THE NORTBROOK TOWER
By ALAN P. HENRY Freelance Reporter
Mark Damisch’s dream is a simple one.
All he wants to do is leave the world a little better than he found it.
To that end, the 63-year old former Northbrook Village president recently returned from his 24th classic piano concert tour in 45 years in 70 countries around the world, this time around performing 22 concerts in 32 days in 13 countries throughout the Middle East and Europe.
K, K and A Productions
Present
Mark W. Damisch
Pianist
in his 2019 Concert Tour to:
Washington, D.C., Tunisia, Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Jordan, Bulgaria,
North Macedonia, Slovenia, Croatia, Spain, United Kingdom, Serbia, Turkey
ABOUT THE MUSIC:
COPLAND: APPALACHIAN SPRING
Appalachian Spring premiered in 1944 and has achieved widespread and enduing popularity. Originally designed as a ballet, it was created upon the commission of choreographer and dancer Martha Graham. It was first performed at the Library of Congress and includes the famous American “Shakers Theme” also known as “Simple Gifts”
22 сентября 2017 года в ОГАУК «Смоленская областная филармония» состоялся благотворительный концерт известного американского пианиста Марка Демиша.
Концерт собрал более 100 человек, но желающих послушать талантливого музыканта было гораздо больше. Пианист исполнил музыкальные композиции К. Дебюсси, Б. Бартока, Э. Донаньи и А. Копленда. Гости вечера очень тепло приветствовали господина Демиша и находились в восторге от виртуозного исполнения сложнейших произведений. В конце вечера публика с большим удовольствием исполнила знаменитую «Катюшу» под аккомпанемент пианиста.
DAILY NORTH SHORE
By Donald Liebenson – July 13, 2017
Mark Damisch is a big believer in iconic Chicago architect Daniel Burnham’s maxim, “Make no little plans.” This month, the Chicago attorney will embark from his Northbrook home on a 37-night trip abroad that will visit 13 countries. But he is not going as a tourist. He will perform 25 piano recitals.
Damisch began these tours 42 years ago. This is his 18th consecutive summer trip. But Damisch is not a professional musician. Though a virtuoso performer who has sold out international concert halls, he considers himself more a goodwill ambassador whose passion for classical music serves as a cultural bridge.
The overseas concerts are a labor of love for Damisch (he and Patty, his wife of 35 years, raise the funds) In past years he has toured and performed with daughters Kristina, Katherine, and Alexandra, but not this year; Kristina is getting married in August and Alexandra is working on her Masters from DePaul University. Katherine just completed her Masters from Northwestern, and is getting married in December.
April, 2017
Mark Damisch has unveiled his 2017 concert tour repertoire as follows:
BARTOK: SIX ROMANIAN DANCES (1915)
This is a suite of six short pieces.. It is based on Romanian tunes from Transylvania, originally played on fiddle or shepherd’s flute recorded by Bartok and taken back to his studio.
“These tours have been truly life-transforming experiences. They have forever altered the way I look at the world.”
Alexandra Damisch
If the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree — no wonder Northbrook’s three Damisch daughters stay close to the piano bench.
Their father, concert pianist and former Northbrook village president Mark Damisch, began playing the organ when he was 4 at the Evanston Conservatory of Music, switching to piano at age 7.
“When I look at this summer’s tour, I don’t know how many more we will be able to do as a family,” Mark Damisch lamented. I’m trying to hang on tightly to every rehearsal — every memory.”