Press Releases

Kansas City Symphony announces new headquarters at Webster School building in Crossroads Arts District, Downtown KC

Media Contact: Jeff Barker (816) 218-2626 jbarker@kcsymphony.org

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Symphony announced today that it will be creating new headquarters at the Webster School building at 1644 Wyandotte Street in downtown Kansas City’s Crossroads Arts District. The Symphony, which currently has administrative offices across the street at 1703 Wyandotte, expects to centralize administrative, musical and creative operations in the new headquarters this summer.

“The Webster School building will be the front door to the Kansas City Symphony, where we will provide new ways for the community to interact with us through recitals, educational programs, events and opportunities to meet our musicians,” says Danny Beckley, Kansas City Symphony executive director. “This will be a perfect complement to our mainstage performances just next door in Helzberg Hall at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. This historic space will help us provide context to the art of symphonic music, which will deepen engagement with our community.”

Beckley continues, “We are deeply grateful to Shirley Bush Helzberg and her family for making this incredible opportunity available to the Symphony. This facility will become a new cultural asset for the people of Kansas City, promoting the advancement of the symphonic arts. Our musicians will gain individual and small group practice space accessible 365 days a year. Having the energy of our musicians in this space is an evolution of our culture of creativity and open-armed service to the community. We are excited by the opportunities for new relationships made possible by the nature of the building.”

“The Kansas City Symphony is a leader among American orchestras, with its culture of transparency, respect and trust and its partnership with its musicians,” says Shirley Bush Helzberg, local entrepreneur, philanthropist and past Symphony board chair. “This move will enable the Symphony to continue to build on these strengths. It will also further the Symphony’s role in the community, guaranteeing sustainability and vitality for years to come. My family and I can think of no better purpose for the Webster School building. We are delighted that our Symphony will have a new home, and will be able to welcome the people of Kansas City back to a space they know and love.”

Kansas City Symphony Music Director Michael Stern also shares a passion for the project. “For me, the historic Webster School building and the Kansas City Symphony have been closely intertwined since I began my tenure with the orchestra here in 2005. Webster House was always a labor of love for Shirley Bush Helzberg, and she remains at the heart of our Symphony family. But the building itself is more than just an elegant and iconic landmark in the Crossroads. It has been the place for countless musical gatherings, celebrations and events in which the Symphony and the community could come together. That bond was only strengthened after 2011 when the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts opened right up the hill. It therefore seems so right that Webster School will be the home to our Kansas City Symphony. Aside from the possibilities that it will afford us for our day-to-day operations, it will be a home for our musicians, and it will allow us not only to present performances and other events but also to interact with all of our constituencies in new ways. I think this is wonderful for the Symphony, and wonderful for Kansas City.”

One of the lead funders of the project is The Sunderland Foundation, led by Chairman and Symphony board member Kent Sunderland. “The Sunderland Foundation has a long history of supporting brick-and-mortar projects for Kansas City-based nonprofits. The availability of the Webster School property presents a unique opportunity to once again transform this special building, this time into a hub of artistic activity for our outstanding Symphony,” says Sunderland. “We are pleased to fund the creation of a vibrant space for the Kansas City Symphony to operate, grow, dream and reimagine the role of a symphony orchestra in our beautiful city for decades to come.”

“All of us at the Kansas City Symphony are so grateful to Shirley Bush Helzberg for the opportunity to call the historic Webster School our new home,” says Pat McCown, Kansas City Symphony board chair. “Webster School’s adjacency to the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, the opportunity for musicians to have practice, rehearsal and performance spaces, and the increased accessibility for our patrons, guests, musicians and supporters is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

The Symphony is working with Helix Design and Straub Construction to create a modern space while preserving the character of this storied building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. All work to be done is completely in harmony with that designation. The outdoor courtyard and first floor will be configured to host public gatherings that may include musician recitals, music classes and events, as well as art and historical displays. Entertaining areas, including the restaurant, kitchen and bar areas, will be preserved for hosting special Symphony events.

