About

IRA Goodkin

Ira Goodkin grew up on the north side of Chicago, where he attended public elementary and high schools.  He received a Bachelor's Degree in Piano from the University of Illinois- Urbana and a Master's in Piano Performance from the Chicago Musical College of Roosevelt University.  He was a member of the Music Faculty at the University of Illinois - Chicago for 5 years, during which time he played many recitals and chamber concerts, including a solo recital in New York's Carnegie Recital Hall, which was favorably reviewed by the New York Times. He switched to a career in Financial Services which lasted for 32 years, during which time he continued to perform periodically. Since his retirement in 2012, he has been able to devote time to learning and re-learning the repertoire that he now shares with his audiences in a new format:

the musical experience,

a performance combined with a lecture/demonstration, providing the listeners with information, activities, and context to enhance their appreciation of the music.

After a hiatus of several years, due to the pandemic, Ira is once again sharing his musical experiences with live audiences.

Ira lives in Chicago, IL, and Greensboro, NC,  with his wife Marie.  Joe, his son, is a busy professional musician in the Chicago area, and Kathy, his daughter, is a published poet, living in the Greensboro, North Carolina area.