Libby Hanssen

Libby Hanssen

Originally from Indiana, Libby Hanssen covers the performing arts in Kansas City. She’s written for KCUR, “KC Studio,” “The Kansas City Star,” “The Pitch” and “KCMetropolis.” Libby maintains the culture blog “Proust Eats A Sandwich” and writes poetry and children’s books. Along with degrees in trombone performance, she was a Fellow for the NEA Arts Journalism Institute at Columbia University.

The Job: Christy Elsner

The Job: Christy Elsner

“If you’re not sweating you’re not working.” That sounds like something a spin class instructor might say, but it’s a popular phrase from Christy Elsner, founder and artistic director of Allegro Choirs of Kansas City, a community-based children’s choir. However, laughter and enthusiasm were the two defining takeaways after talking with Elsner. “It’s always an adventure,” she said.

Honors: Laurel Gagnon

Laurel Gagnon attracted local and international attention when she placed fourth in the Singapore International Violin Competition in January. "It was a high-pressure situation and also my first big competition, so I didn’t really know what to expect,” she said. “I didn’t really put a lot of pressure on myself, because it was the first time..."

Gerald Trimble: Sharing Diverse Cultures Through Music

Gerald Trimble: Sharing Diverse Cultures Through Music

To listen to Gerald Trimble on viola da gamba is to whirl through the centuries, a cascade of cultures, countries and influences coalescing into a unique sound with ancient roots. Trimble is a wizard, weaving spells on the knee fiddle. Or perhaps an alchemist, mixing the improvisatory styles of Celtic, Turkish and Indian traditions with 17th-century English baroque and American jazz.

Arts News: Central Library Exhibit Collects Wishes

The whole idea started with a rock. “THIS ROCK GRANTS WISHES,” written on the side, a tangible, weighty object infused with mythical promise. “I picked it up because it felt really significant when I saw it, like it was mine. It was right before 2017, the year of thoughts and prayers,” said artist Ryan Wilks. […]

Pianist Ran Dank Returns for the Kansas City Symphony’s Season Finale

Wrapping up its A Century of Bernstein celebration, the Kansas City Symphony’s season finale is an ambitious double bill: Leonard Bernstein’s “The Age of Anxiety” and Hector Berlioz’ “Symphonie Fantastique.” “The Age of Anxiety (Symphony No. 2 for piano and orchestra) (After W. H. Auden),” to give the work its full title, is based on Auden’s 1948 Pulitzer Prize-winning book-length poem, “The Age of Anxiety: A Baroque Eclogue.”