Summerfest- KC's Summer Chamber Music Festival

06/01/2024

91.9 Classical KC will broadcast select performances from Summerfest’s 2023 season during “The Classical KC Concert Hall" this Saturday 8-9pm and Sunday 1-2pm.

The program will air on 91.9 FM locally and stream worldwide at classicalkc.org. An on demand version is available at: https://www.classicalkc.org/show/classical-kc-concert-hall/2024-05-28/the-classical-kc-concert-hall-summerfest-2023.

Classical KC

Summerfest, a sunny Kansas City tradition, is about to embark on its 32nd season of diverse chamber music performances. On this Classical KC Concert Hall broadcast, enjoy selections from Summerfest's 2023 season including works by Charles Martin Loeffler, Henriëtte Bosmans, Joseph Bologne and Wolfg...

05/30/2024

Just six weeks until we debut Season 32! -

05/01/2024

Announcing our 32nd season! - https://mailchi.mp/45d0515d9f26/2023-season-31-thank-you-17969323

11/28/2023

“Where do I begin? Stellar program, musicians par excellance! I enjoy the pre-concert comments about the music and composers, please continue to do that! Thank you all for sustaining us through July! Chamber music for the heart and soul!”

This comment from one of our 2023 concert series patron surveys made us very grateful. Our artistic advisors, board of directors, musicians, and staff work diligently throughout the year to ensure we continue our 31-year tradition of presenting inventive, quality programming in our community. Your support as audience members, donors, and friends is key to our success, and we thank you.

During this season of thanksgiving, we wanted to take a moment to thank you for ensuring this important summer tradition continues. We will continue our work in the off-season, and cannot wait to share plans regarding our 2024 season with you.

Wishing you and yours a very merry holiday season and a happy, healthy new year!

We invite you to remember Summerfest Concerts
in your year-end giving plans. You may donate securely online
at https://donorbox.org/contribute-to-support-summerfest-concerts.

11/08/2023

We are thrilled to share this wonderful ticket offer from our friends at Friends of Chamber Music!

A concert like no other with an offer like no other just for you! As a loyal patron of Summerfest you are invited to attend the performance by Sir András Schiff at an EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT! All Summerfest fans can receive 25% off single tickets by entering the promo code CAPRICCIO25 at check-out.

“One of the most penetratingly serious masters of the keyboard before the public today” (Boston Globe), Sir András Schiff makes a triumphant return to Kansas City, performing for the very first time at the Kauffman Center. It will be a unique and one-of-a-kind evening of great music-making and conversation, as Sir András will engage the audience with witty commentary throughout the performance in a program inspired by the moment. An evening that YOU MUST NOT MISS!

Do you LOVE THE PIANO and want to hear more?!? It’s not too late to subscribe to our Master Pianists Series. The series includes three concerts: Sir Andras Schiff, Alessio Bax & Lucille Chung in December and Jeremy Denk in February performing an all-Bach program!

All three concerts are available at https://www.chambermusic.org/subscribe for as low as $115 and new subscribers get 50% off!!! This is a deal not to be missed! We hope to see you at all our concerts!





https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfrFdOKRD9g

07/31/2023

Thank you for joining us for our 2023 season! We were absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to perform for you this July. As we prepare for a traditional concert series and our 32nd season in 2024, we invite you to take a moment to share your thoughts regarding this season’s concert series. Our board and artistic advisors value your feedback, and we appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts with us.

Thank you for joining us for our 2023 season! We were absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to perform for you this July. As we prepare for a traditional concert series and our 32nd season in 2024, we invite you to take a moment to share your thoughts regarding this season’s concert series. ...

07/30/2023

Join us today at 3pm for our final performance of the season!
Help us end season 31 with a bang! 💥

"Angels & Demons" features Angels in Flight by Marjan Mozetich, Dana Wilson's Dancing with the Devil, Nora Popescu's The Angel, and a classic - La Muerte de Angel by Astor Piazzolla. 😇 👿

We hope you can join us for this explosive season finale! Get your tickets at the door or online at www.summerfestkc.org/tickets.html.

A big thank you to our friends, fans, & followers for your continued support! Be sure to follow our page or sign up for our newsletter to get the latest news & updates about next season. All details and info can also be found at www.summerfestkc.org!

07/29/2023

Tonight at 7:30: the second-to-last performance of Summerfest's 31st season!

Join us tonight for "Angels & Demons," featuring works by Marjan Mozetich, Dana Wilson, Nora Popescu, and Astor Piazzolla!

Get your tickets online at www.summerfestkc.org/tickets.html or at the door an hour ahead of the performance. Can't join us tonight? Come tomorrow at 3pm instead for the same program at St. Mary's Episcopal Church!

We hope you can join us for the LAST WEEKEND of the season!

07/23/2023

Join us TODAY at 3pm for performance #2 of Summerfest Week 3! That means only THREE more chances to catch a Summerfest performance this year!

