Carlsen Center, Park University’s music center make bold plans with 2020-21 season

The pandemic may have brought Kansas City’s current concert season to a screeching halt, but that’s not keeping Carlsen Center Presents and Park University’s International Center for Music from making bold plans for the future. Both organizations have lined up seasons that give arts lovers much to look forward to.

Carlsen Center’s 30th anniversary season

Carlsen Center Presents is celebrating 30 years of bringing the arts to Johnson County with a smorgasbord of entertainment. Emily Behrmann, the general manager of the series, has put together one of her typically heady seasons that veers from dance to classical to rock to jazz to … “Napoleon Dynamite.” Things are never boring at the Carlsen Center.

The season will begin with New Dance Partners, a concept Behrmann pioneered that connects Kansas City’s dance ensembles with cutting-edge choreographers. So far, Owen/Cox Dance Group, Störling Dance Theatre and Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company are scheduled to perform.

Other dance options include the Trinity Irish Dance Company on Feb. 20, 2021 and the quirky Pilobolus on April 18, 2021.

Classical fans have much to choose from, like Kansas City’s Opus 76 Quartet performing music by Beethoven Sept. 26; the “Royal Family of the Guitar,” the Romeros, performing with mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard on Nov. 13; and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Chamber Orchestra on March 5, 2021.

Jazz enthusiasts can get their fix with the A La Mode Quintet on Dec. 6, the Sons of Brasil on Jan. 24, 2021 and KC Jazz Disciples on Feb. 21, 2021. There’s also a program called “Bessie, Billie and Nina: Pioneering Women in Jazz” on March 7, 2021.

For those craving international flavors, there’s Mariachi Los Camperos performing “Fiesta Navidad” on Dec. 12, and Bridge & Wolak, a Gypsy accordion and clarinet duo, on Feb. 12.

Musical theater and pop fans are also taken care of with performances by Larry Carlton of Steely Dan on Oct. 9; Judy Collins and Arlo Guthrie on Nov. 15; productions of “South Pacific” on Feb. 13 and 14, 2021; and the “La Boheme”-inspired “Rent” on May 1 and 2, 2021.

Then there’s the off-the-wall. “A Night with Jon, Efren and Jon – Napoleon Dynamite” features a screening of the cult film classic and a chat with its stars on Nov. 20. On Feb. 27 and 28, 2021, it’s “Lucy Loves Desi – A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Sitcom.” Fans of “I Love Lucy” will want to check out this play that offers a behind-the-scenes look at the classic TV show.

▪ Sept. 18-19, 2020: New Dance Partners (Yardley Hall)

▪ Sept. 26, 2020: Opus 76 Quartet, “Becoming Beethoven: Master of the String Quartet” (Polsky Theatre)

▪ Oct. 9, 2020: Larry Carlton Steely Dan/The Crusaders (Polsky Theatre)

▪ Oct. 16, 2020: Get the Led Out, Led Zeppelin tribute (Yardley Hall)

▪ Oct. 18, 2020: Winterlude – local KC jazz, Bob Bowman (Polsky Theatre)

▪ Oct. 24, 2020: 10 Hairy Legs – contemporary dance (Polsky Theatre)

▪ Nov. 7, 2020: Darlene Love (Yardley Hall)

▪ Nov. 13, 2020: The Romeros guitar quartet with Isabel Leonard, mezzo-soprano (Yardley Hall)

▪ Nov. 14, 2020: Kansas City and All That’s Jazz – Celebrating “Bird” (Yardley Hall)

▪ Nov. 15, 2020: Judy Collins & Arlo Guthrie, Together Again Tour (Yardley Hall)

▪ Nov. 20, 2020: “A Night with Jon, Efren and Jon - Napoleon Dynamite” – film screening and panel with 3 actors (Yardley Hall)

▪ Dec. 5, 2020: Bridget Kibbey, harp with the Dover Quartet (Polsky Theatre)

▪ Dec. 6, 2020: Winterlude – local KC jazz, A La Mode Quintet (Polsky Theatre)

▪ Dec.12, 2020: “Fiesta Navidad” Mariachi Los Camperos (Yardley Hall)

▪ Jan. 15, 2021: “Yesterday and Today” – The Interactive Beatles Experience (Polsky Theatre)

▪ Jan. 24, 2021: Winterlude – local KC Jazz, Sons of Brasil (Polsky Theatre)

▪ Jan. 30, 2021: “The Greatest Love of All” starring Belinda Davids: A Tribute to Whitney Houston (Yardley Hall)

▪ Jan. 31, 2021: Las Cafeteras and Villalobos Brothers (Polsky Theatre)

▪ Feb. 12, 2021: Bridge & Wolak (Gypsy accordion and clarinet duo) (Polsky Theatre)

▪ Feb. 13-14, 2021: “South Pacific” – Broadway tour (Yardley Hall)

