to take a performance practice opportunity. Please reach out to our admin team at join@newmusicschool.com if you’d like to be kept on a waitlist for this option.

Concerto Workshop with Roosevelt University Conductor Ben Firer

A preparatory session covering the concerto’s history and context, performance practices (including bowing and stage presence), and guidance on working with a conductor and orchestra.

Benjamin Firer joined the faculty of Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts in August 2025 as Assistant Professor of Conducting. Firer’s multifaceted role at CCPA includes directing the university orchestras, opera and teaching conducting.

Based in Chicago, he also serves as Music Director of the Harper Symphony Orchestra, Assistant Conductor of the Rockford Symphony Orchestra and principal conductor of Harmonie North. Guest conducting engagements for the 2025–2026 season include Illinois Valley Symphony Orchestra, Lake Forest Civic Orchestra, Beloit-Janesville Symphony Orchestra, Williamsport Symphony Orchestra and cover conducting the Orlando Symphony Orchestra. 

A dynamic and sought-after guest conductor, Firer has appeared with orchestras nationally and internationally, including the Budafok Dohnányi Orchestra (Hungary), Milwaukee Symphony, Altoona Symphony, Champaign-Urbana Symphony, DuPage Symphony, Miami Symphony, Fargo-Moorhead Symphony, and Orchestre de la Francophonie (Canada). He has also served on the conducting staff of the Quad Cities Symphony, Dubuque Symphony, and Pennsylvania Chamber Orchestra. He previously directed collegiate orchestral programs at Northeastern Illinois University, Penn State University, Juniata College and Lewis University. Firer serves as a conducting mentor with the Illinois Council of Orchestras devoted to supporting budding orchestral conductors and music educators.

Passionate about inspiring the next generation of musicians, Firer has held conducting positions with several of the nation’s leading youth orchestras, including the New York Youth Symphony, Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras, and the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies. Engaged as a teaching artist through the Yale University Music in Schools Initiative, he taught at the John C. Daniels Magnet School while serving as Music Director of the Yale-Saybrook College Orchestra.

Firer contributions have been recognized by numerous awards and fellowships. He was recently awarded “Orchestra of the Year” by the Illinois Council of Orchestras for his leadership of the Quad City Symphony Youth Orchestra, and is the recipient of the 2024 Williamson Music Education Grant. He has been named an Emerging Conductor with the Peninsula Music Festival, Associate Conductor at the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music and a Conducting Fellow at the Atlantic Music Festival. Additionally he was a scholarship recipient at the National Orchestral Institute, Chautauqua Music Festival, Hot Springs Music Festival and Norfolk New Music and Chamber Music Festivals.  

Equally at home in the operatic world, Firer has conducted fully staged productions of Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress, Copland’s The Tender Land, Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, Walton’s The Bear and Offenbach’s The Grand Duchess of Gérolstein.

Other distinctions include The American Prize in Conducting, the Woolsey Concerto Competition, Yale Chamber Music Competition, the Ellen Battell Stoeckel Fellowship, the Long Island University Conductors Award, the SUNY Thayer Fellowship in the Arts, and the Emma Peters Hooper Endowed Award. As an orchestral musician, he has recorded on the Naxos and Albany labels. Firer holds a Doctorate in Orchestral Conducting from Northwestern University and a Master’s Degree from Yale University.

All NMS String Students are invited to join us for String Performance Class on Saturday April 11th from 3:00-5:00PM, taught by violin faculty member Emily Fischer.

String Performance Class is a great opportunity for String Students to perform a piece with accompanist in a “practice setting.” A different faculty member will lead each class, giving all students the chance to receive feedback from a variety of faculty perspectives.