Anne Burnell

One of Chicago's top musical duos, husband and wife team Anne Burnell and Mark Burnell were named “two of the great entertainers to ever grace this city,” by WGN Radio’s Rick Kogan. From Paris and Amsterdam to New York, they have delighted audiences the world over with their unique vocal harmonies on jazz, pop, and blues classics. Anne and Mark have appeared at some of the Windy City's top spots including The Auditorium Theatre, Davenport's, Andy's Jazz Club, Skokie Theatre, Park West, and Epiphany Center for the Arts. Anne and Mark performed the national anthem for the Chicago Cubs, White Sox, Chicago Fire, Arlington International Park, and the Special Olympics. Their a cappella stylings earned praise from Chicago Tribune music critic Howard Reich who said "Anne and Mark Burnell proved you don't need a piano when you sing a cappella this well." They have released 3 duo albums, Mark 2 solo recordings, and Anne 3 solo albums, 2 of which Mark plays piano on. The new release THIS COULD BE THE START OF SOMETHING BIG (2024) features originals and revamped standards with Fareed Haque, Josua Ramos, Jim Widlowski and Pat Mallinger. Their first duo effort, LITTLE THINGS WE DO TOGETHER was named "One of the Year's Ten Best," by After Dark, Gay Chicago Magazine. WBEZ 91.5 FM NPR host Larry Smith raved "if there's ever to be another Jackie Cain and Roy Kral- it is to be in the persons of Anne Pringle (Burnell) and Mark Burnell." 2022 marked the release of their second duo album TWO FOR THE ROAD. St. Louis’ KDHX senior arts critic Chuck Lavazzi declared “Two For The Road is a perfect mix in every respect. Anne and Mark Burnell’s voices blend beautifully, the balance of new and classic songs is just right, and the arrangements are original in sometimes unexpected ways.” Anne's songwriting expertise is showcased with Another Chorus of the Blues, and the single Peppermint Tea, named 2022 Top 40 by BluesBlues.Co.UK. With an all-star array of musicians, the result earned them a TV performance on WGN, a feature profile in the Chicago Tribune, and became an instant radio favorite, with international airplay on over 100 jazz stations.

Anne was awarded the 2024 Chicago Cabaret Excellence in Cabaret Service Award, she served as President from 2019-2023, and currently serves as Chicago Cabaret Week Managing Director with Working In Concert.
She is a Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs grant award recipient. Anne & Mark were awarded Chicago Cabaret's 2024 Gold Coast Award, and they are Illinois Arts Council ArtsTour, and Chicago Band Roster artists.