Get to Know our Guest Artist

liv morrow doing aerial hoop

When 24-year-old Pianist Janice Carissa was younger, her instructors cautioned her not to “play faster than the music.” She took their advice to heart, as students do, but never really understood what they meant until recently. After studying music for almost two decades and learning countless pieces for performances and recitals around the world, she’s letting go and listening to her heart.

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Get to Know our Guest Artists

liv morrow doing aerial hoop

Ron Oppenheimer defies gravity. With grace and precision, he deftly climbs and descends a pole, suspended from above. His body creates one abstract form after another in a passionate performance made only more powerful by the music that accompanies his every move.

Oppenheimer is one of seven cirque – as in Cirque de Soleil – performers who will be joining the Battle Creek Symphony in a first-of-its-kind show that combines the music of the full orchestra with performance art. The Magic of Cirque and Symphony will debut Saturday at 7:30 on March 4 at the WK Kellogg Auditorium.

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Cirque Donation Sponsor request

We need your help! Battle Creek Symphony Cirque Sponsorship request Saturday, March 4, 2023, 7:30 pm WK Kellogg Auditorium   Greetings! We are putting together a fantastic concert on Saturday, March 4, and are seeking donations to help cover expenses since ticket prices only cover a fraction of costs. Please consider giving a donation to…

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Battle Creek Community Chorus: Christmas Tale Legends

Battle Creek Community Chorus
Sunday, December 11, 2022, 4:00 pm
First Congregational Church
145 Capital Avenue NE, Battle Creek

The manger story is one of the most powerful ever told, and many other Christmas stories and legends have sprung up all over the world – from Good King Wenceslas to Santa on the Housetop. Come and celebrate the season by reliving some of those tales with the BCCC!

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Hold On, America, Hold On!

The music community illuminates issues facing African Americans today and explores Black history. On the morning after the murder of George Floyd, Anne Harrigan, the artistic director of the Music Center and conductor of the Battle Creek Symphony, decided to go out for a coffee in her Grand Rapids neighborhood only to find one of her favorite coffee shops boarded up. She knew protests were sweeping across the city, but the stark reality of those wooden windows stunned her.

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Music Speaks Through the Battle Creek Symphony

In operation since 1899, the Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra (BCSO) represents the longest continuously performing orchestra in Michigan. With deep roots in Battle Creek and the surrounding area for the past 123 years, the BCSO has some of the highest quality symphonic traditions to be found.

Let’s take a look at the history of the BCSO, how it coped with the challenges of the past year, and what lies ahead for the 2021-2022 season.

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Music and Mental Health

Music has the power to soothe, excite, calm and comfort us. Whether tied to a tender moment, the joy of playing an instrument, or the excitement of a concert—music often goes hand-in-hand with some of our most impactful memories. A group bonding experience or individually meditative moment spent with music can act as a bridge to better wellbeing, both physically and mentally.

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Music Center Blog

Ever since the formation of The Music Center in 2000, we’ve been passionate about building community through music. The Music Center is a unique combination of music arts and programs created to enhance the lives of children and adults of all ages and talent levels. Although the past year and a half has been full of challenges, our mission remains the same. If anything, we’ve learned more about the incredible power of music to unite a community through unprecedented times.

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