Kansas City Symphony

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Kansas City Symphony (KCS)
Orchestra
Founded1982–present
Concert hallKauffman Center for the Performing Arts
Principal conductorMatthias Pintscher (designate)
Websitewww.kcsymphony.org
The Kansas City Symphony prepares to perform in Helzberg Hall at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

The Kansas City Symphony (KCS) is a United States symphony orchestra based in Kansas City, Missouri. The current music director is conductor Michael Stern. The Symphony performs at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, located at 1601 Broadway Boulevard.[1]

History

Kansas City's first symphony orchestra was the Kansas City Symphony, formed in 1911 for

Donald J. Hall, Sr. and H&R Block co-founder Henry W. Bloch
, to be the founding trustees; together, the first board established the Symphony's initial endowment. They also promulgated the Symphony's mission, to "advance and advocate the art of classical music for the enrichment of the community".

In 2002, the Kansas City Symphony was instrumental in developing the

Aspen Music Festival, and Oakland East Bay Symphony
.

The previous home of the Symphony was the Lyric Theatre until September 2011 when it moved to Helzberg Hall in the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.

Today

The Kansas City Symphony currently has 80 full-time musicians, all area residents. Each year, it plays a 42-week season, which includes subscription concerts, educational concerts, regional and national tours, and public outreach concerts. The Symphony also performs music for the Lyric Opera of Kansas City and the Kansas City Ballet.

In addition to ordinary donations and concert proceeds, the Symphony is supported by four specialized auxiliary groups. Together, these groups raise over $1,000,000 each year. Fund-raising events include Kansas City's main debutante ball, the Jewel Ball (which also benefits the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art), the Symphony Ball, the Symphony Designers' Showhouse (a home renovation expo in Kansas City's Country Club District which chooses one historic home to renovate each year), a Friends of the Symphony Gift Shop, and a docent program for educational concerts. In the 2018/19 season, the symphony's annual budget was nearly $19 million.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone live with the Kansas City Symphony

The symphony released its first compact disc, American Voices, conducted by

National Public Radio and has participated in two nationally broadcast PBS television specials, the latest being Homecoming: The Kansas City Symphony presents Joyce DiDonato, recorded in Helzberg Hall at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Every week during the Symphony's season, KCUR-FM
broadcasts highlights of Symphony performances.

In 2023, the Symphony was embroiled in controversy after firing Josh Jones, the Symphony’s first Black tenure-track musician. Jones had performed 2 concertos with the orchestra in the past seasons. When asked if the tenure committee members received DEI training before or during the tenure process, Danny Beckley, CEO says, “That’s something [the Kansas City Symphony] is working on…but this is a journey for us as an organization, but we’re in a very early stage.”

Music directors

See also

References

  1. ^ Victor Wishna (19 Jan 2011). "Kansas City Symphony announces 2011–12 season". KCMetropolis.org. Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 25 July 2011.

External links

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