A Visit to Kansas City

I was lucky with my visit to my hometown in that the weather was great, and one only needed a top coat and hat, but no gloves. Being use to the mild winter climate of South Carolina, it felt about the same. Kansas City, Missouri, Kansas City, Kansas, Overland Park, Kansas and North Kansas City, Missouri all run together to form a huge metro area. The state line between Missouri and Kansas is a street that runs down the middle of a huge residential area, so you really hardly notice what state you are in. But that doesn't mean Kansas people consider themselves from Kansas City, Missouri, and vice-versa. The distictions are there, and can be very subtle or very overt. When it comes to sports and the arts, its really a metro area experience. All the big concerts are in downtown Kansas City, Missouri.Kansas City Mo. has long been a mecca for touring groups. When I was growing up there in the 1950's there were several big arts series, and in a season it was not unusual to hear five or six of the greatest pianists, either in solo recitals, or with the Kansas City Symphony. It was a great theater town as well, as being half way between New York City and Los Angeles/San Francisco, we usually were the second stop for road companies coming out of New York. I saw many musicals with top casts, including "South Pacific", "Kiss Me, Kate", "Oklahoma", "Carousel", "Annie Get Your Gun" and "Brigadoon". I remember some of the stars, including Mary Martin, Alfred Drake, Janet Blair, Pamela Britton, Jean Arthur....all top flight productions.

With this in mind it was fun to hear Joyce DiDonato give a hometown concert at the Folly Theater in downtown Kansas City. On tour with her Handel program entitled "Furore" along with a wonderful baroque orchestra from Paris.."Les Talents Lyriques". Singing all Mad Scenes from operas by Handel (known and unknown) she gave a virtuoso performance that left a home town audience enthralled. Obviously, she is the darling of Kanss City. Two nights later she repeated the performance at Zankel Hall in Carnegie Hall, and then managed to return two days later to Carnegie and sing Mozart with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra with conductor James Levine. She is a pro in every sense of the word, and to see her reach the top has been a wonderful experience.

Kansas City is booming, and the old warehouse district behind the glorious Union Station is the scene or a renovation marathon. I visited Lidia's wonderful Italian restaurant and had a wonderful meal, had lunch at the old Walker School, a turn of the century treasure filled with superb architectural features, and then toured Quality Hill, the oldest downtown neighborhood, with its grand vista looking over the Kansas and Missouri Rivers.

Overland Park, Kansas has new neighborhoods of luxury homes that go on for miles. Everything reminds me of the Prarie Style, so beloved in the area. Shopping is great, and restaurants in endless supply. But I miss the "Mix" of my semi-rural area where millionaires rub shoulders with everyday folks like me.

Returning home I realized I have a free calendar for most of the Spring. There is something to be said about grouping my concerts and events into a special period of time. But several students are currently coaching with me, and I have my "Eroica" project to finish. This summer I will teach at the Southeastern Young Artist Festival here in Columbia...more about this later... and spend time in London, to hear a special concert in memory of a longtime friend. More about all this soon.