Alissa Wehmueller, Principal at Helix Architecture + Design, adds, “Helix worked on the original Webster House restoration almost 20 years ago. Whenever we have the opportunity to work in a historic building that has as much depth and ornate detail as Webster House, we are very intentional in how we can approach the project with a light touch and amplify those existing features. The exposed brick, wood accents and glass windows served as a great foundation for a few key interventions. The process will be a collaborative effort with our engineers, Avant Acoustics and Lankford Fendler, to carefully address the acoustics of the building. Whether it’s isolating noise between practice rooms or transforming a dining room into a recital space, we want every musician, Symphony employee and community member to appreciate the beauty of the building and truly enjoy their experience.”

Webster School opened in 1886 and served the Kansas City School District for 45 years, closing in 1932. A variety of agencies and businesses occupied Webster School until 2002, when Helzberg painstakingly restored the building and opened Webster House. Now, the landmark’s new purpose as headquarters to a major American orchestra will further solidify its iconic stature on Kansas City’s skyline.

The Symphony will name its new home in the coming months.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. | December 17, 2020 — The Kansas City Symphony plans to return to the Helzberg Hall stage at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts beginning January 17, 2021. Classical and Pops series concerts will be performed for limited in-person audiences, and subscribers also will have the option to watch concerts on the Symphony’s new streaming platform, MySymphonySeat.org.

Symphony Executive Director Danny Beckley echoes the excitement of the organization, its musicians and the community. “We are energized and elated to resume orchestral performances in person and online. While we have been able to perform for audiences throughout the fall in chamber ensembles, the sound and repertoire of an orchestra — even a smaller orchestra — is something special that we all have missed over these last many months.” The Symphony plans to be able to accommodate in-person audiences of up to 300 per performance.

Music Director Michael Stern is excited about the Symphony’s return to the Helzberg Hall stage. “Since March, our Kansas City Symphony concert schedule has been canceled, postponed, interrupted and delayed — but the music has not stopped. Our KC Symphony musicians have blanketed digital streaming and social media for months, and our Mobile Music Box concerts brought ensembles of live music all over the KC Metro. Nevertheless, we have ached to be back in Helzberg Hall with all of you, sharing together the music we so love. And while the strict necessities of the continuing global health crisis prevent us from resuming business as usual, I am thrilled to tell you this: we are coming back.”

Stern continues. “Beginning next month, we have curated an ongoing series of programs comprising more performance offerings than even our regular subscription series. From mid-January through mid-April, we have planned at least 12 performances, with all appropriate social distancing onstage and off, for a limited capacity live audience at Helzberg Hall. All of these concerts, 10 in our Classical Series and 2 in our Pops Series, led by Jack Everly, will be captured to allow all of our audience to access them safely at home. We will offer a new online program each week, and with each of them you will have a unique opportunity to be with us on stage, and hearing and seeing our performances in a new way. The choice of music mines the richness of some of the greatest music ever written for string orchestra, from Bach, Mozart and Beethoven, through Verdi, Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich, through the diversity of some of the most compelling voices of our time. The spotlight will be on soloists from our KCS family, in concertos featuring winds, brass, harp, percussion, as well as organ. And as health regulations permit, our woodwinds and brass will join us onstage and online to bring you masterpieces by Copland, Dvořák, Stravinsky and more. Then, beginning in April and going ever forward, we will bring you even more — stay tuned for that.”

Most orchestral content will be available exclusively for our concert subscribers, and we invite people to become subscribers if they are not already. Some streaming content also will be available to the general public.

Attending concerts at the Kauffman Center, safely

We have engaged experts from The University of Kansas Health System to make recommendations based on pandemic conditions and provide ongoing assessments. Following this guidance for in-person concerts January through March, we are taking the following precautions:

• Helzberg Hall will be limited to approximately 20 percent capacity, to provide appropriate physical distancing of our patrons. As a result, your regular season seats may not be available for these concerts; however, we will do our best to seat you as close as possible to your subscribed section.
• Everyone entering the building will be required to wear a mask at all times during the performance and while inside the Kauffman Center. No exceptions will be made.
• Performances will be approximately one hour and presented without intermission.
• Food and beverage service, valet service, gift shops, drinking fountains and coat check will not be available.
• Further protections include temperature checks upon entry, capacity limits on elevators, and extensive cleaning before, during and after concerts of all common areas and the concert hall.

