Every year, the Midwest Trust Center at Johnson County Community College unveils a season that feels a bit like opening a wondrous treasure chest: a glint of classical music here, a shimmer of dance there, a flash of theatrical mischief, a sparkle of family magic. The 2026–27 season is full of dazzling, precious gems.

Executive Director Stacie McDaniel, who somehow manages to plan multiple seasons at once without losing her mind or her sense of humor, radiates excitement about what’s ahead. “I think I have the best job in the world,” she says, and after hearing what she’s assembled, it’s hard to disagree.

Variety is the name of the game at the Midwest Trust Center. Every season, McDaniel strives to provide the widest range of performances in every genre and style. From world music to classical music from dance to movies accompanied by live orchestra. It may sound like a cliché, but it’s true: there’s something for everyone.

Let’s start with dance

The season opens with Midwest Trust Center’s signature choreographic incubator, New Dance Partners, a project that has become a beloved early‑season ritual. Four internationally known choreographers are paired with four Kansas City–area dance companies, resulting in four brand‑new works created during a residency and premiered on Yardley Hall’s stage.

“It was always really exciting to see what the choreographers came up with, what the mood of the moment was,” McDaniel said, “and also to find the best way to feature all of the wonderful talent we have here with those local dance companies.”

Owen/Cox, now celebrating the company’s 20th anniversary, returns with its raucous, jazz‑infused holiday romp Nutcracker and the Mouse King. “We were excited to welcome them back,” McDaniel said, noting that the production is moving from Polsky Stage to Yardley Hall. “We were excited about what new development that was going to bring in what was already a stellar production.”

In January, the luminous Nai‑Ni Chen Dance Company brings its fusion of Asian traditional dance and contemporary movement to Yardley Hall. “It is amazing modern contemporary dance but also has the flavor of their Asian heritage,” McDaniel said. Expect vibrant colors, ornate costumes, and a celebratory nod to the Lunar New Year.

For younger audiences, Inlet Dance Theatre adapts the bestselling children’s book into a movement‑rich, visually engaging performance. “It was really just a feast for the eyes,” McDaniel said. “The talent of Inlet Dance Company to tell this story through movement was just really inspiring.”

Nai‑Ni Chen Dance Company, January 22

The Midwest Trust Center has long been a haven for classical‑music lovers — and for the classical‑curious who prefer their Bach with a twist or their Dvořák with a story. This season’s classical offerings are beautifully varied, each one exploring a different facet of what classical music can be.

Take3 is the kind of group that makes you rethink what a string trio can do. They approach contemporary music through a classical lens, but the results are anything but traditional. “What audiences will hear is a complete reimagining of some of their favorite tunes,” McDaniel said. The trio’s playlist leaps from Bach to Beethoven to Elvis to the Beatles to Bruno Mars, all delivered with classical instruments and rock‑band swagger.

This is the classical centerpiece of the season — a program that explores Dvořák’s time in the United States and the musical influences he absorbed. “It’s a really special program,” McDaniel said. “It explores those African American and Native American influences on Dvořák’s whole career.”

Dvořák summertime stay in Spillville, Iowa in 1893 underscores the deep Midwestern resonance of this program. Dvořák didn’t just visit America; he listened to it. He sought out African American spirituals, Native American melodies, and the sounds of everyday people. He believed American music would find its voice not in European imitation but in the traditions already here.

The concert reflects the composer’s deep curiosity about those musical traditions, with Native American flute, percussion, bass vocals evoking spirituals, narration and projections and Dvořák’s beloved American Quartet.

It’s a perfect way to honor America’s 250th anniversary through the eyes of a composer who saw this country with fresh wonder.

Cultural Crossroads: Dvořák in America, February 6

Kansas City’s own Bach Aria Soloists join forces with famed trumpeter Rodney Marsalis for a program that spans Handel, Bach, Bernstein, and more. “It was going to be a super varied program,” McDaniel said, “but also the high quality, the musicality, the perfection that audiences had come to expect from Bach Aria Soloists.”

The Marsalis family is a dynasty of musical excellence. “We could probably go back two dozen seasons and find a Marsalis in more than half of them,” McDaniel said. This concert continues that tradition, pairing the exquisite musicianship of Kansas City’s Bach Aria Soloists with one of America’s great trumpeters.

Rodney Marsalis and Elizabeth Lane. Photo: Charles Porter

This season’s theatrical and crossover offerings form a lively constellation of vocal fireworks, nostalgia, and pure entertainment — the kind of programming that makes Yardley Hall feel like a cultural playground.

A trio of powerhouse West End vocalists brings Broadway and diva classics to Yardley Hall. “I’ve been really excited about this one all season,” McDaniel said. Expect Wicked, Whitney, Streisand, and more — delivered with vocal athleticism and theatrical flair.

From the producers of The Simon & Garfunkel Story, this narrative concert blends storytelling, visuals, and faithful recreations of Joel’s greatest hits. “It’s a heartfelt celebration of Billy Joel’s greatest hits,” McDaniel said.

A shot‑for‑shot comedic reenactment of Jurassic Park performed by two actors and one foley artist. “It’s nonstop laughter from start to finish,” McDaniel said. A cult favorite, now roaring into Overland Park.

The legendary group celebrates Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life. “They were six‑time Grammy winners,” McDaniel said, “really impeccable in their performance in those genres.” Gospel, soul, blues, Americana — all of it delivered with the Blind Boys’ unmistakable warmth.

