Dr. Robert G. Hasty
Conductor


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Lawrence Block Quote


Highland Park's Got Talent

Our 40th Season
Four Community Concerts
Sundays at 3 p.m.

Lawrence Block

“Congratulations and thank you to Larry Block and the incredibly talented members of the Highland Park Strings! May they continue to provide a cultural focal point for our city and beyond.”
– Nancy Rotering
Mayor of Highland Park

As we set to begin our 40th Anniversary Season, the mission of the Strings remains the same: to provide community concerts free of charge where families, friends and North Shore neighbors can gather for an afternoon of musical enjoyment at the highest level. This unique policy of free admission is made possible by the Park District of Highland Park, YEA! Highland Park, the Negaunee Foundation and the generosity of other supportive foundations and individual donors.

We are also pleased this season to join in the celebration of the sesquicentennial of the City of Highland Park which was organized in 1869. To help observe this special year-long event—titled “HP150”, ALL of the soloists at our concerts will be residents of Highland Park. It is not an overstatement to say: “Highland Park’s Got Talent”.

Our opening concert in October will present the acclaimed pianist SUSAN MERDINGER. Making her second appearance with the Strings, Merdinger will perform the great Piano Concerto No. 1 by Tchaikovsky—a first for the Strings in celebration of our 40th Anniversary. The holiday concert in December will feature husband and wife, DAVID CUNLIFFE AND DESIREE RUHSTRAT. Comprising two-thirds of the Grammy nominated Lincoln Trio (which this summer made it’s 11th appearance at Ravinia), David and Desiree will perform The Muse and the Poet by Saint-Saens. I will also be joined by LUCY COLMAN (my stand partner for 40 years) in the Concerto for Two Cellos by Vivaldi—a reprise of our first performance 28 years ago.

For our Gala Benefit Concert in the intimate and acoustically perfect Bennett-Gordon Hall at Ravinia on February 10, we are fortunate to have back for his second appearance with the Strings, world-class pianist JORGE FEDERICO OSORIO. In this celebratory all Beethoven concert, Osorio will perform the Piano Concerto No. 4 and the Strings will add the Coriolanus Overture and the famed Fifth Symphony.

The final concert in May features Highland Park High School graduate, cellist BEN FRIED, who will perform the extraordinarily difficult Concerto No. 1 by Shostakovich. The Strings will close the season with the New World Symphony by Dvorak.

We look forward to your continued support. On behalf of the Strings, I am deeply grateful.

Lawrence Block
Founder and General Manager
Phone: 847.831.3622