Fall Concert Series
Every year, Ruthmere features four classical music concerts, two in October and two in November, that make up our Fall Concert Series. These concerts, each performed by acclaimed musicians, help Ruthmere to reach its mission in supporting fine art and culture to Elkhart. The performers typically change on a yearly basis, with the first concert always featuring the winner of the yearly Robert B. Beardsley Piano Prize. Join us for an unparalleled series of musical talent.
For Fall Concert Season tickets and Sponsorship opportunities
2026 Fall Concerts
October 15 - Winner of the 2026 Beardsley Piano Prize Competition, TBD | The first Fall Concert of the year always features the winner of the annual Robert B. Beardsley Piano Prize Competition. This year's winner is TBD. If you would like to learn more about the competition or view past winners, visit the Robert B. Beardsley Piano Finals page. Sponsored by Wade Mayberry Click Here to Purchase Tickets for the Winner of the Beardsley Piano Prize Competition |
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October 29 - Samantha Cho | Born in Los Angeles, Korean-American pianist Samantha Cho currently serves as Professor of Piano Pedagogy at San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Prior positions include Associate Professor of Music at Cabrillo College. She has performed on San Francisco Symphony’s Lunar New Year Concert, Chamber Music at Davies Hall, Live from WFMT, Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert, Noontime Concert Series, Concerts at Presidio Chapel and Seattle’s Classical KING. Highlights include being featured on NPR Live Sessions and ArteTV in Seoul, Korea. Samantha received her Bachelor of Music at Northwestern University, Master of Music at Cleveland Institute of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts at University of Minnesota. Her childhood teacher, Robert Turner, was renowned as protegee of the Lhevinnes at the Juilliard School. She continued her studies with the following teachers: Paul Schenly, Kathryn Brown, Sylvia Wang, and Alexander Braginsky. Sponsored by Janet Evanega Rieckhoff and James Rieckhoff |
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November 12 - Shea-Kim Duo | The award winning Shea-Kim duo was formed in 2014 by husband and wife duo Brendan Shea and Yerin Kim. Since then, they have competed internationally and toured the world, performing in Belgium, Italy, Canada, South Korea, and the United States. Their awards include the Ackerman Chamber Music Award and Gold Medal at the Manhattan International Music Competition. Their performances have been broadcasted on Klara Continuo in Belgium, PBC in Seoul, and WUFT Classic in the USA. Their debut performance in Seoul, South Korea was recorded live and published by Ark Studio in 2016. Their second album, “The Sound and the Fury”, was released in November 2021 by Blue Griffin records. Their newest album “Touch” is due to be released in the fall of 2025. The duo is also actively involved in promoting chamber music to a broader community and audiences, and regularly perform sensory friendly concerts that provide high quality chamber music for individuals and families with autism. The duo also regularly appears at several notable music festivals, including the Annapolis Chamber Music Festival, the Anchorage Chamber Music Festival, the Harborfront Chamber Music Festival, and are co-founders and co-artistic directors of Chamber Music in the Bend. |
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November 27 - Pun Punyasavatsut & Takeshi Nagayasu |
Born and raised in Bangkok, Thailand, Pun Punyasavatsut began his piano studies at the age of four. As a recipient of the Glenn E. Leclair and Edward P. Frohlich piano awards, he is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance at the University of Michigan, where he also holds a Master of Music in Piano Performance and a Certificate in Arts Entrepreneurship and Leadership. He previously completed his undergraduate studies at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music in Singapore, graduating with Highest Distinction. His mentors include Christopher Harding, Thomas Hecht, Nopanand Chanorathaikul, and Rolf-Dieter Arens, while working with esteemed artists such as Stephen Hough, Paul Lewis, and Yoheved Kaplinsky in masterclasses. Pun has performed at venues across the United States, Europe, and Asia, including the Ruthmere-Havilah Beardsley House in Indiana, Chiesa di San Domenico in Italy, and Steinway & Sons Gallery in Bangkok. Takeshi Nagayasu has been recognized and won prizes in competitions such as the Kosciuszko Foundation Chopin, Jacob Flier, Rosamond Haeberle, Borderland Chopin International, and the International Robert Schumann Competition in Germany. He recently reached the semifinal round and received a special prize for the best interpretation of Fauré Impromptu at the Concours International Long-Thibaud in Paris. Recent concerto performances include the Seocho Philharmonia in South Korea, Ocean Foundation Festival Orchestra in New York, and Clara Schumann Philharmonic Orchestra in Germany. He is a recipient of multiple scholarships from the Detroit Federation of Musicians, Feltsman Piano Foundation, Musical Club of Hartford, and American Matthay Association. Takeshi studied at Juilliard, Yale, and is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in piano performance at the University of Michigan. His teachers include Logan Skelton, Vladimir Feltsman, José Méndez, Melvin Chen, Boris Berman, Joseph Kalichstein, Matti Raekallio, Antonio Pompa-Baldi, Xiaohe Xie, and Oleg Roschin.
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2026 Fall Concert Sponsors
Presenting Sponsor
Sandra Van Tilburg
Individual Concert Sponsors
Wade Mayberry
Janet Evanega Rieckhoff and James Rieckhoff
Concert Receptions Sponsor
Jon Smoker
Annual Season Sponsors
Shelly Seely
Brenda & Michael Tudor
Fall Series Sponsors
