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 (2019-2023)

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
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

Year 2023 DONORS of $100-$1,999

Susan Arjmand
Roxane Assaf-Lynn

Ann Badsing
Susanne R Baker
Carmen Bodino
Andrew Bossov
Anne Pringle Burnell
Caryn Caffarelli
Jeanie Carroll

Nancy Conner
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
Rebecca Gilman
Lynda Gordon
Deborah Good
Betty Graham

Beth Halevy
James Hayes
Carrie Hedges
Charles Hoch
Elisabeth Howard
Michael Howorko

Jessica Jagielnik
Daniel Johnson
Cynthia Johnson
Staci Kelley
Irv Levinson
Paul Levy
Ava Logan
Jennifer Marling
Philip Morehead

Anna Moreno
Patricia Owens
John Paluch
Jody Rapport
David Reithoffer

Melissa Rub
Jerry Salzberg
Suzanne & Steve Sharer

Eleanor Sharpe
Sharon Shaughnessy
Caroline Shoenberger
Ann Stanford
David Stephens
Peter Storms
Christine Steyer
Frank Stachyra
Victoria Storm
Lydia Stux
Earnestine Wallace-Adams
Mary Walsh
Carol Weston
Clyde Whitaker

Please let us know if your name is missing from this list. The year 2024 begins a new list!

Grants 2019-2023



Working In Concert received two grants in 2020 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. Claudia Hommel and four collaborators also received a DCASE Individual Artists Project grant to support the travel expenses to the Cabaret Connexion Tour de France in 2019.

The Illinois Arts Council Agency (IACA) has awarded grants from State funds for general operating support in 2020-2021 and 2021-22, an ArtsTour grant for the Black Voices In Cabaret “Healing through Song” in March 2021, and the IAC Summer Youth Employment grant for 4 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).


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
DePaul School of Music
Drew’s on Halsted
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church of Oak Park (IL)
Hunters Restaurant (Elmwood Park)
Lakehouse Restaurant (Lake Bluff)
La Marchesa (Chicago)

Chicagoland homes:
Beth & Paul Ahlrich
Pam & Harlan Berk
Ruth Fuerst & Jim Block
Louise Gale
Cappy Kidd & Claudia Hommel
TownHall Apartments (LGBTQ seniors)
France:
Au piano vache (Paris)
Cabaret Lapin Agile (Paris)
Chez ma cousine (Montmartre, Paris)
La Crémaillère (Montmartre, Paris)
L’Harmattan Publishers (Paris)
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)