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2026 Festival Volunteer Opportunities
Joshua Bell
Volunteer Needs:
20 Usher/Greeter/Scanners
6 Reception
2 Information Station
TBD Transportation
Description:
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
Opening Night: Sullivan Fortner Solo Game
Volunteer Needs:
10 Usher/Greeter/Scanners
TBD Transportation
Description:
The evening will begin with a celebratory dinner honoring Larry J. Bell at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, followed by a rare and captivating solo performance by 2026 Larry J. Bell Artist Award Recipient Sullivan Fortner. Fresh off receiving the inaugural Bell Artist Award, Fortner revisits the spirit of his Grammy-nominated album Solo Game — a kaleidoscopic journey across acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes, Hammond B-3 organ, and other keyboards. Blending jazz, gospel, and modern improvisation, Fortner moves fluidly between soulful lyricism and bold harmonic exploration, revealing why he’s regarded as one of today’s most imaginative and expressive voices in jazz.
From Cliburn to Kantorow: A Celebration of Tchaikovsky
Volunteer Needs:
20 Usher/Greeter/Scanners
6 Reception
2 Information Station
TBD Transportation
Description:
American pianist Van Cliburn instantly shot to superstardom after winning the inaugural International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow at the height of the Cold War. At this year’s Festival, experience the World Premiere of a new one-act monodrama by American composer Evan Mack and Pulitzer-prize winning librettist Mark Campbell, exploring the impact of Cliburn’s historic win on his own life and on global culture. American Sputnik features baritone Joseph Lattanzi and Cleveland International Piano Competition-winning pianist Stanislav Khristenko dually portraying the role of Cliburn, joined by the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra under Music Director Julian Kuerti. After intermission, 2024 Gilmore Artist Alexandre Kantorow — who followed in Cliburn’s footsteps as a winner of the Tchaikovsky Competition — joins the KSO to perform Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 2, one of the concertos that helped Kantorow earn his victory at the competition.
Right In The Eye - A Family Concert
Volunteer Needs:
20 Usher/Greeter/Scanners
2 Information Station
TBD Transportation
Description:
A feast for the senses, Right in the Eye combines 12 short silent films by pioneering French filmmaker Georges Méliès — bursting with jaw-dropping special effects — with musical virtuosity, lighting design, and more. Three musicians perform on over 50 different instruments, including rare and unique ones, live onstage alongside the films, in a one-of-a-kind production ideal for children ages five and up.
Right in the Eye is an Alcoléa & cie production.
Cyrus Chestnut Trio (4pm)
Volunteer Needs:
2 Usher/Greeter/Scanners
TBD Transportation
Description:
A gifted and innovative jazz pianist, Cyrus Chestnut possesses a soulful style that fuses gospel, classical music, and straight-ahead jazz. With two musical parents who were involved in the church, it was only natural that gospel music would become a major influence on Chestnut’s musical development, showing him not only how to be a better player but also how to connect with audiences. His original compositions are the heart of his latest album, Rhythm, Melody, and Harmony, on which he demonstrates his signature blend of rhythmic precision, emotive expression, and improvisational mastery.
Cyrus Chestnut Trio (7pm)
Volunteer Needs:
2 Usher/Greeter/Scanners
TBD Transportation
Description:
A gifted and innovative jazz pianist, Cyrus Chestnut possesses a soulful style that fuses gospel, classical music, and straight-ahead jazz. With two musical parents who were involved in the church, it was only natural that gospel music would become a major influence on Chestnut’s musical development, showing him not only how to be a better player but also how to connect with audiences. His original compositions are the heart of his latest album, Rhythm, Melody, and Harmony, on which he demonstrates his signature blend of rhythmic precision, emotive expression, and improvisational mastery.
Alexandre Kantorow 2024 Gilmore Artist
Volunteer Needs:
20 Usher/Greeter/Scanners
6 Reception
2 Information Station
TBD Transportation
Description:
The day after performing Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, 2024 Gilmore Artist Alexandre Kantorow returns to give a solo recital, showcasing his varied repertoire. Anchoring the program is the final piano sonata by Beethoven and the first piano sonata by Nikolai Medtner. Kantorow also presents the US Premiere of a new work by leading Swedish composer Anders Hillborg, which Kantorow commissioned through his Gilmore Artist Award; he will premiere the work at the Lucerne Festival in January 2026.
Pre-concert talk at 7 pm with Dr. Zaide Pixley in Room 130
Master Class: Stewart Goodyear
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.