Pianist Jeffrey Panko is a musician whose versatility of style and genre, encompassing repertoire from Bach to the contemporary, is presented with poetic grace, technical aplomb and a large color palette. The recipient of numerous awards and honors, Panko began his formal musical education at the age of six with his grandmother, Lorraine Jagodzinski, Receiving degrees in Piano Performance from the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music and the DePaul University School of Music, he was also selected as a scholarship student to the Tanglewood Music Festival (studying piano with Anthony di Bonaventura and chamber music with Joel Smirnoff) and the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria (studying piano with Alexis Golovin). He has earned top prize awards in competitions including the Society of American Musician’s Piano Competition (Chicago) and the Frinna Awerbuch International Piano Competition (New York). Panko’s piano teachers include Lydia Frumkin, Dmitry Paperno and Chicago Symphony Orchestra pianist Mary Sauer.

Following a concert tour of Poland where Panko was honored by the United States with the title of Cultural Ambassador, Panko was asked by the City of Chicago to present a Chopin recital for the visiting Lech Walesa and other Polish dignitaries, culminating with two Command Performances for Polish Prime Ministers visiting the United States. Panko has also been featured in performances at Carnegie Hall, Weill Hall, Lincoln Center Library, WQXR Radio (New York), is a frequent performer on WFMT Radio (Chicago), and has appeared in Symphony Center playing the music of Steven Sondheim for Mr. Sondheim.

Panko has performed in concert with internationally acclaimed artists Denyce Graves, Christopher Robertson, Mary Stolper, members of the Berlin Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, the Washington Opera Orchestra and has appeared as soloist under the baton of Jed Gaylin, Robert Holst, Timothy McCullom, John Paynter, Phil Simmons, Meng Kong Tham, Eric Townell and John Bruce Yeh . Panko has also served as accompanist and master class pianist to Dalton Baldwin, Mathieu Dufour, Judith Haddon, Donald Peck, Ned Rorem, Allan Stone and Giorgio Tozzi.

For nearly twelve years Panko served as Musical Director for the Primavera Singers at the Fairmont Hotel in Chicago. Currently he serves as Minister of Music and as Artistic Director of the Monday Evening Concert Series for Bethel United Church of Christ in Elmhurst, Illinois. Panko released his second CD in May of 2003.