Inducted 2019

Sara and John McKay (pronounced Mick-Kye) are two talented musicians who live in St Peter, Minnesota. Based in Nova Scotia, Canada in the 1950s, SARA and her four sisters performed together as The Five Singing Hayden Sisters. The quintet sang with their father’s piano accompaniment on American CBS television show I’ve Got a Secret on New Year’s Day in 1958. Sara studied with Dutch baritone Bernard Diamant and received degrees in Vocal Performance from McGill University and Ecole Vincent d’Indy School of Music, both in Montreal, Canada. She recorded for CBC Radio in Canada as soloist with instrumental ensemble The Montreal Consort of Viols, and made her debut with The Montreal Elgar Choir and Symphony as contralto soloist in the Mozart Requiem in 1962. In 1964 she married pianist John McKaye and they moved to Belgium, where they spent the next five years concertizing. After three years back in Halifax, Nova Scotia where Sara was a soloist at St. Matthes United Church, she became soloist for a year at Asbury Methodist Church in Rochester, New York, where John completed his Doctorate at The Eastman School of Music. In 1976 John accepted a teaching position at Gustavus Adolphus College and moved to St Peter, both Sara and John becoming naturalized American citizens. Sara gave many vocal recitals accompanied by her husband, climaxed by nine performances performed throughout Minnesota of Dominic Argento’s Pulitzer Prize-winning song-cycle From the Diary of Virginia Woolfe. Sara performed as a vocal soloist and is teacher & conductor of The St Peter Choral Society, which she co-founded in 1979. In 1983 while raising three children, Sara completed her teaching license at Gustavus Adolphus College. She was the vocal music teacher for The Arlington-Green Isle Public Schools and Sibley East High School in Arlington, Minnesota. With several decades of professional experience to his name, Dr. JOHN McKay has enjoyed a successful career as a concert pianist and a Professor in Higher Education. He dedicated the majority of his work to holding the title of Professor of Music at Gustavus Adophus College from 1976 to 2004. Prior to that from 1969 to 1972 he taught in Canada as Assistant Professor and teacher of piano. John is a native of Montreal, Canada and earned his Bachelors in Music from McGill University. He completed Graduate Degrees at The Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. Further study took place in Vienna, Austria and Cologne, Germany. During his seven years abroad, John gave concerts in London, Vienna, Brussels, Berlin, Munich, and Cologne. In 1972, while teaching at The University of Toronto, John presented The Complete Works for Solo Piano by Johannes Brahms in a series of four recitals at Toronto’s Town Hall. As a result of a sabbatical leave granted him in 1985-86, he performed The Complete Sonatas for Piano by Beethoven in series of eight concerts, which were later broadcast on KGAC 90.5FM radio from Gustavus Adolphus College and at KMSU Radio from Mankato State University. John McKay has appeared on many Minnesota Public Radio programs and given recitals throughout the region and as guest soloist with The Mankato Symphony. Outside of his primary endeavors, Dr. McKay and Dr. Harry Dunscombe founded The Minnesota Valley Sommarfest, a summer chamber music festival from 1990-2006 on the Gustavis Adolphus College campus.

Inducted 2019

Tim and Ryan O’Neill are a top-selling instrumental piano duo from New Prague, Minnesota. They are multi-million selling recording artists who have released over 40 CD albums of piano music in their relaxing signature style. The O’Neill Brothers have performed for several Minnesota Governors, US Presidents, and toured with pop superstar Debbie Gibson as well as Katie McMahon, the original voice of Riverdance. The O’Neill Brothers began piano lessons at age five and attended the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, finding the appeal of two brothers playing pianos before deciding to pursue a career together. In 1997 they started their own independent label, Shamrock-N-Roll, Inc. The duo found success selling their music on television station QVC, in addition to making appearances on TV networks such as NBC, CBS, ESPN, PBS and HBO. Their PBS concert special Piano for Someone You Love was nominated for an Emmy Award and several of their CD’s have topped the Billboard independent charts multiple times. Publications such as The Los Angeles Times, The Minneapolis Star Tribune, Southern Bride, and Parenting magazine agree, describing their music as “reflective, soothing, soulful and stimulating”. Publications rave about their “keyboard artistry” and love the “enthusiasm and charming character” of the two brothers in concert. Fans nationwide have made successes of the O’Neill Brothers albums, which include collections of holiday favorites, Irish songs, classic and original love songs, lullabies, movie and Broadway songs, patriotic music, familiar inspirational songs, and wedding music. Their wedding CD album A Day to Remember is the number-one selling wedding CD in the USA.

The O’Neill Brothers’ website

(1958- )

Inducted 2015

Lorie Line was born with “perfect pitch”. She has been playing piano since age five; as a child prodigy she won many annual Statewide piano competitions. Classically trained, she graduated from The University of Nevada- Reno with a B.A. in Music Piano Performance. In 1986 Lori moved to Minneapolis and landed the perfect job serenading shoppers at the piano for Dayton’s Department Stores. Midwest fans took notice of her musical talent and style, and her career took off. Since then Line has recorded 46 CDs, published 43 books of music, sold six million albums, and has toured the United States for dozens of consecutive years, performing on over 2,000 stages. She continues to be the hardest working woman in show biz touring and performing in 80 cities each year. Lori Line has produced three television specials for PBS, performed for Congressmen, Senators, Governors, and for two Presidents in the White House.

Lori Line’s website

Jeanne Arland Peterson was Minnesota’s most formidable female jazz singer and pianist. She was the staff vocalist for WCCO radio for about 20 years, starting in 1940. After the death of her husband Willie Peterson in 1969, Jeanne took over the job as organist for the Minnesota Twins games. Peterson became the leader of a very musical family. Her album Wish features duets sung with her daughter Patty Peterson. Jeanne worked as a soloist and with small combos playing at nightclubs, receptions, parties, and trade shows. She was named to The Minnesota Jazz Hall of Fame in 1986. Peterson was a member of the all-female group called Women Who Cook! and performed in the Soviet Union in 1988. Jeanne and her children were all inducted as a Family to The Minnesota Music Hall of Fame in 2019.