Chicago mourns its music seller

The violist Lee Newcomer, owner of Performer’s Music over four decades, has died, his friends report.

His store was the best meeting place for musicians in the city.

During Covid, Lee raised $40k in donations to keep it open, saying:

Performers Music has been a refuge for musicians in Chicago and around the world, and we want to keep it that way.

We need your help to secure a future.

Performers Music is a sheet music store and practice space in the Fine Arts Building on S. Michigan Avenue. We are the only independently-owned sheet music purveyor in the city and one of just a handful remaining in the nation.

We serve all musicians—professionals, amateurs, teachers, and students at every level. Our selection of sheet music includes classical solo, chamber, and orchestral music, as well as opera, jazz, vocal standards, and show tunes, with a wide variety of methods, studies, and educational materials. We also excel at researching hard-to-get music. Here you can look at music in person and compare different editions and pieces.

The store was opened in 1981 by Lee Newcomer, a violist. Since its inception, it has grown in size, diversity, and scope: with a staff of knowledgeable, helpful musicians. Recently Performers Music has been challenged by the rise of digital sheet music, and budget cuts to schools and community music programs.

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