Darlene Koldenhoven is bringing her 50-year music career back to the city where it started. The Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, producer, and pianist will hold a book signing at Macy's on State Street on October 16, followed by a special performance the next day at the Theosophical Society of America.
The Chicago-area stops mark a homecoming for Koldenhoven, who released her memoir, *Put Your Dress Down and Sing*, on August 7 through Sibylline Press, as reported by WGN-TV. The memoir arrived alongside a companion solo piano album titled *A Grand Memoir* and an audiobook edition narrated by Koldenhoven herself, featuring music from that same album, according to her official book site. The memoir's title recalls a childhood lesson about her dress from her mother.
A Grammy-Winning Voice With Deep Chicago Roots
Before she ever stepped into a Hollywood recording booth, Koldenhoven was teaching elementary school music in Chicago. She earned a Bachelor of Music Education and a Master of Music in Voice from Chicago Conservatory College, and spent six years as a Chicago-area teacher before relocating to Los Angeles in 1978 to pursue studio work, the station's report notes. She performed a solo with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at age 19.
That Chicago foundation eventually led to a Grammy Award. Koldenhoven won in the Best Jazz Vocal Performance by Group category as part of Clare Fischer's group 2+2, per the same account. The Recording Academy later presented her with the MVP Award for Best Session Singer for her vocal work across more than 1,000 film, television, and album recordings, according to New Age Notes.
From Sister Act to a Global PBS Stage
Koldenhoven's resume stretches well beyond the recording studio. Off-camera, she served as production vocal coach, vocal contractor, rehearsal pianist, and music director for the choir in both *Sister Act* (1992) and *Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit* (1993), starring Whoopi Goldberg, while also appearing on-screen as the tambourine-waving choir nun, according to Metacritic's credits listing. Her memoir recounts behind-the-scenes moments from the set, New Age Notes reports.
She also reached a massive global audience as the featured soprano soloist performing “Aria” in the 1994 concert special *Yanni, Live at the Acropolis*, which drew an estimated 1.5 billion PBS viewers worldwide, per Solo Piano's artist page.
A Thriving Independent Career
Koldenhoven has continued building an independent music career well into recent years. Her solo piano album *The Grand Piano Spa* debuted at No. 4 on Billboard's Classical Crossover Albums chart in May 2021, with its sequel, *The Grand Piano Spa: Legacy*, following later that year at No. 8, according to Wikipedia.
In April 2019, Koldenhoven became the first artist inducted into the Indie Music Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, per her official site. She has released 14 albums on her own TimeArt Recordings label, securing multiple No. 1 positions on international New Age radio charts. Beyond performing, she authored the music education textbook and CD program *Tune Your Voice: Singing and Your Mind's Musical Ear* and practices as a certified sonic therapist, according to EthnoCloud, with her vocal curriculum earning endorsements from faculty at Juilliard, Berklee College of Music, and New York University.
Two Historic Chicago-Area Venues
Koldenhoven's book signing on October 16 takes place at Macy's on State Street.
The following day, her performance moves to the Theosophical Society in America in Wheaton.
