There's a certain steady beat to the thunk of the baseball when it hits the leather baseball glove on Thomas Evans' hand. Almost like a metronome.
Inside that baseball glove is the hand of a musician, a conductor of orchestras. But on this day, it is the hand of a father playing catch with his son in the backyard. Thunk, pause, toss, thunk, pause, toss, thunk.
While Evans was tossing the ball to his son, in nearby Chenery Auditorium, members of the world renowned Beaux Arts Trio were tuning their instruments. Evans says he'll never forget the impact of playing ball with Matt, only minutes and just a few miles from a world-class concert.
"I tossed the ball one more time to Matt," Evans says, "got into my car, drove a few blocks to Chenery, parked my car for free, and sat down to listen to one of the most incredible musical performances I've ever heard. Right here in Kalamazoo."
Evans knows good music. The associate professor of music and director of bands at Kalamazoo College has traveled to many points across the globe -- from Japan to Estonia to Tunisia -- with jazz bands. He is also frequently seen, and heard, playing trombone in the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, the Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra, and the Bach Festival Orchestra. And, he is conductor of the Kalamazoo Concert Band.
He's like many who can't quite get over the fact that every two years Kalamazoo hosts the best pianists the world has to offer.
The Gilmore, as it is commonly known, or the
Irving S. Gilmore International Keyboard Festival, is a biennial celebration of music -- specifically, keyboard music. The Gilmore has brought 10 festivals over 20 years to Kalamazoo, supporting keyboard artists in concerts, recitals, chamber music performances, lectures, master classes and film.
This year's festival began April 17 and concludes May 8 in a variety of venues across the region. Some performers are well known, like Matt Giraud,
American Idol star; while others attract those who have developed a finer taste in jazz and classical musicians like Russian-born pianist Kirill Gerstein. Past performers include Dave Brubeck, Chick Corea, Bruce Hornsby, Ricky Skaggs, Harry Connick, Jr., Mendelssohn String Quartet, and many other greats.
The reason there is a festival is to introduce the Gilmore Artist. One of the most prestigious honors for pianists, the Gilmore Artist Award, is presented every four years on a non-competitive basis. Pianists never know that they are being considered for the award. All observations of a pianist's performances leading up to their selection are conducted in secret. Music lovers from across the region get to hear the Gilmore Artist at least once during the festival and sometimes more if his or her performance schedule allows.
"The level of the Gilmore concerts is exceptionally high, and it is a real joy to hear artists of such caliber here in Kalamazoo," says Andrew Koehler, assistant professor of music at Kalamazoo College. He's also music director of the Kalamazoo Philharmonia, and director of the Kalamazoo Junior Symphony Orchestra.
"The Gilmore is something that puts Kalamazoo on the map artistically," Koehler says. "When people I meet elsewhere don't know about Kalamazoo, I often refer to the Gilmore as a cultural reference point, and frequently, if they're involved in classical music, and especially if they're a pianist, they immediately understand that Kalamazoo is home to something of international significance."
Elizabeth Start, cellist, composer, arts administrator and member of the Kalamazoo Symphony, executive director of the Michigan Festival of Sacred Music and board member of the
Stulberg International String Competition, can identify with people who know about the Gilmore, but don't immediately associate it with Kalamazoo.
"I do find it interesting that I still meet music enthusiasts in the Chicago area who may be aware of the Gilmore, but are not aware it is in Kalamazoo," Start says. "The Stulberg International String Competition faces a similar challenge. Kalamazoo has world-class organizations of which we can be proud. It gives me an important organization to describe when I tell folks how special Kalamazoo is."
Even people who have never been to a Gilmore concert recognize its importance to the community. Take local author Bonnie Jo Campbell.
It can be hard to pin down Campbell these days, let alone find her at a concert. Campbell's short story collection,
American Salvage, was a finalist for the National Book Award. She is currently on tour but still drops by her farm outside of Kalamazoo just long enough to check on the donkeys she raises or to weed her garden. "I've never attended the Gilmore, because I've always got so much to do and would probably choose to attend a literary event instead. But I feel proud to tell people that we have the Gilmore in Kalamazoo. I'm very aware of it."
Others take in as many concerts as they can.
"Personally, I enjoy the feeling that, for a little while, Kalamazoo is the center of the musical universe," says Paul Stermer, executive director of Fair Food Matters. "My wife and I have attended several of the events over the years. We've enjoyed the diversity of the performances. The Gilmore creates a great sense of anticipation among visitors, and a great sense of pride among residents. The economic impact of the Gilmore is no small thing."
The Gilmore is estimated to pump $10 to $12 million into the local economy during a festival year. This year, for the first time, the festival coordinated efforts to get concert goers into local restaurants with a discount for those who showed concert tickets.
"I believe the Gilmore has a profound impact on our community. It is truly a world-class event and one that not only elevates and enriches the musical environment, but one that is also an important economic driver. The leadership of the Irving S. Gilmore Foundation gave this community a great gift," says Angela Graham, executive director of the
Bronson Health Foundation.
What else does the Gilmore means to the community?
"The Gilmore has helped our students set personal music goals," says Lisa Bredahl, co-director of the
Kalamazoo School of Music & Dance. "They really enjoy seeing other artists with a passion for music."
Retired blood transfusion specialist Biruta Abuls and her husband, Dzintars Abuls, an electrical engineer, chime in: "The festival opens for all of us the fantastic world of contemporary music -- and we don't even have to leave the area. Good for our image, good for Michigan. How fortunate for us!"
Eileen Wilson-Oyelaran is not only president of
Kalamazoo College -- she is also a proud member of the Gilmore Keyboard Festival board. "The Gilmore Keyboard Festival brings people to our city when it is at its most beautiful, and it has a profound economic impact while creating international visibility for Kalamazoo. And imagine the impact that it has on the lives of the artists themselves."
Still likely to be found tossing a ball on a spring day, Thomas Evans remembers that performance by Beaux Arts Trio vividly. "It was an amazing performance. Beethoven and Shostakovich were featured, and they hit it out of the ball park!"
Zinta Aistars is a freelance writer and editor of literary ezine, The Smoking Poet, who lives in Portage, Michigan. Photos by Erik Holladay
Chenery Auditorium, located on Westnedge Avenue in Kalamazoo, is just one of the sites that plays host to the Irving S. Gilmore International Keyboard Festival.
Elizabeth Start, cellist, composer, arts administrator and member of the Kalamazoo Symphony, executive director of the Michigan Festival of Sacred Music and board member of the Stulberg International String Competition, is proud to have The Gilmore in Kalamazoo.
Thomas Evans, associate professor of music and director of bands at Kalamazoo College, is always amazed he can walk out his door and see world-class music right here in Kalamazoo during the Irving S. Gilmore International Keyboard Festival.
Andrew Koehler, assistant professor of music at Kalamazoo College, gives a violin lesson to Ethan Barker. Koehler says he believes The Gilmore puts Kalamazoo on the map and brings international caliber artists to the community.