Sanctuary Sounds: Masterworks for the Spirit

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Steinway Artist Susan Merdinger Launches New "Sanctuary Sounds" Concert Series with a Ghost-Themed Halloween Program

"A Halloween Haunting" opens the inaugural season October 24 at Highland Park Presbyterian Church, pairing classical masterworks with theatrical narration — free and open to the public

HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. — Steinway Artist and internationally acclaimed pianist Susan Merdinger will open her new Sanctuary Sounds™: Masterworks for the Spirit concert series with A Halloween Haunting, a ghost-themed theatrical concert, on Saturday, October 24 at 2:00 PM at Highland Park Presbyterian Church, 330 Laurel Avenue, Highland Park, IL. Admission is free and open to the public.

The inaugural season of Sanctuary Sounds opens with a program of ghost- and spirit-themed classical works by J.S. Bach, Beethoven, Bolcom, Ilya Levinson, and Franz Liszt. Rather than a standard recital, the concert weaves live performance together with theatrical storytelling, featuring:

• Susan Merdinger, piano
• Steven Greene, organ
• Alex Koffman, violin
• Martine Benmann, cello
• Karen Kaplan, author, providing theatrical narration

Narrator Karen Kaplan will present excerpts from her novel Conjoined: A Holocaust Haunting, interwoven with music exploring themes of memory, spirit, and the supernatural. A centerpiece of the program is the Chicago live premiere of Dybbuk Piano Trio by Grammy-nominated composer Ilya Levinson — a fitting and immersive kickoff to Halloween weekend.

"I wanted Sanctuary Sounds to open with an interdisciplinary production — a a story-telling concert, with music and literature tied together with a common element (in this case, ghosts and spirits)," said Susan Merdinger. "A Halloween Haunting brings together some of the most evocative music ever written for piano and strings with live narration, all inside a beautiful sanctuary space. It's the perfect way to launch a season devoted to masterworks for the spirit."

Event Details

About Susan Merdinger

Susan Merdinger is a Steinway Artist and internationally acclaimed American concert pianist and conductor who has performed in major concert halls across the USA, Europe, Mexico, and Canada. She is the only artist to have won two Gold Medals at the Global Music Awards, and her honors include the American Prize – Lorin Hollander Award for Piano Concerto Performance, the Honored Artist Award, and two First Prizes at the Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition. Ms. Merdinger is the founder of the Sheridan Solisti Chamber Orchestra, a Chicago-based ensemble presenting traditional and contemporary orchestral works, and is Artistic Director and Founder of Sheridan Music Studio LLC. A Yale University graduate, she is also active as an educator, speaker, and humanitarian, offering lecture-recitals, masterclasses, and outreach programs nationally.

About Sanctuary Sounds™: Masterworks for the Spirit

Sanctuary Sounds™: Masterworks for the Spirit is a new concert series presented by Highland Park Presbyterian Church, under Artistic Directors Steven F. Greene and Susan Merdinger. Set in the acoustically resonant sanctuary, the series brings orchestral, chamber, choral, and organ performances by professional musicians from the Chicago area and beyond to the congregation and broader community.

The 2026–2027 season runs Fall through Spring with five Saturday afternoon concerts, all free and open to the public, with donations gratefully accepted:

1. A Halloween Haunting — October 24, 2026, 2:00 PM
2. Holiday Cheer – 'Tis the Season — December 5, 2026, 2:00 PM, featuring the Sheridan Solisti String Orchestra and vocal soloists conducted by Susan Merdinger
3. A Rhapsody of Love — February 13, 2027, 2:00 PM, with the Merdinger–Greene Duo on piano, organ, and flute
4. The Classical Style – Chicago Style! — April 17, 2027, 4:00 PM, featuring the Sheridan Solisti Chamber Orchestra, HPPC Choir, and Kol Zimrah Choir in the Chicago premiere of Aaron Alter's Cantata of Praise and Beethoven's Triple Concerto, with soloists Ilya Kaler, violin, Nazar Dzhuryn, cello and Susan Merdinger, piano.
5. Spring Serenade and Pipes of Praise — May 22, 2027, 4:00 PM, a British-themed choral and organ festival with the Campanella Children's Choir and Steven Greene, organist.

More information is available at hppcil.org and sheridanmusicstudio.com.

Sanctuary Sounds™ is presented by Highland Park Presbyterian Church, with community support from Sunset Foods, Highland Park Ford Lincoln Superstore, Creative Impact Group, First Bank of Highland Park, and Sheridan Music Studio.

For media inquiries, interviews, or high-resolution photos, please contact Susan Merdinger via susanmerdingerpianist.com/contact.