When you think of free, high-quality music performances in Chicago, what comes to mind?  For many of you, it is the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts presented every Wednesday at the Chicago Cultural Center and broadcast live on 98.7 WFMT.  For many others of you, it is the Rush Hour Concerts Summer Series presented 13 Tuesdays in a row from June to August at St. James Cathedral.  For all of you, we hope one day soon it is both!  

In all of these years - 39 for Dame Myra Hess and 17 for Rush Hour Concerts - each has enjoyed a cherished position on Chicago's cultural landscape.  Now, as one organization, we will economize operations, expand programming, and provide enhanced performance opportunities to established and emerging musicians.  We will continue to excel at what we each do individually, with more efficiency, and we can do more of what we both do well, together.

Therefore, on October 3, 2016, we joined and became the new International Music Foundation.  Our Board of Directors have combined; the Executive Director will be Ann Murray; the transition will be led by Kitty Rothschild.  Artistic direction for the Rush Hour Concerts programs will continue to be shared by the talented trio of Anthony Devroye, Kuang-Hao Huang and Brant Taylor, with artistic direction for the Do-It-Yourself Messiah and the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts continuing to be led by the distinguished artistic team of Elizabeth Buccheri, James Setapen, Andrea Swan, Mathias Tacke and Richard Young.  In other words, you will continue to see the same faces!

For those of you who are regulars at the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts, it will be business as usual next Wednesday and every Wednesday thereafter.  For those of you who are regulars at the Rush Hour Concerts Summer Series, we are already working on next summer's lineup.  We hope you share our excitement abo ut what this merger promises!