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2026 Bell Young Artist Tyler Bullock Trio Battle Creek
Volunteer Needs:
2 Usher/Greeter/Scanners
TBD Transportation
Description
2026 Bell Young Artist Tyler Bullock is the regular pianist for the Roy Hargrove Big Band, and with collaborations with Samara Joy, Sean Jones, and Dee Dee Bridgewater already under his belt, Bullock is one of the most promising pianists of his generation. His original compositions for his trio and other configurations combine the lineage of jazz with his own fresh perspective.
Eighth Blackbird (Steve Reich celebration)
Volunteer Needs:
6 Usher/Greeter/Scanners
3 Reception
1 Information Station
TBD Transportation
Description:
Four-time GRAMMY® Award-winning contemporary music sextet Eighth Blackbird is, according to The Chicago Tribune, “one of the smartest, most dynamic ensembles on the planet.” They perform Four Organs and Piano Phase, two seminal 20th-century works by pioneering American minimalist composer Steve Reich in his 90th birthday year, as well as the World Premiere of a new work written for them by Clarice Assad, commissioned by The Gilmore. A composer, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist, Assad creatively fuses elements of classical, jazz, and Brazilian music for a sound that’s completely her own.
Pre-concert talk at 1 pm with Dr. Beau Bothwell in the Lecture Hall at Dalton Center
Kandace Springs (5pm)
Volunteer Needs:
10 Usher/Greeter/Scanners
2 Information Station
TBD Transportation
Description:
Hailing from Nashville, Tennessee, jazz pianist and singer Kandace Springs’s natural gifts for lyricism and soulfulness have propelled her to some of the world’s biggest stages. She has performed alongside Prince, Sting and Jack White, Norah Jones, Roy Hargrove, and more, and has released acclaimed albums of acoustic-based jazz. Her Gilmore set will include arrangements from her latest recording, Lady in Satin, a loving tribute to Billie Holiday and her 1958 record of the same name, with Springs on both keys and vocals, joined by her all-female trio.
Kandace Springs (8pm)
Volunteer Needs:
10 Usher/Greeter/Scanners
2 Information Station
TBD Transportation
Description:
Hailing from Nashville, Tennessee, jazz pianist and singer Kandace Springs’s natural gifts for lyricism and soulfulness have propelled her to some of the world’s biggest stages. She has performed alongside Prince, Sting and Jack White, Norah Jones, Roy Hargrove, and more, and has released acclaimed albums of acoustic-based jazz. Her Gilmore set will include arrangements from her latest recording, Lady in Satin, a loving tribute to Billie Holiday and her 1958 record of the same name, with Springs on both keys and vocals, joined by her all-female trio.
Master Class: Charlotte Hu
Volunteer Needs:
2 Usher/Greeters
1 Hospitality
TBD Transportation
Description:
Festival artists share their talents and wisdom with Festival Fellows, who perform and learn from their teachers at Gilmore Festival master classes. Witness the creative process in action and gain insight into the dedication required to become an exceptional pianist. All master classes are free and open to the public.
2026 Bell Young Artist Esteban Castro Trio Battle Creek
with Kory Heitzig
Volunteer Needs:
2 Usher/Greeter/Scanners
TBD Transportation
Description:
2026 Bell Young Artist Esteban Castro began playing piano at age 4 and at 13, became the youngest-ever First Prize Winner at the Montreux Jazz Piano Solo Competition. Castro is already an in-demand bandleader and side musician. At The Gilmore, Castro’s trio will perform a mix of standards as well as original, award-winning compositions.
2026 Bell Young Artist Tyler Bullock Trio CIVIC
Volunteer Needs:
10 Usher/Greeter/Scanners
2 Information Station
TBD Transportation
Description:
2026 Bell Young Artist Tyler Bullock is the regular pianist for the Roy Hargrove Big Band, and with collaborations with Samara Joy, Sean Jones, and Dee Dee Bridgewater already under his belt, Bullock is one of the most promising pianists of his generation. His original compositions for his trio and other configurations combine the lineage of jazz with his own fresh perspective.
Lori Sims
Volunteer Needs:
6 Usher/Greeter/Scanners
3 Reception
1 Information Station
Description:
A pillar of the Kalamazoo musical community, Lori Sims returns to The Gilmore for a recital on piano and harpsichord, demonstrating how the harpsichord and Baroque musical forms can be updated and reworked in a modern context. Opening with J.S. Bach’s Partita for keyboard No. 6, Sims then jumps to works by two of the 20th century’s most important composers, György Ligeti and Sofia Gubaidulina, who both fused traditional Baroque forms—the Passacaglia and the Chaconne—with their distinctly modern musical languages. Ligeti’s dizzyingly intricate works for harpsichord push the instrument to its limits.