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.
