How Flexible Can a Piano Be? Gilmore Launches Star-Studded Season
Igor Levit
This spring, The Gilmore presents its 15th biennial keyboard festival featuring a wide range of world-class musicians from around the world. This year’s Festival, which will take place from April 22 – May 10, 2020, has been specially designed to express the piano’s flexibility, and its impressive growth alongside the evolution of music for centuries. With a long list of today’s most prominent musicians and a wide range of music types, attendees will experience the piano’s versatility and find a variety of events suitable for every taste.
“This year’s festival was designed to demonstrate how incredibly flexible a piano can be, and how well it has adapted to the evolution of music over the centuries,” Gilmore Director Pierre van der Westhuizen said. “To that end, we have a wide range of artists and ensembles using a keyboard in different ways, from Mozart’s works played on a pianoforte, to thoroughly contemporary compositions performed by a jazz trio. We’re also marking the 250th birthday of Beethoven, so you’ll see his works woven through a great deal of the classical programming.”
As van der Westhuizen said, several of the events will be dedicated to the celebration of Beethoven’s 250th birthday. The Gilmore presents three recitals featuring several of the Festival’s very best artists to represent distinctive aspects of the composer’s repertoire. The classical side of the festival will highlight some of the very best and most iconic works of classical composers.
Beethoven’s longest, and arguably most difficult, sonata will be performed by Igor Levit, the 2018 Gilmore Artist. Let’s not forget the brilliant composers who came before Beethoven, otherwise known as the “Founding Fathers” of classical music. The festival will include several “Blissfully Baroque” concerts, composed of music by the geniuses ahead of their time, including Bach, Rameau, and Couperin.
The Gilmore will also be presenting top solo pianists who have received worldwide praise, along with young artists soon to follow in their footsteps. These talented musicians will take on the intensity and complexity of the festival’s solo piano recitals. The thrilling events are bound to elicit a sense of wonder and admiration: not to mention highlight the flexibility and agility of the piano!
But The Gilmore’s presentation will include so much more than just Beethoven! Throughout the centuries, orchestral compositions have evolved to accommodate an array of musical types, tastes, and ensemble sizes — though all using the same, flexible instrument that can accommodate every style. This year’s Keyboard Festival proudly includes several orchestra concerts that will entertain a variety of musical styles and performances.
The 2020 Gilmore Festival will take a quick trip from classical to jazz! The Festival will include charming performances of jazz and showcase some of today’s leading jazz artists. The collaboration of artists and instruments with this special type of music is one that can be especially shared with the audience as well.
Additional events at the Festival are meant to engage the audience and continue educating people on the wonders of the piano. This includes open master classes, where guests are able to gain insight and sit in on Festival artists sharing their knowledge with piano students across the country. Master classes are free and will be given by Fabio Bidini, Lori Sims, and ZOFO at Dalton Hall following each of their recitals. Maria João Pires leads a workshop to promote cooperation and social engagement among pianists in response to today’s competitive and ambitious classical music world.
This exceptional and highly anticipated Festival dedicated to the wonders of the piano is a must for this summer music season. The Festival brings musicians and music-lovers from all over together in Kalamazoo, Michigan for a riveting three-week experience in the world of keyboard music. With nearly 40 pianists in more than 100 concerts and events, The Gilmore continues its tradition of exhibiting the keyboard’s versatility and beauty.
