For Your Consideration:

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Award-winning Chicago-based composer Stacy Garrop’s piano concerto INVICTUS has been celebrated for its “accessible, exciting, shrewdly crafted music” (Chicago Classical Review). Known for her “ear-catching melodies” (Boston Classical Review) and “eclectic modernist… Barber-like lyricism” (Fanfare), Garrop’s INVICTUS draws inspiration from William Ernest Henley’s poem of the same name, embodying a spirit of perseverance. Composed for the multiple Grammy-nominated performer Marta Aznavoorian, described as “a pianist of exceptionally finished technique and purity of musical impulse” (Boston Globe), INVICTUS showcases Aznavoorian’s “uncompromising intensity” (Chicago Tribune) in a commanding performance with the Chicago Philharmonic, conducted by Artistic Director Scott Speck. Latin for “unconquered,” INVICTUS unfolds across four movements and an interlude, transitioning from lyrical introspection to fierce determination and triumphant resolve. In this concerto, Garrop places the piano at the heart of the drama, positioning the soloist as both narrator and survivor. Additionally, Aznavoorian performs Garrop’s adventurous solo piano piece Joie de vivre, commissioned by Highland Park arts patron Joanne Bernstein. This work celebrates the joys of life, reflecting Bernstein’s commitment to art, music, culture, and family.