Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

Celebrating 25 years as one of Ireland's most acclaimed musical ambassadors, the Irish Tenors are set to perform in Kansas City on March 6. Christy L'Esperance speaks with all three about their early inspirations, Irish culture in America and what makes their performances unique.

The Kansas City Symphony shines in performances of music by César Franck, Zoltán Koldály and Jean Sibelius. We'll hear Franck's Symphony in D minor, Koldály's "Concerto for Orchestra," and the powerful Symphony No. 2 by Jean Sibelius. Co-hosts Michael Stern and Dan Margolies add depth and color to each performance.

Shows by Kansas City rap mainstay The Popper, artistic polymath Terence Blanchard, legendary soul singer Gladys Knight, and beloved pop star Mariah Carey punctuate our selection of the month’s best live music. They represent the year’s last gasp of greatness before winter puts a freeze on many touring acts.

Kansas City audiences will be the first on the continent to see Robert Louis Stevenson's Gothic novella in ballet form. Celebrated choreographer Val Caniparoli consulted with dancers in the area to help shape the work.

Classical KC's Christy L'Esperance speaks with six time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald about the blurred lines between modern opera and the American musical theater, embracing each performance opportunity and her appearance in Kansas City. We'll hear Audra's rich soprano in works by Leonard Bernstein, John Adams, George Gershwin and more.

This month may signal the end of summer, but Kansas City's selection of musical offerings will stay hot. To make sense of all the options, we pared the list down to simply the best.

This week we'll hear three violin concertos from three different centuries. Geneva Lewis solos on Mozart's third concerto, Jennifer Koh takes on Missy Mazzoli's modern concerto and Augustin Hadelich shines in the only violin concerto that Jean Sibelius ever wrote. We'll also explore Hollywood's highest hill with "The Observatory" by Pulitzer Prize winner Caroline Shaw.

As the summer music season kicks off in Kansas City, live music options abound — but how to choose? KCUR’s list of the month’s most creative acts will help clarify the decision.

After two years of virtual events, the lineup for TEDxKC in August includes Harvard's Arthur C. Brooks, who will speak on the art and science of happiness.

The Kansas City Ballet's executive director Jeffrey Bentley plans to step down in June 2023. The ballet company is considered one of the most financially stable in the country.

A privately-run prison in Leavenworth, Kansas, has been plagued with reports of stabbings, understaffing and poor security. When the prison's contract with the U.S. Marshals Service ends this month, what happens next? Plus, after a year off due to COVID, the Kansas City Ballet brings The Nutcracker back to the stage.

A holiday tradition for many families is back this year at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. After a pandemic year off, Kansas City Ballet’s "The Nutcracker" returns but with some changes.