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Celebrated songstress Linda Eder, known for her diverse repertoire that spans Broadway, standards, pop, country, and jazz, will headline the ČŐş«ÂŇÂ× Institute for Arts & Culture’s annual Summer SoirĂ©e on Saturday, Aug. 9. The evening will feature an intimate concert in Walker Recital Hall at 7 p.m., followed by an elegant outdoor celebration on the picturesque grounds of the ČŐş«ÂŇÂ× campus.
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The 501 & The Silver Circle
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The Summer SoirĂ©e serves as the signature event for The 501 and The Silver Circle, two membership societies that provide vital support for the ČŐş«ÂŇÂ× Institute for Arts & Culture. Established in 2017, The 501 was created to recognize and engage MIAC’s most dedicated supporters. In 2021, The Silver Circle was introduced to expand this premier membership opportunity to a broader community of arts patrons.
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These societies unite individuals who share a commitment to the performing arts, ensuring that MIAC continues to bring world-class programming to the Erie region. In appreciation of their support, members receive a range of exclusive benefits designed to elevate their experience, including priority ticket access, invitations to private receptions, valet parking, and more.
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“Members of The 501 and The Silver Circle are more than just supporters of the arts—they are philanthropic leaders whose generosity sustains MIAC’s mission and makes world-class performances accessible to our community,” said MIAC artistic director Dr. Brett D. Johnson. “Their commitment ensures that the cultural landscape of Erie continues to thrive.”
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Memberships for the upcoming season, which include tickets to Eder’s concert at The Summer Soirée, will be available beginning Monday, May 5, at . Current members who wish to retain or upgrade their seats must renew by Friday, June 20. New memberships will be processed in the order they are received.
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ČŐş«ÂŇÂ× Linda Eder
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Born in Tucson, Arizona, and raised in Brainerd, Minnesota, Eder began her career right out of high school singing all around her home state, and she eventually landed a gig at Harrah’s Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. But it was her appearance on the 1987 season of “Star Search,” during which she won for an unprecedented 12 straight weeks, which attracted the attention of audiences and record companies alike.

Eder launched her recording career in 1991 with her self-titled debut album and soon established a vital niche as America’s most popular and acclaimed new interpreter of Pop, Standard, and Theatrical genres. She released two more solo albums before starring in the Broadway production of “Jekyll & Hyde,” beginning on April 28, 1997. As the tragic character Lucy in this new musical, Eder blew the roof off New York City’s Plymouth Theatre eight times a week as she belted out her signature songs, “Someone Like You” and “A New Life.” Her Broadway debut, for which she was rewarded with a Drama Desk nomination, sent her already rapidly rising star blazing across the sky, securing her a spot as one of America’s most beloved singers and dynamic “live” performers. Stephen Holden of The New York Times wrote, “What do we mean when we use the word perfection? The question arises every time I watch the pop singer Linda Eder…”
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After leaving Broadway, Eder’s recording career continued full steam ahead with her discography to date being comprised of 18 solo recordings and numerous musical recordings. She focused on mostly Broadway, Standard, and Pop music for many years, which highlighted her abundant vocal gifts, as well as her skill for delivering dramatic, emotionally resonant interpretations of mostly familiar songs while making them her own. Her highly successful first Christmas album, “Christmas Stays the Same,” is a perfect example of the way she can transform and interpret beloved Christmas music and make it her own without compromising the original.
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In 2008, Eder ventured beyond her usual repertoire to record “The Other Side of Me,” a Country Pop blend of contemporary music, which included a song written by Eder herself. In June 2010, she and Clay Aiken covered Roy Orbison’s “Crying” as a duet on Aiken’s album, “Tried & True.”
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In 2013, Eder established her own record company under the name Tressamail, Inc., and in that same year, she released her first recording on that newly established label, the highly acclaimed “Christmas Where You Are.” This album features 12 tracks – six selected by her fans via social media and two originals from Eder herself. It also features a unique twist on the classic “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” which Linda rewrote and recorded with her teenage son, Jake. It was to represent a classic mother-son debate over going outside to play in a snowstorm.
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Eder has released two additional recordings on her own record label. In 2014, she released her first-ever “live” album, “LindaLive,” which was recorded in Saratoga, New York, before a wildly enthusiastic crowd. In November 2015, she released “Retro Volume 1.” This recording features 14 tracks written by Frank Wildhorn, Jack Murphy, Jason Howland, Leslie Bricusse, Nan Knighton, Baird Jarman, and Maury Yeston. It is filled with the kind of lush, sweeping Broadway-esque melodies that first introduced Eder’s voice to her many fans.
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In 2018, Eder recorded her seventeenth solo album, a Broadway/Standards album titled “If You See Me,” with music for the title track written by her son, Jake Wildhorn, and lyrics written by Eder herself. She also released her first behind-the-scenes DVD, “The Other Side,” compiled from personal moments at work and at home over a three-year period and culminating with the making of her new album, “If You See Me.”
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She has appeared on television numerous times. TrailMIX, her prime-time Animal Planet special about singers with a passion for horses, was a natural extension of her love for animals and featured Eder interviewing fellow recording artists and performers Sheryl Crow, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Irish tenor Ronan Tynan, Rob Thomas, and Aerosmith’s Joe Perry. She has been featured on numerous PBS television concert specials, including “Clay Aiken’s Tried & True,” “Hallelujah Broadway,” “Linda Eder: The PBS Concert,” “Best of Broadway: Broadway’s The Leading Ladies,” “Best of Broadway: The Love Songs,” “Jim Brickman Plays The Disney Songbook,” and more. Her 2001 Holiday Concert, “Christmas Stays the Same,” was broadcast on Bravo TV and continues to be a popular-selling DVD.
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The concert stage remains the mainstay of Eder’s career. She has performed for sold-out crowds in venues across the country and throughout Europe. She has performed at many prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, The Palace Theatre, Radio City Music Hall, Wolftrap, New York City’s Town Hall, and Davies Hall, among many others. Always touring in great company, her collaborators have included the late Oscar-winning composer and pianist Marvin Hamlisch, Emmy and Grammy winner Michael Feinstein, and conductor of the Boston Pops Keith Lockhart. Eder is happiest on stage, singing for her audiences and spreading the joy she exudes.