Mission

The Medtner Festival of America (MFA) is a weeklong festival in Fall 2026 that will honor the legacy of Russian composer Nikolai Medtner (1880–1951) on the 75th anniversary of his death. MFA will bring together leading performers, scholars, and emerging artists for concerts, lectures, and masterclasses across the Chicago area. Despite being widely admired by his contemporaries, Medtner remains significantly under-recognized in the United States. By presenting performances, educational programming, and student opportunities centered on his music, the festival seeks to introduce new audiences to a composer of extraordinary artistic depth while establishing Chicago as a hub for Medtner performance and scholarship.