From Bach to Balkans

Join us on an exciting and eclectic musical journey. Travel from the baroque period to the present with the Black Oak’s arrangements of ethnic tunes and beloved melodies of the past. 

The seeds of the Black Oak were planted in 2011 when the ensemble first performed for a standing room only audience in Chicago’s prestigious Music in the Loft Series.  According to John von Rhein, Chicago Tribune,  “The flamboyant vitality of the originals lived on in the arrangements as well as the expert performances.” 

The founding members, Croatian guitar virtuoso Goran Ivanovic and the Lincoln Trio’s violinist Desirée Ruhstrat and cellist David Cunliffe, continued their collaboration with performances at the Latino Music Festival, Chicago Cultural Center, Art Institute of Chicago, Mayne Stage, WFMT Radio, and Windy City Live. In addition, the Ravinia Festival chose the ensemble as their guest artists on the Ravinia tour from Barcelona to Monte Carlo.

2014 saw the addition of violinist/violist Aurélien Fort Pederzoli of the Spektral Quartet and the formal naming of the quartet, Black Oak, a beautiful tree native to their home state of Illinois.  

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