Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra

Gabriel Renteria-Elyea and Yukie Ota lead different sections in the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, but they sit side-by-side for every rehearsal and performance, with Renteria-Elyea playing oboe and Ota playing flute. That closeness made it natural for them to appear on the Connecting Chords Music Festival, in a 60-minute program which will be livestreamed from La Luna Studios at 7 pm on Thursday, April 29. Cara Lieurance spoke to both musicians for a preview.

History will be made at 7 pm on Friday, April 30 when the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra celebrates its 100th season with the premiere of a new piano concerto by Michael Brown with the composer at the keyboard. Brown has appeared multiple times at the Gilmore Keyboard Festival, which co-commissioned the work with the NFM Leopoldinum Orchestra in Poland.  Brown, Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra music director Julian Kuerti, and executive director of The Gilmore Pierre van der Westhuizen join Cara Lieurance for a preview.

Friedrich Gulda's 1980 cello concerto has to be heard to be believed. Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra music director Julian Kuerti and principal cellist Igor Cetkovic joined Cara Lieurance to preview the one-of-a-kind concerto as well as two other works on the program: Kurt Weill's suite from The Threepenny Opera and Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik serenade. It will be streamed at 7 pm Friday, Mar 26.

"Miniature Masterpieces" is set to be streamed by the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra at 7 pm Friday, Feb 26. Resident conductor Daniel Brier and featured soloist Rachel Miller previewed the concert with Cara Lieurance.

At 7 pm on Friday, Jan 29, the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra will welcome audiences to its Digital Concert Hall Series by streaming "Fireworks For A New Year," led by music director Julian Kuerti. He joined Cara Lieurance to talk about the joy of performing in-person again (with strict precautions), and the classic pieces that speak to this moment in time.