The Midwest Trust Center Features
Classical Music for All this May
Overland Park, KS (April 8, 2024) The Midwest Trust Center (formerly Carlsen Center) presents three
distinct classical ensembles in the month of May. “Our goal with these performances is to feature high quality
performances that are accessible to everyone in our community,” noted Stacie McDaniel, Executive Director of
the MTC. Performances will take place at the Midwest Trust Center on the campus of Johnson County
Community College, 12345 College Blvd., Overland Park, KS 66210). High-res photos with IDs can be found
here.
Thursday, May 2 at 7:30 p.m. – Les Violons du Roy, Jonathan Cohen, Music Director featuring Miloš,
Guitar – Using copies of period bows on modern instruments, the ensemble plays works from the Baroque and
Classical period with an approach strongly influenced by current research into performance practice in the 17th
and 18th centuries. The orchestra also regularly delves into the repertoire of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Sunday, May 5 at 2 p.m. – The Opus 76 Quartet with Paul Neubauer, viola – The Midwest Trust Center’s
artists-in-residence are joined by two-time Grammy nominee, violist Paul Neubauer for Mozart’s C Major viola
quintet & Brahms’ G Major Viola Quintet. Appointed principal violist of the New York Philharmonic at age
21, Neubauer has appeared as soloist with over 100 orchestras.
Friday, May 10 at 8 p.m. – The Concert Truck – Pianists Nick Luby and Susan Zhang converted a 16-foot box
truck into a fully functioning mobile concert hall, complete with lights, sound system and piano, engaging
diverse communities and audiences nationwide with thoughtful, timely programming. The duo will perform
free concerts around the metro May 6-9, culminating in a ticketed performance in Polsky Theatre on Friday.
Ticket Information
Tickets are on sale now. Purchase online or call the MTC Box Office Mon.-Fri. 10am-5pm at (913) 469-4445.
For more information about these shows and the rest of the 2023-2024 Season, visit
http://www.jccc.edu/MidwestTrustCenter
Midwest Trust Center Series 2023-2024 Season
Apr. 11 Alice: Dreaming of Wonderland
Apr. 21 The Peking Acrobats
Apr. 28 The Simon and Garfunkel Story
May 2 Les Violons du Roy: Jonathan Cohen, Music Director; Miloš, Guitar
May 4 MTC Kids Jam – 123 Andrés*
May 5 The Opus 76 Quartet with violist Paul Neubauer Mozart and Brahms*
May 10 The Concert Truck*
May 17 ¡Viva Mexico! ¡Viva America!
About Midwest Center, Johnson County Community College
The Midwest Trust Center is Johnson County’s performing arts center. Early on, the founders of Johnson
County Community College (JCCC) dreamed of building a world-class performing arts venue in Johnson
County, Kansas. In 1990, that dream was realized, and the center soon became a cultural hub for the rapidly
growing county. The Midwest Trust Center’s growth parallels that of Johnson County, expanding from 50
events the first season to around 150 annually today. Events include Midwest Trust Center Series, the annual
series of around 25 events presented by JCCC that feature professional, internationally known artists in a wide
variety of genres; academic branches of JCCC; and community groups who rent the space.
In 2020 Johnson County Community College accepted a $1,000,000 donation intended to provide an ongoing
endowment to support the College’s Performing Arts Series. These funds will also provide scholarships for
students studying creative arts at JCCC. As a feature of the donation, the center now bears the name Midwest
Trust Center, a local company founded by Brad Bergman. The donors Brad and Libby Bergman are long-time
supporters of the College, having co-chaired the JCCC Foundation’s annual Some Enchanted Evening Gala – the
largest single fundraising event for student scholarships. Brad has also served as Chair of the JCCC Foundation
Board of Directors. The Bergmans have been consistent supporters of dozens of activities at JCCC. They have
four children, each of whom has benefited from classes taught at the College.
Since 2000, with the development of the Midwest Trust Center Arts Education program, the Midwest Trust
Center also addresses cultural and art-related program needs in K-12 education. The MTC Arts Education
programs include school performances at the Midwest Trust Center, and engagement activities with artists
performing in schools. Master classes, lecture/demonstrations, workshops and other opportunities for interaction
with students happen throughout the year. MTC Arts Education also offers support materials for programs,
study guides, concert previews, plus professional development – creative skills workshops and curriculum building seminars for teachers in arts integration.
The MTC Arts Education had a leadership role in the re-establishment of the Kansas Alliance for Arts
Education, and in 2014 was named a Kennedy Center Partners in Education site, teamed with the Shawnee
Mission School District. An expansion of the Kennedy Center Partnership occurred in 2018 with the addition of
the Liberty Schools, and again in 2019, adding Kansas City Young Audiences, making it one of two cross-state
Kennedy Center Partnerships in the US. MTC Arts Ed is the only Kennedy Center Partner in the state of
Kansas.
For more information, please visit Midwest Trust Center 2023-2024 Season.
For media inquiries, please contact Janell Rinne, jrinne2@jccc.edu
