A Most Musical Illinois County

The recent news about Lauren Zhang, who began her musical life in our town of Charleston, Illinois in Coles County, and remained here for four years before moving with her family to Birmingham, England, got me thinking about some of the excellent pianists who grew up in our remote-yet-fertile neck of the musical woods.

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Lauren also played violin, and she participated in our Summer Strings program. Here she is playing some Scarlatti:



Before Lauren came to town every music lover in the area got to enjoy hearing Derek Maninfior, who grew up in the neighboring town of Mattoon, Illinois (8 miles away).

He's playing Beethoven here:



Before Derek, there was Kara Huber, who comes from Oakland, Illinois, a very small town a little north of Charleston.

She's playing some Mozart here:



I first got to hear Lauren play piano when she was about six. Her musical personality was already intact. I first heard Kara when she was about eight, and it was a total thrill to hear her. Derek I first heard when he was about 14, and like Lauren and Kara, he already had an intact musical personality.

They say that this part of the country has the best soil anywhere. And it grows musicians exceptionally well. Particularly pianists.