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: Silenced: Composers in Revolutionary Russia

This film explores the lives and the work of a generation of Russian composers that includes Arthur Lourié, Nikolai Roslavets, Alexander Mosolov, Leon Theremin and Arseny Avraamov. This avant-garde group, which lived through World War I, the October Revolution and the birth of the Soviet Union under Stalin, was banned, forgotten or erased from the musical map. A look at Russia past and present, music and life, cultural and political contexts and individual destinies.  Run time 55 minutes.

Location: Kalamazoo Valley Museum, Stryker Theatre

2:00PM: Paul Lewis II

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: Wellspring Theater

4:00 PM: Loki Karuna: Activism in Classical Music

Agitato: Framing Social Change Through Arts Activism

Loki Karuna began his career as a bassoonist, then transitioned into arts media and activism after seeing an opportunity to create broader change in the world through directed and intentional arts-centered dialogue. In this presentation, he will outline his career trajectory as an arts activist, offer insight on how the arts can impact immediate and long-term social change, and highlight his vision for a renewed “classical” music ecosystem.

Location: Black Arts & Cultural Center, Epic Center, Kalamazoo

6:00 PM & 9:00 PM: Gerald Clayton Trio

Gerald Clayton, piano
Jermaine Paul, bass
Justin Brown, drums

Four-time GrammyⓇ-nominated pianist and composer Gerald Clayton’s innovative approach to jazz has charmed audiences and critics across the globe. Son of bass player and composer John Clayton, Gerald’s training began young, and he honors the legacy of his father and all his musical ancestors through a commitment to artistic exploration, innovation, and reinvention. Clayton studied with piano icon Billy Childs and fellow Festival performer Kenny Barron. He has performed and recorded with artists including Diana Krall, Roy Hargrove, Dianne Reeves, Ambrose Akinmusire, Dayna Stephens, Kendrick Scott, John Scofield, and Avishai Cohen.

Location: Bell’s Eccentric Cafe, Kalamazoo