Walder Foundation

“I feel very free within this kind of constriction of what is the melody and what is the harmony.. and then how I can play with that. It’s very much a part of who I am and my whole being has to do with creation.” — Lisa Kaplan #PlatformAwards recipient Lisa Kaplan is a composer, educator, and pianist specializing in the performance of new work by living composers.   Kaplan is the Executive Director of the four-time Grammy Award-winning sextet Eighth Blackbird P A A. As the co-founder of the Blackbird Creative Lab, a musical educational initiative for emergent musical artists, Lisa is passionate about forging community and mentoring musicians who will shape the future of contemporary music. She has premiered new pieces by hundreds of composers, including Andy Akiho, Jennifer Higdon, Amy Beth Kirsten, David Lang, Missy Mazzoli, Nico Muhly, Steve Reich, and Pamela Z. She has collaborated with an eclectic array of artists and musicians, such as Laurie Anderson, Jeremy Denk, Bryce Dessner, Philip Glass, Bon Iver, and J. Ivy.   #WalderFoundation #PlatformAwards #ChicagoArts #Pianist #ContemporaryMusic

The Platform Awards recipients were nominated by Chicago-based academics, field experts, and cultural leaders and chosen by a national panel of established practicing artists. Aparna Ramaswamy is the Executive Artistic Director, Choreographer and Principal Dancer of Ragamala Dance Company with her choreographic partner, and mother, Ranee Ramaswamy, merging rich traditions and deep philosophical roots of Indian heritage with the perspective of a first-generation South Indian America Described as “thrillingly three-dimensional… rapturous and profound” (The New York Times) and “a marvel of buoyant agility and sculptural clarity” (Dance Magazine), Aparna engages the dynamic tension at the intersection of tradition and innovation, approaching her artistic lineage as a dynamic, living language and a potent tool to speak to the contemporary human experience. Her work has been commissioned and presented by The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Adf American Dance Festival, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, The Joyce Theater Foundation, Inc., and the National Centre for the Performing Arts, among others. Learn more about the Platform Awards Panelists: https://lnkd.in/gXJJEaMr #WalderFoundation #PlatformAwards #AparnaRamaswamy #Dance #Choreography

“I create plays and musicals and music driven storytelling experiences that really uplift and center Latine history and the lives of everyday Latine people living in the United States. My work is inspired by underknown Chicago histories that I feel deserve wider recognition.” — Sandra Delgado #PlatformAwards recipient Sandra Delgado is a Colombian-Chicagoan writer, performer and producer who creates joyful spaces of connection for all. Hailed as “her own brand of triple threat” (New City Chicago), she is best known for La Havana Madrid, her hit play with music, originally produced by Teatro Vista Productions in Chicago. Her new musical, “The Boys and the Nuns,” was developed with the Latiné Musical Theatre Lab and California State University, Fullerton in 2023. Awards include a United States Artist Fellowship, NALAC Grant, Illinois Arts Council Fellowship in Literature, 3Arts Chicago Award, Joyce Award, TCG Resident Actor Fellowship, and more. https://lnkd.in/gVWnhz8H #WalderFoundation #SandraDelgado #Theater

“I know you have the right stuff…the fortitude and the talent to elevate your game and lift up this sector for the enrichment of ever broader audiences and the benefit of our entire Chicago region.” —  Elizabeth Walder, Walder Foundation co-founder and President We hosted a fantastic celebration this fall honoring our inaugural Platform Awards recipients. Speakers ranged from the Walder Foundation’s own ELIZABETH WALDER and Ebony Chuukwu; to principal clarinetist of the New York Philharmonic, Anthony McGill; Grammy Awards winners Kurt Elling and J. Ivy; Artistic Director of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell, MFA; actress Charín Alvarez; and dean of the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University, Jonathan Bailey Holland. Each presenter encouraged the artistic community to push boundaries, embrace challenges, and continue creating with unwavering determination! #WalderFoundation #PlatformAwards #PerformingArts #PerformingArtists

Learn about the Field Museum’s “Magnifying Conservation Impact and Biodiversity Understanding in the Guiana Shield” project from Conservation Ecologist Dr. Lesley de Souza and Environmental Social Scientist Dr. R. Elliott Oakley on WBBM | CBS Chicago! With support from the Walder Foundation’s 2022 grant to the Field Museum, the largest-ever scientific expedition to Guyana’s rainforest is contributing to the country’s biodiversity inventory, aiming to help protect 30% of its land by 2030.   https://lnkd.in/evkttZzM

A look back at our inaugural Platform Awards Celebration in October. Attendees were treated to performances from Keynote Speaker Anthony McGill, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and Interdisciplinary Award presenter, J. Ivy, in celebration of Chicago’s performing arts community! Stay tuned as we highlight more memorable moments from the celebration. #WalderFoundation #PlatformAwards #PerformingArts #PerformingArtists

“Walder Foundation is proud to support this important partnership which advances nature-based solutions that benefit biodiversity and communities in the Chicago region. This work will help mitigate the negative effects of climate change in some of Chicago’s most impacted communities while boosting access to safe green spaces, restoring critical habitats, and enhancing community health. By demonstrating multiple benefits, these projects can serve as a catalyst for advancing nature-based solutions across the region.” — Jack Westwood, Senior Program Director, Environmental Sustainability

Congratulations are in order! The Morton Arboretum’s Dr. Silvia Alvarez-Clare, and Shedd Aquarium’s Dr. Yasmin Quintana have been named two of Crain's Chicago Business 2024 Notable Latino Leaders. Silvia and Yasmín are guiding in newly established IUCN Centers for Species Survival focused on Trees and Freshwater respectively. Biodiversity sustains us, and the Walder Foundation is proud to support this work that puts Chicago at the center of global efforts to conserve threatened and endangered species in these vital ecosystems. It’s wonderful to see this deserved recognition for these Latina scientists leading the way to more biodiverse and climate resilient future. We are so excited to continue working with Silvia, Yasmín, and their teams on this crucial endeavor.     #biodiveristy #conservation #womeninscience #chicago

We are proud to support the Daybreak Fund’s 2024 grant program, which advances projects weaving together solutions to climate change, water quality and social equity problems in the Western Lake Michigan region. This year’s grantees spotlight Indigenous ecological knowledge, with Tribal-led projects showcasing the Daybreak Fund’s dedication to traditional practices as key solutions to the climate crisis and environmental restoration. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/ePd3kfkt

What an incredible evening celebrating the inaugural Platform Awards recipients! ✨ Thank you to everyone who joined us for an unforgettable night filled with inspiring performing artists, powerful speeches, outstanding performances. We’re honored to have recognized some of Chicagoland’s most talented and dedicated artists who enrich the City’s creative and civic landscape through a commitment to honing their craft and meaningful community engagement. Stay tuned as we highlight more memorable moments from the celebration! #WalderFoundation #PlatformAwards #PerformingArts #PerformingArtists