Additional measures may be taken in accordance with public safety standards.

Seating in Helzberg Hall

Due to physical distancing requirements, the seats subscribers currently have will not be available for Symphony concerts taking place in January through March 2021. The Symphony Box Office will help subscribers select seats for this timeframe. Concerts will be held on different days and times than normal.

To view specific concert programs, days and dates, please visit kcsymphony.org/ticketing.

Details on how to attend performances in-person and access them online have been mailed to current subscribers, and are posted on the Symphony’s website, kcsymphony.org. Our Symphony Box Office has been reaching out to subscribers to determine their preference of attending in person or enjoying our concerts online.

MySymphonySeat.org debuts

The Symphony is launching a special subscriber-only website, MySymphonySeat.org. This site will feature Kansas City Symphony performances in Helzberg Hall, streamed live and on demand. Additionally, the Symphony will present interviews, concert talks, special looks behind the scenes and more with Music Director Michael Stern, our musicians and guest artists. Subscribers will also be able to watch KC Symphony concerts on their Smart TVs by simply logging in to their account. MySymphonySeat.org is a benefit for subscribers to one or more Symphony concert series — Masterworks, Bravo, Ovation or Pops. Family Series programming will be announced soon.

New concert subscriptions for our 2020/21 Classical Series start at only $171 for the season. Persons wishing to purchase a new season subscription may do so by calling the Symphony Box Office at (816) 471-0400 or visiting kcsymphony.org.

“We are doing everything possible to deliver the very best musical experiences to our 2020/21 subscribers,” Beckley says. “Your concert subscription helps sustain your Symphony during this time, and makes possible the innovative ways that we will bring music to you online and in person over the coming months. We do see the light at the end of the tunnel — this spring holds great promise with the recent vaccine news — and in the meantime we will deliver a range of orchestral and ensemble offerings to our subscribers.”

April, May and June 2021 programming will be announced in late February. The Symphony’s 2021/22 season will be announced in May.

“We bring you this music because we love it so, every note, and we know you will too,” Stern adds. “We bring you these concerts because while we must be ever vigilant and safe in order to mitigate the ongoing threat, we continue to believe that music, and our connection to one another and to all of you, will help all of us get to the other side of this challenging period. And we bring you the best of ourselves because, together, we believe in our community and the engagement and uplift that music gives to all of us. Here’s hoping you and your families remain safe throughout this holiday season, and we cannot wait to be with you in the New Year.”

About the Kansas City Symphony

Founded in 1982, the Kansas City Symphony has established itself as a major force in the cultural life of the community. Praised for performances of uncompromising standard, the orchestra is the largest in the region and enjoys a national reputation under the artistic leadership of Music Director Michael Stern. The Symphony performs more than 130 concerts each year, welcomes guests of international acclaim as part of its Classical and Pops series, and serves as the orchestra for the Kansas City Ballet and Lyric Opera of Kansas City.

Complementing its full schedule of concerts, the Symphony enriches the lives of Kansas City residents by providing music education opportunities for children and adults, such as KinderKonzerts, Young People’s Concerts, an instrument petting zoo and concert comments. Highlights each season include a range of free master classes, events and concerts reaching more than 250,000 community members.

The Symphony has released eight highly praised CDs to date with Reference Recordings. The latest release introduces two world-premiere recordings; Jonathan Leshnoff’s Piano Concerto, featuring pianist Joyce Yang, and his Symphony No. 3 with baritone Stephen Powell. The Symphony and Michael Stern also have recorded for the Naxos label. Kansas City’s new classical music radio station, ClassicalKC 91.9 FM, broadcasts Kansas City Symphony performances each week. For more information on the Symphony, please visit kcsymphony.org.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. | September 9, 2020 — The Kansas City Symphony is pleased to announce a fall schedule of free outdoor chamber music concerts, performed by various ensembles of KC Symphony musicians.

