The Gilmore and the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra have announced that “American Sputnik” is set to premiere on May 1, 2026.

The co-commission for baritone, piano, and orchestra by composer Evan Mack and Pulitzer Prize– and Grammy Award–winning librettist Mark Campbell centers on American pianist Van Cliburn and his early international success. The premiere will take place at the 2026 Gilmore Piano Festival during the John W. and Rosemary K. Brown Family Concert in honor of Daniel Gustin.

Baritone Joseph Lattanzi will portray Van Cliburn, with Stanislav Khristenko as the pianist. The performers will be joined by a chamber orchestra consisting of flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, two French horns, trumpet, timpani, string quartet, and bass.

Following the opera, the second half of the concert will feature 2024 Gilmore Artist Alexandre Kantorow performing Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 2. Kantorow won first prize, the gold medal, and the Grand Prix at the International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in 2019 with the work. He will perform with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Music Director Julian Kuerti.

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