Oakton’s Six Piano Ensemble delights international audience in Scotland

The Oakton Community College Six Piano Ensemble, conducted by Glenna Sprague, recently entertained music lovers at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland while performing at the 32nd World Conference of the International Society for Music Education (ISME) in Glasgow, Scotland.

Showcasing its classical, ragtime and popular repertoire arranged for six pianos, the ensemble delivered the opening performance session of the ISME, a conference that featured over 1,500 musical presentations and concerts presented by groups from more than 25 countries.

“We were thrilled to be invited to perform at this prestigious event,” Sprague said.

Members who traveled to Glasgow included Jeff Blaine of Chicago, Beatriz Levi from Skokie, Des Plaines resident Greg Luberda, Marianne Pyster from Chicago and Garfield Sallman of Des Plaines.

In the Six Piano Ensemble, each pianist plays a different part of a composition, developing rich, layered sound comparable to an orchestra. The musical group has delighted sold-out audiences for more than 20 years and has performed from Honolulu to Vienna, Austria.

Openings in the group provide Chicago-area pianists with the opportunity to audition for the ensemble on Wednesday, Sept. 14, and Thursday, Sept. 15, from 7 to 9 p.m. – or by appointment – in Room 1360 at Oakton’s Des Plaines campus, 1600 E. Golf Road. Pianists may bring a prepared piano piece, but music will be provided.

For more information, contact Glenna Sprague, Oakton professor and coordinator of music, at gsprague@oakton.edu or 847-635-1905.