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:

12:00 PM: Through the Eyes of Yuja: A Road Movie

A journey with the 2006 Gilmore Young Artist who lives a nomadic lifestyle, performing upwards of 120 concerts annually. A travelog of exciting venues, glitzy cities and encounters with extraordinary artists like Gustavo Dudamel, Gauthier Capucon and Leonidas Kavakos. The other side of that shiny coin includes fatigue, jet lag, pressure, doubts, hostilities, disorientation, and loneliness. With a bittersweet reference to the transience of life, the film reveals the artist in a very personal way. “Pianists have to be alone all the time, and it’s hard, it’s lonely. Being a musician is almost like a very isolated life, and the only time you actually get to communicate is on stage with music.” Run time 89 minutes.

Location: Kalamazoo Valley Museum, Stryker Theatre

5:00 PM: Beaton, MacGillivray, and MacNeil: A Cape Breton Trio

Andrea Beaton, piano, fiddle
Troy MacGillivray, piano, fiddle
Tracey Dares MacNeil, piano, fiddle

Andrea Beaton, Troy MacGillivray, and Tracey MacNeil hail from the isolated beauty of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada. Their joyful style of dance music is defined by its improvised folk piano tradition. Expect instrument-switching, solo dancing, and inspiring harmonies, as they explore the traditional music of Ireland, Scotland, and Cape Breton, along with original compositions. Their performances offer a shared sense of fun and years of making music together.

Location: Kalamazoo State Theatre

7:30 PM: Olga Kern

Gold medalist at the 2001 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (the first woman to win in 30 years), Russian-born pianist Olga Kern, in her Gilmore debut, will present a program of works by Rachmaninoff, Schumann, and Gershwin, among others. Kern’s fiery passion is balanced with elegance in the grandeur of Russia’s musical tradition. She won first prize at the Rachmaninoff International Piano Competition at age 17, and since has become known for her technical brilliance and emotional depth. She is Artistic Director of the Olga Kern International Piano Competition, and has served on the piano faculty of the Manhattan School of Music.

Location: Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU