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2026 Festival Volunteer Opportunities
Baby Grands - Orgelkids with Heitzig and Jones
Volunteer Needs:
6 Usher/Greeter/Scanners
2 Reception
TBD Transportation
Description:
No stage? No seats? No problem! Babies, toddlers, and kids of all ages are invited to enjoy an interactive musical storytime featuring The Gilmore’s very own Kory Heitzig. Children are welcome to move freely around the space while parents, family, and friends enjoy complimentary snacks and coffee during this relaxed, family-friendly event.
This Baby Grands will feature The Gilmore’s very own Kory Heitzig on organ, with Dr. Garret Jones narrating, presenting Rex: The King of Instruments written by Daniel Burton. This lively piece introduces the pipe organ through an energetic blend of organ music and narration. This will be followed by the OrgelKids workshop, an engaging, hands-on experience where kids collaborate to assemble a real working organ! This event is a family-friendly, interactive way to introduce kids of all ages to the biggest instrument ever—the organ!
Cameron Carpenter
Volunteer Needs:
8 Usher/Greeter/Scanners
4 Reception
TBD Transportation
Discription:
In a rare performance by an organist at The Gilmore, Cameron Carpenter demonstrates the versatility and dramatic power of his chosen instrument. Committed to expanding the repertoire for the organ, Carpenter composes original music and also creates his own virtuosic arrangements of iconic works of classical music, including J.S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations and Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. Carpenter is the first-ever organist to be nominated for a GRAMMY® Award for a solo album (for his debut album Revolutionary), and has transfixed audiences worldwide with his dazzling technique and larger-than-life style.
Richard Goode
Volunteer Needs:
6 Usher/Greeter/Scanners
3 Reception
1 Information Station
TBD Transportation
Description:
GRAMMY® Award-winning pianist Richard Goode is internationally renowned for his interpretations of Classical and Romantic music. His 10-disc recording of Beethoven’s complete piano sonatas remains a benchmark in the industry. Goode returns to The Gilmore to perform two cornerstones of the repertoire: Beethoven’s monumental Diabelli Variations and Schubert’s heartrending Sonata in B-flat Major, his final composition for solo piano. Either of these works on their own would comprise a worthwhile recital program; the chance to hear both in one evening is not to be missed!
Pre-Concert Talk with Andrew Koehler | 6:30 PM | Lecture Hall
Right In The Eye - A Family Concert Battle Creek
Volunteer Needs:
16 Usher/Greeter/Scanners
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.
Stewart Goodyear
Volunteer Needs:
6 Usher/Greeter/Scanners
3 Reception
1 Information Station
TBD Transportation
Description:
Canadian pianist Stewart Goodyear possesses a huge, dramatic sound, an elegant technique, and an omnivorous approach to keyboard music. Goodyear has attracted particular attention for his Beethoven “Sonatathons,” a term he coined to describe his epic performances of Beethoven’s complete piano sonatas in one day. Like Beethoven, Goodyear himself is a talented pianist-composer, frequently performing his own works in recital. His Gilmore program includes three of Beethoven’s best-loved sonatas — the “Tempest,” the “Moonlight,” and the “Appassionata” — juxtaposed with his own Rhapsody and Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso.
Brad Mehldau & Kirill Gerstein in Dialogue
Volunteer Needs:
6 Usher/Greeter/Scanners
3 Reception
1 Information Station
TBD Transportation
Description:
Grammy Award–winning pianist and composer Brad Mehldau has long bridged musical worlds, shaping modern jazz with performances that blend intellect, emotion, and structure. 2010 Gilmore Artist Kirill Gerstein, equally at home in classical and jazz traditions, is celebrated for his dynamic artistry and curiosity, connecting diverse musical voices with insight and imagination. Their collaboration grew from a shared fascination with the space between composition and improvisation.
As Gerstein recalls: “I felt an immediate, visceral pull to his musical language… Our friendship has deepened, as have our shared explorations of the porous border between written and improvised music.”
Mehldau shares: “He is a virtuoso with an astoundingly large and varied repertoire, but he is much more than that.… Kirill and I have been exploring ways to combine written music and improvisation, and the program we put together will reflect that.”
Master Class: Lori Sims
Volunteer Needs:
2 Usher/Greeters
1 Hospitality
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 CIVIC
Volunteer Needs:
10 Usher/Greeter/Scanners
2 Information Station
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.