The University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory is announcing cornerstone performances in its 2026-27 calendar, including a new Dean’s Signature Series. This series highlights theatre, dance and music performances that embody the theme “A Place We Call Home.”

“This theme invites you to reflect on the spaces, people and experiences that shape who we are as artists and as a community,” said Courtney Crappell, dean of the UMKC Conservatory. “Home can be rooted in geography, memory, tradition or belonging. It can be inherited, discovered or created. We’ll explore these ideas across our performance season and examine the ways we carry a sense of home with us as we grow and change.”

This theme comes at a time when the Conservatory’s own home is growing. The expansion of the Olson Performing Arts Center will break ground on Sept. 23, bringing new facilities and opportunities to the students and community. The expansion will add crucial performance and rehearsal spaces for students in all three disciplines.

Cornerstone performances include “Sounding a Nation,” a collection of Pulitzer-Prize winning works performed by the Conservatory Symphony Orchestra; “Working,” a musical by Stephen Schwartz; “Suor Angelica” and “Gianni Schicchi” by Giacomo Puccini; “The Listening House,” part of the Conservatory’s NEXUS series; and more. Check the Conservatory’s season highlights page for the most current information on performances.

Join the Conservatory to enjoy Kansas City’s next generation of performers at the Dean’s Signature Series events:

“Sounding a Nation,” Conservatory Symphony Orchestra Concert

• Sept. 18, White Recital Hall, James C. Olson Performing Arts Center
• Dr. Christopher Kelts kicks off the Dean’s Signature Series with an evening of Pulitzer-Prize winning orchestral works.

Conservatory Wind Symphony Concert

• Sept. 24, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
• Conductor Steven D. Davis and the Conservatory Wind Symphony return to Helzberg Hall to celebrate contemporary composers and the stories they share through music.

“Working,” a musical by Stephen Schwartz and Nina Faso (Oct. 14-17)

• Oct. 14-17, Spencer Theatre, James C. Olson Performing Arts Center
• Our home away from home: this musical explores and celebrates our lives at work — the places in which we often spend more time than our actual homes.

“At the Heart of Kansas City,” Conservatory Choirs and Orchestra

• Oct. 19, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
• UMKC Conservatory Choirs and Symphony Orchestra combine forces for an evening at Helzberg Hall

Fall Dance Performance

• Oct. 23-25, Spencer Theatre, James C. Olson Performing Arts Center
• The Conservatory Dance Division presents an evening of works exploring the universal idea of home — its meanings, memories and contradictions.

“Corners Grove,” a play by Kayla Mei Shing Garver

• Oct. 30-Nov. 2, The Arts Asylum
• An adaptation of the classic “Our Town” by Thornton Wilder, Garver's play reimagines the action of the play through the eyes of the younger generation as they explore identity, belonging, the excitement of an unknown future and how chosen family can provide the truest "home" they'll ever know.

“Passage,” a play by Christopher Chen

• Nov. 18-21, The Arts Asylum
• Inspired in part by E.M. Forster's “A Passage to India,” Chen's play explores relationships between members of two communities — those who have been colonized and the colonizers themselves — after an unfortunate encounter results in unjust treatment and negative fallout. Chen invites us to rethink how we engage with other cultures, and other worlds, as we all endeavor to find places we can call our own.

“A Celebration of Peace,” Conservatory Choirs and Allegro Choirs

• Feb. 16, 2027, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
• The UMKC Conservatory Choirs and the Allegro Choirs of Kansas City perform the Dona Nobis Pacem by Ralph Vaughan Williams in Helzberg Hall.

“Suor Angelica” and “Gianni Schicchi,” two 1-act operas by Giacomo Puccini

• March 3-6, 2027, White Recital Hall, James C. Olson Performing Arts Center
• Banished from home: when Angelica is forced to join a convent, she finds a new community and a deep spiritual connection.
• Inheriting home: can Gianni, a doting father, ensure his daughter has a home while also navigating money troubles with her new in-laws? Puccini’s dark comedy will leave you laughing all the way home.

“The Winter's Tale,” a play by William Shakespeare

• March 16-20, 2027, Spencer Theatre, James C. Olson Performing Arts Center
• When King Leontes, ruler of Sicilia, succumbs to unjustified jealousy, his anger throws the realm into chaos and shatters his once-stable alliance with Bohemia. Shakespeare's ingenious blend of moving tragedy, whimsical comedy and pastoral rebirth creates a magical world where the two kingdoms must navigate a painful path of loss and misfortune to find their way home to redemption.

“The Listening House” by Paul Rudy

• April 7, 2027, White Recital Hall, James C. Olson Performing Arts Center
• “The Listening House” invites audiences into a shared environment of sound, movement, participation, video and temporary structures to explore home as something we build together through attention. This performance is part of the NEXUS series.

Conservatory Finale

• April 20, 2027, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
• A long-time favorite of the Kansas City performing arts community, this spring event highlights performers in all disciplines, along with faculty and alumni.

“Failure: A Love Story” by Philip Dawkins

• May 5-8, 2027, The Arts Asylum
• A series of ups and downs has defined the life of the Fail Family for a generation, and Mortimer's introduction to the Fail sisters and their brother, John, seems to only be inviting more of the same. Despite life's ongoing struggles, Dawkins’s heartfelt play challenges us to embrace the joyous moments of existence, however fleeting, and to treasure the loves we encounter along the way that lead us back home.