Presented biennially over three weeks in April and May, the Irving S. Gilmore International Keyboard Festival in Kalamazoo, Michigan, is recognized as America's most prestigious piano music festival and showcases some of the most notable and accomplished pianists in the world along with artists just emerging on the international stage.

The 2018 Gilmore Keyboard Festival features more than 50 pianists and 200 artists in nearly 100 concerts and events including classical, jazz, and theater performances, as well as master classes. Highlights include 2018 Gilmore Artist Award recipient Igor Levit in recital and performing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 with the Grand Rapids Symphony, as well as performances by fellow Artist Award recipients Rafal Blechacz, Ingrid Fliter, Kirill Gerstein, and Leif Ove Andsnes. The 2018 Festival showcases a broad spectrum of keyboard virtuosity and repertoire with solo recitals by Murray Perahia, Daniil Trifonov, Benjamin Grosvenor, Michael Brown, and Paul Lewis, among others. This year’s Gilmore Young Artist Award recipients Wei Luo and Elliot Wuu make multiple appearances; violinist Benjamin Beilman joins Orion Weiss for duo performances, Stephanie Trick and Paolo Alderighi play Harlem Stride piano, Leon Fleisher joins the Gilmore Festival Chamber Orchestra, and tenor Lawrence Brownlee sings Schumann’s Dichterliebe. Jazz offerings include the Emmet Cohen Trio, Bill Charlap Trio, Dr. Lonnie Smith, accordion player Julien Labro’s quartet, and the Grammy Award-winning Salsa and Latin Jazz band Spanish Harlem Orchestra. The Gilmore also presents singer-songwriter Nellie McKay, Snarky Puppy, and celebrates the Bernstein Centennial with "Late Night with Leonard Bernstein," hosted by his daughter Jamie and featuring pianists John Musto and Michael Boriskin with acclaimed soprano Amy Burton.

Kalamazoo, Michigan: Wellspring Theater; Dalton Center Recital Hall; Chenery Auditorium; Stetson Chapel; Williams Theatre, Western Michigan University; Civic Auditorium; Bell's Brewery

Grand Rapids: DeVos Performing Arts Center

April 25 - May 12, 2018

Pierre van der Westhuizen, director

Classical • Jazz • no

$15 to $65

Telephone: 269-359-7311