Chicago Jazz Magazine

On the Scene

By Michael Stephen

Piano Forte-Preserving the Art of Piano Playing

BThe Fine Arts Building, located at 410 S. Michigan Avenue is a Chicago treasure, and not just for its architecture. Take a ride on one of the structure's hand-cranked elevators to the eighth floor and you'll find another Chicago gem. As you exit the elevator and after saying good day to its union operator, follow the sweet sounds of concert pianos down the hall until you come to the doors of PianoForte. Inside you find not just a piano dealership, but a foundation committed to preserving the art of piano playing.

Thomas Zoells sits on the performance stage in the main concert room in PianoForte, a small space that seats approximately fifty to sixty people. Zoells is the president of the dealership and the executive director of the PianoForte Foundation, a non-profit organization. He sits next to a Fazioli piano. Only 100 Faziolis are built every year; each one is custom-made and hand-crafted. The soundboards inside the instrument are made from the red spruce of the Italian Alps. And when the piano is played a remarkably clear and warm sound fills the almost acoustically perfect room.

As if the pianos on display aren't incredible enough, the PianoForte Foundation presents roughly sixty concerts every September through June. Zoells prides himself on his organization's commitment to live music and says that people of all backgrounds love to come to a place where there is a true relationship between an artist and the audience.

"I feel that [in mainstream society] we're going in a wrong direction in many ways with concerts that are produced for big names in big halls," says Zoells. "In the end I sit there in that big hall and I think, 'Well, wouldn't I be better off sitting at home listening to the CD where I can hear everything going on?'"

Bringing an intimate, salon-style setting to the Chicago music community and re-energizing the connection between artist and audience is at the core of what Zoells hopes to accomplish through the PianoForte Foundation. Although the foundation has already featured classical pianists there are many more jazz salons on deck for this season, such as concerts by Patricia Barber, Tom Muellner, and Howard Levy. Concert-goers have already given Zoells very positive feedback on previous salons, citing the close proximity to the piano and performer as a favorite aspect of the experience. "The piano, as an instrument, was not conceived originally to be performed in big spaces," according to Zoells. "It was designed for a more intimate setting." Artists who perform at a PianoForte concert often remark that the contrast between playing a typical gig and playing in foundation's space is noticeable. Instead of the usual background noise including people carrying on conversations and the clinking of glasses at a jazz club there is complete silence in the performance space during a concert. Zoells says that musicians are sometimes startled by this at first, especially if they are used to playing in a group, but are encouraged to push the boundaries of their playing so they are able to explore their potential as pianists.

It seems that Zoells' work is paying off. The foundation held its first concert in June of 2004 with only a handful of performances. Today, however, there are more artists who are excited to play in the space then there are open slots. PianoForte offers many opportunities to catch a live show through four concert series: Jazz Salon, featuring jazz pianists in a solo setting; Pure Piano, a performance of a variety of musical styles; Piano Plus, featuring chamber music and other duo shows, and the Fazioli Salon Series, solo and chamber music that's broadcast live on WFMT-FM (98.7). In addition, WDCB-FM (90.9) also started airing weekly recordings of performances in the PianoForte concert space in early 2007 and continues to do so. For those who are interested in learning more about how to expand their musical horizons on the piano, the foundation is developing (with some help of local jazz pianist Anthony Molinaro) jazz master classes as well.

When Zoells is asked why he does what he does, he sits on the stage of the PianoForte Foundation's performance space and ponders the question a bit. "I think life without music is not worth it," he says softly. Thankfully through his hard work, the joy of music brightens the lives of those who experience a true Chicago music treasure at PianoForte.

For fans of jazz or just about any other kind of musical genre, PianoForte is an experience that should not be missed. For more information, log onto pianofortefoundation.org, call (312) 291-0291 or drop by the Fine Arts Building, Suite 825.

Mike Stephen is the host of Outside the Loop Radio, Fridays at 6 p.m. on WLUW-FM (88.7) and www.outsidetheloopradio.com.

Past Interviews

Mike Stephen, WGN Radio producer on the scene with various Jazz talents in Chicago. Just click on the links below to hear the interviews.

On the Scene with Bruce Oscar

On the Scene with Dick Buckley