BIG NIGHT:
CELEBRATING RITA SIMÓ’S AUDACIOUS, ENDURING VISION OF MUSIC FOR ALL
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2026 • 6PM-10PM
THE GERAGHTY • 2520 S HOYNE AVE
We invite you to join us for an evening of brilliant student performances, a premier dinner & drinks, inspiring community stories, and an exciting live auction benefiting tuition-free music education! Help us celebrate 50 years of providing access to the benefits of intensive music education – 100% tuition-free.
Posthumously Honoring Dr. Rita Simó (1934 – 2020)
Fundadora de The People's Music School
A Dominican immigrant and Julliard-trained pianist, Rita founded “The Music School for the People” in 1976 in a former beauty salon, staffed by volunteers and made possible by the donation of a baby grand piano. She had dreamt of having her own place to teach and share the joy of learning music with others, and her tenacity made that dream a reality that endures five decades later. She believed all children should have access to music education, regardless of their family’s socioeconomic status. Her joyful spirit, fierce commitment to equity, and deep pride in her Dominican heritage made her a beloved leader in Chicago. A pillar in Chicago’s arts community and a tireless voice for equitable community access, she spent many years on the Board of Directors of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Rita’s fearless legacy lives on in every note played at The People’s Music School.
OUR EMCEE
Jenn Schanz, News Reporter, NBC 5 Chicago
We are thrilled to welcome Jenn Schanz, Emcee of Big Night: 50 Years of Daring to Play!
Jenn Schanz is an award-winning journalist and a news reporter at NBC 5 Chicago – you’ll often find her on the NBC 5 morning show, bright and early! Prior to returning here to Chicago, Jenn worked as both a general assignment and special assignment reporter in Lincoln, Neb., and Buffalo, N.Y., in addition to working as an anchor/reporter in Detroit. Jenn earned a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from DePaul University. As a student journalist, she covered the 2012 NATO Summit in Chicago. Jenn has received Associated Press awards and a Regional Edward R. Murrow for examining western New York’s opioid crisis. When she’s not reporting, you’ll find her running along the lakefront or in line at a Chicago burger spot.
We thank Jenn for the work she does for the community, and we are excited to welcome her to Big Night: 50 Years of Daring to Play!
We hope you will join The People’s Music School in celebrating 50 years of honoring Rita’s impact and supporting our mission. Your support of our Big Night will enable intensive, tuition-free, after-school music programming and will demonstrate your commitment to a historic, nationally recognized organization on the leading edge of creating life-changing student outcomes through access to intensive music education.
On our Big Night, help us secure the next 50 years of providing music for all, just as Rita did 50 years ago. We’ll see you at the Geraghty.
Gratefully,
