Community Calendar

“A Conversation Through Us”: An Immersive Performance Ritual for Voice and Violin Premieres in Kalamazoo

KALAMAZOO, MI — On April 11 and 18, 2026, violinist Negar Dena Afazel and vocalist Tricia Tetzlaff will premiere “A Conversation Through Us,” a multidisciplinary performance exploring the continuum of the female experience.

Performance Dates & Details:
April 11, 7:00 PM: First Congregational Church, Kalamazoo
April 18, 7:00 PM: Trinity Lutheran Church, Kalamazoo
Admission: Free (Donations appreciated)
Accessibility: Braille program notes are available

About the Performance: Featuring works by Holst, Villa-Lobos, Vaughan Williams, and Milhaud, the project serves as a "sensory sanctuary" in an age of normalized global aggression and digital isolation. By rejecting the traditional "stage-and-listener" divide, the performance pulls the audience into a shared psychological flow—a necessary sanctuary in a fragmented world.

At the heart of the work is Memory as a tool for Ownership. In an era defined by the "bold distances" of digital screens, our personal stories are at risk of becoming mere consumable data. This performance is a reclamation of those stories.
Through original narration by Hamidreza Ostovar, delivered as visceral testimonials, the audience is guided through a symbolic journey across history. It is an invitation to stop observing and start participating in a collective reflection on what it means to be human—and an individual—today.

Website: www.negardenaafazel.com

“A Conversation Through Us”: An Immersive Performance Ritual for Voice and Violin Premieres in Kalamazoo

KALAMAZOO, MI — On April 11 and 18, 2026, violinist Negar Dena Afazel and vocalist Tricia Tetzlaff will premiere “A Conversation Through Us,” a multidisciplinary performance exploring the continuum of the female experience.

Performance Dates & Details:
April 11, 7:00 PM: First Congregational Church, Kalamazoo
April 18, 7:00 PM: Trinity Lutheran Church, Kalamazoo
Admission: Free (Donations appreciated)
Accessibility: Braille program notes are available

About the Performance: Featuring works by Holst, Villa-Lobos, Vaughan Williams, and Milhaud, the project serves as a "sensory sanctuary" in an age of normalized global aggression and digital isolation. By rejecting the traditional "stage-and-listener" divide, the performance pulls the audience into a shared psychological flow—a necessary sanctuary in a fragmented world.

At the heart of the work is Memory as a tool for Ownership. In an era defined by the "bold distances" of digital screens, our personal stories are at risk of becoming mere consumable data. This performance is a reclamation of those stories.
Through original narration by Hamidreza Ostovar, delivered as visceral testimonials, the audience is guided through a symbolic journey across history. It is an invitation to stop observing and start participating in a collective reflection on what it means to be human—and an individual—today.

Website: www.negardenaafazel.com

Joshua Bell, violin
Shai Wosner, piano

Before the 2026 Gilmore Festival officially kicks off, celebrated violinist Joshua Bell returns to Kalamazoo for a special recital program with pianist Shai Wosner, previously seen on The Gilmore’s Rising Stars Series. The two have performed together to wide acclaim on numerous recital tours in the great concert halls of the United States and Europe. They will treat Gilmore audiences to a program of Romantic and early-20th-century violin sonatas by Schubert, Grieg, and Prokofiev, as well as additional surprise works to be announced from the stage.

The Gilmore presents this recital in honor of the Stulberg International String Competition’s 50th anniversary, of which Bell was gold medalist in 1981.

Pre-concert talk at 6:30 pm with Dr. Zaide Pixley in Room 130

Program
F. SCHUBERT
Violin Sonata No. 4 in A Major D. 574 (“Grand Duo”)
E. GRIEG
Violin Sonata No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 45
S. PROKOFIEV
Violin Sonata No. 2 in D Major, Op. 94