Talks@EHC: The Untold Stories of Dawes’ Life in Music

The Untold Stories of Dawes’ Life in Music with Sara Su Jones

Wednesday, August 27, 6:30 PM

Free & Open to all. Scroll down to RSVP

In-person event*
At the Evanston History Center
225 Greenwood Evanston, IL

“[A]ll my life music has been my greatest enjoyment.” —Charles Gates Dawes, in a 1924 letter to conductor Nahan Franko

You may have heard that the popular hit “It’s All in the Game” (covered by Nat King Cole, Dinah Shore, and Van Morrison, among others) is based on the “Melody” that Charles Gates Dawes composed in 1911, before he became Vice President and won the Nobel Peace Prize. But as a musician, Dawes was much more than a one-hit wonder. For him, music was not merely a pleasurable avocation, but a defining axis of his life—vital to understanding who he was. In this talk, violinist and independent researcher Sara Su Jones will share previously untold stories of Dawes’s multifaceted musical life, from his music-making and composing to his generous support of—and tough, practical business advice for—musical artists and organizations. Stories of Dawes’s life in music, gleaned from Sara Su’s extensive archival research, will yield fresh insights into this intriguingly multi-talented public figure.

About Sara Su Jones

Sara Su Jones knows how fulfilling it can be to pursue music alongside other intellectual and professional interests. She holds an A.B. in Economics, magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from Harvard College, where she served as a Teaching Fellow and also as assistant concertmaster of the symphony orchestra. After working as a diplomatic intern at the U.S. State Department and U.S. Embassy Moscow and as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company, Sara Su earned a J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School, and practiced law at Ropes & Gray before founding her educational-coaching business, which focuses on college admissions and test prep. Together with her duo partner, pianist Tatyana Stepanova, Sara Su has performed at the Harvard Club of New York and appeared multiple times on “Live from WFMT” broadcasts. Her past and upcoming performances in the Chicago area include the Driehaus Museum’s Third Wednesday concert series, the Noonday Concert Series at Fourth Presbyterian Church, and sold-out recitals at Glessner House, the Cliff Dwellers Club, and Newberry Library. Hailed as a “violinist of enviable gifts” by a Chicago Sun-Times critic, Sara Su has also given recitals in London, Lisbon, and Reykjavik, where she performed on the main stage of Harpa (home of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra) and at the Residence of the U.S. Ambassador to Iceland.

*This in-person event will also be streamed on Facebook Live for those who cannot make it in person. You do not need to RSVP to attend via Facebook Live.

Through our community’s generosity, we can offer these free programs! Please consider donating $10 to support our ongoing free public programming.

Please click the blue “Going” button below to RSVP. A confirmation email will be sent to the email you registered with.

If you don’t receive a confirmation email, please email Erin Hughes at ehughes@evanstonhistorycenter.org.

Accompanying event:

The Musician Dawes: Celebrating Charles Dawes’ Musical Life and Legacy

October 5, 4pm. Sara Su Jones, violin and Tatyana Stepanova, piano, in concert at the Dawes House playing the Dawes’ compositions and works evoking his musical life:  Tickets HERE.