Krista Lang Blackwood

Krista Lang Blackwood is an award-winning educator, performer and freelance writer. When she's not teaching or performing, she combs the greater Kansas City region for off-the-beaten-path arts and culture offerings, usually in the company of her husband and precocious, French-speaking son.

Kansas City’s Quiet Virtuoso

Close your eyes and imagine a musical virtuoso. Who are you seeing? Mozart, with his powdered wigs? Liszt, with his aquiline nose? The Beatles, with their mop haircuts? Prince, with his velvet jackets? Toscanini? Bach? Elvis? Pavarotti? Sting? You probably didn’t see a middle-aged man in a pullover sweater named Robert Pherigo. But if you ask a musician in Kansas City to name a virtuoso, Robert’s name usually tops the list.

September 14, 2017
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Arts News – New Dance Partners: An Innovative Investment in Local Creativity

Emily Behrmann, general manager for the Carlsen Center at Johnson County Community College, knows a good idea when she sees it. New Dance Partners: The Ultimate Collaboration returns for its fourth appearance as part of the Carlsen Center Presents (formerly known as the JCCC Performing Arts Series), in September. Behrmannn explains it is a concept […]

September 4, 2017
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Artist to Watch: Vanessa Thomas

Lawrence-based singer Vanessa Thomas works as a vocal coach, accompanist, church music director, and full-time single mom to her four children, all while regularly performing nationally with Grammy Award-winning maestro Doc Severinsen. Vocally, she is known for her seamless four-octave range and her unusual musical versatility.

May 19, 2017
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Arts News: How Lyric Opera is Bridging the Classical/Pop Gap

Classical music concerts in the 21st century can seem intimidating. Tickets can be costly. Venues are usually in the center of the city, making parking difficult. And then there’s the question of what you wear. But what we now call “classical” music was once “popular” music. They had Farinelli. We have Lady Gaga. They had […]

January 12, 2017
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“Dead Man Walking” – “A drama that will reach out and grab you”

Lyric Opera stages intimate, immersive production of nun’s riveting memoir about convicts on death row. Since “Dead Man Walking” premiered at the San Francisco Opera in 2000, there have been more than 40 stage productions worldwide. There are two commercial recordings, one featuring Kansas City native Joyce DiDonato as Sister Helen. For an opera that […]

January 9, 2017
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Angelina Sansone: Grace and Fire

The Kansas City Ballet dancer has captivated audiences for more than a decade. “Elegant,” “stunning,” “fluid” and “magnificent” are just some of the words critics have used to describe Kansas City Ballet dancer Angelina Sansone in performance. Last year, KC Metropolis reviewer Lee Hartman lauded her “magnetic stage presence” as Queen Anne in the Ballet’s […]

November 1, 2016
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