Huntley Brown to entertain at Fox Valley Arts Hall of Fame Banquet March 31

Internationally acclaimed concert pianist Huntley Brown will provide entertainment at the Fox Valley Arts Hall of Fame gala banquet and awards ceremony on Friday, March 31, at Villa Olivia in Bartlett. The celebration, held in the spring of even-numbered years, honors talented and influential artists with a connection to the Fox Valley area. This year's ceremony will feature the induction of the Class of 2020 and Class of 2022.

The 2022 inductees are Lucille and Sten Halfvarson, performing arts; Olive Beaupré Miller and Charles Pierce Burton, literary arts, all who are deceased and resided in Aurora; and visual artist Joseph Morton (Mort) Luby of Carpentersville. Photos and bios will be posted on FoxValleyArtsHallofFame.org.

The 2020 banquet was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 inductees are:

• Patrick F. Beckman of Elgin: Critical acclaim for numerous CDs, extensive piano and choral composition; and collaborated to create "Song of the Earth" as part of the NEA's Continental Harmony- Music for the Millennium;

• Kevin Braheny Fortune of Elgin: Session musician and sound engineer for over 45 years; Space Music pioneer; and Channeler of Music for Meditation.

• Jeffrey Hunt of St. Charles: Masters of Music in Choral Conducting at Northwestern University; and founder and director of St. Charles Singers

• Vincent S. Chiaramonte of Campton Hills: Master Pastelist artist, as conferred by the Pastel Society of America; commissioned paintings have included members of the U.S. Congress; prior to studying art, studied mortuary science, graduated, and worked as an embalmer for three years.

• Joel C. Sheesley of Wheaton: Professor emeritus after teaching art for 42 years at Wheaton College; and "A Fox River Testimony," a 155-page catalog of Sheesley's paintings of the Fox River Valley.

Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra's Hanson String Quartet, featuring violinists Kimberly Adams of Batavia and Kiersten Scherer of Naperville, violist Derek Hibben of Elburn, and cellist Benjamin Gilbert of Gilberts, will perform during the cocktail hour for the Fox Valley Arts Hall of Fame banquet. - Courtesy of EYSO

The black-tie optional festivities begin at 5:30 p.m. with a cocktail hour featuring the Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra Hanson String Quartet with violinists Kimberly Adams and Kiersten Scherer, violist Derek Hibben, and cellist Benjamin Gilbert.

The $75 tickets include dinner and entertainment. A cash bar is offered. Each Fox Valley Arts Hall of Fame honoree will be introduced and receive an engraved plaque to be displayed at Hemmens Cultural Center in Elgin.

For reservations or more information, visit FoxValleyArtsHallofFame.org, email murna@ameritech.net or call (847) 742-6431. Deadline for reservations is Tuesday, March 21.

On Friday, March 31, concert pianist Huntley Brown will perform at the biennial Fox Valley Arts Hall of Fame gala banquet and awards ceremony. - Courtesy of Fox Valley Hall of Fame

Huntley Brown grew-up in Jamaica. He learned to play the piano by imitating his brothers and taking some lessons, but mostly by listening to different recordings. After high school he played in clubs and bars in Jamaica. Brown moved to the United States and received a bachelor's in piano performance from Judson University and a master's in piano performance and pedagogy from Northern Illinois University. His music ministry has taken him all over the world, with TV, radio, and concert appearances. Brown lives in Aurora with his wife and four daughters. For more information, visit HuntleyBrown.org.

The EYSO Hanson String Quartet was added to the EYSO Chamber Music Institute in 2010 and is named for EYSO's founding conductor Robert Hanson. It is coached by Australian cellist Timothy Archbold, who has performed with orchestras and string quartets throughout the world. The quartet is offered on full scholarship to its members, who are selected by competitive audition. For more information, visit EYSO.org.

The Fox Valley Arts Hall of Fame is a nonprofit organization that gives public recognition to artists associated with the Fox Valley. A second objective is to ensure a strong cultural legacy for future generations. For more information, visit FoxValleyArtsHallofFame.org.