Irving S. Gilmore International Piano Festival

The Irving S. Gilmore International Piano Festival will feature the finest international pianists playing classical, jazz, and pop music. The piano will be center stage for Gilmore-commissioned world premieres, free community concerts, films, musical theatre, and so much more.

Festival Schedule:

11:00 AM: Aubrey Bergauer: Changing the Narrative

Run it Like a Business: Strategies to Unleash the Full Power and Profit of the Arts

The arts are a $763 billion sector whose 100,000+ organizations serve almost every county in the nation. Today they all seek to rebuild audiences, confront centuries of systemic discrimination, and regain relevance. And just because they are nonprofits, that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t make money. Data, research, and case studies from the for-profit sector show us a necessary and sustainable model, essential to revitalizing the critical economic engine and better serving the arts and its consumers.

Location: Kalamazoo Public Library- Central Library

2:00PM: Ingrid Fliter, 2006 Gilmore Artist

2006 Gilmore Artist and winner of the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw, Fliter will present Chopin’s 3rd Piano Sonata, Op. 58 and Schumann’s Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13. Ms. Fliter’s delicate touch and profound interpretations of classical compositions will spotlight the centuries-long staying power of these works. As one of the pre-eminent exponents of Chopin’s music, her recording of the complete Chopin Waltzes received five star reviews and was chosen as Editor’s Choice in both Gramophone and Classic FM Magazine.

1 pm Concert preview with Dr. Zaide Pixley, Dalton Lecture Hall

Location: Dalton Center Recital Hall-WMU

7:30PM: Sphinx Virtuosi with Awadagin Pratt

Pianist Awadagin Pratt and the Sphinx Virtuosi (launched in Ann Arbor, Michigan) will perform Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Piano Quintet in G Minor, Op. 1, and a new concerto by Xavier Foley, among other works. Sphinx Virtuosi features the nation’s top Black and LatinX musicians, a group of 38 soloists dedicated to increasing diversity in classical music. They will perform with esteemed classical pianist Awadagin Pratt, who has performed throughout the US at major venues including Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Chicago’s Orchestra Hall, and Carnegie Hall. Pratt is Professor of Piano at College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati and Artistic Director of their Art of the Piano Festival.

Location: Chenery Auditorium