Today's "Musical Influencers" performance includes works by W.A. Mozart and one of his contemporaries, Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges; Ellen Taaffe Zwilich and one of her influences, Franz Schubert; Karol Beffa, and - perhaps the OG musical influencer - J.S. Bach. 🎶🎶🎶

Grab a ticket at www.summerfestkc.org/tickets.html or get one in-person an hour ahead of the performance. 🎭 🎫

07/23/2023

07/22/2023

Week 3 of our 31st season kicks off TONIGHT! Only 4 more chances to catch a Summerfest performance this year!

Tonight's "Musical Influencers" performance includes works by W.A. Mozart and one of his contemporaries, Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges; Ellen Taaffe Zwilich and one of her influences, Franz Schubert; Karol Beffa, and - perhaps the OG musical influencer - J.S. Bach. 🎶🎶🎶

Grab a ticket at www.summerfestkc.org/tickets.html or get one in-person an hour ahead of the performance. 🎭

Can't catch tonight's performance? Join us for the same program tomorrow at 3pm at St. Mary's Episcopal Church!

07/19/2023

"Through eclectic programming and sensitive performances, Summerfest, once again, demonstrates that the series is essential summer listening for chamber music fans."

Thank you KC Studio for the review of Sunday's "Atmospheres" performance!

Summerfest features a cohort of chamber musicians capable of just about any style and complexity.

07/16/2023

It's week 2 of Summerfest's 31st season!

Join us TODAY for the first of two performances of Atmospheres! Tonight's performance features works by Henriëtte Bosmans, Stacy Garrop, Reena Esmail, and Franz Berwald.

Still need tickets? Visit www.summerfestkc.org/tickets.html or grab one starting an hour before the performance. We can't wait to see you for Atmospheres!

07/15/2023

It's week 2 of Summerfest's 31st season!

Join us TONIGHT for the first of two performances of Atmospheres! Tonight's performance features works by Henriëtte Bosmans, Stacy Garrop, Reena Esmail, and Franz Berwald.

Still need tickets? Visit www.summerfestkc.org/tickets.html or grab one starting an hour before the performance. If you can't catch tonight's performance, join us tomorrow at 3pm for the same program instead!

07/11/2023

Summerfest's 2023 season opener was a huge success! Thank you to everyone who joined us for the first two performances of Season 31! 🎻 🎹

We have another amazing weekend of performances coming up - July 15th and 16th!

To join us, visit www.summerfestkc.org/tickets.html 🎫

Big thanks to Andrew Schwartz (Veritography LLC) for the gorgeous photos 📸

07/09/2023

Join us today at 3pm for another stunning performance of Rhapsodies! 🎶 🎻 Featured on today's program are works by Gioachino Rossini, Charles Martin Loeffler, Einojuhani Rautavaara, and Jessie Montgomery.

Still need tickets? Visit www.summerfestkc.org/tickets.html or grab one in-person starting an hour before the performance. We can't wait to see you there!

07/08/2023

Tonight at 7:30pm! Join us for our 31st season premiere performance: Rhapsodies! 🎶 🎻

Still need tickets? Visit www.summerfestkc.org/tickets.html or grab one in-person starting an hour before the performance. We can't wait to see you there!

07/05/2023

Our 31st season begins in just three days! Join us this Saturday, July 8th or Sunday, July 9th for Rhapsodies! Tickets can be purchased at the link below and can also be purchased at either venue an hour before each performance.

We hope you can join us to kick off an incredible 31st season!



https://www.summerfestkc.org/tickets.html

07/04/2023

Happy Independence Day, Summerfest friends!

06/23/2023

Classical KC will feature Summerfest on their “Kansas City Local Feature” program THIS Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 1pm!

The program will air on 91.9 FM locally and stream worldwide at classicalkc.org. If you can’t tune in in real time, an on-demand version of the program is available at the link below.

Thanks for the feature, Classical KC! We’re so excited about our upcoming season, starting on July 8th! 🎶🎶🎶

https://www.kcur.org/show/kansas-city-local-feature/2023-06-21/local-talent-shines-in-kansas-citys-annual-summerfest-performances

Some of the best musicians in Kansas City and surrounding communities come together each July for Summerfest: Kansas City's annual chamber music showcase. Brooke Knoll previews this year's festival with musicians and artistic advisors Jane Carl and Evan Halloin. We'll hear music by Charles Loeffler,...

06/22/2023

Ahead of our 31st season, each week in June we'll be highlighting one weekend of Summerfest performances! Today features Week 4 - Angels & Demons 😇😈🎻

Summerfest’s final week balances the angels of our better nature with the desire to dance with the devil. Canadian composer Marjan Mozetich first became known for the more devilish Dance of the Blind, but this summer he’ll present our musicians in dialogue with Angels in Flight. Instead, Dana Wilson will take us Dancing with the Devil in a driving work that suitably never lets you know where you are going. You may not know the name Nora Popescu, as she is a young pianist just beginning as a composer, but with The Angel, she is giving us a beautiful and lush portrait of an angelic messenger while making us eager to see what she produces yet. And the familiar name of Astor Piazzolla rounds out our final week, combining the angelic with the devilish through a selection of his works including the delightfully danceable La Muerte del Angel.

