2026 Irving S. Gilmore International Piano Festival Unveils Spring Programming

The Gilmore will present the 2026 IRVING S. GILMORE INTERNATIONAL PIANO FESTIVAL from Thursday, April 30 to Sunday, May 10, 2026. Taking place across multiple venues in Southwest Michigan, the Festival will feature more than 75 events showcasing leading classical and jazz pianists, world premiere commissions, artist collaborations, family programming, master classes, and film screenings. Full details will be available at TheGilmore.org.

Executive & Artistic Director Pierre van der Westhuizen noted that the Festival will bring thousands of patrons to Kalamazoo for 11 days of performances and programs, reflecting the organization’s recent shift to an annual format. The 2026 Festival will highlight both established and emerging artists, alongside commissioned works and premieres associated with the Gilmore Artist Awards and the inaugural Larry J. Bell Jazz Artist Awards. Programming will span historic halls, intimate clubs, and community venues throughout the region.

Sullivan Fortner, the 2026 Larry J. Bell Jazz Artist Award recipient, will give both the opening and closing performances of the Festival. The 2026 season will also feature performances by the Bell Young Jazz Artist Award recipients Esteban Castro and Tyler Bullock. Pre-festival offerings will include a recital by Joshua Bell and Shai Wosner in honor of the Stulberg Competition’s 50th anniversary.

Among the classical highlights, 2024 Gilmore Artist Alexandre Kantorow will make his first Festival appearance, which will include the U.S. premiere of The Kalamazoo Flow by Anders Hillborg. Kirill Gerstein, the 2010 Gilmore Artist, will perform and conduct three Beethoven piano concertos. Brad Mehldau and Gerstein will also appear in a duo collaboration.

Other world premieres will include American Sputnik, a monodrama co-commissioned by The Gilmore and the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, featuring baritone Joseph Lattanzi and pianist Stanislav Khristenko under the direction of Music Director Julian Kuerti. The contemporary ensemble Eighth Blackbird will perform a new Gilmore-commissioned work by Clarice Assad.

2026 GILMORE PIANO FESTIVAL ARTISTS

Aaron Diehl, Aaron Goldberg, Alexandre Kantorow, Ali Jackson, Allison Miller, Ambrose Akinmusire, Andrew Rathburn, Armando Gola, ARTEMIS, Bill Charlap, Bob Mervak, Brad Mehldau, Cameron Carpenter, Cecilé McLorin Salvant, Charlotte Hu, Christian Sands, Chuco Valdés, Cyrus Chestnut, Daniela Liebman, Eighth Blackbird, Elliott Wuu, Esteban Castro, Horacio El Negro Hernandez, Ingrid Jensen, Inon Barnatan, Jackson Symphony Orchestra, Janice Carissa, Joseph Lattanzi, Joshua Bell, Julian Kuerti, Justin Snyder, Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, Kandace Springs, Kayvon Gordon, Keith Hall, Kent Philharmonic Orchestra, Kirill Gerstein, Lara Downes, Libor Ondras, Lisa Kaplan, Lori Sims, Marc-André Hamelin, Matthew Aubin, Matthew Natalie Tenenbaum, Nicole Glover, Nicole Zuraitis, Noriko Ueda, Omer Avital, Raquel González, Renee Rosnes, Richard Goode, Roberto Vizcaino Jr., Sara Davis Buechner, Sean Hickey, Shai Wosner, Southwest Michigan Symphony, Stanislav Khristenko, Stewart Goodyear, Sullivan Fortner, Timo Andres, Tyler Bullock, Tyrone Allen, Vicki Chow, Yes! Trio.

THE GILMORE'S COMMISSIONING PROGRAM

The Gilmore maintains a significant history of commissioning new works for piano, with more than 40 commissions from composers such as Matthew Aucoin, Elliott Carter, Christopher Cerrone, Michael Gordon, Stephen Hough, Oliver Knussen, Brad Mehldau, Nico Muhly, Frederick Rzewski, and Tyshawn Sorey. The 2026 Festival will include multiple new premieres, including Hillborg’s The Kalamazoo Flow, a new Clarice Assad work for Eighth Blackbird, and the world premiere of American Sputnik, a monodrama by composer Evan Mack and librettist Mark Campbell.

THE GILMORE FESTIVAL FELLOWS PROGRAM

The Festival Fellows program will return with a 10-day residency from May 1 to 10, providing career-advancement training for classical and jazz pianists aged 18 or older. The program includes workshops, master classes, and career development sessions led by artist teachers Sara Davis Buechner, Bill Charlap, Stewart Goodyear, Marc-André Hamelin, Charlotte Hu, Renee Rosnes, and Lori Sims. Public performances will feature Classical Fellows on May 8, with Jazz Fellows appearing May 1–2 and 7–8 at the Crawlspace Theater. All master classes will be free and open to the public.

The program is supported by the Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne.

2026 FESTIVAL DETAILS

Michigan Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. THE COLOR PURPLE (STAGECRAFTERS)

6.4% of votes

2. TUCK EVERLASTING (STAGECRAFTERS)

5.6% of votes

3. CABARET (Fenton Village Players)

5.4% of votes

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