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KALAMAZOO, MI (October 17, 2024) — Dr. Pierre van der Westhuizen, Executive and Artistic Director of The Gilmore, and Jessica Mallow Gulley, President and CEO of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra announce the co-commission of a new work for baritone, piano, and orchestra by composer Evan Mack and Pulitzer Prize and Grammy Award-winning librettist Mark Campbell, centered on American pianist Van Cliburn and his early success. The work will premiere at The Gilmore Piano Festival in 2026, during the John W. and Rosemary K. Brown Family Concert in honor of Daniel Gustin.
American Sputnik is set during the first International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in 1958 at the height of the Cold War. Van Cliburn, the young, soon-to-be-famous pianist from Texas, narrates his exciting journey to Moscow, the overwhelming pressure he faces in competing for first prize, and his triumphant flight home.
Baritone Joseph Lattanzi will sing the role of Van Cliburn with Stanislav Khristenko performing on piano, accompanied by a chamber orchestra comprising flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, two French horns, trumpet, timpani, string quartet, and bass. American Sputnik is co-commissioned by The Gilmore and the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra.
“Commissioning American Sputnik reflects our vision to push the boundaries of what a piano festival can offer,” said Dr. van der Westhuizen. “By combining the drama of opera with the virtuosity of piano, we aim to bring audiences a unique and deeply engaging experience. This collaboration with Evan Mack, Mark Campbell, and the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, exemplifies our dedication to celebrating the piano while pushing creative limits.”
“The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra and The Gilmore have a strong history of partnership,” said Mallow Gulley. “This new commissioning project exemplifies our shared commitment to bringing innovative works to life. Music Director Julian Kuerti and I strongly believe that creating and performing new music is an integral part of the Symphony’s mission to serve our community through listening and learning experiences.”
Evan Mack said, “In the score of American Sputnik, I centered the musical storytelling around Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 and Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 to remind the audience subliminally about the music that Van Cliburn, through his artistry, was able to connect two clashing cultures with."
"I was thrilled when Evan suggested Van Cliburn as a subject for a solo musical work," added Campbell. "At a time when the U.S. once again finds itself at odds with the Russian government, Van Cliburn's story demonstrates how artists can help bring nations together through a shared love of music."
Van Cliburn performed a memorable solo recital at the inaugural Gilmore Piano Festival in 1991. Cliburn performed to an overflow audience of more than 3,600, and the concert was delayed as he escorted his then-94-year-old mother from their hotel in Kalamazoo Center to the Miller Auditorium.
The second half of the program will showcase 2024 Gilmore Artist Alexandre Kantorow performing Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 2, the work with which he won the first prize, gold medal and Grand Prix at the International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in 2019. Kantorow will be joined by the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra led by Music Director Julian Kuerti.
The Gilmore’s Legacy of Commissioning New Works
The Gilmore Piano Festival has a distinguished history of commissioning new works, continuing its mission to support the creation and performance of new music for the piano. Over the years, the festival has become known for its commitment to expanding the repertoire through significant commissions from renowned composers. The Gilmore has commissioned, on its own and via Gilmore Artists and Gilmore Young Artists Award funds, more than 40 new works from composers including Matthew Aucoin, Michael Brown, Elliott Carter, Christopher Cerrone, Chick Corea, Michael Gordon, Stephen Hough, Oliver Knussen, Brad Mehldau, Nico Muhly, Frederick Rzewski, and Tyshawn Sorey among many others.
The Gilmore and Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra previously co-commissioned Richard Adams’ Tandem Voices, for two pianos and percussion ensemble. The Gilmore has also co-commissioned works for the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra including Michel Legrand’s Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, Ned Rorem’s Piano Concerto No. 4, for left hand and orchestra, and two works by Curtis Curtis-Smith including his Concerto for violin, piano, and strings and Concerto for left hand and orchestra.
Evan Mack, composer
Evan Mack, winner of the 2024 American Prize in composition, has devoted much of his compositional life to opera and song. His first major operatic composition, Angel of the Amazon premiered in 2011 by Encompass New Opera Theatre at the Baryshnikov Arts Center in New York City. Two years later, Fresno State Opera Theater premiered The Secret of Luca, the first of several collaborations with librettist Joshua McGuire. In August 2016, their American grand opera Roscoe premiered at Seagle Music Colony and received its orchestral world premiere with the Albany Symphony starring Metropolitan Opera star Deborah Voigt. Their multicultural Christmas opera for children, Lucinda y las Flores de la Nochebuena is quickly becoming a holiday standard. Other works include Beach and Moan, #IsOperaDead, The Ghosts of Gatsby, and Dragon’s Breath. He is currently working on a musical comedy, The World Still Needs You, Boris Yeltsin! Evan Mack was named “2018 Professional of the Year” by Musical America, and is a Senior Teaching Professor at Skidmore College. In 2020, Mack founded We Are Instrumental, an organization that supports better access to music in K-12 public schools in the Adirondacks. He lives in Ticonderoga, NY with his wife, Kristin and two sons, Carter and Henry.
Mark Campbell, librettist
The Pulitzer Prize and Grammy Award-winning operas of librettist/lyricist Mark Campbell are among the most successful in the contemporary canon. Campbell has written 41 opera librettos, lyrics for seven musicals, and text for eleven song cycles and five oratorios. His works include Silent Night, The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, As One, Elizabeth Cree, The Shining, Sanctuary Road, The Manchurian Candidate, A Nation of Others, A Thousand Acres, Edward Tulane, Volpone, The Cook-Off, Unruly Sun, Later the Same Evening and Songs from an Unmade Bed.
Campbell created and funds the Campbell Opera Librettist Prize, the first award for opera librettists in the history of the art form and co-created the True Voice Award to support the training of transgender and non-binary singers. He was recently awarded the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Opera Association.
The Gilmore Piano Festival
Created in 1989 to honor the legacy of Kalamazoo businessman and philanthropist Irving S. Gilmore, the Gilmore Piano Festival has since presented 16 biennial festivals, commissioned over 40 new works for the piano, and named 9 Gilmore Artists and 40 Gilmore Young Artists. In addition to the festival, The Gilmore presents concerts throughout the year ensuring that world-class piano music is presented continually. In addition, a major program dedicated to community engagement and music education touches the lives of thousands of area children and adults by offering neighborhood concerts, piano lessons in elementary schools, music therapy, group lessons for adults, toddler-friendly concert experiences, summer piano camp, master classes, and much more.
Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra
For over a century, the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra (KSO) has shared lifelong musical experiences and learning throughout our community. The KSO actively collaborates with local organizations to inspire, educate, and connect people through the arts. As the state’s third-largest orchestra, the Symphony serves the community through exceptional symphonic music, a professional roster of over 80 musicians, world-class guest artists, and vibrant educational programs that reach over 30,000 students annually. The KSO's Artists in Residence Program puts Symphony musicians at the service of the community, helping Kalamazoo families make great classical music a part of their everyday lives. The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra’s commissioning partnership is made possible through the generous support of the Christopher and Margo Light New Music Fund.
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