Tickets for our 31st season are on sale NOW: https://www.summerfestkc.org/tickets.html

Join us each weekend in July for 4 exciting programs featuring both new music and some classics!

06/14/2023

Ahead of our 31st season, each week in June we'll be highlighting one weekend of Summerfest performances! Today features Week 3 - Musical Influencers 🎻💁🏼‍♀️

You’ve certainly heard of social media influencers, people who sway opinions based on their reputations and expertise on different topics. But what about musical influencers? Certainly, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart would rank as one, taking genres meant as disposable entertainment and turning them into concert-worthy works others would emulate like in his Divertimento in B flat major, K. 439b, No. 1.

For many years Mozart’s contemporary Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, was forgotten, but in the past few years, he has regained his rightful place and young composers are learning from his exquisite pieces like his String Quartet Opus 1, No. 6 in D major.

Franz Schubert’s vocal writing has inspired generations of composers, but even his own instrumental writing was shaped by those songs. His Piano Quintet in A major, D. 667 is subtitled the “Trout” because it uses a Schubert melody of the same name which in turn became the basis of the second movement of Ellen Taaffe Zwilich’s Quintet which she called “The Moody Trout.” Karol Beffa’s Blow Up brings the influence of the movies, jazz, and popular music into the concert hall.

Finally, perhaps no composer is more of an influencer than J.S. Bach, and his Well-Tempered Clavier was passed around and studied by composers even when his other pieces were forgotten. You’ll hear those keyboard works anew in an arrangement of his Prelude in D Major from the Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II, BWV 873 for flute, clarinet, and bassoon.

Join us July 22nd and 23rd for Musical Influencers!

Summerfest Concerts is a summer chamber music festival based in Kansas City, MO. Join us in July!

06/07/2023

Ahead of our 31st season, each week in June we'll be highlighting one weekend of Summerfest performances! Today features Week 2 - Atmospheres 🎻🌎💫

Our second week moves outside the individual experience of attending a concert to explore the different music that swirls in the air around us every day. Henriëtte Bosmans grew up in a musical family, and her compact String Quartet demonstrates how much she was influenced by the music she encountered in Europe between the world wars. Stacy Garrop has always been open to the music around her, and in Bohemian Café, she imagines the music of Prague’s buskers floating through the city’s plentiful outdoor cafés. The Light is Same, Reena Esmail’s attempt to make sense of the world in late 2016, joints two Hindustani rāgas that share similar notes, but seem worlds apart. And Swedish composer Franz Berwald likely heard Beethoven’s incredibly popular Septet in Stockholm and wrote his own Grand Septet in B-flat Major in response, a work meant to be shared, and treasured in a group setting. 

Join us July 15th and 16th for Atmospheres! Get your tickets at https://www.summerfestkc.org/tickets.html! 🎟 🎶

06/02/2023

Ahead of our 31st season, each week in June we'll be highlighting one weekend of Summerfest performances! Today features Week 1 - Rhapsodies 🎻

Week 1 focuses on that rhapsodic feeling you get hearing expressive music played passionately. This first weekend of performances features Giacchino Rossini's Six String Sonatas (who knew he wrote something other than opera?!) and Charles Loeffler's Two Rhapsodies (very on-theme). We'll also perform Jessie Montgomery's "Strum" and finish (😉) with Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara’s String Quartet #1 “Quartettino."

Rhapsodies kicks off Season 31, and we're so excited to share it with you!

Join us July 8th and 9th for Rhapsodies! Get your tickets at https://www.summerfestkc.org/tickets.html! 🎟 🎶

05/27/2023

Join us for our 31st season! We're so excited to share it with you!

Weekends in July - Saturdays at 7:30 and Sundays at 3. For tickets and more information, visit https://www.summerfestkc.org/tickets.html!

05/19/2023

We're excited to announce that tickets are now on sale for our 31st season! Join us for four incredible concert weekends this July.

Highlights include Rossini's Six String Sonatas, Reena Esmail's "The Light is Same," Schubert's "Trout" Quintet, and Piazzolla's "La Muerte del Angel" - and much, much more amazing chamber music.

Saturday performances are at 7:30pm at UMKC's White Recital Hall, and Sunday performances are 3pm at St. Mary's Episcopal Church.

Visit https://www.summerfestkc.org/tickets.html for concert details and ticket information! We hope you can join us for season 31!

Summerfest Concerts is a summer chamber music festival based in Kansas City, MO. Join us in July!