Dear Friends,
The 2018-19 school year is off to an exciting start! The dedication event for the Justin Tranter Recording Studio was electrifying, with more than 100 guests in attendance to hear Justin speak and sing, and to witness the debut of The Academy’s Recording Arts and Commercial Music program. (You can watch the archived livestream here.) This program is an important step in ensuring that our students continue to be relevant in a rapidly evolving music industry.
You’ve no doubt seen the media coverage: with more than fifteen stories about Justin’s gift, it is undoubtedly among the most-covered moments in The Academy’s history. Our celebration of Justin Tranter will continue on May 18, when we honor him with The Academy’s “Leadership and Legacy Award” at our annual Gala at the Palmer House Hotel.
And speaking of celebrations, we are thrilled to announce that we will present Dance Chair Randy Duncan with The Chicago Academy for the Arts Faculty Legacy Award at Showcase at the Athenaeum Theatre on Saturday, February 9. Randy is one of the most beloved, important, and influential people in the history of The Academy, and we invite everyone in the community to join us for this special night. See Page 5 for more information.
In just two months, Academy students have staged Sondheim’s legendary Sunday in the Park with George, curated two major visual arts exhibits, debuted college-level classical repertoire, raised more than $10,000 at the annual AIDS Benefit, produced I’ve Had Too Much to Dream (an evening of film, animation, and writing), and opened simultaneous theatrical runs of the critically acclaimed plays The Wolves and The Aliens. And in the weeks to come, our students will hit the Fall Jazz Concert at Winter’s Jazz Club and perform the Senior-Choreographed Dance Concert. Bravo, students: your work is masterful.
With much gratitude for your support,
Jason Patera
Head of School