Edward Kreitman’s Retirement Celebration

By Tanya Carey

Sunday, May 26, 2024 was a beautiful day for Western Springs School of Talent Education, Naperville Suzuki School, to gather at Orchestra Hall in downtown Chicago to celebrate 44 years of growth under the leadership of its founder and director, Edward Kreitman, and to wish him well into his retirement. Friends and colleagues came from all over the United States and England to attend.

The three-hour program was in two parts. The first part featured the alumni presentations, with performing groups from WSSTE led by Kirsten Marshall, guest conductor, and teachers Sally Gross, Alex Revoal, Emily Connolly, and Patrick Connolly. Over 100 alumni returned to play in an orchestra with alum soloist Benjamin Beilman. Benjamin is one of the youngest artists to be appointed to the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music. Thomas Wermuth, Founding Director of the Chicago Consort, and Melissa Zindel, the collaborative pianist, joined the fete as they had in the foundational years.

The second part of the program was an end-of-the-year showcase led by the fifteen faculty members of the WSSTE staff. It started with the violin Pre-Twinkle and Twinkle, followed by the cellists, the viola ensemble, and finishing with the violins playing in classic Suzuki-style play down fashion from Rameau Gavotte down to Twinkle—over 280 performers! The celebration continued with a reception in the Ballroom.

Ed has left the school in good hands. The new co-directors, Emily and Patrick Connolly, both grew up in the WSSTE program from about age four, and were in both of WSSTE’s legacy performing ensembles, Allegro and Consort, soloing on many tours of Germany, Prague, Spain, Peru, Puerto Rico, and more.  Following their passions, Emily and Patrick continued on to earn undergraduate degrees in violin performance: Emily at the University of Michigan, and Patrick at the University of Texas. For graduate school, Emily followed her fascination with Suzuki to the Cleveland Institute of Music where she earned a double major in Suzuki pedagogy and violin performance. Patrick went to the trusty legacy, Almita Vamos, to receive a masters in violin performance as well. All with the love of WSSTE in mind, Emily and Patrick finished their schooling in order to return back to their beloved WSSTE as future Directors. Over the last six years, Ed has prepared Emily and Patrick to take over the school as seamlessly as possible.  

Bravo Ed! Job well done, and best wishes in your new adventures in Atlanta. There is more to do!

Tanya Carey has known Ed Kreitman from his violin beginnings as a clarinet major at Western Illinois University where he became entranced with the potential of Dr. Suzuki’s message on the growth of children. He was trained there in Suzuki Pedagogy and violin by Doris Preucil and Almita and Rolland Vamos. He did well in the cello class also!