Mark your calendar for Friday, May 29, at 1:30 pm for the spring Fran Randall Classical Concert at the Levy Senior Center!

 

Enjoy an afternoon of beautiful classical music featuring talented young musicians, including pianist Greg Hartmann, violinist Jennifer Roe, soprano Avery Simmons, clarinetist Alex Kantz, and pianist Chungho Lee.

 

Don't miss this chance to see performances by these accomplished musicians! Admission is free, and registration is not required.

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About the performers:

Pianist Greg Hartmann is a rising star in the classical music world, with performances in recent seasons across America and Europe. Greg holds an Artist Diploma from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama as well as a doctorate in piano from the City University of New York. Greg has won first prize in the 2023 Knoxville International Piano Competition, first prize in the 2018 Memphis International Piano Competition, second prize in the top division of the 2021 Schubert Club Scholarship Competition, third prize in the 2021 William Knabe International Piano Competition, third prize in the 2019 Thousand Islands International Piano Competition, and third prize in the 2018 High Point University Piano Competition, among others. He has performed concerti with the New Albany Symphony Orchestra, Rochester Symphony, Lakeshore Wind Ensemble, Concord Chamber Orchestra, and Waukesha Area Chamber Orchestra. Greg wrote his doctoral dissertation on the intersection between performance and music theory, with a particular emphasis on Schenkerian analysis, rhythm and meter, and phrase-level form. Also an accomplished composer, Greg won the 2018 Paula Nelson-Guenther Young Composer Competition with his orchestral work Requiem for a Memory: Nocturne for Orchestra, and in recent seasons has conducted the world premieres of two of his orchestral works, Spark (2022), and Cloudburst (2023). Greg has participated in music festivals including the Aspen Music Festival and School, Pianofest in the Hamptons, the Bowdoin International Music Festival, the Sejong International Music Festival, Euro Music Festival and Academy, and the Gijón International Piano Festival. In his free time, Greg enjoys tennis, running, and ping pong.

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Jennifer Roe is a violinist currently studying at Loyola University Chicago, where she is pursuing a major in music with a minor in ceramics. She studies under Dr. Sarah Kim and began playing the violin at the age of five with Victoria Szczepaniak. In 2025, Jennifer was selected as the winner of the university’s annual Concerto-Aria Competition. She is an active member of the Loyola Symphony Orchestra, where she serves as assistant concertmaster. In addition to her performance experience, Jennifer is passionate about music education. Through her experiences helping peers and younger students develop their musical skills, she has developed a strong interest in teaching and hopes to inspire and guide young musicians in their own musical journeys.

 

Avery Simmons, a soprano from Bradley, IL, recently graduated from Loyola University of Chicago with a Bachelor of Arts in Music. During her studies, she studied voice under Dr. Klaus Georg and won Loyola's "Concerto/Aria" competition as a sophomore and as a senior. Avery performed with VARNA-South Carolina Summer 2025 in their production of "Die Fledermaus" in the role of "Rosalinde" and in the Fall of 2025, competed at NATS in Bloomington, IL, placing 3rd in her finalist category. She is excited to begin her professional journey as a performing artist and is looking forward to many auditions and performances to come.

 

Alex Kantz is a recent graduate of Loyola University Chicago with a degree in Neuroscience. He has been playing the clarinet for 13 years and served as principal player and section leader of the Loyola Wind Ensemble. He has performed in several of the school's honors recitals and has played in other ensembles such as the Naperville Winds and the ILMEA All-state band. Alex always tries to challenge himself with repertoire spanning Brahms, Weber, and Mozart. Outside of music, he can usually be found at home with his cats, Chloe and Logan.

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Pianist Chungho Lee made his debut recital at the age of 15 as part of the Kumho Prodigy Concert Series. He has garnered top prizes in numerous competitions, including the Artcial International Piano Competition, Franz Liszt International Piano Competition, Thaviu-Isaak Piano Competition, Marian Garcia International Piano Competition, Korean International Piano Duo Competition, Korean Music Association Competition, and the Bechstein–Samick Competition. As an active performer, he has given recitals at prestigious venues worldwide, including Chosun Ilbo Debut Concert, Kumho Young Chamber Concert, Yong Siew Toh Conservatory Concert Hall (Singapore), University of Trossingen Concert Hall (Germany), Lian Hall, Paul Hall, Morse Recital Hall, Galvin Recital Hall, Porto Conservatory (Portugal), and Vail Chapel, among others. Lee has also been invited as a featured artist at numerous festivals, including Porto Pianofest, Chiang Mai Music Festival, NUS International Music Festival, Yeoneum Piano Festival, and The House Concert - July Festival. Currently, he serves as Assistant Faculty at the Palmetto International Piano Festival. He graduated from Seoul National University. He then earned his Master of Music from The Juilliard School and his Master of Musical Arts from Yale School of Music. Currently, he is pursuing his Doctor of Musical Arts at Northwestern University, while also serving as a Piano & Chamber music instructor and staff pianist at Loyola University Chicago.