The Gilmore Piano Festival is preparing to launch the Rising Stars series this fall, featuring four exceptional young performers. Executive and artistic director Pierre van der Westhuizen joins Cara Lieurance to talk about the intimate concert series that will showcase both classical and jazz talent mostly in the 160-seat Cori Terry Theatre (formerly the Wellspring Theatre) in the Epic Center.
"It's a lovely space," van der Westhuizen explains. "You feel like you're in somebody's living room. It's a real opportunity to be up and close."
The series opens September 21 with Chelsea Guo, a remarkable double-threat artist who excels as both pianist and vocalist. "She is equally talented in piano and voice," says van der Westhuizen. Guo made history as the first artist to win both piano and voice categories at the Young Concert Artists auditions in New York and is making her debut at the Vienna State Opera this season.
October brings a weekend of performances featuring Luther S. Allison and his trio on October 4, followed by Georgian pianist Georgi Gigashvili on October 5. Allison, who already has a Grammy under his belt for his work with vocal phenom Samara Joy, will perform two sets at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. "Luther is a very genuine, special young man," says van der Westhuizen. "He is very deep-rooted, you know, with the church tradition and the southern sensibility."
Gigashvili brings an unusual background, having won The Voice in his home country of Georgia at age 13 while simultaneously pursuing classical piano training. "He won first prize at the Vigo International Piano Competition and second prize at the very famous Rubenstein Competition in Israel," van der Westhuizen adds.
The series concludes December 6 with Japanese-American pianist Miki Yamanaka at Bell's Eccentric Cafe. Known for her vibrant stage presence and collection of performance kimonos, Yamanaka has established herself at major New York jazz venues including Smalls Jazz Club and Mezzrow.
On the series' track record of identifying future stars, van der Westhuizen says, "We can start with Lang Lang." The world-renowned pianist appeared as a Rising Star in 2001. Other alumni include Orion Weiss, Igor Levit, and Emmett Cohen.
Tickets are available at The Gilmore website, with a 15% discount for purchasing all four concerts. This marks the final Rising Stars series before the festival transitions to an annual format in spring 2025.
The interview was summarized by Claude AI and edited by the author
