Chicago's #1 Recommended Pianist!

About

What do Oprah, Nordstroms, and The American Medical Association have in common? They all have had versatile full-time professional pianist RICHARD SLADEK perform at their events! Available for corporate/private events & weddings since 1984. Classical Piano degree... Portable piano, flute, strings, jazz trio also available... Former lead pianist of Nordstrom's/Von Maur from 1991-2000!... Also performed at the Oak Brook Hills Hotel for 14 years.

ABOUT THE ARTIST: A Chicago native, Mr. Sladek began playing piano at age seven with inspiration from his parents, later studying with John Calderone and Lydia Smutny Sterba.

He earned a Bachelor of Music degree at the Chicago Musical College of Roosevelt University under the tutelage of Saul Dorfman and Felix Ganz. Other teachers have included concert pianists Dmitri Paperno ( DePaul University), Robert VanderSchaaf, Donald Walker ( Northern Illinois University ), Pawel Chechinski, and Joseph Cisar. He has also participated in master classes with University of Michigan piano professor Theodore Lettvin, and has studied jazz piano with Skip Green. His private theory and composition studies were with Ralph Dodds and the renowned composer William Russo. Mr. Sladek has been the recipient of several awards including those from the Chicago Musical Arts Club and the Grace Welsh National Piano Competition.

Professionally, he has served as staff accompanist for Columbia College and the Second City National Touring Company. He has also accompanied for ballet companies such as the Salt Creek Ballet, and The Academy of Movement and Music, as well as played for ballet master classes with the renowned Maria Tallchief, Violette Verde and Ken Von Heidecke.

He was a featured artist at the Oak Brook Nordstrom and at Von Maur at Yorktown Center, Lombard. In 1994 Von Maur commissioned him to record "Christmas Favorites" to celebrate the first holiday season of the company in the Chicago area. It has also been featured on Wisconsin Public Radio.


Mr. Sladek has received a New York Film Festivals award for Outstanding Achievement for his Original Music for Video with the nationally acclaimed education theater troupe, Wavelength. As musical director/composer for 16 years, he performed for over 100,000 educators in North America and the Netherlands. He has played in numerous musical theater productions, most notably for the Shubert, Marriott Lincolnshire, Theater at the Center, Apple Tree and Circle Theaters, and the Candlelight Dinner Playhouse.

He has also recorded two other CDs, "Piano Celebration" and "Ragtime Classics".

What to Expect

None stated

Available for Your

Anniversary Party, Bar/Bat Mitzvah Party, Birthday Party, Bridal Shower, Christmas Party, Church Service, Concert Venue, Grand Opening, Holiday Party, Hotel, Launch Party, Luncheon/Tea, Private Party, Restaurant, Seminar, Studio Session, Trade Show, Wedding Ceremony, Wedding Cocktail Hour, Wedding Reception, Workshop