Jane Glover
Nicholas Kraemer
Soloists
Lecturers
Staff
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History
Educational Outreach
Jim Kendros and his charismatic approach to the art of lecturing offers a variety of programs to senior centers, cultural centers, libraries and orchestral audiences. He is a specialist in baroque and pre-classical music, as well as performance practices of those eras. As a music researcher, Jim’s specialty is the music of the Bach family, especially the sons of J. S. Bach. He is also devoted to bringing the music of Clara Schumann and Fanny Mendelssohn into the awareness of the musical public.
Jim is a professional composer with more than 170 works to his credit. His works range from sonatas and fantasias for solo piano to works for orchestral music, choral works and chamber ensembles. His civic works include the Mount Prospect Overture (1992), Dance of Destiny (for Des Plaines, 1996), and Circle of Knowledge (for the North Suburban Library System, 1997). Most recently, Jim's Wheaton Synfonia for Viola Ensemble was premiered by members of the Houston Symphony Orchestra. In addition, he is often commissioned to compose music for weddings and other special events.
His fascination with the nyckelharpa (or keyed violin) has taken him into the realms of performing baroque and ethnic music on this unique instrument. His Concerto for Nyckelharpa and Orchestra is most likely the first concerto written for the instrument. He also performs on other rare period instruments including the hurdy gurdy, the clavichord and the harpsichord.
Jim is the pre-concert lecturer for the Lake Forest and Northbrook symphony orchestras, and serves as a guest lecturer for Music of the Baroque and Elgin Symphony Orchestra. He a faculty member of Oakton Community College and is a frequent guest speaker on the North Suburban Library Cable Channel.
