Keymore Festival for Contemporary Piano
Keymore’s Mission:
Keymore aims to challenge the preconceived notions of the piano as a static and limited instrument of the past. Rather, we assert that the creative capabilities of the piano are expansive and ever growing. The piano is more than just a piano. It is an instrument of definitive cultural utility, and potent symbolic worth. The piano is a unique cultural instrument that has the capability to impact all of society for the better.
Through youth and adult education, the piano can help students grow the essential qualities of self-expression, self-confidence, authenticity, intellect and soul.
Through cross-disciplinary collaborative idea-building, the piano can ignite the thoughts and passions of non-musician professionals, in the arts, humanities, math and sciences, and in the public sphere of social and civic engagement.
Through commissioning new music creators, the piano can offer personal, creative and social empowerment to artists, and through artists’ work, predict and usher in positive change for society at large.
Keymore strives to demonstrate and celebrate the role the instrument has played in society, as well as reveal the instrument’s potential going into a bright future.
Advisory Board
Katie Adams, Development Manager, CircEsteem
Shi-An Costello (Chair), Composer & Pianist, shi-an costello
Cheryl Duvall, Artistic Director, Chamber Music Society of Mississauga
Dr. Jeannette Fang, Pianist & Co-Artistic Director, Garth Newel Piano Quartet
Jonathan Hannau, Composer & Pianist, Jonathan Hannau
Sebastian Huydts, Chair of the Music Department, Columbia College
Dr. Eugenia Jeong, Director of Piano Studies, University of Chicago
Dr. Brianna Matzke, Executive Director, Cortona Sessions
Christopher Narloch, Owner & Curator, Narloch Piano Studio
Marianne Parker, President, New Music Chicago
Anne Rainwater, Pianist & Curator, Anne Rainwater
Andrew Rosenblum, Pianist & Harpsichordist, Andrew Rosenblum
Miki Sawada, Pianist & Creator, Gather Hear Tour
Dr. Daniel Schlosberg, Associate Professor, University of Notre Dame
Rhapsody Snyder, Executive Director, Chicago Jazz Philharmonic
Dr. Maria Sumareva, Pianist, Maria Sumareva
Kimihiro Yasaka, Pianist, Kimihiro Yasaka
Dr. Francis Yun, Director of Music, Chatham Hall
Thomas Zoells, Owner & CEO, PianoForte Chicago, Inc.
Artistic Director, Lead Curator
Shi-An Costello
Thank you to our 2022 Festival Partners!
Experimental Sound Studio
PianoForte Studios


PAST events
NOV 6, 2022: Online PREVIEW ESS Quarantine feat. Dr. Francis Yun (watch here)
NOV 20, 2022: Online PREVIEW ESS Quarantine feat. Rhapsody Snyder, ED, Chicago Jazz Philharmonic (watch here)
DEC 11, 2022: Online PREVIEW ESS Quarantine feat. Rich Coburn, Founder & Director, BIPOC Voices (watch here)
DEC 16, 2022: Online PREVIEW ESS Quarantine feat. Dr. David Reminick and Aeryn Jade Santillan, 2022 Keymore Commissioned Composer (watch here)
DEC 17, 2022: World Premiere of distance. by Aeryn Jade Santillan, 2022 Keymore Commissioned Composer, PianoForte Studios, 1335 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60605 (Shi-An Costello and Francis Yun, pianos)
All inquiries may be sent to keymore.festival@gmail.com