It may have been the time Susan Susz’s parents took her and her three siblings to Starlight to see “Sound of Music.” Or it perhaps it was her mother’s penchant for singing opera around the house — and at friends’ weddings. Or it might have been the piano lessons she took as a child. Whatever the influence, Susan Susz has become an enthusiastic arts supporter. And that commitment led to Susan and her husband Mark become donors to the Kauffman Center.

“When Mark and I married 12 years ago,” Susan shared recently, “I started engaging him in the arts activities I enjoyed. Soon, attending the theater, ballet and the symphony became activities we enjoyed regularly together.” Susan quickly added that Mark didn’t require much convincing; business interests earlier in his life just took most of his attention. Now that he’s sold his business and retired, the arts fit right in.

Mark and Susan Susz’s introduction to the Kauffman Center came through good friends Tom and Linda Beal. “We had heard bits and pieces about a new performing arts center, but no one had really filled us in,” Susan recalls.

That issue was remedied when the Beals invited them to lunch with Julia Irene Kauffman along with a small group of potential supporters. “We were immediately impressed,” Susan shared. Mark and Susan liked the idea of Kansas City getting high-quality performance spaces for the groups they enjoyed. “Plus we were wowed by the emphasis on quality. There was so much attention being placed on acoustics and technical excellence,” Susan added.

Later, Mark and Susan met with President & CEO Jane Chu and began to talk about a contribution to the center. After reviewing a range of naming opportunities available to donors, Mark and Susan decided to fund and name three items within the Kauffman Center, including a glass elevator that is set prominently in the grand gallery.

“I liked the centrality of this special elevator and its graceful design,” Mark said. “Funding the elevator also seemed to have a nice synergy with our personal interest in getting more people to arts performances.” Susan says that the location of the Kauffman Center is so prominent that people will easily find their way from the highway loop to the center. “Then the elevator will whisk them away to a delightful experience. I’m looking forward to everything about it,” she concludes.

Get more information about naming opportunities.

Sneak Peak of the Kauffman Center’s Architecture

The Crossroads District is the place to be on First Fridays. And we just added one more reason to head downtown that night.

Drop by the Arts Incubator on April 6, come up to the third floor and take a guided tour of our architectural model. Talk with our Ambassadors about the latest news and enjoy this inspiring environment. We’ll be looking for you at 115 W. 18th Street.

Thanks to Jeff Becker of the Arts Incubator for opening this space to us for the next three months. The Arts Incubator is a nonprofit dedicated to working with emerging artists in the development of their careers. In addition to business workshops and consulting, the Arts Incubator provides affordable, quality studio space within the dynamic Crossroads Arts District. While you’re there, tour the artist studios and gallery, too.

If you arrive before dark, you take a peek out the northeast windows and see progress on the site. Altogether, it’s a great chance to introduce your friends and family to the Kauffman Center.

History in the Making: Word-class Pipe Organ

When the Kansas City Symphony performs at the Kauffman Center there’s one instrument they won’t have to bring with them. It’s a 5,548-pipe organ that will be a visual centerpiece in the concert hall, as well as an integral part of the musical experience.

“Kansas City will have the finest concert hall organ in the United States,” promises organ consultant James David Christie. “We’ve chosen a mechanical action organ in the French romantic tradition that will have 79 stops and 102 ranks. It’s very large, but not too large for the room. And this organ is lacking for nothing. We’ll have everything we need to do the entire organ repertoire and to serve music very beautifully.”

Putting a ‘halo’ around the orchestra

Pipe organs are standard components of concert halls around the world today. So, when planners began to explore options, they turned to organ consultant James David Christie to guide the complex decision-making that lay ahead. Christie is an internationally renowned organist who has completed fifty tours of Europe and performed often in Canada, Asia, Australia and Iceland. He has also served as organist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra since 1978.

“Selecting an organ for a concert hall is a very complex process with many variables to consider,” Christie explains. “In a symphony hall, the organ must be able to do three things. First, it must be able to work with an orchestra. This includes a role as an equal partner, and it must also have the ability to perform ‘under’ the orchestra. I call that the ability to ‘put a halo’ around the orchestra. And, of course, it must be able to dominate an orchestra when needed in organ concertos or orchestral works where the organ must soar above the orchestra. Second, the organ must be able to work with a choir or choral group. And, third, it must be capable of playing the great solo organ repertoires.”

For the Kauffman Center project, Christie studied many existing concert hall organs and assessed their features — what worked, what didn’t? “It’s about determining how the pipes will ‘speak and sing’ within our space.” Many conversations took place about the variables, needs and the various styles of organs that were possible.

Selecting a committed partner

Once the style of instrument was determined, Christie assisted in the in selection of the organ builder. The Kauffman Center wanted a world-class instrument, so many options were considered, including possible purchase of an existing pipe organ that was for sale. Finally the decision was made to go with a pipe organ that would be custom-designed with the room and match the unique needs of the site. Before the organ builder choice was finalized, architect Moshe Safdie and acoustician Yasu Toyota were brought into the process. Safdie, Christie and Ken Dworak later traveled to Quebec to discuss space specifications, the aesthetic demands and the facade of the organ.

The 125 year-old firm Casavant Frères from Quebec, Canada was selected to build the organ for several reasons. First, they are renowned for quality organs that have stood the test of time. Second, they have an excellent sense of the architectural and tonal requirements of organs. And, Christie says, “Casavant is truly committed to this project, as they feel it will be an essential part of a stellar concert hall. They are going above and beyond with their support and care on this project because of its importance.”

Next steps in the process fall to the Casavant team, who will design the architectural look of the organ, console, the key action, and the pipe scalings. This work will be done in close connection with the building design team, the organ consultant and the acoustician. Casavant will need approximately 24 months to complete their work, not including installation time needed on site in the concert hall.