Gilmore Piano Festival

Gilmore Piano Festival The mission of The Gilmore is to nurture and celebrate a passion for piano music.

09/04/2026

Say hello to award-winning jazz pianist and composer Dabin Ryu! 🎹✨

With a vibrant musical voice shaped by her roots in Seoul and her career in New York City, Ryu brings bold ideas and bright energy to the stage.

Catch her live at Bell's Eccentric Café & General Store on October 3! Get tickets at https://www.thegilmore.org/event/dabin-ryu-trio-2026/

09/03/2026

🌟2026 Gilmore Rising Star Sophia Liu brings striking precision to Chopin's Étude in C-sharp Minor, Op. 10, No. 4.

Hear her live in Kalamazoo on September 20, with a program featuring Chopin’s Polonaise in A-flat Major, Op. 53, Scherzo No. 4 in E Major, Op. 54, and more.
🎟 Get tickets at https://www.thegilmore.org/event/sophia-liu-2026/

09/01/2026

Meet our first Rising Star of the season: 17-year-old Canadian pianist Sophia Liu 🎹

In our latest blog, she shares why her favorite pre-performance routine is no routine at all, what she’s listening to lately (including Laufey), and how her creativity stretches beyond the piano into composing, poetry, and short stories.

Fresh out of high school and with an exciting season ahead, Sophia is an artist to watch. ✨ Get to know Sophia and discover what makes her a Rising Star at https://www.thegilmore.org/blog/sophia-liu-from-high-school-graduate-to-rising-star

🎶 Pas de Deux from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite, translated by Pletnev
🎥 Audio and video by Patrick Keating

08/31/2026

🎹 A look back at 2025 Rising Star Luther S Allison performing “I Didn’t Know What Time It Was” with his trio. Watch the full performance at https://youtu.be/r-7pwcY4ckk

The New York Times wrote that Allison is “reamplifying the tradition of jazz piano” while carrying forward a legacy that continues to inspire generations of musicians. That spirit of artistry and possibility is at the heart of the Gilmore Rising Stars series.

➡ Discover the next generation of Rising Stars: meet the 2026 Jazz Rising Stars coming to Bell’s Brewery this fall at thegilmore.org.

08/29/2026

2026 Gilmore Rising Star Sophia Liu performs Chopin’s Étude in G-flat Major, Op. 10, No. 5. 🎹

At just 17, Liu is already making her mark on the classical music world, with first-place wins at the 18th Ettlingen International Piano Competition and the Thomas & Evon Cooper International Competition. She has also appeared with major orchestras, including the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse.

See Sophia Liu live in Kalamazoo on September 20, performing a program of Alkan, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, and Balakirev.
➡️ Learn more and get tickets at https://www.thegilmore.org/event/sophia-liu-2026/

Happy album release day to 2026 Bell Artist Sullivan Fortner! 🎉Leave That In There is his sixth album following his GRAM...
08/28/2026

Happy album release day to 2026 Bell Artist Sullivan Fortner! 🎉

Leave That In There is his sixth album following his GRAMMY-winning 2025 release Southern Nights and features bassist Tyrone Allen II and drummer Kayvon Gordon.

On the new album, Fortner moves fluidly between piano, keyboards, and electronic textures. It’s an adventurous approach some audiences got to experience firsthand during the opening nights of the 2026 Gilmore Piano Festival. 🎹

The New York Times calls it an ”unfiltered transmission direct from his imagination" while Jazzwise notes that the trio creates an impressive range of sounds, textures, instruments, and styles.

Give it a listen today at https://open.spotify.com/album/49WI8YfJ31cg9JG6KpGuIB?si=3-Erjx74Qzu0sRFB-xRmaA, and let us know your favorite track in the comments! 🎶⬇

08/27/2026

2026 Jazz Rising Star Dabin Ryu delivers her winning performance at the UNISA Piano Competition. 🎹🎥

See the award-winning pianist live with Johnathan Blake and Matt Penmen at Bell's Eccentric Café & General Store on October 3.
2️⃣shows: 4 PM and 7 PM.
🎟️Tickets: https://www.thegilmore.org/event/dabin-ryu-trio-2026/

08/25/2026

This fall, experience Canadian pianist Sophia Liu live at The Gilmore in a program of rarely heard gems and beloved favorites. 🌟

Liu opens with works by C.V. Alkan, which she’ll also perform at Le Piano Symphonique (Luzerner Sinfonieorchester) in Lucerne through a partnership with The Gilmore.

The program continues with Chopin and Tchaikovsky, including Chopin’s Polonaise in A-flat Major and selections from The Nutcracker Suite, before closing with Balakirev.

⬆ Preview Pas de Deux from The Nutcracker Suite in this video, then get your tickets to hear the full program live at The Gilmore at https://www.thegilmore.org/event/sophia-liu-2026/
🎥 Audio and video by Patrick Keating

Happy birthday to Claude Debussy! 🎶2010 Gilmore Artist Kirill Gerstein has explored Debussy’s music through his "Music i...
08/22/2026

Happy birthday to Claude Debussy! 🎶

2010 Gilmore Artist Kirill Gerstein has explored Debussy’s music through his "Music in Time of War"project, pairing Debussy’s 1915 Études with music by Armenian composer Komitas. The project looks at how both composers responded through music to worlds transformed by war.

A thoughtful way to revisit Debussy today, beyond the pieces we hear most often. Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/album/6J4lSQICNCabSrsrLuO3q0?si=dFsI52ZfTQy6oeKCOm-1RA

08/21/2026

✨On Sunday, October 18, 2025 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition gold medalist Aristo Sham performs Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, and Chopin for Gilmore audiences.

Since his Cliburn win, Sham’s performances have reached listeners around the world, with 2 million video streams across 125 countries in just two months.

Experience him live this fall. Get tickets at https://www.thegilmore.org/event/aristo-sham-2026/

Address

359 S Kalamazoo Mall, Ste 101
Kalamazoo, MI
49007

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+2693421166

Website

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