FREE PIANO CONCERT: Students of pianist Ingrid Clarfield, center, will perform a free concert open to the public at McCarter Theatre’s Berlind Theatre on Sunday, June 12 from 2 to 5 p.m.

On Sunday, June 12 from 2-5 p.m., students of pianist Ingrid Clarfield will perform a free concert open to the public at McCarter Theatre’s Berlind Theatre, 91 University Place. The program includes works by Mozart, Haydn, Bach, Chopin, Liszt, Mendelssohn, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, and two women composers, Amy Beach and Margaret Bonds.

For the past nine years, Clarfield has held piano recitals that included a fundraising component called Performathons. Students not only practiced for their recital, they also raised money to support child-related causes. This year, the money will support the Children’s Fund at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).

This concert will feature two Steinway & Sons concert grand pianos, made possible due to the generosity of Bob Rinaldi of Jacobs Music Company.

Clarfield said recently, “Bob Rinaldi of Jacobs Music Co. has provided both pianos for us to use in addition to being helpful to me and my students in so many ways throughout the years. To recognize his generosity, we selected CHOP as our beneficiary charity, because it has special meaning to him.”

Rinaldi said, “Ingrid is the finest example of an excellent music teacher, one whom, despite her own challenges, is totally dedicated to her students. In fact, when we created the AI C. Rinaldi Lifetime Achievement Award in honor of my father, Ingrid was the first, most deserving recipient.”

Among the students performing is Alyssa Xu, 16, a junior at High School North in the West Windsor-Plainsboro school district. She has played piano for 11 years and has taken lessons with Clarfield for five of those years.

“The Performathon brings a sense of hope and connectedness that I’m so grateful to be a part of each year,” said Xu. “It warms my heart when I see the piano community, and even strangers that have no connection to piano nor CHOP, come together to support the fundraising for kids in the
hospital, whether it’s by spreading flyers to friends and family, working hard to prepare a performance, making a donation, providing pianos and venues, or attending the recitals. I’m glad that the Performathon gives me a way to channel the resources I have toward helping other kids get the best treatment that they can at CHOP.”

For more information, email performathonchop@gmail.com.