According to the Symphony’s Executive Director Danny Beckley, “We see the present conditions as an opportunity to innovate, and in the weeks ahead you are going to see the Kansas City Symphony reaching into every corner of the Kansas City region to deliver excellent music performances. We greatly miss performing in Helzberg Hall at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, however with every challenge comes an opportunity. The present conditions give us an opportunity to launch a new series of performances in neighborhoods, parks, and public gathering places to reach new audiences in a most accessible fashion.”

Live music, “Doordash-style”
The Symphony has scheduled a robust offering of outdoor chamber music performances, in parks and neighborhoods throughout the Kansas City area. “This fall, you will see us in your community, giving socially distanced concerts outdoors. Consider this like getting delivery from your favorite restaurant; but instead of pizza or barbecue to your front door, we’ll be delivering a brass quintet or string quartet to your neighborhood. We’ll also be debuting an innovative and fun way to stage these concerts in the very near future.” The Symphony will work with all of our community partners to encourage and require safety measures including social distancing and masks for those in attendance.

Details of free Symphony chamber music concerts during September are listed below. Additional performances are being added each week, so stay tuned to the Kansas City Symphony on Facebook, Instagram, and kcsymphony.org for dates, times and locations of outdoor performances in the months ahead.
The Symphony deeply appreciates our community partners for hosting these fall concert events — thank you!

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 AT 6 P.M.
Symphony in the Park
Columbus Square Park, Missouri Avenue & Holmes St., Kansas City, MO

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 AT 12:00 AND 12:45 P.M.
Ruby Jean’s Juicery
3000 Troost, Kansas City, MO

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 AT 7 P.M.
Friday Nights @ The Y
Olathe Family YMCA, 21400 W. 153rd St., Olathe, KS

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 AT 10 A.M.
Symphony in the Park
Frank Vaydik Park, 5940 NW Waukomis Dr., Kansas City, MO

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 AT 4 P.M.
Symphony in the Park
Indian Mound Park, Gladstone Boulevard & Belmont Boulevard, Kansas City, MO
The concert event will be held on the north side of the Mound. Please park on the east side of the Mound. The road will be blocked off to keep traffic from driving through, but the street will be available for parking. Feel free to bring a blanket or lawn chairs and a cooler. There will be chalk circles to help with distancing. We ask that people keep masks on while coming and going from your seat, but you are welcome to take them off while seated. Thank you to the Indian Mound Neighborhood Association and KC Parks for hosting.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 AT 5 P.M.
Guadalupe Centers
1015 Avienda Cesar Chavez, Kansas City, MO
Please join us for a fun and free chamber music concert outside of the main administration building for Guadalupe Centers that your entire family will enjoy.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 AT 6:30 P.M.
Symphony Sundays in Macken Park
1002 Clark Ferguson Drive, North Kansas City, MO

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 AT 6:30 P.M.
Symphony in the Park
Thompson Park, 8045 Santa Fe Drive, Overland Park, KS
Our KC Symphony chamber music players present a delightful free program on the Thompson Park stage, in the heart of beautiful Downtown Overland Park.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 AT 6 P.M.
Salvation Army Harbor Light Village
6723 State Avenue, Kansas City KS
We’re bringing the music to our friends in KCK, with a KC Symphony chamber music ensemble performing free for your family.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 AT 6 P.M.
Symphony in the Park
Heritage Park, 16050 Pflumm Rd., Olathe, KS
Enjoy a beautiful evening of chamber music in the park with musicians of the Kansas City Symphony.

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 18 AT 7:30 P.M.
The Black Box
1060 Union Avenue, Kansas City’s West Bottoms
This outdoor concert is free but reservations are required for table seating, limit of 4 seats per household. Click here to make a reservation. You may also bring lawn chairs and blankets for GA seating both inside the event gates (limited availability) and outside the gates. Please remember to social distance and wear your masks.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19 AT 10 A.M.
Johnson Drive Sidewalk Sale
Along Johnson Drive in Downtown Mission, KS
Please join the Mission Business District for their bi-annual sidewalk sale on Saturday, September 19 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on beautiful Johnson Drive. We kick it off at 10 a.m. with a KC Symphony performance at the Mission Market, 5727 Johnson Drive. Hosted by Mission:Forward. Please wear a mask and practice social distancing.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 AT 6:30 P.M.
Symphony Sundays in Macken Park
1002 Clark Ferguson Drive, North Kansas City, MO

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 AT 6 P.M.
Salvation Army of Olathe
420 E. Santa Fe, Olathe, KS
Hello, Olathe! Please join us for a wonderful KC Symphony chamber music concert. It’s free family fun for all!

