THE GILMORE's Rising Stars Series to Showcase Five Pianists in 2026

The Gilmore has revealed its 2026 Rising Stars Series showcasing today's emerging classical and jazz pianists. In solo piano recitals held September-December 2026 in downtown Kalamazoo, The Gilmore will present five emerging pianists from all around the world: 17-year-old Sophia Liu (Canada); winner of the 2024 UNISA International Piano Competition Dabin Ryu (South Korea); winner of the 2025 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition Aristo Sham (Hong Kong); a Gramophone 'One To Watch' Tom Borrow(Israel); and a 2027 Finalist in the American Piano Awards Jazz Competition Caelan Cardello (USA).

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.

New to this year's series is The Gilmore's transatlantic partnership with the esteemed Le Piano Symphonique, the Lucerne-based piano festival presented by the Luzerner Sinfonieorchester. Centered on a shared commitment to championing exceptional young artists and expanding the piano repertoire, the two organizations have jointly commissioned Sophia Liu to prepare and perform challenging works by the French Romantic composer Charles-Valentin Alkan. Liu will present the program on both sides of the Atlantic, first at The Gilmore's Rising Stars Series on September 20, 2026, and then at the sixth edition of Le Piano Symphonique in Lucerne, Switzerland, on January 16, 2027. Through this collaboration, she joins a select group of pianists with the technical command and musical imagination to bring Alkan's extraordinary works to life.

SUN 9.20 @ 4:00 p.m. SOPHIA LIU

Cori Terry Theatre, 359 S Kalamazoo Mall #204

At just 17, Canadian pianist Sophia Liu is rapidly emerging as one of the most compelling artists of her generation. Her 'extremely clear, delicate, refined and almost supernaturally fluid' touch, as described by Le Monde, combined with what Bachtrack called her 'phenomenal virtuosity', has captivated audiences around the world. Born in Shanghai, Sophia was raised in Japan before moving to Montréal at the age of seven to study with Dang Thai Son.

She has won several prizes at international piano competitions, including First Prize at the 18th Ettlingen International Piano Competition, First Prize at the Thomas & Evon Cooper International Competition and various awards at the first edition of the Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli International Piano Competition.

During the 2026/27 season, Sophia will debut with orchestras including the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León, Malmö Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Sinfonica di Bari, Orchestra I Pomeriggi Musicali and Auckland Philharmonia, to name only a few. Recent engagements have included performances with the Cleveland Orchestra, the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice at La Folle Journée de Nantes and the Orchestre National de Cannes at La Roque d'Anthéron.

Sophia is also internationally active as a recitalist. Throughout the 2026/27 season, she is Artist-in-Residence at the Unione Musicale di Torino, and elsewhere will perform at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Hamarikyu Asahi Hall in Tokyo, Muza Kawasaki Symphony Hall, Vancouver Recital Society, among others.

C.-V. ALKAN Etude de Concert Le Preux, Op. 17
Allegretto alla barbaresca Concerto for Solo Piano, Op. 39, No. 10
Selection from Barcarolle, Op. 65, No. 6
Selection from Le Festin d'Esope, Op.39, No. 12
F. CHOPIN Polonaise in A-flat Major, Op. 53
Scherzo No. 4 in E Major, Op. 54
P. TCHAIKOVSKY /trans. M. PLETNEV Nutcracker Suite
P. TCHAIKOVSKY Selections from The Seasons
M. BALAKIREV Islamey, Op. 18, No. 1

SAT 10.03 @ 4:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m. DABIN RYU

Bell's Eccentric Café, 355 E Kalamazoo Avenue

Dabin Ryu, a jazz pianist, arranger, and composer from Seoul, South Korea, initially immersed in the world of classical piano, before expanding her musical horizons by exploring jazz. She has received numerous prestigious awards, including the Outstanding Piano Award at the 2020 Jack Rudin Jazz Championship, First Prize at the 15th UNISA International Piano Competition, and was selected as a semi-finalist for the 2023 Herbie Hancock Jazz Competition. Most recently, she was awarded the 2025 Jazz Gallery Residency Commission, an honor recognizing her contributions to contemporary jazz and her potential as a forward-thinking composer. Her versatility and skill as a side musician have led to collaborations with world-renowned artists, including Ralph Peterson, Billy Harper, Bill Pierce, Godwin Louis, Johnathan Blake, Rodney Jones, Carl Allen, Jaleel Shaw, and David Virelles. Dabin is a graduate of Berklee College of Music, Manhattan School of Music, and The Juilliard School.

SUN 10.18 @ 4:00 p.m. ARISTO SHAM

Cori Terry Theatre, 359 S Kalamazoo Mall #204

Aristo Sham is the Gold Medalist of the 2025 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. And the critics showered him with imaginative praise, calling him 'a marvel of deft characterization,' 'consistently authoritative,' 'a card-carrying risk taker,' 'a dapper, aristocratic figure on stage,' 'a pianist I look forward to hearing again' (The Dallas Morning News, Gramophone, Texas Classical Voice). Aristo was featured in the 2009 documentary The World's Greatest Musical Prodigies on Channel 4 (UK) and has performed for royalty including King Charles. He has concertized across Asia, Europe, and the United States, with major highlights including the London Symphony Orchestra under Sir Simon Rattle, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra under Edo de Waart, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, and Minnesota Orchestra. He is a graduate of Harvard University, the New England Conservatory of Music and The Juilliard School.

L.v. BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 13 in E-flat Major, Op. 27, No. 1
S. RACHMANINOFF Six Moments Musicaux, Op. 16
F. CHOPIN 4 Impromptus
L.v. BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp Minor, Op. 27, No. 2 ('Moonlight Sonata')

SUN 11.15 @ 4:00 p.m. TOM BORROW

Cori Terry Theatre, 359 S Kalamazoo Mall #204

Born in Tel Aviv, Israel, Tom Borrow earned sensational acclaim in 2019 after replacing Khatia Buniatishvili last-minute, performing Ravel's Piano Concerto in G with the Israel Philharmonic. Since then, he has been invited by major orchestras globally, including the London Philharmonic, BBC Symphony, Royal Philharmonic, Hallé Orchestra, Czech Philharmonic, NHK Symphony, Cleveland, Baltimore, St. Louis, Atlanta, New Jersey, and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestras.

Equally in demand for recitals, he has appeared at the BBC Proms, Verbier and Ruhr Festivals, Wigmore Hall, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Berlin Konzerthaus, Vienna Konzerthaus, and Vancouver Recital Society. After recognition as a BBC New Generation Artist, Tom received the prestigious Terence Judd-Hallé Orchestra Award in 2023. A protégé of Murray Perahia, he has performed with all major orchestras in his native country.

W.A MOZART Sonata No. 8 in A Minor, K. 310
F. LISZT Réminiscences de Don Juan, S. 418
Sonata in B Minor, S. 178

SAT 12.05 @ 4:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m. CAELAN CARDELLO

Bell's Eccentric Café, 355 E Kalamazoo Avenue

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