Pierre’s Piano News June 2026

Dear friends,

As we reflect on the success of the 2026 Festival, I find myself filled with gratitude for everyone who joined us to listen, celebrate, and experience this remarkable season of music. Thank you for helping us begin what promises to be a wonderful new annual tradition.

It was a joy to welcome back Gilmore Artists Alexandre Kantorow and Kirill Gerstein, along with our inaugural Larry J. Bell Jazz Artist, Sullivan Fortner. The Festival also featured memorable debuts and performances by Sara Davis Buechner, Chucho Valdés, Kandace Springs, Stewart Goodyear, and many others. We will look back on this year’s Festival with great fondness as we look ahead to all that this new tradition will bring.

Although the Festival has come to a close, The Gilmore remains as active as ever. This summer, I look forward to carrying the lessons of the Festival with me as I travel to teach and serve on juries at the Kaufman Piano Competition, the Colorado International Piano Academy and Festival, and the Philadelphia Young Pianists’ Academy.

Here at home, summer brings many opportunities for young musicians and lifelong learners. At the end of June, we will welcome students, including my own children, to Piano Camp, a six-day experience that combines classical training with a wide range of music-related electives, and many traditional camp activities. Our summer Piano Lab classes also begin next week. Designed for both children and adults, these classes offer a welcoming way to begin learning the piano or returning to it.

As we move forward from the first Festival in our new annual tradition, I remain deeply grateful for all that we have experienced together, and excited for what lies ahead. Thank you, as always, for being part of The Gilmore family. Your support sustains our work and inspires our vision for the future.

Warmly,

The 2026 Gilmore Piano Festival

Pierre and 2024 Gilmore Artist Alexandre Kantorow performing Fauré’s Berceuse from Dolly Suite, Op. 56 at the 2026 Festival, photo by Chris McGuire

This year’s Festival brought unforgettable performances across classical and jazz. Gilmore Artists Alexandre Kantorow (2024) and Kirill Gerstein (2010) each appeared twice, demonstrating the versatility that earned them the honor. Audiences received a special surprise when Pierre joined Kantorow at the piano for a Fauré encore following his solo recital. The inaugural Bell Artist Sullivan Fortner also showcased his extraordinary versatility, opening the Festival with a solo performance and returning for a star-studded finale with GRAMMY winning vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant and acclaimed trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire.

Other highlights included the debuts of Bell Young Artists Esteban Castro and Tyler Bullock, Stewart Goodyear’s dazzling Beethoven performances, and Kandace Springs’ lively sold-out concert. Sara Davis Buechner offered one of the Festival’s most moving and personal programs, while the Chucho Valdés Royal Quartet filled Chenery Auditorium with the energy of Latin jazz.

We are deeply grateful to every artist who shared their talents—and to Kalamazoo for welcoming them with such warmth and enthusiasm.

Upper Left: Pierre with 2010 Gilmore Artist Kirill Gerstein, Upper Right: Pierre enjoying cake with 2024 Gilmore Artist Alexandre Kantorow and Kalamazoo Symphony Conductor Julian Kuerti, Lower Left: Pierre and Gilmore Director of Jazz Seth Abramson with 2026 Bell Artist Sullivan Fortner, Lower Right: Pierre with his daughter, Emma.

Left: Nelly Kurzmann showing off her love of piano, Middle: Board President Zaide Pixley with Kantorow, Right: Pierre with CEO of Zhang Financial, Lynn-Chen Zhang

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Standout Statistics

Another Festival brought another year of exciting milestones and achievements for The Gilmore. Take a look at the numbers behind this year’s success:

Summer Plans

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The Gilmore is thrilled to continue its partnership with Kalamazoo Valley Community College’s Graphic Arts program to create the official T-shirt for Piano Camp, taking place June 21–26.

Each year, students in Aubrey Jewel Rodgers’s graphic arts classes develop original designs for the shirt. Rodgers, Chair of Applied Arts and Media Technologies and Graphic Arts Instructor, selects the strongest concepts to share with The Gilmore. From there, the chosen student works with The Gilmore Education Department and receives guidance from their instructor to refine the design.

Now in its fourth year, this collaboration gives KVCC students valuable real-world design experience while creating a special keepsake for Piano Camp participants.

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