The Gilmore, created in 1989 to honor the legacy of Irving S. Gilmore, is known for its biennial Gilmore International Piano Festival, a three-week celebration of piano music; the commissioning of new works for piano; and the career-making Gilmore Artist Award, presented every four years after on a non-competitive process jurying process (Gilmore Young Artists are similarly named every two years). Since the first in 1991, 14 biennial Festivals have been enjoyed by tens of thousands of visitors to Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA. Eight Gilmore Artists and 38 Gilmore Young Artists have been recognized, and 41 new works have been created for the piano.

The sixteenth Gilmore Piano Festival is planned for Spring 2024, at which the next Gilmore Artist and Gilmore Young Artists will perform. In 2022, a major gift launched the creation of the Larry J. Bell Jazz Artist and Young Jazz Artist Awards, which will be announced for the 2026 Festival.