Our sponsors

…are working in concert! Every donation, large and small, counts toward underwriting this year’s projects. When you pledge support every year, you become a member of Encore Ensemble and your name is in bold.

Major gifts of $2,000 and more (2019-2025)

Molly & Steven Allscheid
Dr. Carey and Brett August
Leah & Paul Beckwith
Douglas Cotsamire
Robert L Beach and Paul D Dykstra
Dominique Frigo in memory of Jean Martin Bell
The Carla Gordon Giving Fund
Beth Halevy
Carrie Hedges
Jethra Kapp
Cappy Kidd & Claudia Hommel
Jay Peterson
Richard Pokorny
Glenn Suhd
Sue Susman
Suzanne Walsh in memory of Jeanne Cusack Walsh

DONORS of $100-$1,999

Stephen Allen 
Susan Arjmand
Roxane Assaf-Lynn

Ann Badsing
Susanne R Baker
Olivier Betti, in honor of Henri Betti
Carmen Bodino
Andrew Bossov
Carolyn Boudreau 
Anne Pringle Burnell
Caryn Caffarelli
Jeanie Carroll

Laura Champagne
Lynn Colbert-Jones
G Douglas Cole
Pamela Cone
Nancy Conner
Douglas Cotsamire
Jennifer Deen
Susan Dennis 
Dider Durand
Richard Eastline
Cardi Fleck

Andrew Fase
Hilary Ann Feldman
Cardi Fleck
Cheryl Flinn
Philip Frigo
Jeanne Franks
Ruth Fuerst & Jim Block

Marcia Engel Fuscone & Gerald Fuscone
Judy Gaietto-Grace
Stuart Gannes 
Rebecca Gilman
Lisa Goldberg
Deborah Good-Krochock
Lynda Gordon
Kathie & John Gourlay
Kenneth Gourlay
Betty Graham

Robert Haennicke 
Katheryn Hahn
Beth Halevy
James Hayes
Carrie Hedges
David Helversen
Charles Hoch
Elisabeth Howard
Michael Howorko
Katherine & Roger Huff
Jessica Jagielnik
Daniel Johnson
Cynthia Johnson
Ruth Kalieniecki 
Staci Kelley
Margaret Klemundt in memory of Anne Devaud
Irv Levinson
Paul Levy
Ava Logan
Theodore Maynard 
Norma McAdams
Jennifer Marling
Irene Michaels
Philip Morehead

Anna Moreno
Margaret Murphy Webb 
Patricia Owens
Marcia O’Brien
Ron Onesti
Sonia Oyola
Tim Pahel
John Paluch
Jody Rapport
David Reithoffer

Melissa Rub
Jerry Salzberg
Suzanne & Steve Sharer

Eleanor Sharpe
Sharon Shaughnessy
Caroline Shoenberger
Veronique Sigre 
Ann Stanford
David Stephens
Peter Storms
Christine Steyer
Frank Stachyra
Victoria Storm
Carol Stukey
Lydia Stux
Earnestine Wallace-Adams
Mary Walsh
Amber Watson
Carol Weston
Craig Weissman
Clyde Whitaker
Please let us know if your name is missing from this list. We’ll be posting new donors from 2025 in early 2026.

Grants 2019-2025



Working In Concert receives grants from the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs (DCASE): a CityArts grant to support our operating budget and a special project grant for the Year of Chicago Music in support of the 4th international conference of Chicago Paris Cabaret Connexion in Chicago in May 2022. Our collaborators have also received a DCASE Individual Artists Project grant to support the travel expenses to the Cabaret Connexion in 2019 and 2023.

The Illinois Arts Council Agency (IACA) has awarded grants from State funds for general operating support each year since 2020-2021. A special ArtsTour grant supported the Black Voices In Cabaret “Healing through Song” in March 2021, and the IAC Summer Youth Employment grant for 4 opera production interns in 2022.

The Musicians Club of Women awarded a grant in support of International Women’s Day 2023 to commission the women’s quartet, “Will They Remember Life Was Beautiful?”


Our deepest gratitude to the dozens of performers who provide their talent and time at our fundraising concerts. Many are named as Associate Artists and Volunteers on our Profiles page.

Thank you also to donors of our January Facebook fundraisers (celebrating birthdays for Barbara Smith, Christine Steyer and Claudia Hommel).

The Cabaret Connexion sponsors help us raise thousands of dollars each year. Visit their page here.

Many thanks to Pete’s Fresh Market #12 in Oak Park for their contribution of food to our August 2024 fundraiser.


Venue support

We thank the venue managers and families who have opened their place on an in-kind basis: 

Chief O’Neill’s Irish Pub
Cliff Dwellers Club
Concordia University Chicago
DANK Haus, Chicago
DePaul School of Music
Drew’s on Halsted
Franklin Fine Arts Center (CPS school)
Gateway Lounge, Copernicus Center (Chicago)
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church of Oak Park (IL)
Hunters Restaurant (Elmwood Park)
Lakehouse Restaurant (Lake Bluff)
La Marchesa (Chicago)
Old Town Pub (on Wells St, Chicago)

Chicagoland homes:
Beth & Paul Ahlrich
Pam & Harlan Berk
Ruth Fuerst & Jim Block
Louise Gale
Cathy & Marty Glickman
Cappy Kidd & Claudia Hommel
TownHall Apartments (LGBTQ seniors)
France:
Au piano vache (Paris)
Cabaret Lapin Agile (Paris)
Chez ma cousine (Montmartre, Paris)
Café Mouffetard
Canon des Gobelins (Paris XIIIe)
La Crémaillère (Montmartre, Paris)
FIAP – Jean Monnet (Paris XIVe)
L’Harmattan Publishers (Paris)
Mairie du XIVe (Paris)
Pavillon de la sirène (IMEP, Paris XIVe)
Péniche Marcounet (Paris IVe)
Salle Olympe de Gouges (Paris)
Salle Molière, National Opera house (Montpellier)
Studio Raspail (Paris)
Trinque Fougasse O’Nord (Montpellier)
Villa des roses (chez Jean Capy, Sète)

Our Playbill Sponsors

Many thanks to the individuals and businesses below who offer their support with a donation to our Playbill fundraiser. Give them your support and tell them Working In Concert sent you.