Kansas City Chamber Orchestra

The Kansas City Chamber Orchestra (KCCO), founded by Bruce Sorrell in 1987, stands as the region's sole professional resident chamber orchestra. Celebrating over 30 seasons, the KCCO has earned significant critical acclaim and cultivated a dedicated and passionate audience base. The ensemble is characterized by its intimate size, reminiscent of the orchestras for which composers such as Bach, Mozart, Handel, Vivaldi, Haydn, and Beethoven wrote their works. The KCCO typically features 10 to 33 musicians, a contrast to the larger symphony orchestras which consist of 80 to 100 members. A central mission of the KCCO is to provide professional musicians in Kansas City with additional income and performance opportunities. Its players are drawn from the ranks of the Kansas City Symphony, academic institutions like the University of Kansas and the Conservatory at UMKC, as well as the freelance professional music community. The orchestra often highlights its own members as soloists in concertos, thereby offering them a valuable platform to exhibit their talents within the Kansas City area. Throughout its history, the KCCO has engaged in numerous collaborations with other arts organizations, including a significant partnership with the Friends of Chamber Music for a Bach Festival, and recent engagements with Hope Lutheran Church. Previous collaborators include Paul Mesner Puppets, Owen/Cox Dance, Village Presbyterian Church, UMKC’s Conservatory of Music, and the Kansas City Chorale. Education has been a cornerstone of the KCCO's activities, with Maestro Sorrell providing pre-concert talks before each performance. For over a decade, the orchestra has also offered free educational concerts to students and schools that might not otherwise have the opportunity to experience professional live classical music. Bruce Sorrell, the founder and conductor of the KCCO, has been recognized for his artistic leadership and contributions to the cultural life of Kansas City. His tenure has been marked by acclaimed performances of classical symphonies and a particular emphasis on the late Baroque period. Sorrell's educational and community engagement efforts are also noteworthy, including pre-concert lectures and school concerts. He has been honored with several awards, including the Kansas City Musical Club's annual award and the Citation for Achievement from William Jewell College. Additionally, Sorrell has served as Executive Director of Chamber Music Tulsa since 2012, alongside his role with the KCCO. Carolyn Watson serves as the Principal Guest Conductor of the KCCO and brings an international perspective to the ensemble. With a rich background that includes leading performances across the United States and abroad, Watson has been recognized for her work in both the symphonic and operatic realms. Her accolades include the American Prize for Orchestral Performance, and she has been a finalist in the Arts category of the Australian government Advance Awards. Watson holds a PhD in Performance Conducting from the University of Sydney and is currently the Director of Orchestras at the University of Illinois. The KCCO continues to be a vital part of Kansas City's musical landscape, offering performances that honor the chamber orchestra tradition while providing a platform for local professional musicians and enriching the community's cultural experience.