Just Listen

Meet Val

Val Haller is the founder of ValsList, a music discovery platform she launched in 2007 to help busy adults stay connected to new music. Val began by curating playlists and soon expanded  into live experiences, from intimate living room concerts to a signature ValsList Live Concert Series, and in 2017 the launch of Winnetka Music Festival, a nationally recognized event, on Chicago’s North Shore (Val’s hometown).

Her fresh approach quickly gained recognition. Music analyst, Bob Lefsetz, took notice, “We’re looking for more. Computers can’t tell us what we like, we need humans. Like Val Haller.” (2008) Val has been featured in Oprah’s O Magazine, The Katie Couric Show, NPR, served as a music contributor on Chicago’s WCIU, “You & Me” and authored a weekly column in the New York Times called “Music Match”, comparing emerging and vintage artists.  She has collaborated and produced events with iconic venues such as the Chicago Botanic Garden and Wrigley Field’s Gallagher Way.

In 2021, the festival partnered with Evanston SPACE—operators of renowned Chicago venues like Thalia Hall, The Salt Shed, and The Empty Bottle. Through it all, Val’s mission has remained the same: to bridge the gap between emerging artists and the audiences eager to discover them. Just Listen.

Val resides in Winnetka with her husband, Mark and is a mom of four sons, four daughters-in-law and almost 7 grandchildren.

The Valslist Team

Valslist was founded on a simple idea: great music deserves to be heard, and emerging artists deserve an audience that truly listens. What began as a passion project has grown into a vibrant, community-driven music platform built around live performance, discovery, and human-curated connection.

In 2012, Val and her husband Mark opened their suburban living room to showcase talented emerging artists through intimate, seated house concerts. These early shows quickly gained a devoted following, resonating with busy adults who craved meaningful, high-quality live music experiences. The demand grew fast — and with it, the vision. Mark helped scale the concert model beyond the living room into larger venues and partnerships with organizations such as Chicago Botanic Garden, local country clubs, and Wrigley Field’s Gallagher Way. His four decades in startup development and strategy consulting helped shape the foundation for a robust live-music business and growing credibility to the Valslist brand.

In 2015, longtime management consultant Scott Myers was introduced to the concerts and immediately saw an opportunity to scale it to an even larger model - to bring the Winnetka community together through a world-class music experience… Having spent 35 years in consulting and helping lead Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Olympic Games, Scott brought operational rigor and large-scale execution experience to the team. Together with Val and Mark, he helped launch what would become the Winnetka Music Festival in 2016 — a festival built around exceptional emerging artists paired with thoughtful, high-quality production.

The festival officially launched in 2017 and has grown steadily into one of the region’s most beloved music events. Now celebrating its 10th anniversary, the Winnetka Music Festival has hosted more than 250 artists and welcomed thousands of music fans to the beautiful Village of Winnetka. From its earliest days, the festival has been powered by community — with more than 200 volunteers, a dedicated organizing committee, and the continued support of the Village of Winnetka and local business owners. In 2023, Valslist partnered with renowned local music promoter Evanston SPACE to help scale production and talent booking while preserving the festival’s intimate, artist-first spirit.

Beyond the festival, Valslist produces the popular Valslist Live Concert Series at the historic Winnetka Chapel, continuing its roots in seated listening shows where artists and audiences share a rare and meaningful connection. Val curates each performance with care, bringing touring artists of all genres into the community and creating a space where artists feel truly heard and supported.

In 2025, Valslist launched the Just Listen Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization created to support touring artists in their day-to-day journey. The foundation reflects the natural evolution of Valslist — born from a shared passion for music, a belief in the power of community, and the complementary skills of its founders.Today, Valslist continues to connect music fans with new voices through live concerts, curated playlists, artist discovery, and storytelling. In a world full of excess, Valslist exists to slow things down, create space for connection, and remind us why music matters.

Life is noisy. JUST LISTEN.

 

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