Sunflower Music Festival

Last night with the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra was a swingin’ good time! An additional thank you to Kansas Public Radio and Topeka Jazz Workshop for coming out to table and join us for a truly special evening.

A reminder that the festival artwork by Kim Scott is up for auction, as well as 3 additional pieces by Rita Etzel! There’s still time to throw your name in the hat, either in person at the concerts or online on the 2026 festival artwork page. Join us this evening at the second chamber ensembles concert to see these pieces and many other items for purchase at the tables in the lobby!

https://sunflowermusicfestival.org/sunflower-music-festival-program-schedule/2025-artwork/

Some highlights from Saturday night’s chamber ensemble concert 🙌🏻 don’t forget to join us for Jazz Night and the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra this evening!

🌻 Meet Our Musicians 🌻

Get to know the Oboe section of the Sunflower Music Festival! We are delighted to have Alex Klein and Margaret Marco return once again, as well as Luis De León who joined us on Friday for Brandenburg Concerto No. 1! Get to know these musicians on our website or check out their musician bio in the back of our beautiful program booklets.

https://sunflowermusicfestival.org/musicians/

Bravo to the Sunflower Chamber Orchestra and piano soloist Cynthia Raim for getting the 39th Sunflower Music Festival off to a bombastic start! We hope to see everyone back this evening for a wonderful night of chamber ensemble music.

A reminder that this year’s featured artwork from Kim Scott and several additional pieces from Rita Etzel are up for bidding, both at the concerts and online. Visit the link below to submit your bid!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1LWwBtDoH83eJ8diOh62Cov-jsQeOSFJR-2yPisBEi3k/viewform

🌻 Meet Our Musicians 🌻

Tomorrow marks the first concert of our 2026 season! At Double Bass, Mitchell Ballester joins us for his 1st year at Sunflower, and Nic Tsolainos returns as one of the most seasoned veterans of the festival. We can't wait for everyone to join us for some Bach, Haydn, and Grieg's Piano Concerto tomorrow!

Today marked the first chamber orchestra rehearsal of the 2026 Sunflower Music Festival - we are thrilled to have all these amazing artists here with us in Topeka!

🌻 Meet Our Musicians 🌻

It's officially one day before the chamber orchestra convenes for its first rehearsal - we are ecstatic to welcome all of our musicians to Topeka!

Get to know two of our woodwind sections, the clarinet and bassoons! They will be featured consistently throughout the chamber ensemble concerts, with principal clarinetist Jonathan Gunn featured on the final chamber orchestra concert on Mozart's Clarinet Concerto!

Left to right:
Jonathan Gunn
Hank Landrum
Benjamin Coelho
Austin Way

It’s nine nights of live music, all free! >>> https://www.wibw.com/2026/06/15/sunflower-music-festival-ready-sound-off/

The Sunflower staff was hard at work setting up lodging for the musicians and Garvey Fine Arts Center today in preparation for rehearsal #1 on Wednesday. A tell-tale sign by the Sunflower poster gracing the lobby of White Concert Hall once again!