When published in 1725 nobody could imagine Vivaldi’s Opus 8, Nos. 1-4 (“The Four Seasons”) would become perhaps the most frequently heard music of all time. Yet today, 300 years on, they remain as popular as ever. 

This program frames these iconic works in a new light. Their overtly narrative style (Vivaldi included sonnets – perhaps written himself - alongside the music) invites questions about the fleeting, cyclical nature of our existence, our relationship with nature, and the eternal renewal of earth’s cycles.

Two masterful virtuosos will appear together for the first time in an eclectic evening of works for violin and piano. Leonidas Kavakos and Daniil Trifonov will take you on a journey through Beethoven's melancholy Violin Sonata No. 4, a rapturous Sonata by Poulenc, one of Brahms' most lyrical and intimate compositions, and finally the colorful and rhythmic folk dance-inspired Rhapsody for Violin and Piano by Béla Bartók. 

Performing and continuously growing for 26 years, the CNSO has earned an enviable reputation among both Czech and Europe’s top symphonic ensembles. Renowned for its versatility, the orchestra annually presents a broad program ranging from classical music concerts to contemporary genres, film scores, jazz and musicals.

Founded in 1952 by dancer and choreographer Amalia Hernández, Ballet Folklórico brings together the music, dance and costume of Mexican folklore from pre-Colombian civilizations through the modern era. With its permanent home at the Palacio de Bellas Artes, one of Mexico City’s most historic venues, the company has developed choreography for 40 ballets, composed of 60 folk dancers and musicians who have performed extensively across Mexico and abroad.

Travel down the rabbit hole MOMIX-style with their newest creation, ALICE, inspired by Alice in Wonderland. As Alice’s body grows and shrinks and grows again, the dancers extend themselves by means of props, ropes, and other dancers.

Decorated artists, musicians, and good friends Emanuel Ax and Anthony McGill come together in a special recital featuring a diverse program of great music. With a mix of pieces by living composers and those of the past, this collaborative recital is sure to be a treasured experience for all who attend.

The King’s Singers were officially formed in 1968 when six recent choral scholars from King’s College, Cambridge gave a concert at London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall. By chance, the group was made up of two countertenors, a tenor, two baritones and a bass, and the group has stuck to this singular formation ever since that debut. 

For our 60th Anniversary Season, Joyce DiDonato returns to the Series in collaboration with Kings Return, and pianist Craig Terry, and the results will be nothing short of spectacular! Their collaboration will feature a festive program with a combination of sacred and popular music.

Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Academy Award®-winning feature-length film Encanto™ comes to life with a screening and live music with the film. “Encanto: The Sing-Along Film Concert” will include all the music of the Academy Award®-winning film, including iconic hits like “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” and “Surface Pressure” performed live. 

Free Discovery Concert. After hearing both Guo and Parrish at the Young Concert Artists competition in 2022, we knew putting these two brilliant young artists together would be an unforgettable collaboration. For this special anniversary season, we’re excited to welcome this duo of fine talent as they present a program that has been specially curated for you!

Violinist Joshua Bell and vocalist Larisa Martínez collaborate on a very special project, Voice and the Violin. Exploring repertoire from classical art song and opera to musical theater and selections by Puerto Rican and Spanish composers, their program of romantic arias and modern classics will delight us all. 

Featuring Hankus Netsky, Music Director, Saxophone and Piano
Andy Statman, Clarinet and Mandolin
Members of the Klezmer Conservatory Band, and other special guests

Undeniably the reigning virtuoso of the violin, Itzhak Perlman enjoys superstar status rarely afforded a classical musician. Beloved for his charm and humanity as well as his talent, he is treasured by audiences throughout the world who respond not only to his remarkable artistry, but also to his irrepressible joy for making music.

This season, we welcome the long-awaited return of Khatia Buniatishvili, the prominent Georgian pianist known for her exceptional talent, captivating performances, and expressive interpretations of classical music. She made her Kansas City and Harriman-Jewell Series debut in 2019 (with an audience representing patrons from 20 states in attendance) and we are thrilled she will make her highly anticipated return in our 60th Anniversary Season! 

Returning Series favorite Emanuel Ax commands the stage each time he sits down at the piano. One of the most respected and awarded pianists of all time, his performance will mark over ten times, Manny has graced the Series with his unforgettable interpretations.

Founded in 1994 by C. Brian Williams, Step Afrika! is the first professional company dedicated to the tradition of stepping. Under Mr. Williams’ leadership, stepping has evolved into one of America’s cultural exports, touring more than 60 countries across the globe, the Company now ranks as one of the top ten African-American dance companies in the United States.

Macedonian-Canadian mezzo-soprano, Ema Nikolovska makes her American recital debut with the Series in 2024. Already a mainstay on world opera stages, this will be the first time American audiences get to hear this once-in-a-generation voice in recital.

