Community Calendar

Kerrytown Concert House invites you to an unforgettable evening of rhythm and soul as blues piano master Mr. B joins forces with Detroit’s Queen of the Blues, Thornetta Davis. Both artists have earned international recognition for their distinctive styles and commanding stage presence, captivating audiences far beyond Michigan with performances that celebrate America’s rich musical traditions.

Mr. B’s driving, joyful piano grooves meet Thornetta’s rich, powerful vocals in a first-time performance together that will flow effortlessly from high-energy to deeply expressive blues.

Join us for this rare opportunity to see Mr. B and Thornetta Davis in concert together – a celebration of masterful musicianship, award-winning artistry, and the magic that unfolds when two dynamic performers share the stage. Experience it all in the “house concert” setting of Kerrytown Concert House!

Mark Lincoln Braun, piano
Thornetta Davis, vocalist

Shirley Verrett: The Voice and the Fire in the Belly is a powerful one-woman show that highlights the extraordinary life of opera legend Shirley Verrett.

From a young girl singing in a Seventh-day Adventist church in Louisiana to breaking racial and artistic barriers on some of the world’s grandest stages, Verrett’s story unfolds through a captivating blend of song, spoken word, and raw emotion. Told entirely from Verrett’s perspective, the performance follows her journey through key moments in American history, including the civil rights era, the subtle prejudices within classical music, and her personal battles to find her place as a Black woman in opera.

As she transitions from mezzo-soprano to soprano roles, she also shifts between the various identities she embodied: diva, mother, wife, and maverick. Featuring iconic arias from Verrett’s repertoire—such as selections from Carmen, Tosca, Aida, Macbeth, and Gluck—the show paints a vivid portrait of artistic resilience, sacrifice, and a triumphant legacy. Audiences will learn about her highs and heartbreaks, from her Metropolitan debut and experiences with racism in Europe and America to her Broadway success in Carousel and her well-known rivalry with Grace Bumbry, as well as her later years as a mentor and educator.

This show is a celebration of a woman who delivered unbelievable, awe-inspiring performances and, more importantly, who captivated us with her mind, heart, and “Fire in the Belly.”

The Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival returns to Kerrytown Concert House this June with Measured Momentum: Music Propelled by Pulse & Precision—an electrifying evening of rhythmic drive, classical elegance, and vivid contemporary storytelling.

Pianist Gilles Vonsattel opens with Ludwig van Beethoven’s luminous Piano Sonata No. 24 in F-sharp major, Op. 78, a work of lyric intimacy and sparkling vitality. The Candide Quartet follows with Béla Bartók’s String Quartet No. 4, a masterwork of driving rhythms, inventive textures, and bold modernism.

After intermission, ZaRiah brings vibrant color to Valerie Coleman’s Suite: Portraits of Josephine, a spirited tribute to Josephine Baker that dances through jazz-age Paris and beyond. The program concludes with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Serenade No. 12 in C minor, K. 388, in a brilliant wind arrangement by Mordechai Rechtman—a work of dramatic intensity and refined interplay.

Join us for an evening where pulse meets precision and momentum carries the music forward with brilliance and bold imagination.

Gilles Vonsattel, piano
Candide Quartet, Shouse ensemble
ZaRiah, Sphinx ensemble

From Mozart’s luminous elegance to Dvořák’s folk-inspired vitality, the 2nd installment of Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival’s residency at Kerrytown Concert House this season traces a rich spectrum of musical expression. Clarinetist David Shifrin joins the Candide Quartet for Mozart’s beloved Clarinet Quintet in A major, a cornerstone of the chamber repertoire whose graceful lyricism and warmth highlight the instrument’s singing voice. Shifrin then takes center stage in Stravinsky’s Three Pieces for Solo Clarinet, a strikingly modern work that explores the clarinet’s color, character, and virtuosity. Closing the evening, Trio Eris performs Dvořák’s exuberant “Dumky” Piano Trio, a sequence of contrasting movements that move freely between introspection and spirited dance.

Together, these works create an intimate and expressive program showcasing lyrical clarinet lines, striking solo moments, and deeply emotional chamber textures in KCH’s salon setting.

David Shifrin, clarinet
Candide Quartet, Shouse ensemble
Trio Eris, Shouse ensemble