▪ Feb. 20, 2021: Trinity Irish Dance Company (Yardley Hall)

▪ Feb. 21, 2021: Winterlude – local KC jazz, KC Jazz Disciples (Polsky Theatre)

▪ Feb. 27-28, 2021: “Lucy Loves Desi – A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Sitcom” (Polsky Theatre)

▪ Feb. 28, 2021: Circa performing “Sacre” (to Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring) (Yardley Hall)

▪ March 5, 2021: Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Chamber Orchestra with Johannes Moser, cello (Yardley Hall)

▪ March 7, 2021: “Bessie, Billie and Nina: Pioneering Women in Jazz” (Polsky Theatre)

▪ March 12, 2021: Susan Werner (Polsky Theatre)

▪ March 27, 2021: The Texas Tenors (Yardley Hall)

▪ April 10, 2021: Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain (Yardley Hall)

▪ April 18, 2021: Pilobolus “Big Five-Oh” (Yardley Hall)

▪ April 30, 2021: Neil Berg’s “50 Years of Rock ‘N’ Roll” (Yardley Hall)

May 1-2, 2021: “Rent” – Broadway tour

For tickets and more information, 913-469-4445 or https://www.jccc.edu/CarlsenCenter30

Park University’s International Center for Music Season

Exciting things also are happening at the Park University’s International Center for Music. The prestigious school, which fine-tunes superb musicians into international concert hall stars, has just announced a new season. It features virtuoso musicians from its own faculty as well as guest artists from around the world. Lisa Hickok has been appointed its new executive director.

Hickok has deep roots in Kansas City’s arts community that go back 30 years when she was a dancer with the Kansas City Ballet. She subsequently served the Kansas City Ballet on its board of directors and as its director of marketing. She has also worked with other arts organizations, including Summerfest, the Heartland Men’s Chorus and the Kansas City Chamber Orchestra.

Hickok will begin her tenure with a gold star season of performances. It begins Sept. 25 with Stanislav & Friends at Helzberg Hall.

“We’re kicking off the season with the concert event of the year,” writes Hickok. “Transforming Helzberg Hall stage into an intimate ‘living room,’ the salon format concert features ICM’s finest alumni, students and faculty.”

Heading that stellar group is Van Cliburn International Piano Competition gold medalist and International Center for Music’s artistic director, Stanislav Ioudenitch. He’ll be joined by his wife, Maria Ioudenitch, an amazing pianist in her own right, as well as other Center all-stars, including pianist Kenny Broberg, a bronze medalist at the 2019 International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition.

After the Helzberg Hall performance, the rest of the season moves to the 1900 Building, the beautifully restored mid-century landmark with two concert halls in Mission Woods, Kansas.

On Oct. 15, violinist Ben Sayevich and pianist Lolita Lisovskaya, International Center for Music faculty members who are also husband and wife, will give a recital. Their loving rapport always leaves audiences with warm fuzzies. The Boston Trio, comprised of violinist Irina Muresanu, cellist Jonah Ellsworth, and pianist Heng-Jin Park, will perform on Dec. 12. This group of musicians has a long list of awards and honors.

Stanislav Ioudenitch will start off the new year with a solo recital on Jan. 30, then two other faculty members, also husband and wife, cellist Daniel Veis and pianist Helena Veisova, will perform music by Schumann, Beethoven and Grieg on Feb. 13.

One of the most illustrious graduates of Park’s International Center for Music is Behzod Abduraimov. After winning the London International Piano Competition in 2009, Abduraimov established an international career that has included performances in the world’s greatest concert halls. But his home base is Park University, where he is the Center’s artist-in-residence. Abduraimov will give a solo recital on March 3.

Concluding the season is violinist Elmar Oliveira, the only American violinist to win the gold medal at the Tchaikovsky International Competition. His program has not yet been announced, but it’s sure to feature virtuosic works of the highest order.

▪ Sept. 25, 2020: Stanislav & Friends (Helzberg Hall, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts)

▪ Oct. 15, 2020: Ben Sayevich, violin; Lolita Lisovskaya, piano (1900 Building, Mission Woods)

▪ Dec. 12, 2020: Boston Trio (1900 Building)

▪ Jan. 30, 2021: Stanislav loudenitch, piano (1900 Building)

▪ Feb. 13, 2021: Daniel Veis, cello and Helena Veisova, piano (1900 Building)

▪ March 3, 2021: Behzod Abduraimov, piano (1900 Building)

▪ April 10, 2021: Elmar Oliveira, violin (1900 Building)

For more information, visit icm.park.edu.

You can reach Patrick Neas at patrickneas@kcartsbeat.com and follow his Facebook page, KC Arts Beat, at www.facebook.com/kcartsbeat.

This story was originally published April 19, 2020 at 5:00 AM.