The National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine has long been one of the most distinguished European orchestras, achieving worldwide recognition through its many international tours which include Australia, the US, Europe and Asia.

Pianist Simone Dinnerstein makes her Series debut with the first multi-media production she has conceived, created, and directed, which uses as source materials her father Simon Dinnerstein’s painting The Fulbright Triptych and Charles Ives’s Piano Sonata No. 2 (Concord). The program consists of live performance visuals, camera work, and paintings to heighten Ives’ demanding Concord Sonata. Dinnerstein’s program seeks to highlight the connections between Ives and the Transcendentalists.

Innovative Italian choreographer Emilliano Pellisari creates a jaw-dropping spectacle of dance inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy Divine Comedy for NoGravity. Playing with perspective, reflection, and distortion, Pellisari’s surrealist vision boggles the mind and eye as the audience slowly descends into the Inferno.

The renowned Royal Philharmonic Orchestra returns with soloist Isata Kanneh-Mason, who made her Kansas City recital debut in 2022 with the Series. Kanneh-Mason plays Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3 and the orchestra closes the program with Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2.

Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Flórez is recognized as one of the most admired singers of our time. Hailed for his signature virtuosity, unparalleled lyrical elegance, dashing stage presence, and boundless charm, he returns to Kansas City and the Series after nearly a decade. His much-anticipated solo recital will include opera arias, art songs, and other audience favorites. This dynamic performer of the opera stage is loved by audiences around the globe. You’ll find out why Opera News likened his voice to “the engine in a Porsche 911; when you hear it, you know you’re in the presence of something finely tuned and luxurious.”

Following the roaring success of his Beatles tribute Pepperland, Mark Morris teams up again with musical collaborator Ethan Iverson for The Look of Love, a wistful and heartfelt homage to the chart-topping songs of Burt Bacharach. A towering figure of popular music, Bacharach was known for his soaring melodies and unique orchestrations influenced by jazz, rock, and Brazilian music — his longtime lyricist Hal David providing unsentimental, poignant lyrics.

Winner of a Naumburg International Violin Competition Honorarium Prize and featured in the Smithsonian Museum for African-American History, Kelly Hall-Tompkins is a violin soloist entrepreneur who has been acclaimed by the New York Times as "the versatile violinist who makes the music come alive,” for her "tonal mastery" (BBC Music Magazine) and as New York Times “New Yorker of the Year.” 

The beloved Disney Pixar’s Coco in Concert has been reimagined by its original Oscar® and Grammy® winning composer Michael Giacchino and features a screening of the complete film with Giacchino’s musical score performed by by the 20-member Orquesta Folclórica Nacional de México. In addition to the original score by Giancchino, “Coco” also features the Oscar® winning song “Remember Me” by Oscar-winning songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, and additional songs co-written by Germaine Franco and co-director and screenwriter Adrian Molina.

Musical America’s 2019 Conductor of the Year Carlos Miguel Prieto makes a triumphant return to Kansas City stages with pianist Gabriela Montero and the Minería Symphony Orchestra of Mexico this season. Widely regarded as a leading ensemble and musical institution in Mexico, the Minería Symphony Orchestra of Mexico remains at the musical forefront through eclectic programming, collaborations with renowned soloists and composers, and staunch advocacy of community and educational development. 

The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis comprises 15 of the finest jazz soloists and ensemble players today. Led by Wynton Marsalis, this remarkably versatile orchestra performs a vast repertoire ranging from original compositions and Jazz at Lincoln Center-commissioned works to rare historic compositions and masterworks by Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Thelonious Monk, Mary Lou Williams, Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Goodman and many others.

Three-time Grammy® Award-winning violinist, Hilary Hahn, melds expressive musicality and technical expertise with a diverse repertoire guided by artistic curiosity. Her barrier-breaking attitude towards classical music, and her commitment to sharing her experiences with a global community, have made her a fan favorite. Hahn is a prolific recording artist and commissioner of new works, and her 22 feature recordings have received every critical prize in the international press.

Award-winning pianist and humanitarian Mahani Teave is a pioneering artist who bridges the creative world with education and environmental activism, and the only professional classical musician on her native Easter Island. Her debut album, Rapa Nui Odyssey, was number one on the Billboard charts and received raves from critics, including BBC Music Magazine, which noted her “natural pianism” and “magnificent artistry.”

Pianist and Steinway artist Mahani Teave works with pre-selected local piano students in an open-to-the-public master class.

Award-winning Jamaican-American violist Jordan Bak is building an exciting career as a trailblazing artist who is praised for his radiant stage presence, dynamic interpretations, and fearless power. A proud new-music advocate, Bak champions and performs works by collaborative composers alongside traditional viola repertoire. He makes his Kansas City debut with the Harriman-Jewell Series in a partnership with the students of Harmony Project KC, a long-time partner of the Series.