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 AT 7 P.M.
Friday Nights @ The Y
North Kansas City YMCA, 1999 Iron St., North Kansas City, MO
Soak in the Symphony sounds at the North Kansas City YMCA with a free Friday Nights @ The Y chamber music performance.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 AT 10 A.M.
Symphony in the Park
Meadowbrook Park, 9101 Nall Avenue, Prairie Village, KS
Wake up with a beautiful stroll around Meadowbrook Park and enjoy “pop-up” performances by KC Symphony ensembles at various locations along the pathway.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 AT 6:30 P.M.
Symphony Sundays in Macken Park
1002 Clark Ferguson Drive, North Kansas City, MO

About the Kansas City Symphony
Founded in 1982, the Kansas City Symphony has established itself as a major force in the cultural life of the community. Praised for performances of uncompromising standard, the orchestra is the largest in the region and enjoys a national reputation under the artistic leadership of Music Director Michael Stern. The Symphony performs more than 130 concerts each year, welcomes guests of international acclaim as part of its Classical and Pops series, and serves as the orchestra for the Kansas City Ballet and Lyric Opera of Kansas City.

Complementing its full schedule of concerts, the Symphony enriches the lives of Kansas City residents by providing music education opportunities for children and adults, such as KinderKonzerts, Young People’s Concerts, an instrument petting zoo and concert comments. Highlights each season include a range of free master classes, events and concerts reaching more than 250,000 community members.

The Symphony has released seven highly praised CDs to date with Reference Recordings. The latest release features Holst’s The Planets and The Perfect Fool. The Symphony and Michael Stern also have recorded for the Naxos label. Kansas City’s new classical music radio station, ClassicalKC 91.9 FM, broadcasts Kansas City Symphony performances each week. For more information on the Symphony, please visit kcsymphony.org.

To address building occupancy restrictions and social distancing guidelines, the Kansas City Ballet, Kansas City Symphony, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, and Harriman-Jewell Series conclude it is not possible to perform and today announce postponement or cancellation of their on-stage programming at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts through December 31, 2020.

The Kansas City Symphony has unveiled its newest podcast — “Music of Our Time.”

The podcast features exclusive, live recordings of Kansas City Symphony performances in Helzberg Hall at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts from the past decade. It also includes commentary and interviews with Music Director Michael Stern, guest artists, conductors and orchestra members.

The Kansas City Symphony is taking a walk down memory lane to create Best of Bank of America Celebration at the Station by the Kansas City Symphony.

In collaboration with KCPT (Kansas City PBS) and generously supported by Bank of America, the Symphony will present a “best of” broadcast compilation from the last several years. Music Director Michael Stern will introduce the evening and provide comments throughout. The broadcast will air at 7 p.m. Sunday, May 24 and again at 8:30 p.m. Monday, May 25 on KCPT/Channel 19. KCPT also will simulcast on YouTube TV through the PBS channel.

The Kansas City Symphony has canceled all remaining concerts in the 2019/20 season due to ongoing concerns with the COVID-19 pandemic. The Symphony intends to resume a full performance schedule in the fall for its 2020/21 season as conditions permit. Previously, the Symphony canceled more than 20 concerts and events through May 10. With the most recent stay-at-home orders in the Kansas City area extending until May 15, the Symphony had to reassess its upcoming schedule of events…

The Kansas City Symphony leadership and musicians have reached an agreement to guarantee musician salaries and benefits through the end of this current season…

The Kansas City Symphony today released the first episode of its new podcast called “Beethoven Walks into a Bar…” The podcast features three hosts from the Symphony family: David T. Beals III Associate Conductor Jason Seber, Principal Flute Michael Gordon and Education Manager Stephanie Brimhall. Moving forward, they plan to invite guests to join in as well…