Blind Boys of Alabama. Photo: Cole Weber

The Midwest Trust Center’s 2026–27 season doesn’t just bring the nation to Kansas City — it brings the world. Globe‑spanning ensembles, each rooted in a distinct musical tradition, will turn Yardley Hall into a crossroads of rhythm, ritual, and cultural storytelling. 

Few musical experiences match the visceral thrill of Japanese taiko drumming, and Yamato is one of the world’s most electrifying ambassadors of the form. Known for their athleticism, precision, and theatrical flair, the ensemble transforms traditional taiko into a full‑body spectacle — part concert, part ritual, part thunderstorm.

Yamato’s performances feature large drums you can feel in your bones, alongside smaller instruments that add sparkle and texture. The result is a dynamic arc of sound: explosive, meditative, humorous, and deeply communal. Their concerts are celebrations of discipline and joy, rooted in centuries‑old Japanese tradition yet delivered with contemporary energy.

Yamato — The Drummers of Japan, March 27

Kaira Ba is a Senegalese ensemble rooted in the traditions of West African griots, the poet‑musicians who serve as historians, storytellers, and cultural memory‑keepers. Led by guitarist and vocalist Diali Cissokho, the group blends traditional instruments like the kora (a 21‑string harp‑lute) with electric bass, percussion, and contemporary arrangements.

The result is a sound that feels both ancient and immediate: shimmering kora lines, propulsive rhythms, call‑and‑response vocals, and melodies that seem to carry the warmth of the Sahel. Kaira Ba’s music often explores themes of community, ancestry, connection and harmony. The very meaning of “kaira,” is peace.

The Fanoos Ensemble brings the luminous musical traditions of Afghanistan to the Midwest Trust Center, offering a rare opportunity to hear a culture’s soul expressed through its instruments. The group is known for weaving together classical Afghan melodies, folk songs, and contemporary arrangements, often featuring the rubab — Afghanistan’s national instrument — alongside tabla, harmonium, and expressive vocals.

Their performances are rich with poetic lyricism and emotional nuance, drawing on musical lineages that stretch back centuries. In recent years, Afghan musicians have become powerful cultural ambassadors, carrying their heritage across borders and preserving it through performance. Fanoos embodies that mission with grace and artistry.

This concert promises to be both intimate and expansive — a window into a musical world shaped by resilience, beauty, and storytelling.

Fanoos Ensemble, May 16

Winterlude is the Midwest Trust Center’s signature winter jazz festival — a two‑day immersion in Kansas City’s jazz lineage and its ever‑evolving future. The festival brings together top local ensembles, rising artists, guest lecturers, and a major national headliner for a weekend that feels both celebratory and deeply rooted in the city’s musical identity.

This year’s Winterlude is Mardi Gras Mambo. Two days of Kansas City jazz capped by a New Orleans blowout featuring the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas. “It’s going to be a super upbeat, super high‑energy show,” McDaniel said.

Film in Concert at the Midwest Trust Center transforms Yardley Hall into a cinematic concert experience, pairing blockbuster films with live orchestral performance. Instead of hearing the movie’s soundtrack through speakers, audiences watch the full film on the big screen while a professional orchestra performs the score note‑for‑note in real time, creating a vivid, immersive blend of cinema and symphonic music.

Diana Gabaldon’s time‑traveling saga Outlander has inspired a global fandom that treats the story not just as entertainment but as emotional geography: a place to return to, a place to feel. The concert presentation gathers fan‑favorite scenes from all eight seasons and pairs them with Bear McCreary’s lush, award‑winning Scottish‑infused score. Pipes, drums, strings — all the musical DNA that gave Outlander its sweeping romantic identity — will become a living presence in the hall.

“We are expecting a lot of folks to come out for date night,” McDaniel said. Be ready for a collective swoon as the audience shares the opportunity to revisit Claire and Jamie’s world on a grand scale.

Outlander in Concert, October 23

Few films in the last twenty years have landed with the seismic cultural force of Black Panther. Ryan Coogler’s 2018 Marvel masterpiece didn’t just break box‑office records; it reframed what a superhero film could be and how it could draw from African diasporic history, aesthetics, and sound.

Hearing Ludwig Göransson’s Oscar‑winning score performed live is an experience that will hit the body before it hits the brain. The talking drum motifs, the West African rhythms, the sweeping orchestral lines that accompanied T’Challa’s journey — all of it becomes more vivid and more muscular when played by a full orchestra in the room.

“It’s a great entry point for people who want to try something new,” McDaniel said. Black Panther blends myth, Afrofuturism and blockbuster spectacle into something that feels both intimate and epic.

For many audience members, this concert will be a chance to revisit Wakanda with fresh ears — to feel the score’s heartbeat and textures often swallowed by theater speakers. And then there’s the communal aspect of seeing and hearing the film in an actual theater, experiencing the film’s emotional arc with hundreds of fellow fans.

McDaniel is already deep into planning the 2027–28 season. “Sometimes that planning happens up to 18 months in advance,” she said. “It’s a lot to keep in your mind at one time, but I feel very grateful to get to do that every day.”

Kansas City is grateful too — for a season that embraces global artistry, local talent, family joy, and the sheer pleasure of gathering together in a beautiful hall with abundant free parking (a detail McDaniel is rightly proud of).