Announcing The Gilmore’s 2025 Rising Stars Concert Series of Emerging Classical and Jazz Pianists

Chelsea Guo (Sep 21)
Luther S. Allison Trio (Oct 4)
Giorgi Gigashvili (Oct 5)
Miki Yamanaka Trio (Dec 6)

Four pianists to perform in The Gilmore’s Rising Stars Series of fall concerts.

The Gilmore
359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, Kalamazoo, MI
Tickets Now on Sale: General $28 / Students $10. To reserve tickets, visit TheGilmore.org or call 269.359.7311.
Livestream: Free at YouTube.com/TheGilmore.

KALAMAZOO, MI (08.19.25) — Dr. Pierre van der Westhuizen, Executive and Artistic Director of The Gilmore, announced its 2025 Rising Stars Series showcasing today’s emerging classical and jazz pianists. With the first performance set for September 21st with Chelsea Guo, The Gilmore welcomes three more pianists with ascending careers: Luther S. Allison, Giorgi Gigashvili, and Miki Yamanaka.

“We are excited to showcase an outstanding lineup of young pianists who are reshaping contemporary music,” van der Westhuizen stated. “Audiences will have the opportunity to experience their exceptional talent and diverse musical styles, offering a glimpse into the future of piano music."

The Gilmore Rising Stars Series has presented many fine young pianists before their international breakthroughs, offering audiences a chance to hear the leading pianists of the future. Initially presented in 1999 as the Irving S. Gilmore Piano Series, it was renamed the Rising Stars Series the following year. Some may recall that past Gilmore Rising Stars include Lang Lang, Igor Levit, Connie Han, and Emmet Cohen.

Sun 9.21 @ 4:00 p.m. CHELSEA GUO
Chelsea Guo – piano voice

Born in New York City and raised in Connecticut, Chelsea Guo is finding equal success as a pianist and as a soprano. The winner of the 2020 National Chopin Competition in Miami, Ms. Guo also won the 2022 Young Concert Artists International Auditions as both pianist and vocalist, the double award a first in the institution’s history. Her debut recording, Chelsea Guo: Chopin In My Voice — featuring solo piano repertoire as well as two Chopin songs and a Rossini aria on which Ms. Guo accompanies herself — was named an “Essential New Album” by Gramophone Magazine. She holds a BM in piano from The Juilliard School, where she was a student of Hung-Kuan Chen, and she continues her vocal studies with Jason Ferrante. Gilmore audiences will experience both facets of Ms. Guo’s stellar career in her recital. The program begins with solo piano favorites, including Beethoven’s “Tempest” Sonata and selections from Debussy’s Images, Book I, and concludes with songs by Richard Strauss and Schoenberg, on which Ms. Guo both sings and plays. Location: Cori Terry Theatre.

Sat 10.04 @ 5:00 p.m. 8:00 p.m. LUTHER S. ALLISON TRIO
Luther Allison – piano
Anwar Marshall – drums
Zwelakhe-Duma F. Bell le Pere – bass

Winner of a 2024 GRAMMY Award for his work with vocalist Samara Joy, Luther S. Allison is one of today’s most in-demand jazz artists. Mr. Allison is a double threat and then some; he has worked with some of the brightest stars in jazz — such as Jazzmeia Horn, Helen Sung, Rodney Whitaker, Etienne Charles, and Ulysses Owens Jr — and been called on by them to perform on piano, drums, or both. He is also carving out his own path as a leader, thanks in part to his critically acclaimed 2024 debut recording I Owe it All To You. Having grown up in the south, Mr. Allison’s unique style is rooted in blues and gospel, with strong influences from bebop and soul music. At The Gilmore, he leads his trio, featuring fellow multi-instrumentalist Anwar Marshall on drums and Zwelakhe-Duma F. Bell le Pere on bass. Later this season, Mr. Allison will arrange and music direct the sacred compositions of Duke Ellington for Jazz at Lincoln Center. Location: Cori Terry Theatre.

Sun 10.05 @ 4:00 p.m. GIORGI GIGASHVILI
Giorgi Gigashvili – piano

25-year-old Giorgi Gigashvili began learning piano with no intention of pursuing a professional career on the instrument. After a win on his home country of Georgia’s edition of “The Voice” at age 13, Mr. Gigashvili entered the Tbilisi State Conservatory to continue his keyboard studies with Revaz Tavadze.

Early successes included First Prize at the Vigo International Piano Competition, with Martha Argerich as president of the jury, and 2nd Prize at the Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition. In the 2023-24 season, Mr. Gigashvili began studying with Gilmore Artist Kirill Gerstein at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin. He was selected as a BBC New Generation Artist 2023-25 and has been nominated as an ECHO Rising Star for 2025-26 season. For his Gilmore recital, Mr. Gigashvili focuses on lyrical Romantic works by Mendelssohn, Chopin, and Schumann. The program also includes Prokofiev’s Piano Sonata No. 8, a masterwork of 20th-century keyboard literature and one of Prokofiev’s most important contributions to the genre.
Location: Cori Terry Theatre.

Sat 12.06 @ 5:00 p.m. 8:00 p.m. MIKI YAMANAKA TRIO
Miki Yamanaka – piano
Jimmy Macbride – drums
Tyrone Allen – bass

Discover the enchanting world of Miki Yamanaka, Japanese-born pianist lighting up New York since 2012. Through her residencies at mainstay NYC jazz clubs Smalls and Mezzrow, as well as her weekly live-streaming concert series “Miki’s Moods” during the pandemic, audiences have come to love Ms. Yamanaka’s light, expressive playing and bold rhythmic invention, not to mention her infectious personality. In addition to touring as a leader, she also plays with the Mingus Big Band and the Harish Raghavan Quintet. Expect an evening of vibrant energy as she presents her celebrated repertoire — including selections from her latest album, Chance, and fan favorites from 2021’s Stairway to the Stars — alongside imaginative re-interpretations of Great American Songbook and jazz standards. Joining Ms. Yamanaka at The Gilmore is her NYC rhythm section: bassist Tyrone Allen and drummer Jimmy Macbride. Location: Bell’s Eccentric Café at Bell’s Brewery.

The Gilmore   
Created in 1989 to honor the legacy of businessman and philanthropist Irving S. Gilmore, The Gilmore is the premier institution in the United States dedicated exclusively to commissioning, performing and awarding extraordinary piano artistry. The Gilmore has presented 16 piano festivals, commissioned over 40 new works for piano, and awarded over $3 million as part of its internationally renowned Gilmore Artists Award for classical pianists. The Gilmore will announce the winners of its inaugural Larry J. Bell Jazz Artist Awards in the fall of 2025 and present its annual (previously biennial) Gilmore Piano Festival April 30-May 10 in 2026. Based in Kalamazoo, Michigan, The Gilmore continues to impact the lives of thousands of area children and adults through its year-round community engagement and music education programs including summer camps, music therapy, and much more. TheGilmore.org

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