Concert

Third Wednesday: Anita Graef and Nathan Canfield

Wednesday, September 17, 2025, 2025

Celebrated cellist Anita Graef returns to the Driehaus Museum for her first performance in the historic Murphy Auditorium. Joined by acclaimed pianist Nathan Canfield, the duo presents a dynamic and emotionally rich program that showcases the expressive possibilities of cello and piano.

Program:

“It Ain’t Necessarily So,” from Porgy and Bess, George Gershwin/arr. Jascha Heifetz

Romance, Op. 23 (arr. for Cello and Piano), Amy Beach

Sonata for Cello and Piano in G minor, Op. 65, Frédéric Chopin

• Allegro moderato
• Scherzo
• Largo
• Finale. Allegro

This event is free and open to the public, with donations gratefully accepted in support of the Museum’s ongoing cultural programming and community days.

About the Performers

American cellist Anita Graef has garnered praise as a musician of “superb artistry” (Pasadena Now) who plays with “high energy and polish” (WQXR). She has appeared both nationally and internationally in concerto, recital, and chamber music engagements while establishing a reputation as an artist who is equally at home exploring traditional and contemporary works, along with a deep commitment to service, outreach and education. She has been featured in Strings Magazine, and has appeared at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert series, and “Concerts from the Library of Congress.” She has also performed as a guest on various radio programs, including WQXR, WFMT and NPR, among others.

As the winner of the 2022 Gheens Young Artist Award and the 2021 American Prize, recent seasons have seen concerto debuts from Ms. Graef with the Louisville Orchestra, the Arkansas Philharmonic, the Riverside Symphony, the Miami Valley Symphony and many others. She recently concluded an appointment as the 2023 Duncanson Artist-in-Residence for the Taft Museum of Art. Upcoming recital and chamber music appearances include engagements with the Norton Museum of Art (West Palm Beach, FL), Saugerties Pro Musica, the Turner Center for the Arts (Valdosta, GA), Musica Sierra (Lake Tahoe/Reno, NV), the Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts, and the Partnership for the Performing Arts (Brookings, OR) Ms. Graef has appeared at numerous festivals, most recently including the Victoria Bach Festival, Green Lake Festival of Music, along with Artist-in-Residence positions at Sonoma and Lake George Music Festival. Anita serves as the Artistic Director for both Tallgrass Chamber Music Festival and the Juliani Ensemble, with whom she performs extensively both on tour and in residence in her hometown of Chicago.

Ms. Graef performs on a modern Italian cello by Ferdinando Garimberti, dated 1923.

Nathan Canfield serves as a staff pianist at Northwestern University’s Bienen
School of Music. An eager collaborator, he cherishes performing with musicians from his native Illinois and beyond, including members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute. He has also worked alongside musicians of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and members of other major orchestras and ensembles throughout the United States as a rehearsal and recital pianist. Beyond performing, Canfield is also a passionate arranger and transcriber for his instrument. His latest projects include arrangements of Sergei Rachmaninov’s lesser-known works, as well as a program of “Golden Age” piano duo transcriptions set for performance in 2025. Canfield is an alumnus of Northwestern University, completing a Master of Music degree under the guidance of James Giles.

Photo: Grittani Creative