ABOUT US
Photo by Andrew Schwartz, veritography.net
Reflecting on 61 Seasons...and a Dynamic Future Ahead!
As we embark on our 61st season, the Series is proud to continue to bring cultural vitality and artistic excellence to the Kansas City performing arts community. Founded in 1965, we’ve spent more than six decades captivating audiences with a diverse blend of mesmerizing music, expressive dance, and artistic performances that reflect both timeless tradition and bold innovation.
This season, we’re delivering a lineup that honors our rich legacy while looking boldly to the future.
From groundbreaking new works by emerging artists to cherished classics reimagined for today’s stage, the 61st season promises something for every lover of the arts. And as we venture into this next season, we have some exciting news to share.
The Harriman-Jewell Series is now an independent 501c3 organization.
The Harriman-Jewell Series has been a part of the Kansas City community for 60 years. Your belief in the power of the performing arts allowed us to grow from a two-event program into the world-recognized arts organization we are today. Since 1965, William Jewell College has provided the Series a home and bolstered the vision of Richard Harriman and Dean Dunham in establishing an arts organization in Kansas City all those many years ago. Now, six decades later, with the community’s support to uplift the Series’ mission, we’ve been granted the opportunity to expand into the future as an independent entity. This season, we’re not only celebrating our history, but also the incredible community that has been by our side through every curtain call, allowing us to grow into the organization we are today.
With special events, educational outreach, and a commitment to growth, we’re excited to continue to be a vital part of the cultural fabric of Kansas City.
Thank you for your patronage, your support and most of all, your continued appreciation and excitement for live performing arts. We’re excited to see you in the performance hall soon!
EXPLORE OUR HISTORY
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater was the Series’ 11th presentation. The Company appeared in 1968 as part of their first American tour and has returned to the Series more than 10 times.
More than 1,000 performances have come to Kansas City by way of the Harriman-Jewell Series, including 26 American recital debuts by prominent artists. With the addition of our free Educational Events that allow interaction with musicians and dancers, and our free Discovery Concerts that eliminate the barrier of cost, the Harriman-Jewell Series offers even more life-enriching opportunities for our community's youth and lifelong learners.
Since the inception of the Harriman-Jewell Series, we have sought to bring the best of the performing arts to Kansas City, and to bring them to local audiences first. We continue to seek new voices and emerging artists alongside artists and ensembles who are leaders in their craft. Artistic programming follows our core tenets.
QUALITY: The world’s finest artists
VARIETY: Widely varied artistic programming
GLOBAL: Artists and Ensembles of all backgrounds and genres
DISCOVERY: Rising-star performers
As we look back at our more than 1,000 performances, it’s astonishing to remember these world-renowned artists and ensembles on our stages and us as the audience! We have compiled a list, along with photos of printed programs and performance details, into a searchable list of each evente. You may remember attending Pavarotti’s debut in 1973, but do you remember which performances you attended soon after that? Or do you remember which Series events you were able to attend as a student at William Jewell College?
Join with us as we revisit our performance history by looking through this list of Harriman-Jewell Series events from 1965 to now.
Richard Harriman with tenor Luciano Pavarotti.
Violinist Itzhak Perlman
Harriman-Jewell SERIES HISTORY
In the 1960s, college English professors Richard Harriman and Dean Dunham sat in their shared office and wondered how to offer rich, cultural opportunities to the Kansas City community. The midwest had ceased to be a stop on national tours for international artists, and this sparked an idea - create a way to showcase extraordinary artists and ensembles for our local community to brighten Kansas City's stages once again.
Many know that the Series presented tenor Luciano Pavarotti in his professional recital debut in 1973, but the story of discovery neither begins nor ends here. Few Kansas Citians had seen New York City Ballet's Patricia McBride and Edward Villella before they danced in the Series' first performance in 1965. Nor had the community heard violinist Itzhak Perlman play, unless one counts Ed Sullivan Show appearances that preceded his first local recital in 1971.
From these early days, the Harriman-Jewell Series has served as the leading performing arts presenter in the Kansas City area, bringing artists of legendary skill to thousands of audience members across the region.
The Harriman-Jewell Series continues to carve out an enviable legacy as a performing arts presenter of international importance.
RICHARD HARRIMAN
Richard Harriman (1932–2010), co-founder and Artistic Director of the Harriman-Jewell Series, believed in bringing the best of the performing arts to the Kansas City community. He was passionate about the artistic and cultural landscape of our region, and sought to enrich the lives of arts lovers, musicians, students, and audience members through engaging artistic experiences.
The Richard Harriman Award
foR Excellence in the Arts
Named in Richard Harriman’s honor and memory in 2010, The Richard Harriman Award for Excellence in the Arts is presented to champions of the arts in our Kansas City community and beyond. These individuals share a wholehearted dedication to enriching the lives of others through the performing arts as arts leaders, donors, volunteers, and artists. They have inspired our local community–and communities around the world– with their talent, generosity of spirit, and commitment to the life-changing power of the performing arts.
Past HARRIMAN Award Recipients
2010 Beth Ingram
2011 Julie Gerson and Paget Higgins
2012 Roswitha and Ken Schaffer
2013 Esther Loeb
2015 Dorothy and Bill Curry
2016 Jackie and John Middelkamp
2017 Burnell and Linda Landers
2018 Jonathan and Nancy Lee Kemper
2019 Jane Chu, former chairperson of the National Endowment for the Arts
2022 Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater; Emanuel Ax, piano; Canadian Brass; Joyce DiDonato, mezzo-soprano; Marilyn Horne, mezzo-soprano; Warren Jones, collaborative pianist; Martin Katz, collaborative pianist; The King's Singers; Yo-Yo Ma, cello; Wynton Marsalis, trumpet; David Parsons and Parsons Dance; Itzhak Perlman, violin
2023 Sarah Rowland
2024 Dr. D. Dean Dunham, Jr.
Harriman Award winners’ messages, January 2023