Make Music in the City
Kansas City is nationally famous for being the City of Fountains and the home of great barbecue. But as its residents can testify, it is also the place where truly legendary music is birthed, rehearsed and performed.
From the moment you walk through the beautiful hand-carved doors of KC Strings in Merriam, you know you are someplace special. Luthier Anton Kruz is a Gepetto-like craftsman, drawing magic out of the wood with which he works. One of only 200 violin makers in the United States, he has a name legendary in the strings world. KC Strings is the only shop in the United States that currently builds violins, violas, celli and bass from scratch. Its instruments make their way across the globe and into some of the most prestigious music halls throughout the nation. KC Strings provides full-service repair, rentals and lessons covering a broad range of styles on all stringed instruments in the adjacent conservatory building. For an in-depth tour of the shop, contact the Merriam Visitors Bureau.
The marriage of both old and new has particular meaning at one downtown icon: the Todd Bolender Center of Dance & Creativity. Built in 1914, the building originally functioned as the Power House for Union Station, the post office and the Liberty Memorial. In its new capacity, the Bolender Center is the headquarters for the Kansas City Ballet. The largest studio in the building was constructed with the exact same dimensions as the main stage in the Kauffman Center, giving professional dancers greater ease and familiarity while rehearsing for upcoming productions. The studio also functions as a 180-seat theater where guests can view formal performances and choreographic numbers. The Bolender Center’s multiple stories house a conference center, as well as studio space and classrooms that offer a wide range of classes for both the professional and the amateur, including adult beginners dance, jazz and Pilates.
If you’ve lived in the City for any length of time, you may have noticed that the downtown skyline has been graced with a new addition to its silhouette. After four years of construction, the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts has changed the landscape of our city for the better. The center boasts two large auditoriums: the Muriel McBrien Kauffman Theatre and Helzberg Hall. The Kauffman Center is dedicated to enriching the Kansas City area with top quality productions from both near and far. Resident companies such as the Kansas City Symphony, the Lyric Opera and the Kansas City Ballet now have a new place to call home. The center also showcases a variety of artists and productions of national and international acclaim.
The sights and sounds of Kansas City are like none other, but perhaps one of the greatest contributions our city has made to the arts is the many facilities that house them. Whether you are new or a native of the Kansas City area, consider taking some time to discover the many venues where music comes to life.
Lauren Greenlee purchased her first violin at KC Strings and loves to take in the arts around the city. She and her family reside in Olathe.