KSO June 2019 - May 2020 Annual Fund Campaign

80%
$255,000.00
Thank you for sustaining the work of the KSO in our community! Make a Donation
Alyssa Waswick
Our 2019 Youth Soloist is Alyssa Waswick

FRIDAY, DEC. 13 at 8 p.m. —Alyssa Waswick, our 2019 Youth Soloist, will perform Glazunov's “Concerto for Alto Saxophone and String Orchestra E-flat Major op. 109” with the KSO during our annual Sounds of the Season holiday concert on Dec. 13.

A Plainwell High School senior, Alyssa is a member of the school’s Wind Ensemble, Marching Band, Jazz Band, Honors Saxophone Quartet, and Concert Choir. She also has participated in WMU‘s “Seminar” summer intensive program and CMU’s Summer Music Institute. After graduating, she intends to pursue a degree in music to instill the same appreciation of music in future generations that her past and present music directors have been able to instill in her.

INFO & TICKETS

Sounds of the Season
A Holiday Concert Tradition

FRIDAY, DEC. 13, at 8 p.m. — A return to community & winter holiday traditions, this annual concert is a perfect way to begin your holiday season.

This year, we bring together our community to celebrate, featuring the talents of the Bach Festival Chorus and Kalamazoo Children’s Chorus. There will be caroling; there may be a visitor from the North Pole…

INFO & TICKETS

Community Concerts
Join Us for Free Community Concerts

DEC. 17 & 18 — Just in time for the holidays, we offer two, free noontime community concerts featuring our KSO Artists in Residence.

We’ll be at Ascension Borgess Hospital at noon on Tuesday, Dec. 17, and at Bronson Methodist Hospital at noon on Wednesday, Dec. 18. Spend your lunch hour with us!

LEARN MORE

  • KSO Artists in Residence
    KSO Artists in Residence

    In 1995, as part of the 75th anniversary celebration of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, a commitment was made to develop four full-time positions that would both enable the orchestra to create community service and education programs and strengthen the orchestra ensemble.

    To this end, the Artists in Residence program began with the KSO's Burdick-Thorne String Quartet. Since that time, the Artists in Residence program has grown to eight positions; including oboe, clarinet, trombone, and timpani, along with the original strings. As a result, the artistic level of the orchestra has soared, and the KSO's education and community programs have expanded to reach more than 26,000 students and their teachers annually with 20+ programs in more than 100 schools throughout Southwest Michigan.

    Our current Artists in Residence are:

    Julia Neckermann, Violin I
    Lisa A. Williams, Violin II
    Nicholas Jeffrey, Viola (not pictured)
    Igor Cetkovic, Cello
    Gabriel Renteria, Oboe
    Georgiy Borisov, Clarinet
    Edward "Kip" Hickman, Trombone
    Mark Guthrie, Timpani

  • Get to Know the Orchestra
    Get to Know the Orchestra

    Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra musicians are the heart of our organization.

    Learn more about our talented musicians; KSO's Music Director, Julian Kuerti; Resident Conductor, Daniel Brier; and our Music Director Emeritus, Raymond Harvey.

  • KSO in your community
    KSO in your Community

    We LOVE our community. You will find your KSO musicians peforming free public concerts in venues such as Bronson's Garden Atrium, Borgess' Atrium Lobby, First Presbyterian Church of Kalamazoo, Sarkozy Bakery, and Kalamazoo Public Library...and that is just to name a few!

    We also are excited to bring our beloved Instrument Petting Zoo to many local events throughout the year. Fun for kids of all ages!

    Check out our Community Events Calendar for a complete calendar of events.  

  • KSO On The Go
    KSO On The Go

    Through education programs and partnerships, KSO has unique and exciting opportunities to support school music programs through “KSO On The Go” and other in-school programs.

    We bring live performances, classroom visits, artist residencies, and symphony field trips, accompanied by great curriculum materials, to provide formative learning experiences for students of all ages.

Discover the KSO


Experience our 99th season

Create shared, live musical experiences with your Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra during our exciting 2019-20 concert season. 

The orchestra's 99th concert season encompasses a diverse range of music from the baroque to music of the present day and highlights strong local connections through collaborations with the Bach Festival Chorus, Western Michigan University Chorus, Stulberg International String Competition, Kalamazoo Children's Chorus, and the Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Experience. Many concerts will feature popular local artists, including the Red Sea Pedestrians, Nashon Holloway, and the Westhuizen Duo.

Make sure to check out our subscription options. The purchase of any three concerts in the season makes you a Create-Your-Own Subscriber -- enjoy preferred seating, worry-free exchanges, and discounts on most tickets.
 
We hope you will take a few moments to explore our site and learn more about our history, education programs, concert series, our Music Director and, of course, our talented musicians. We’re committed to ensuring symphonic music is part of everyday life in our community through outstanding musical listening and learning experiences. We look forward to seeing you in the concert hall!