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:

2:00 PM: Paul Lewis: Schubert Sonata Series III

In a special Festival event, British pianist Paul Lewis will present a survey of Franz Schubert’s monumental contribution to the classical repertoire: his piano sonatas. Mr. Lewis has received critical and public acclaim worldwide, consolidating his reputation as one of the world’s foremost interpreters of the central European classical repertoire. He regularly works as a soloist with the world’s great orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony, London Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, LA Philharmonic, and the Royal Concertgebouw, and Cleveland Orchestras, among many others.

Location: Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU

6:00 PM & 9:00 PM: Kenny Barron Trio

Kenny Barron, piano
Endea Owens, bass
Savannah Harris, drums

Composer, pianist, educator, and NEA Jazz Master Kenny Barron returns to the festival with his trio. A peerless performer known for timeless classics and innovative improvisations, Barron’s piano skills are a testament to his status as a jazz icon. He has released over 40 albums, received 12 GrammyⓇ nominations, and played with legends including Dizzy Gillespie, Chet Baker, Stan Getz, and Buddy Rich. Barron was a music professor at Rutgers University for more than 25 years, and was inducted into the American Jazz Hall of Fame in 2005. Whether playing solo, trio, or quintet, Kenny Barron is recognized worldwide as a master of performance and composition.

5 pm Q&A with Kenny Barron and Gilmore Director of Jazz Awards Seth Abramson, Shaw Theatre lobby

Location: Shaw Theatre, WMU

7:00 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. Enjoy the band in their natural habitat in Bell’s Back Room, with plenty of room for dancing!

Location: Bell’s Eccentric Cafe, Kalamazoo